Argos TV Fiasco -The bigger picture (merged)

teeceeare

Ferretktf and shellnsteve: The writers at Silicon.com are very experienced and do not make statements to sell sensational headlines. But I do have an open mind. Please tell me then on what basis do you disagree with their editorial? Maybe you have more information than the rest of us - if so then please share it with us.

As to whether this is an over-reaction, consider this. Supposing another less reputable company intentionally placed a very low price tag and you tried to buy only for them to say it was a mistake. Are you saying it does not bother you that, through that device, they then added your email address to a marketing list and increased the spam you received? If you are not bothered by spam - then fine. But not everyone shares that view.

Dave=m55

This is getting funnier by the day.

You now beleive that this was a massive plot to get email addresses? (Argos must be really desperate, cos the cost per pound on this would be massive). Take the fact that one customer ordered 80 sets!, and a lot more were multiply orders, the number of actual email addresses that were unique, and unknown to Argos, would be so inconsequential as to be a joke.

Taken from Argos T&Cs

How can I get my name removed for the argos.co.uk mailing list?
If you want to be removed from our mailing list, please send an email to reply@argos.co.uk with the word 'remove' in the subject line and the email address that you wish to be removed within the email. Please note that it may take up to 28 days to action your request. In addition, each electronic mailing we send you will contain details of how you can un-subscribe.

You even had the option to NOT sign up for junk mail when you set up your account.

"By submitting your details, you agree to the use of your personal information as set out in the Argos Privacy Policy. This includes for the purposes of administering our web site services, placing orders, competitions/prize draws and for fraud prevention.

You will also be indicating your consent for your details to be used in our marketing programme and receiving marketing information by e-mail, telephone, SMS text message and other electronic messages such as picture messaging, post and fax as explained in the Privacy Policy unless you indicate otherwise by ticking the boxes below.


NO - I do not want to receive the email newsletter containing all the latest offers, products and competitions, nor to be kept informed about products and services from the Argos Retail Group.

NO - I do not want to share my details with carefully selected companies outside of the Argos Retail Group for the marketing programme. "

Did you actually register an account with Argos? If so you must have seen this page, cos the create an account button is at the very bottom of it.

As you are aware, this seems to fully comply with the 'anti-spamming laws' or "The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 as its less commonly known as), as it gives the user the option to opt-out. Or am I missing something?

An answer from you would be nice.

If you are THAT worried about junk email, then set up a seperate email address for on-line purchases.


"No-one outside of Argos knows the truth of the matter"

They actual stated that is was a keying error. (put that down to bad procedures in place, not an individual, an you may find it more accurate. No company likes to blame lack of procedures).

If you feel that you wish to make money for a 'mediation' service, go ahead, but as a complaint to Trading Standards for mispricing would yield greater benefits, why don't you use that route.

But, as you stated

teeceeare wrote:

which under the anti-spamming laws can include awards of compensation to the consumer

this could mean its just a money-grabbing excercise on your behalf. Only relevance to that statement I could see.

Pretty mute point, as the Act states Proceedings for compensation for failure to comply with requirements of the Regulations

30. - (1) A person who suffers damage by reason of any contravention of any of the requirements of these Regulations by any other person shall be entitled to bring proceedings for compensation from that other person for that damage. (ie sue them)

(2) In proceedings brought against a person by virtue of this regulation It shall be a defence to prove that he had taken such care as in all the circumstances was reasonably required to comply with the relevant requirement. (ie lose, as they gave you the option to opt out when you signed up)

I REALLY REALLY HATE AMBULANCE CHASERS.

As a point of note, http://comment.silicon.com/weeklyroundup/0,39024756,39151890,00.htm shows a link stating

"In 1999 the retailer advertised a television for sale on its website for £3 but after a rush of customers taking it up on the deal the company refused to honour the sale, claiming it was clearly a mistake." This links to http://management.silicon.com/government/0,39024677,11012669,00.htm which was eventually dropped cos the firm ran out of money to pursue it. It also commenced in 1999 which, if you're not paying attention can lead you to beleive its just commenced.


***************************
I've edited this for clarity cos I just cannot beleive the original poster lives in the same world as me.

dadada

teeceeare wrote:

... What would be the motive for an online sales team to create intentional error in the pricing? Huge underprices attract surges in site visits, especially via price comparison portals. Increased site visits lead to increased sales outside of the underpriced item. That is the whole principle in retail behind 'loss leader' pricing. But, there is another issue. Under the anti-spamming laws, retailers cannot harvest and use email addresses save if collected during the course of a genuine sale of similar goods. Here over 10,000 valuable current email addresses of those who buy on the internet were collected.

Increased site visits lead to increased sales ? Ho ho ho ! Are you joking. Not from these sorts of MSEers it doesn't !

10,000 valuable email addresses ? You joke surely ? If I ran an online business, I'd bin the 10,000 email addresses of these sort of MSEers. They are more trouble than they are worth. They are hardly going to buy anything. They are more likely to waste my time.

teeceeare wrote:

So we would see even more Quick! Grabbits that take up our time only to evaporate into thin air whilst our email addresses are added to even more spam lists.

Nobody is forcing people to evaporate their time into thin air. Then again it does keep the streets safe ....

teeceeare wrote:

If the message is not learnt, then the reputation and trust of the internet will, once again, suffer.

No doubt this will be shown to be an innocent error (albeit contractual issues remain) , but we must not ignore lest we encourage the less reputable.

The reputation of the internet ?

I'm not quite sure who was less reputable. Some people might have an opinion about MSEers.

blindman

MORPH3US wrote:

I've joined the class action, just as when I purchased the tv's, what have I got to lose.

Arogs have my money, I want it back, they aren't paying.

What other routes do I have left available to me?!?!?

M

How about a reality check?

Stop trying to get something for nothing, we all knew the price was wrong and all tried to get a 'free' TV before Argos cottoned on to their mistake.

As usual the greedy "I'll order 100 to sell on Ebay idiots" rang alarm bells with Argos who "surprise surprise" pulled the offer.

The conspiracy theory is brilliant, I wonder if the OP also thinks that NASA never went to the Moon with Apollo 11?

I agree with dada and Dave=m55

I think it's time to have a sub board for "Mis-priced items,worth a try but dont bellyache when you don't get your 100 units to sell on Ebay"


EBayer thought process:In the style of Homer Simpson Brain.

Brain
1. Someone else has found a bargain that has a huge profit margin.
2 I'll buy a stupid amount to sell on Ebay and make a HUGE profit.

Homer
1 Won't that alert the vendor?
2 Why not buy one or two so as not to spoil others chances, you'll still make some money

Brain
1 NAH I want LOTS of money for nothing!

When vendor withdraws the offer due to alarms raised.

Brain
WAAAAAH I got ripped off! What can I do......

TEDDYRUKSPIN

The deal was too good to be true. But one thing I noticed is that I am yet to be refunded my monies..... that in itself is completely rude!! What happens if I get charged by my credit card company on that amount? compensation??

clayts

I agree - this is the only thing irking me now - it's been a week since they charged my credit card, and no sign of a refund in place.

I don't care a jot that I didn't get the TV - unlike some on here I went in fully expecting it not to be honoured. But you have to be innit to winnit

At the moment, tho' I'm on a loser and want me dosh back....

ferretktf

teeceeare wrote:

Ferretktf and shellnsteve: The writers at Silicon.com are very experienced and do not make statements to sell sensational headlines. But I do have an open mind. Please tell me then on what basis do you disagree with their editorial? Maybe you have more information than the rest of us - if so then please share it with us.

To put it bluntly, I couldn't give a damn about the opinion of Silicon.Com or the solicitors (who it seems have put ambulance chasing aside for a moment).

I am talking about the moral rights/wrongs. EVERYBODY knew this was not a genuine price. EVERYBODY knew some poor employee had made a mistake - for which he is probably getting carpeted.

Yes ... some people "took a chance" on the off-chance that Argos might be nice about it, but NOBODY has the right to feel "cheated" if that chance didn't come off.

This is not a conspiracy theory to harvest e-mail addresses for SPAM, so you can shelve that ridiculous concept. It is merely an unfortunate error ... and yes, it has happened TWICE in SIX Years .... blimey, when was the last time that YOU made an error if you can't tolerate that threshold.


I am not saying that people shouldn't pursue bargain saving opportunities, I myself have participated in Grabbits in the past - including the Woolworth's Mobile Phone and the Tesco's Gamecube ones, but the difference there is that the price was CREDIBLE and so there was an expectation that something would be received. (however, even in those situations I was laissez-faire about the ultimate outcome, supsecting - accurately - that it was a misprice).


Yes - selling something for £40 that is usually £80-£90 elsewhere is potentially a misprice, but is credible enough for it not to be.

Selling something for 49p that should be £200-£300 clearly is not.


What worries me is that either some people cannot spot the difference between these examples, or that this community has become totally over-run with people who seem to think the world that owes them something for nothing (literally) - and if they don't get it then they will rant, rave, scream and sue.


Now that to me is wrong, and iirc, we didn't have this kind of attitude and approach on this website a year or so back.


Instead we had the sort of community spirit that led to MSE-ers visiting out-of-region stores on behalf of other MSE-ers ... not to make a quick profit, but to ensure that fellow community members could benefit equally in the opportunities that were available.


That community spirit is fast vanishing and I for one mourn it.

blindman

ferretktf

Our posts crossed

What worries me is that either some people cannot spot the difference between these examples, or that this community has become totally over-run with people who seem to think the world that owes them something for nothing (literally) - and if they don't get it then they will rant, rave, scream and sue.


That community spirit is fast vanishing and I for one mourn it.

Totally agree, just couldn't be a***d to write it down.

Dave=m55

TEDDYRUKSPIN wrote:

The deal was too good to be true. But one thing I noticed is that I am yet to be refunded my monies..... that in itself is completely rude!! What happens if I get charged by my credit card company on that amount? compensation??

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=852911

Not wanting to be mean about this, but if you can't afford an item (especialy a mispriced one that you must have know wasn't going to come through) don't buy it.
You can, if course, always raise it as a dispute with your credit card company, which more than likely will delay repayment, but would not cause the amount of £5 to be charged.

biglugs

Arogs have my money, I want it back, they aren't paying.
What other routes do I have left available to me?!?!?

You could try waiting for a few days before launching into a class action! I was once given a top tip by a lawyer that you should never go to court on a point of principle - all that usually happens is you lose a lot of money.

If I ran an online business, I'd bin the 10,000 email addresses of these sort of MSEers.

I certainly wouldn't!! I'd put them on my blacklist and never sell them anything again - they're a bunch of whinging troublemakers who will never be happy with anything.