How to get an independent report

Magicmerly

Hello all.
July 2023 I bought an 8ft pre lit arch from Argos. I used it in winter of 2023 and within 4 weeks of it being up, it developed a fault, one of the poles bent meaning the arch was unstable. I contacted the manufacturer to say could I have a spare pole, they said no I needed to take it back for a refund. Only I didn't want a refund, we quite liked the arch. Only Argos didn't have any in stock after Christmas. So I've waited till they did have some in stock, only the unit is now out of its 12 month warranty. Argos are telling me now I have to get an independent report of the faulty goods. So how do I do this please ? 

pinkshoes

Magicmerly said:

Hello all.
July 2023 I bought an 8ft pre lit arch from Argos. I used it in winter of 2023 and within 4 weeks of it being up, it developed a fault, one of the poles bent meaning the arch was unstable. I contacted the manufacturer to say could I have a spare pole, they said no I needed to take it back for a refund. Only I didn't want a refund, we quite liked the arch. Only Argos didn't have any in stock after Christmas. So I've waited till they did have some in stock, only the unit is now out of its 12 month warranty. Argos are telling me now I have to get an independent report of the faulty goods. So how do I do this please ? 

You would have been wise to accept the refund then re-purchase when it was back in stock...

You will need some sort of mechanical/structural engineer to examine it and write a report saying it's failed due to poor building/manufacture quality rather than someone swinging on the frame.

teaselMay

It's likely to be cheaper to just buy a new one and use the broken on as spare parts for the new one as and when needed

Magicmerly

Yeah that's the problem,.I bought it in July when it was heavily discounted. Hence trying to work out how to get the report so I can get an exchange.

cmthephoenix

Magicmerly said:

Yeah that's the problem,.I bought it in July when it was heavily discounted. Hence trying to work out how to get the report so I can get an exchange.

Assuming the report does find an inherent problem Argos don't have to give you an exchange, they can just refund you.

born_again

TBH.
Given you like the arch, can you not repair the bent pole?
Might be the cheapest & less stressful option.

Big DIY stores sell metal in lengths. So just get some & a couple of jubilee clips to hold in place.👍

lincroft1710

As the item is now 18 months old (or will be by the time you obtain a report) Argos can deduct an amount to reflect 18 months usage from the refund at the "heavily discounted price". They should pay for the report however, if it says there is an inherent fault. If it doesn't then you are going to be well, well out of pocket.

DullGreyGuy

Magicmerly said:

July 2023 I bought an 8ft pre lit arch from Argos. I used it in winter of 2023 and within 4 weeks of it being up, it developed a fault, one of the poles bent meaning the arch was unstable. I contacted the manufacturer to say could I have a spare pole, they said no I needed to take it back for a refund. Only I didn't want a refund, we quite liked the arch. Only Argos didn't have any in stock after Christmas. So I've waited till they did have some in stock, only the unit is now out of its 12 month warranty. Argos are telling me now I have to get an independent report of the faulty goods. So how do I do this please ? 

How did a fault cause a pole to bend? Sure it wasnt impact damage? 

You need to find someone, ideally qualified, that can inspect the item, opine on the cause, estimate the cost of repair and comment on what a reasonable lifespan is. They need the skills to do it but also the willingness to write a short report on the above. 

For somethings it's easy, there are an army of independent engineers for inspecting cars and sofas, they have the template report and just stick in some text and photos. For other things it can be much harder as either people learn on the job so dont have qualifications or they prefer the doing than writing a report.

Sometimes it's about lateral thinking... what is the material of the pole? If it's metal then a fabricator may be able to look at it and report. If it's plastic then it'll be a bit harder to find someone.