Trying to complain to Argos but only have transaction id (not order no)

Isthisforreal99

Not sure what the basis of your complaint is? As has been said the CRA puts the burden of proof on you. Argos asking you to comply with legislation isn't really grounds for complaint ans pretty sure it will get you nowhere.

itm2

Isthisforreal99 said:

Not sure what the basis of your complaint is? As has been said the CRA puts the burden of proof on you. Argos asking you to comply with legislation isn't really grounds for complaint ans pretty sure it will get you nowhere.

Whether that is grounds for a complaint is, as you suggest, questionable, but it's clear that some retailers are more sympathetic to the customer's predicament than others (Amazon, for example), so it would seem to be worth probing Argos's attitudes and policies here, compared to their competitors. Raising a formal complaint would provide them with an opportunity to demonstrate flexibility/empathy, if they are so inclined.

That aside, how can it be proved that a fault is due to a manufacturing fault? For example, if a component has failed for unexplained reasons does this indicate a manufacturing fault or could Argos just as easily argue that it had it could have been due to usage issues? Given the potential for a "he said/she said" situation, and the fact that the expense of the investigation is borne entirely by the customer, it seems that the dice are loaded in favour of the retailer here. 

Alderbank

We don't know what actually happened to your earbuds, all you said was that they 'became faulty' after exactly one year and nine days.

The inspection by an independent third party who knows what they are looking for will largely be to confirm that the problem is not due to something like water immersion, build-up of earwax or dirt, mechanical damage to the protective microscreen in front of the speaker or something else which has happened since they were purchased.

itm2

Alderbank said:

We don't know what actually happened to your earbuds, all you said was that they 'became faulty' after exactly one year and nine days.

The inspection by an independent third party who knows what they are looking for will largely be to confirm that the problem is not due to something like water immersion, build-up of earwax or dirt, mechanical damage to the protective microscreen in front of the speaker or something else which has happened since they were purchased.

The problem is that the earbuds are no longer charging when they are placed back in the case. Also, if I connect a power cable to the case (to recharge the case) the LED starts flashing red. This usually indicates that the earbuds may not have been inserted correctly. But in this case they have.
They have seen only very light use, and are in virtually pristine condition. There is little or no build-up of wax or dirt (and I have never needed to clean them).

Renfrewman

itm2 said:

Alderbank said:

We don't know what actually happened to your earbuds, all you said was that they 'became faulty' after exactly one year and nine days.

The inspection by an independent third party who knows what they are looking for will largely be to confirm that the problem is not due to something like water immersion, build-up of earwax or dirt, mechanical damage to the protective microscreen in front of the speaker or something else which has happened since they were purchased.

The problem is that the earbuds are no longer charging when they are placed back in the case. Also, if I connect a power cable to the case (to recharge the case) the LED starts flashing red. This usually indicates that the earbuds may not have been inserted correctly. But in this case they have.
They have seen only very light use, and are in virtually pristine condition. There is little or no build-up of wax or dirt (and I have never needed to clean them).

...I think you maybe should think about doing so.

Spikeygran

Is it worth contacting Technics?  A few manufacturers are still interested in their reputation and also want to know if theres an issue with one of their products. Phone during the day Mon - Fri as you want to connect with staff, not offshore call center.

I've had a couple of things replaced out of warranty over the years a masterplug serge strip, a Haden kettle, actually theres probably more. It definitely pays to ask.  In both instances I was pleasant, with the attitude of "being surprised that such a reliable brand, thats never let me down before, failed so soon".  I find it gets a better response than angry.

born_again

What is it with "Formal" complaint?
A complaint is a complaint. Just tell them you are complaining. But remember that only regulated industries have to have a complaints procedure. The likes of Argos do not.
So it might/will not change anything.

If they have not been used often, & batteries go flat, that is one thing that kills batteries.
Try cleaning the connection on buds & case. 

itm2

born_again said:

What is it with "Formal" complaint?
A complaint is a complaint. Just tell them you are complaining. But remember that only regulated industries have to have a complaints procedure. The likes of Argos do not.
So it might/will not change anything.

If they have not been used often, & batteries go flat, that is one thing that kills batteries.
Try cleaning the connection on buds & case. 

In many large organizations a formal complaint requires a procedure to be followed, handled by a specific department or qualified personnel, meaning that the cost of dealing with it can be significant. The organization may decide that it makes more financial sense to give the customer what they are asking for. I have no idea whether this is the case at Argos, but my instinct is that it is worth pursuing - particularly in the absence of a good alternative from my perspective.

itm2

Spikeygran said:

Is it worth contacting Technics?  A few manufacturers are still interested in their reputation and also want to know if theres an issue with one of their products. Phone during the day Mon - Fri as you want to connect with staff, not offshore call center.

I've had a couple of things replaced out of warranty over the years a masterplug serge strip, a Haden kettle, actually theres probably more. It definitely pays to ask.  In both instances I was pleasant, with the attitude of "being surprised that such a reliable brand, thats never let me down before, failed so soon".  I find it gets a better response than angry.

Many thanks for the suggestion - I will definitely give it a try,

Undervalued

itm2 said:

Argos have indeed insisted on an independent report. This is from a web chat with a real person earlier:

"As your item is now outside of its 12-month warranty period, the best option is to get an independent report and send it through to us.

The report will need to be: 

•    On letter headed paper.

•    Be completed by a registered and relevantly qualified tradesperson

•    To find a tradesperson you can go to https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/find-a-trader/

•    Include that the fault is due to a manufacturing fault, not fair wear & tear.

•    Include a contact telephone number for the tradesperson who completed the independent report (if this is not part of the company header)"

I  have no idea how much I would have to pay for a "relevantly qualified tradesperson" to do this work, but my instinct is that it could easily run to >£80 (maybe even >£100), which would render it borderline unfeasible if Argos may not in any case provide a full refund. The odds seem to be stacked against me here.

Interestingly, a friend of mine had a similar issue with an Asus Zenbook laptop which failed about 18 months after he bought it from Amazon. Amazon refunded him immediately, and agreed that it was not acceptable. I guess Argos are a very different proposition.

The conclusion of my chat with Argos was that I wanted them to tell me how I can escalate this as a formal complaint. They would not tell me (despite me asking 3 times), but promised that a manager would call me back within 4 hours. Unsurprisingly, that was more than 6 hours ago and I have heard nothing.

My instinct is that I shall draft a formal letter of complaint and send it via snail mail when I get back to the UK next week. It will give me a good idea of Argos's attitude to the sort of situation that I find myself in, and their approach to customer service.

As a matter of interest, does anyone have any experience of paying for the sort of report that Argos are requesting? In particular, I would be keen to know (a) how much did it cost, and (b) did Argos provide a full or partial refund?

If the report is in your favour you can add the (reasonable) cost of getting it to your claim from Argos. Obviously if the expert doesn't find in your favour then their bill is down to you.

A partial refund would have to be in reasonable proportion to the expected life of the product. Six years is often quoted for consumer products but maybe ear buds could be argued to be less? I have no idea.

So if you have had six months use and a normal live would be say three years, then they could reasonably deduct one sixth of the original purchase price.