Now I know for sure most people can relate to this.

I had the unfortunate pleasure of visiting Argos in Meadowhell this week and I have come to the following question.

Why cant people who have purchased goods wait in a orderly queue for their items?

Someone please tell me?

And why do pensioners and sorry about this- women in particular- sorry!! -- seem to think that as soon as you have paid and you have your number- which has not come up on the scoreboard to say your order is ready by the way- MUST run straight into the queue without waiting and proceed to complain and bitch and moan about their order not being there fast enough.

I do feel a great deal of pity for the poor buggers in Argos but come on people- give them a break.

At least wait until your order has been called on the monitor before joining the queue line.

Its just basic common sense and courtesy I reckon.

++++

Women with double-push chairs for their kids..
IF you go with a friend.. here is a quick tip for you.

PLEASE DONT wait in the queue line with your screaming brats while trying items at the front of the queue - it ****** people right off!

Let your friend go to the front of the queue for you.

Thankyou.

I work in Argos in Meadowhall and I agree with Angelus.

The pressure we are under in that place from customers is nigh unbearable and we keep VERY CALM under the circumstances. We have to.

Things i'd like to see to make my life that bit more bearable:

- Customers understanding their receipts. If you look, it says ESTIMATED COLLECTION TIME or something similar, then a time - i.e 12:46pm. At 12:46, it will call you out. We dont have GPS or sat nav on our products so it might not be there that very instant.

- If you see your item before your number is called out, go and claim it. You want to be served quickly, we want happy customers.

- Shouting at the staff and demanding to see the manager might get you what you want in the end. But in the meantime, it makes you look irrational in front of a crowd, makes our job uncomfortable and may mean we make more mistakes. We never intentionally p*ss anyone off, so giving a load of attitude reflects badly on you.

- If you've bought something, go and collect it! We dont mind keeping heavy items behind for you, but come and leave your name. Otherwise our shelves get clogged up with stock that people can't be ar*ed to come and collect, which makes it harder to find things for other people.

- If you have a reservation, use the normal tills.

- Quickpay machines dont do special offers or gift vouchers, if what you're buying is on offer, go through the tills.

- If you're buying on Quickpay, please have both receipts and your card ready at the collection point. You need to sign a copy in front of a member of staff and we need to check the signature.

- You can't buy non-jewellery items at the jewellery counter unless you are buying jewellery as well.

- The till queue isnt as bad as it looks. Usually there's a lot of people on tills so it moves quickly.

- Meadowhall's Argos is one of the busiest Argos's in the country. We do get things wrong occasionally and will try our best to keep every customer happy.

Thankyou for reading.

Not sure about Argos in Meadowhell but the one on Angel St is a nightmare!
They have about 12+ staff on the tills (to get yer dosh!) and then about two people handing out the goods at the collection point.
Everytime I've been in there I've seen my stuff sitting on the shelf while I try and attract some attention to claim it.
Argos is organised chaos and the jewellery counter - well that's a whole other hell.
Again in Angel St, one miserable woman yesterday moving at the speed of light - not!

Still if you want cheap stuff.....

Last I heard it was only chavs who shopped in Argos :lol:

Sorry.

Originally posted by ANGELUS
++++

Women with double-push chairs for their kids..
IF you go with a friend.. here is a quick tip for you.

PLEASE DONT wait in the queue line with your screaming brats while trying items at the front of the queue - it ****** people right off!

Let your friend go to the front of the queue for you.

Thankyou.

But not as much as patronising pricks such as yourself wind me up.

Mat :rant:

i will be all the chavs at elizibeth duke counter tryin to get some dosh back lol!!

Argos have only themselves to blame. I was in the Angel St branch just before Christmas. I ordered online and was according to Argos website supposed to be able to go straight to a Quick Till to pay rather than queing in the regular queue.

Well for a start the Quick Tills weren't working so I joined the normal queue which was horrendously long. Finally reach till and pay then proceed to waiting area.

My number came up on the monitor so I duly went forward to collect my order. Some 20 minutes later I am still waiting for my goods. I daren't move away from the counter as I would have had to fight my way back to the front and I daren't leave the counter in case my order appeared. I would say to Argos either

a) adjust the machine that tells you when your order is ready.

or

b) set more people on to speed up the delivery to the collection area.

Originally posted by Rich
Last I heard it was only chavs who shopped in Argos :lol:

Sorry.

Try typing in 'Chav' in the search box on the Argos website! First item is a 'Mr T' style gold chain!

a) adjust the machine that tells you when your order is ready.

or

b) set more people on to speed up the delivery to the collection area. [/B][/QUOTE]
I'm sure it won't be too long until something like this is in operation. I remember the days when you couldn't check if something was in stock prior to queueing up and trying to order first.

Originally posted by Rich
Last I heard it was only chavs who shopped in Argos :lol:

Sorry.
i worked there when at college (Angel St) when it 1st opened and it was cool place to work. But its true, now its scruffy and full of yuks. Elizabeth Duke jesus christ - id shoot my man if he even dared

Oi Argos person - why do you send people to queue at certain checkpoints - then remove the people serving at it - makes no sense. In fact the whole Argos shopping experience is naff - who does design your uniforms? David Blunkett?

Originally posted by Internetowl
Oi Argos person - why do you send people to queue at certain checkpoints - then remove the people serving at it - makes no sense. In fact the whole Argos shopping experience is naff - who does design your uniforms? David Blunkett?

I dont personally remove the person there, when its quiet (not very often in Meadowhall) there may be one person doing all three points. The staff tend to move up and down the counter anyway, depending on which collection point is busiest. We aren't rigidly assigned to serve a particular collection point.

I think they'd rather have two/three people working than have five or six people standing around.

I don't mind some of the bright shirts, some are bloody awful though, I agree there

:D

I will never ever shop in Argos ever again. And my reasons are this.

I wanted to order a ps2 game for one of my boys and I checked a number of on line stores. Argos Direct was the cheapest at £23.99. The next cheapest was PC World in store at £25.99 and then there were several at £29.99.

I obviously chose Argos. However, whilst trying to order online they informed that the game was not available online but I could order on line and collect in a store of my choice. I chose Angel Street as I was in town the next day.

I then received a confirmation number from Argos telling me the price of £23.99 with some small print underneath saying amongst many other things "the price you pay is the price in store on the day".

When I went to collect, the price is store was ..... £29.99 some £6 more expensive.

I complained. My confirmation stated £23.99 and the manager pointed me in the direction of the small print.

So Argos by denying me to order online had three further opportunities to tell me the price in the store would be £29.99 - the option to collect at the shop, the choice of my store and finally the confirmation they sent me. I had absolutely no idea of the price in the shop until I got there.

I obviously could have purchased elsewhere but in the week before Christmas I had had enough. I paid the extra £6 and complained.

I should point out it is not about the money but the real priciple. I wanted to buy on line, Argos did not have the availability at the on line price but they had the product in stores at a more expensive price. That is not right. I could not believe a big store would offer such a con and will therefore never, ever shop again at Argos and I would recommend anyone to follow the same principle. Perhaps if customers did so, these big shops may listen.

That's my rant over for 2005!

Originally posted by mat1978
But not as much as patronising pricks such as yourself wind me up.

Mat :rant:


I suppose that makes you feel good does it?
Calling me a patronising prick?

Not even going to respond and bite to that because it does not even deserve giving you a good kicking on here.

Have a new year though!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by dinp
[B]I work in Argos in Meadowhall and I agree with Angelus.

The pressure we are under in that place from customers is nigh unbearable and we keep VERY CALM under the circumstances. We have to.


Personally speaking- I reckon the staff in Argos do a cracking job against such disgraceful behaviour.

Never once on a busy day have I seen an Argos staff member in Meadowhell lose their tempers at all with any customer- which I must say would be sorely tempted to do.

Big pat on the back to dinp for a job well done!

Originally posted by ANGELUS
[QUOTE]Originally posted by dinp
[B]I work in Argos in Meadowhall and I agree with Angelus.

The pressure we are under in that place from customers is nigh unbearable and we keep VERY CALM under the circumstances. We have to.


Personally speaking- I reckon the staff in Argos do a cracking job against such disgraceful behaviour.

Never once on a busy day have I seen an Argos staff member in Meadowhell lose their tempers at all with any customer- which I must say would be sorely tempted to do.

Big pat on the back to dinp for a job well done!

Not losing your temper is an essential part of any customer-facing job. It goes without saying - after all, in this instance the public are paying the retail staff's wages.

Originally posted by Greenback
Not losing your temper is an essential part of any customer-facing job. It goes without saying - after all, in this instance the public are paying the retail staff's wages.

Thats very true as well.

But the pressure the staff in the store are under.. Im surprised some staff havent had a proper go at people which I could well understand- the staff are not there to be treated like ****.. they are humans after all.

People should remember this before they go off on one.

Originally posted by ANGELUS
I suppose that makes you feel good does it?
Calling me a patronising prick?

Not even going to respond and bite to that because it does not even deserve giving you a good kicking on here.

Have a new year though!

Was that a threat? pmsl.......

I apologise for my language - perhaps I should have been more eloquent in my reply to your mindless rant.

Happy new year too you aswell:thumbsup:

Mat

Originally posted by MobileB
I will never ever shop in Argos ever again.

I bet you do!

Originally posted by MobileB I wanted to order a ps2 game for one of my boys and I checked a number of on line stores. Argos Direct was the cheapest at £23.99. The next cheapest was PC World in store at £25.99 and then there were several at £29.99.

I obviously chose Argos. However, whilst trying to order online they informed that the game was not available online but I could order on line and collect in a store of my choice. I chose Angel Street as I was in town the next day.

I then received a confirmation number from Argos telling me the price of £23.99 with some small print underneath saying amongst many other things "the price you pay is the price in store on the day".

When I went to collect, the price is store was ..... £29.99 some £6 more expensive.

I complained. My confirmation stated £23.99 and the manager pointed me in the direction of the small print.

So Argos by denying me to order online had three further opportunities to tell me the price in the store would be £29.99 - the option to collect at the shop, the choice of my store and finally the confirmation they sent me. I had absolutely no idea of the price in the shop until I got there.

I obviously could have purchased elsewhere but in the week before Christmas I had had enough. I paid the extra £6 and complained.

I should point out it is not about the money but the real priciple. I wanted to buy on line, Argos did not have the availability at the on line price but they had the product in stores at a more expensive price. That is not right. I could not believe a big store would offer such a con and will therefore never, ever shop again at Argos and I would recommend anyone to follow the same principle. Perhaps if customers did so, these big shops may listen.

That's my rant over for 2005!

That £23.99 was a one-day promotion, games usually are £29.99, some £5-->£10 cheaper than game shops usually are anyway.

In Game, for example, new releases are usually £37.99 or £39.99. New releases in Argos are £29.99.

The print you refer to is not that small and I think its common sense with any retailer to check out the small print before buying something in this manner.

Reserving something reserves the good, not the price on it. If the price goes up by the time you come to buy, its the higher price you pay. If the price is lower than when you reserved it, you pay the lower price.

We cant have everything in stock ALL the time.

Originally posted by Greenback
Not losing your temper is an essential part of any customer-facing job. It goes without saying - after all, in this instance the public are paying the retail staff's wages.

Keeping your cool IS essential in a customer facing job. I just detest those people who are intent on challenging this to the absolute limit. :rant:

Originally posted by dinp
I bet you do!



That £23.99 was a one-day promotion, games usually are £29.99, some £5-->£10 cheaper than game shops usually are anyway. Staff can't be expected to memorise every promotion FFS!

In Game, for example, new releases are usually £37.99 or £39.99. New releases in Argos are £29.99.

The print you refer to is not that small and I think its common sense with any retailer to check out the small print before buying something in this manner.

Reserving something reserves the good, not the price on it. If the price goes up by the time you come to buy, its the higher price you pay. If the price is lower than when you reserved it, you pay the lower price.

We cant have everything in stock ALL the time.

Originally posted by ANGELUS
Personally speaking- I reckon the staff in Argos do a cracking job against such disgraceful behaviour.

Never once on a busy day have I seen an Argos staff member in Meadowhell lose their tempers at all with any customer- which I must say would be sorely tempted to do.

Big pat on the back to dinp for a job well done! [/B]

Thankyou very much :thumbsup:

One person did lose their temper twice - they were shown the door promptly!

If you see a member of staff leaving their station after serving a rude customer, chances are they've gone to vent their anger out the back!!!

Originally posted by dinp
I bet you do!


I bet I don't!


That £23.99 was a one-day promotion, games usually are £29.99, some £5-->£10 cheaper than game shops usually are anyway.



See my first comment about the prices elsewhere and my reasons for picking Argos in the first place.

The print you refer to is not that small and I think its common sense with any retailer to check out the small print before buying something in this manner.


Line 4 of 17 in 8 point type is pretty small and mixed up in the middle, not making it clear if you ask me. Tell me, do you read every item of small print when you sign a contract? That is why we have laws in place that say all contracts must be fair.

Reserving something reserves the good, not the price on it. If the price goes up by the time you come to buy, its the higher price you pay. If the price is lower than when you reserved it, you pay the lower price.


Quite the opposite. The Consumer Protection Regulations 2000 and the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations) 2002 state that:

- Full terms and conditions which are readily accessible, fair and meaningful.
- A description of the goods or services being sold.
- Pricing information, fully inclusive of any delivery charges, taxes, excise duty, etc.
- Information about how long the offer or price applies.
- Details of stages involved in the ordering process, including any costs involved in distance communication, if the cost is at anything other than a standard rate

As I stated, I wanted to buy online. Argos said the only way I could do this was to reserve on line and collect from a store. By sending me a confirmation of a price, by email, then under basic laws of contract and by confirming that I had to collect the goods by the time the shop closed the following day, point 4 of the above should apply.

PS I have sent the relevant documentation to Trading Standards.

Originally posted by MobileB

PS I have sent the relevant documentation to Trading Standards.

I'd be really interested if you could let us know about their response.

K x

Originally posted by MobileB

Line 4 of 17 in 8 point type is pretty small and mixed up in the middle, not making it clear if you ask me. Tell me, do you read every item of small print when you sign a contract? That is why we have laws in place that say all contracts must be fair.

Half of 17 is 8.5, not 4, so its not mixed up in the middle.

Do I read the small print - yes I do. Not so much the 'you', meaning the customer, 'Us', meaning XYZ Limited bit, but I'm careful when I buy things as I don't want to be fleeced. 30 seconds reading on your part wouldn't have hurt, would it? There would be no need for this thread if you had done.

The customer is, unfortunately, NOT always right.

Originally posted by MobileB
Quite the opposite. The Consumer Protection Regulations 2000 and the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations) 2002 state that:

- Full terms and conditions which are readily accessible, fair and meaningful.
- A description of the goods or services being sold.
- Pricing information, fully inclusive of any delivery charges, taxes, excise duty, etc.
- Information about how long the offer or price applies.
- Details of stages involved in the ordering process, including any costs involved in distance communication, if the cost is at anything other than a standard rate

All of which they adhere to.

Originally posted by MobileB
As I stated, I wanted to buy online. Argos said the only way I could do this was to reserve on line and collect from a store. By sending me a confirmation of a price, by email, then under basic laws of contract and by confirming that I had to collect the goods by the time the shop closed the following day, point 4 of the above should apply.

I've just simulated a reservation for store pick up on the website and at each stage of the process (Your Trolley --> Stock Availability ---> Acknowledgement) it states the following:

"Store Pick up

Click and collect - Reserve online, pay in store when you collect.
Items held until the end of the next working day. You will be given a reservation number, to take to the store. Please note that the price you pay is the price in store on the day you collect and pay for the items. Click and Collect is not available in Call & Collect or Republic of Ireland stores. If you wish to reserve at a store in Northern Ireland, please enter a valid postcode (and not a town name) in order to find the store of your choice. "

This is stated clearly no more than 4cm (on my screen) from the bottom of the box above it, the one that you tick or fill in, or whatever. You had plenty of notice, THREE tellings in clear green, size 9 text.

Originally posted by MobileB
PS I have sent the relevant documentation to Trading Standards. [/B]

Yeah I can see this making watchdog....

"Victory for lazy-eyed customer over mogul Argos"

Customer wins court battle against nasty nasty Argos after complaining about the price of a good that he/she hadn't yet paid for and despite being told THREE times about it.

Best of luck to ya. I'd like to hear the outcome of this.

Did the article you reserved have a confirmed price?

At which point did Argos tell me that the price would be 25% more than the price that they quoted me?

Three times? They gave me the price of £23.99 three times!! They gave me the price of £29.99 in the store. Is that fair trading?

As I stated previous, it could have been £24.99 when I got in there. Its the principle behind the fact that Customer Service is treating the customer with respect and fairness. Ultimately, they are in business to make profit by fair means. When they con the customer whether its by 1p or £6 is irrelevant. A company of that size should not use such methods to make their money.

So I ask again, at which point did Argos tell me that the price would be 25% more than the price that is on an official confirmation and further followed up by email?

I will also add that the Manager of the store totally agreed with me. He said he had had the same problems on a number of ocassions. He had passed back the comments to Argos Head Office but they were adament that they were not to refund the difference.

Originally posted by dinp
Half of 17 is 8.5, not 4, so its not mixed up in the middle.



Oh and congratulations. For that line you are the first nomination for the Most Padantic Posting of 2005 Award!!

what's a "chav" ?

quite like the queuing at argos at a busy time - good opportunity to talk at people who can't get away from you ... hehehe

Originally posted by MobileB
Did the article you reserved have a confirmed price?

The item I reserved wasnt in the sale. Yours was, and sales do end from time to time. No price is confirmed until you pay in store, can I make it any simpler!?!?!?

Originally posted by MobileB
At which point did Argos tell me that the price would be 25% more than the price that they quoted me?

If you'd collected it that day, it would have been £23.99. They clearly state that the price you pay is the price in store when you buy it. Unless you have a legally binding contract stating that a particular good will be sold to you for a particular price, your argument cuts no ice.

You had a confirmation of a reservation with the 'then' price on it and clear statements about the price to pay being whatever it was in the store when you went to buy it.

Originally posted by MobileB
Three times? They gave me the price of £23.99 three times!! They gave me the price of £29.99 in the store. Is that fair trading?

Its unfair trading if they dont state that the price you pay may be different, but they do state this, at EACH stage.

Originally posted by MobileB
As I stated previous, it could have been £24.99 when I got in there. Its the principle behind the fact that Customer Service is treating the customer with respect and fairness. Ultimately, they are in business to make profit by fair means. When they con the customer whether its by 1p or £6 is irrelevant. A company of that size should not use such methods to make their money.

So I ask again, at which point did Argos tell me that the price would be 25% more than the price that is on an official confirmation and further followed up by email?

They don't tell you that. If you went into Dixons and saw a printer on sale at £30, would you expect a ticket saying "yes, this will still be £30 tomorrow" or "this item will cost £45 tomorrow"?

Buying anything is a gamble. Prices change and retailers can charge pretty much what they want.

In effect, what you've done at Argos is ask them to keep something behind for you and they've said "yep, we'll keep it for 48 hours". It isnt your good until you go to buy it and for the last time you do not reserve the PRICE, just the good! - which is stated.

You'll hopefully learn from this and buy more carefully in future.

Originally posted by MobileB
I will also add that the Manager of the store totally agreed with me. He said he had had the same problems on a number of ocassions. He had passed back the comments to Argos Head Office but they were adament that they were not to refund the difference.

Which store was this BTW?

Originally posted by MobileB
I chose Angel Street as I was in town the next day.

I chose Angel Street as I was in town the next day.

D'oh. My mistake!

Originally posted by dinp
The item I reserved wasnt in the sale. Yours was, and sales do end from time to time. No price is confirmed until you pay in store, can I make it any simpler!?!?!?



If you'd collected it that day, it would have been £23.99. They clearly state that the price you pay is the price in store when you buy it. Unless you have a legally binding contract stating that a particular good will be sold to you for a particular price, your argument cuts no ice.

You had a confirmation of a reservation with the 'then' price on it and clear statements about the price to pay being whatever it was in the store when you went to buy it.



Its unfair trading if they dont state that the price you pay may be different, but they do state this, at EACH stage.



They don't tell you that. If you went into Dixons and saw a printer on sale at £30, would you expect a ticket saying "yes, this will still be £30 tomorrow" or "this item will cost £45 tomorrow"?

Buying anything is a gamble. Prices change and retailers can charge pretty much what they want.

In effect, what you've done at Argos is ask them to keep something behind for you and they've said "yep, we'll keep it for 48 hours". It isnt your good until you go to buy it and for the last time you do not reserve the PRICE, just the good! - which is stated.

You'll hopefully learn from this and buy more carefully in future.



Which store was this BTW?

Without prolonging this too much. I will say one final time again I wanted to buy online on that day. Argos did not have availability online but they had availability in the store. They gave me a deadline of 24 hours to collect it if I still wanted it. They sent me a confirmation with a price of £23.99 written on it. At no stage did it say "This is todays sale price if you buy it tomorrow it will be 25% more expensive". They sent me an email with £23.99 written on it. At no stage did the email say "This is todays price if you buy it tomorrow it will be 25% more expensive". If they had said that I would have purchased from somewhere else that was 9% more expensive on line. But as I was in town, I thought I would save myself a couple of quid. Simple. I was conned. Full stop.

Originally posted by MobileB
[BThey sent me a confirmation with a price of £23.99 written on it. At no stage did it say "This is todays sale price if you buy it tomorrow it will be 25% more expensive". They sent me an email with £23.99 written on it. [/B]

And to reiterate for one last time, the confirmation is for the reservation, not the price held upon it. You seriously think that, despite saying 'the price you pay is the price instore on the day you collect' three times, that you are right?

Wrong.

We aren't guna agree here, so no point arguing the same point over and over again. I'd like to know what they say in response to you though. If you could PM me, or post it on this thread, that would be good.

Best of luck. :)

I will do. But why send me a price in big writing if it serves absolutely no purpose?

Originally posted by MobileB
I will do. But why send me a price in big writing if it serves absolutely no purpose?

Because you need some idea of what the price is! Or else nobody would buy at all :gag:

Originally posted by dinp
Because you need some idea of what the price is! Or else nobody would buy at all :gag:

Which is absolutely useless if you then up the price by 25% after you have given the price. Agree on this at least!

Several products that I have been interested seem to be much cheaper online. However, i noticed a repeated problem that they were unable to clarify whether the item was in stock or not from the website - There may have been a problem with the site. However, if the item I wanted was out of stock then the lead time of 1-2 days would not have been accurate. The alternative was to email customer services and wait for a reply which usually takes around 48 hours.

In the end I went elsewhere and paid slightly more.

Originally posted by MobileB
Which is absolutely useless if you then up the price by 25% after you have given the price. Agree on this at least!

No. If you can buy the items online (subject to availability and all that), the price you see on screen is the price you pay online.

Instore prices however, can differ from those on the website and the stores do not price match, even against their own web site.

Even Currys have 'web exclusive' offers and the like. That's why Argos have to inform people (and they do) that if you buy in store after reserving on the website, that its the price THERE, not on the website.

9 times out of 10 the prices match, but when you bring special offers into the equation, thats when people start getting ticked off. Because they've reserved something when it is at a lower price (and because they havent been arsed to read the plain english terms and conditions, which AREN'T that long), they believe they have the god given right to storm upto the counter with an attitude problem and demand the item, which they have yet to purchase, at the lower price.

Well no.

The website more than adequately covers its own back here. Argos has been in the business for long enough to know how to cover its tracks. And its not fobbing people off. Not displaying the terms and conditions where necessary is fobbing people off.

I infact reserved a game on that same day, via the website, but then realised the terms and conditions. I didnt know the games were going up in price the next day, so when they did, I just let the reservation expire and I didnt buy it.

I'm usually the first to complain if something goes wrong, but having read the T&C, realised there was nothing I could do as they had adequately stated what was going on.

Originally posted by Lickszz
Several products that I have been interested seem to be much cheaper online. However, i noticed a repeated problem that they were unable to clarify whether the item was in stock or not from the website - There may have been a problem with the site. However, if the item I wanted was out of stock then the lead time of 1-2 days would not have been accurate. The alternative was to email customer services and wait for a reply which usually takes around 48 hours.

In the end I went elsewhere and paid slightly more.

Over xmas, I was looking for an iPod for my cousin on the Argos site and upon finding it it said, not available for home delivery, but can be reserved for store pickup.

A smaller picture below, of the same ipod, said not available in store, but available for home delivery! :loopy:

Aint computers great!

:thumbsup: TOP TIP: If buying PS2 games or anything from games, cds/dvds or even ringtones may I recommend a look at www.play.com ? They are exceptionally good value & have a free p/p policy. I have had no problems at all in the 3 years I have been a customer. :)

On Argos... I have only glowing praise for their staff.
My story: 2 Years ago, pre Christmas shopping, we were desperately trying to find a Robot Wars pull-back Sgt Bash toy. Our little boy has autism and, one of his obsessions (then) was Robot Wars & he'd got his heart set on this particular robot toy. That's all he wanted from Santa.
We searched almost every high street shop in Sheffield, Meadowhall, Rotherham and Worksop. Could we find it?
Not a chance!
As a last resort I looked in a friend's ARGOS book & they did indeed sell these toys but they were all 'lumped-together' under one code. So I rang an ARGOS branch & asked if it would be possible to get the specific robot? The answer was that you paid your cash & took your chance but it could be any robot that appeared at the counter. She did take my number & said she'd ring me back.
Within 30 minutes she rang back & said she'd had someone in the store room open all their cases but could not find a Sgt Bash at that branch. She had then rung round all the other local ARGOS's & had them do the same thing. ONE turned up & they said they'd hold it if we could call & collect.
Which we did.
One happy boy :D . Foolishly I never got her name in order to say thankyou properly; but I have never forgotten her kindness & the extra steps she took to ensure my lad had his wish that Christmas.
So I'll say it here. THANKYOU - WHO EVER YOU ARE! :clap:
Have a very happy new year!

I agree that play.com is a good site to buy from. I've had a couple of niggles with them, but they were resolved satisfactorily.

Going back to 'going the extra mile' at Argos, some lazy wife sent her husband in to buy his own Christmas present and only gave him the stock number.

We weren't allowed to tell him what it was, what the price was, or give him his receipt. We had to treble bag it in the warehouse and give it to him (receipt in the bag).

Despite feeling very awkward about the whole situation, the gentleman was very thankful for our help and we didnt mind, gave us something to chuckle at for a change!

ive got a fair few bargains at argos so can't really complain. i do feel sorry for some of the staff at the collection points when impatient customers are waving their receipts in their face and demanding their stuff, however I do find it annoying when the monitor does say that the item is ready for collection and then I have to wait another 15minutes to actually appear.

with the shop and collect, it does clearly say that the price you pay is the price on the day you collect. Ive used the kiosk twice so far and no problems.

Quick question for the person who work at them: if you dont have a receipt but want to return an unwanted christmas present, can you get vouchers for it instead? Thanks

I would like to ask a question if any Argos employee's are still online. I ordered a DVD home cinema system from Argos Direct - Ministry of Sound £149.99. the web site confirmed it was instock, so I ordered - 4 days later (last week) I received a delivery, it was a Bush dvd surround sound system (probably worth about £50). I telephoned Argos direct and advised of the error - however, it was'nt an error it wasa substitute system cause the one I ordered was not available. Upon checking on-line I found out that a store (over 2 hours drive away) had the system in stock. Argos confirmed that "the only way of ensuring that I get what I ordered was by getting the system from a store". They also confirmed that I could take my delivered system in store for the exchange. So off I went to Argos. with my 'reservation number' and guess what, the system they had in stock was an 'Alba' - probably worth even less than the Bush system. What a waste of my time and petrol even though on both occassions the net said "in stock'. I asked the lady in store "how can I order the Ministry of Sound system and get what i actually orde" the lady said I could'nt.

**** em! I ordered it of the Ministry of Sound web site and paid the £14 quid delivery that I was trying to avoid.

I hate Argos.

Matt

Originally posted by matt186
Quick question for the person who work at them: if you dont have a receipt but want to return an unwanted christmas present, can you get vouchers for it instead? Thanks

Providing whatever it is you have has an Argos stock number on the box, you can get vouchers.

Originally posted by fierysatsuma
I would like to ask a question if any Argos employee's are still online. I ordered a DVD home cinema system from Argos Direct - Ministry of Sound £149.99. the web site confirmed it was instock, so I ordered - 4 days later (last week) I received a delivery, it was a Bush dvd surround sound system (probably worth about £50). I telephoned Argos direct and advised of the error - however, it was'nt an error it wasa substitute system cause the one I ordered was not available. Upon checking on-line I found out that a store (over 2 hours drive away) had the system in stock. Argos confirmed that "the only way of ensuring that I get what I ordered was by getting the system from a store". They also confirmed that I could take my delivered system in store for the exchange. So off I went to Argos. with my 'reservation number' and guess what, the system they had in stock was an 'Alba' - probably worth even less than the Bush system. What a waste of my time and petrol even though on both occassions the net said "in stock'. I asked the lady in store "how can I order the Ministry of Sound system and get what i actually orde" the lady said I could'nt.

**** em! I ordered it of the Ministry of Sound web site and paid the £14 quid delivery that I was trying to avoid.

I hate Argos.

Matt

I disagree with the whole 'substitute item thing. I wish they wouldn't do it - causes many upsets and red faces.

What is your question though?

Now I know for sure most people can relate to this.[/I had the unfortunate pleasure of visiting Argos in Meadowhell this week and I have come to the following question.Why cant people who have purchased goods wait in a orderly queue for their items?

I can answer.
Right first, you order and pay, then you go to theCOLLECTION point, wait while your number is verbally called and collect from the counter.

ONLY IN BRITAIN WOULD YOU QUEUE WHEN THERE IN NO QUEUING SYSTEM.

some items take longer fo fetch out than others thats why there is NO QUEUING SYSTEM :loopy: :loopy: :loopy:

speaking of q's why do english peope love q'ing? i over look macd's from my office they have four tills on and one q....Why not four qs?

What the heck is Argos? Sounds like nothing that would go over in the US. I don't know if the magic of Walmart has arrived in UK yet ( most other things have ), but if it does it will be the end of Argos eespecially if you like "made in China "

Originally posted by buck
What the heck is Argos? Sounds like nothing that would go over in the US. I don't know if the magic of Walmart has arrived in UK yet ( most other things have ), but if it does it will be the end of Argos eespecially if you like "made in China "

Argos = Glorified cash and carry and Chav mecca.

And before you ask, Description of Chavs (http://www.chavscum.co.uk)

And yes we do have Wal-Marts over here, they're called ASDA's though, like the big one in Handsworth.

Originally posted by buck
What the heck is Argos? Sounds like nothing that would go over in the US. I don't know if the magic of Walmart has arrived in UK yet ( most other things have ), but if it does it will be the end of Argos eespecially if you like "made in China "

Argos is a catalogue store, their website address (if you're interested) is www.argos.co.uk

thanks- returned it today and got plenty of colourful argos vouchers

Originally posted by NatalieSheff
speaking of q's why do english peope love q'ing? i over look macd's from my office they have four tills on and one q....Why not four qs?
This is because a single queue where the person at the front moves to the next available till is a more equitable form of queuing; people are always seen in order of when they joined the queue.

The disadvantage of an individual queue at each till is that you might get stuck behind a person with a particularly large and complex order, this used to happen to me in Post Offices when this system was in use. This leads to impatience in the queue and brings pressure on the customer and person serving them. It doesn't matter so much in a single queue system as the extra time is shared equally between all the people in the queue, not just the unfortunate ones in a particular queue.

The single queue system has been widely adopted. Most department stores and Post Offices use it. Strangely, McDonalds is one of the places that doesn't but I have noticed that people often organise themselves into a single queue system anyway. Supermarkets tend to have an individual queue for each checkout which I imagine is due to the logistics of organising large trolleys into a single queue.

The best solution in my view is the "Take a Ticket / Now Serving" system used at the Deli counter in supermarkets. The only downside is some people can't quite get their head round it for some reason.

Slightly off topic but does anyone know when the new Argos at Crystal Peaks Retail park opens?

I can't see why people would queue in a single line at McDonalds. Over here Mickey Dees will man its cash registers in relation to the volume. and you pick the line with least people, if you don't you're a moron

Originally posted by unners
Slightly off topic but does anyone know when the new Argos at Crystal Peaks Retail park opens?

I'm pretty sure it opens when the new catalogue is launched, Sat Jan 22nd.

dinp- does that coincide with a new RO list :)

Originally posted by dinp
I'm pretty sure it opens when the new catalogue is launched, Sat Jan 22nd.

Wonder if there will be any two hour sales on?

Originally posted by matt186
dinp- does that coincide with a new RO list :)

I sure hope so :D

Originally posted by MobileB
Wonder if there will be any two hour sales on?

Going to the launch are we???

Originally posted by dinp
Going to the launch are we???

Well thats convinced me to go to Sunderland for the match on that day!

Originally posted by MobileB
Well thats convinced me to go to Sunderland for the match on that day!

Well enjoy the day. Your one person protest must be costing them so much money that they've built a new store, and have just signed up to a new warehouse in my hometown!

Times are hard...

Originally posted by dinp
Well enjoy the day. Your one person protest must be costing them so much money that they've built a new store, and have just signed up to a new warehouse in my hometown!

Times are hard...

Well Ive actually told 10 people. If only half them dont shop there and they tell 10 people who in turn same happens. Very quickly you've got 30 people not shopping there. If those 30 people average £200 per year at Argos, one silly thing like that has cost them the equivalent of one employees wage. Multiply that out by the number of complaints received and you will understand why the most sucessful companies have a succesful customer service policy.

For every complacent company with the attitude you display there is a Gerald Ratner.

By the way, the figures I have used above is standard model based on research of complaints.

Originally posted by MobileB
Well Ive actually told 10 people. If only half them dont shop there and they tell 10 people who in turn same happens. Very quickly you've got 30 people not shopping there. If those 30 people average £200 per year at Argos, one silly thing like that has cost them the equivalent of one employees wage. Multiply that out by the number of complaints received and you will understand why the most sucessful companies have a succesful customer service policy.

For every complacent company with the attitude you display there is a Gerald Ratner.

By the way, the figures I have used above is standard model based on research of complaints.

I'm familiar with the model you speak of.

I'm not particularly bothered about complacency because I wont be working at Argos forever. I'm only in Sheffield for uni, and its a job that fits round my uni commitments.

Argos, as a company, are not complacent though. Years ago, you couldn't check what was in stock, the internet wasnt used, you couldn't reserve items and you couldnt use a quick pay machine. These are all customer-orientated innovations.

We are happy to settle a dispute with someone if they have a genuine grievance and have been genuinely badly treated. We don't want to annoy anyone, but then some customers make it difficult for themselves, which makes our job harder.

We are far less likely to resolve an issue where Argos has fulfilled its obligations and where a customer is challenging the system (like your case).

Argos cannot have all items in stock at all places (and on the internet) at all times and the reservations state that the price you pay for your reservation is the price instore on the day you buy. If you choose to collect on the second day of your reservation and the price has gone up the previous evening, then tuff. You were warned.

Originally posted by ANGELUS
++++

Women with double-push chairs for their kids..
IF you go with a friend.. here is a quick tip for you.

PLEASE DONT wait in the queue line with your screaming brats while trying items at the front of the queue - it ****** people right off!

Let your friend go to the front of the queue for you.

Thankyou.

you obviously dont have kids then?

wait until you do and see if you have such an attitude then.

If someone had ago at me if my kids were crying then they would get a gobful.

Originally posted by dinp
I'm familiar with the model you speak of.

I'm not particularly bothered about complacency because I wont be working at Argos forever. I'm only in Sheffield for uni, and its a job that fits round my uni commitments.

Argos, as a company, are not complacent though. Years ago, you couldn't check what was in stock, the internet wasnt used, you couldn't reserve items and you couldnt use a quick pay machine. These are all customer-orientated innovations.

We are happy to settle a dispute with someone if they have a genuine grievance and have been genuinely badly treated. We don't want to annoy anyone, but then some customers make it difficult for themselves, which makes our job harder.

We are far less likely to resolve an issue where Argos has fulfilled its obligations and where a customer is challenging the system (like your case).

Argos cannot have all items in stock at all places (and on the internet) at all times and the reservations state that the price you pay for your reservation is the price instore on the day you buy. If you choose to collect on the second day of your reservation and the price has gone up the previous evening, then tuff. You were warned.

Ah now youve answered my question. So your statements and answers, as you may be a little too young to remember some of these.

Checking stock - brought in because customers used to have to queue for ages to reach a till to be told it was out of stock. They would chose another item and again queue. Could have same problem. Brought in to stop complaints.

Internet - any company worth its salt has a buy online page.

Quick Pay Machine - first introduced in petrol stations. Latched on to cut down on payroll and therefore introduced as a cost cutting exercise not actually customer led.

Happy to settle a genuine grievance - err happy to settle when you have messed up or the customer has statutory rights. Not happy when the customer has a genuine grievance about Argos systems - they are out systems so you can stuff.

Argos cannot have items in stock in all places at all times - wouldnt expect them to. However, when you are given just 24 hours (that is one day) to collect an item, holding the price for one day would have zero affect on them. If you had a month to collect, I would totally and utterly agree with you. But one day?

Originally posted by MobileB

Argos cannot have items in stock in all places at all times - wouldnt expect them to. However, when you are given just 24 hours (that is one day) to collect an item, holding the price for one day would have zero affect on them. If you had a month to collect, I would totally and utterly agree with you. But one day? [/B]

Reservations are held to the end of the following day, so if you only had a day to collect, you must have reserved in the evening when Angel Street was closed. That still gives an opportunity for the price to change overnight.

However, I still dont agree with the 'just one day thing', as it would have cost Argos £6 to keep the price reserved, not nothing. If they do this for one person, then really they've got to do it for everyone and it would cost them a fortune. That's why they have the statement about the prices, to cover their backs and save them a lot of money.

Do you still think their tactics are underhanded?

Originally posted by dinp
.....Your one person protest.......


I'm sorry, but you'll find there are quite a few more than "one person" who have "issues" with Argos. We too, actively encourage people to not shop @ Argos (especially the one on Angel St)!

Argos is fine, if you want trash (or to be conned ala price fixing of games that was exposed last year)!

Originally posted by sccsux
I'm sorry, but you'll find there are quite a few more than "one person" who have "issues" with Argos. We too, actively encourage people to not shop @ Argos (especially the one on Angel St)!

Argos is fine, if you want trash (or to be conned ala price fixing of games that was exposed last year)!

They're contesting the price fixing, which other retailers have also been grilled for.

I can't speak for the Angel St branch, but the one I work at is heaving nearly all the time, we must be doing something right....

Originally posted by dinp
They're contesting the price fixing, which other retailers have also been grilled for.


They can contest as much as they (and the others) like.

Mud sticks! ;-)

Originally posted by sccsux
They can contest as much as they (and the others) like.

Mud sticks! ;-)

If they're guilty, they're guilty - I personally don't give a toss, all I know is that they are contesting the verdict.

To the person who's moaning about Argos:

If you'd ordered your game and it was £25 online, then when you got to the store you found there was a sale on and the price was only £20, would you have found the manager and insisted on handing over an extra £5. After all, you would have got confirmation that the price would be £25.

Hmmmm?

Originally posted by Andy
To the person who's moaning about Argos:

If you'd ordered your game and it was £25 online, then when you got to the store you found there was a sale on and the price was only £20, would you have found the manager and insisted on handing over an extra £5. After all, you would have got confirmation that the price would be £25.

Hmmmm?

I somehow doubt that :D

If the price of the game had went down to say £22.99 when MobileB went to get it, the price would be £22.99, not £23.99.

It works both ways and sometimes we get really happy people because of it :D

Originally posted by dinp
However, I still dont agree with the 'just one day thing', as it would have cost Argos £6 to keep the price reserved, not nothing. If they do this for one person, then really they've got to do it for everyone and it would cost them a fortune.

If that was the case, then why bother to offer a sale price at anytime. Obviously showing your business acuman there.

Sales are to generate revenue and cash. Why do you think Marks, Debenhams and others held sales before Christmas? Revenues were not what they expected so they needed to generate some cash. They work on the margins afterwards.

At the end of the day, a shareholder looks at the top and bottom lines, not that much into the margins and overheads. thats the directors jobs.

Originally posted by Andy
To the person who's moaning about Argos:

If you'd ordered your game and it was £25 online, then when you got to the store you found there was a sale on and the price was only £20, would you have found the manager and insisted on handing over an extra £5. After all, you would have got confirmation that the price would be £25.

Hmmmm?

I think you will find your answer to that is in an Act of Parliament that was passed around 1989.

Originally posted by MobileB
If that was the case, then why bother to offer a sale price at anytime. Obviously showing your business acuman there.

Sales are to generate revenue and cash. Why do you think Marks, Debenhams and others held sales before Christmas? Revenues were not what they expected so they needed to generate some cash. They work on the margins afterwards.

At the end of the day, a shareholder looks at the top and bottom lines, not that much into the margins and overheads. thats the directors jobs.

Sales get people rushing to spend. This particular sale was a one-day even and you were too late in the end so the price went back up.

It happens.

Shops are not auction houses, the price you pay is the price in store on the day you collect :D (you'll remember that in future, wont you ;) )

As for the lecture on early xmas sales, thanks, but what has this to do with anything?

Originally posted by dinp
As for the lecture on early xmas sales, thanks, but what has
this to do with anything?

Err cos you said you disagreed with one day sales. I thought I would explain why they had them.

Originally posted by MobileB
Err cos you said you disagreed with one day sales. I thought I would explain why they had them.

I was referring to something else there, quite what I cant remember now but looking back, i didnt explain it very well. Cant have done if I dont understand it myself!!!

I did A Level Business though, not as simple as I may seem :D

Bought a coffee table today. Asked the staff if we could leave it and collect it on the way out with it being heavy and they were perfectly happy to let us do that.

Even trollied it out to the car as it was an awkward shape to carry.

No complaints with todays service.

Originally posted by MobileB
I think you will find your answer to that is in an Act of Parliament that was passed around 1989.

That doesn't answer my question.

As an aside, I would ask what your legal qualification is? It must be good, if it's better than Argos' legal department.

Originally posted by Andy
That doesn't answer my question.

As an aside, I would ask what your legal qualification is? It must be good, if it's better than Argos' legal department.

Who knows, Argos may even offer him/her a job once they see the 'detail' of the complaint :heyhey:

Surely someone so qualified would have better shops to spend their money in..... :suspect:

Originally posted by Andy
That doesn't answer my question.

As an aside, I would ask what your legal qualification is? It must be good, if it's better than Argos' legal department.

About 15 years dealing with such problems might do for a starter. But your question was what would my reaction be if the price was lower than quoted, and what I quoted you was the answer.

I could give a long story if you want about Marks & Spencers. How they refunded on a shirt that was 10 years old. It didnt belong to me but I took it there because of a quality problem that had been raised by a laundry company. They refunded the original cost of the shirt with no problem in M&S vouchers. It far exceeded my expectations and the vouchers went into our staff Christmas raffle. Now that was what I called customer service.

Originally posted by Cyclone
Bought a coffee table today. Asked the staff if we could leave it and collect it on the way out with it being heavy and they were perfectly happy to let us do that.

Even trollied it out to the car as it was an awkward shape to carry.

No complaints with todays service.

Hooray, a happy customer :clap:

We don't mind taking a heavy good to the car if we can spare a member of staff and so long as the customer is parked in the car park directly outside, or outside Sainsbury's at worst.

Gets us 5 mins of fresh air and friendly banter with a customer away from the chaos of the shop.

One woman I helped was freaked out because I knew how to fold her back seats and she didn't!!!

And you'll be surprised what fits into a punto :D

www.argos.co.uk

Originally posted by MobileB
But your question was what would my reaction be if the price was lower than quoted, and what I quoted you was the answer.


No you didn't. You haven't answered my question. Please do so.

Originally posted by Andy
No you didn't. You haven't answered my question. Please do so.

Shhhhhhhh.


Official Secrets Act 1989

Opticians Act 1989

Originally posted by Andy
No you didn't. You haven't answered my question. Please do so.

It would be illegal to charge me more. Simple. However, there is a good chance that I would - as I have in the past - asked them to donate the difference to charity or put it in a box myself.

Originally posted by MobileB
It would be illegal to charge me more. Simple. However, there is a good chance that I would - as I have in the past - asked them to donate the difference to charity or put it in a box myself.

It took you long enough to answer that question, perhaps you should practice what you preach and be a bit more CLEAR :P

Originally posted by dinp
It took you long enough to answer that question, perhaps you should practice what you preach and be a bit more CLEAR :P

To be honest it was a pretty stupid question said in pettyness to try and prove a point. I treated it with the contempt it deserved but since you insisted on a more detailed answer to show up you lack of trading Laws knowledge, I just had to raise to the challenge.

Originally posted by MobileB
It would be illegal to charge me more. Simple. However, there is a good chance that I would - as I have in the past - asked them to donate the difference to charity or put it in a box myself.

it most certainly would not.
A price on goods in a shop is simply an invitation to treat, the shop is not obliged to sell the goods to you at that price, nor indeed at all if they choose not too.

Originally posted by Cyclone
it most certainly would not.
A price on goods in a shop is simply an invitation to treat, the shop is not obliged to sell the goods to you at that price, nor indeed at all if they choose not too.

Thankyou!

The bookshop I worked at prior to Argos told me that if a customer started arguing over the price of something, providing I hadn't entered into a contract of sale I could decline the sale altogether and ask them to leave the store (and they'd have to, as its private property).

Originally posted by dinp
Thankyou!

The bookshop I worked at prior to Argos told me that if a customer started arguing over the price of something, providing I hadn't entered into a contract of sale I could decline the sale altogether and ask them to leave the store (and they'd have to, as its private property).

And by the same law if someone gives you a £20 note for a £10 book you are not obliged to give them any change.

If you advertise a book at say £20 you are offering the book for sale at £20. I can then make you a counter offer which says I will buy this book at £15. You can, of course, decline or accept my offer. There is nothing illegal in that.

Various Acts of Parliament over the years have ammended this basic Law of Contract which basically says that by pricing an article for sale at a set price you are unable to raise that price once an offer for purchase has been made. So you offer the sale, I agree to buy.

You cannot, for instance, put a price tag on a book (offer to sell), I take it to the counter (offer to purchase) and you say to me at the counter, that price tag is wrong is should be £25 when in all reasonableness you had put the £20 price tag on it.

When dealing with internet things become a little more complicated which is why separate quidelines were issued by the DTI and these were subsequently ammended by the EU. At what stage is the offer to purchase made? In normal instances, this is when the actual click on payment is made but what happens if the item is not in stock? At what stage is payment then made and what if the price is higher with a new batch of stock?

Which is where I think Argos, despite what you say, are incorrect. Whilst I have not made payment, I have made an offer to buy at a price and Argos by sending me a confirmation of price have accepted my offer, irrespective of any subsequent small print. They had their goods in stock somewhere in the country, I offered to pay (by credit card) the dispatch element (or in my case pick up) is for agreement between my and Argos as part of that contract.

Hope this make sense!

I believe that emailed confirmation of orders are not considered to be contract forming.

In the case of internet purchases the contract is formed when they bill your credit card and not until then.
Since all you had done with argos was agree that they would reserve the stock for you it was not a legally binding contract.

Originally posted by Cyclone
I believe that emailed confirmation of orders are not considered to be contract forming.

In the case of internet purchases the contract is formed when they bill your credit card and not until then.
Since all you had done with argos was agree that they would reserve the stock for you it was not a legally binding contract.

Actually Cyclone if you read the EC instructions (they are on the DTI website) the confirmation of price is regarded as a binding contract, basically due to the number of third party payment practices on iternet purchases (eg paypal). Also, in this instance, the offer to pay was there, it was Argos that did the redirecting on to where the stock was being picked up from. I would fully accept this point if I was only asking for the stock to be reserved but I wasn't, I was asking to purchase.

Originally posted by MobileB
Which is where I think Argos, despite what you say, are incorrect. Whilst I have not made payment, I have made an offer to buy at a price and Argos by sending me a confirmation of price have accepted my offer, irrespective of any subsequent small print. They had their goods in stock somewhere in the country, I offered to pay (by credit card) the dispatch element (or in my case pick up) is for agreement between my and Argos as part of that contract.

Hope this make sense!

As ever, I will disagree :D

Your offer to buy doesn't happen until you go to buy the good in store. Reserving the good isn't your offer to buy, there is no obligation on your part to purchase once you have reserved, you can simply ignore it and it will expire and no questions will be asked.

The confirmation, as I have stated previously, is a conformation of the reservation of the good in question - the price shown is what the price was when you reserved it and it does state that the price you pay for the good is the price in store on the day you collect.

Until you actually try to hand money (or your card) over for the good in question, no contract of sale has begun.

The reservation service does NOT, i repeat NOT act as a contract of sale or confirmation of price paid, hence why Argos didn't budge on the price of your game.

Originally posted by MobileB
Actually Cyclone if you read the EC instructions (they are on the DTI website) the confirmation of price is regarded as a binding contract, basically due to the number of third party payment practices on iternet purchases (eg paypal). Also, in this instance, the offer to pay was there, it was Argos that did the redirecting on to where the stock was being picked up from. I would fully accept this point if I was only asking for the stock to be reserved but I wasn't, I was asking to purchase.

But if the stock isn't available, as in your case it wasn't, of course Argos will offer their 'Reserve for store pick up' service, as they don't want to lose your custom.

You did accept this, and by doing so, accept the terms and conditions associated with it.

Originally posted by dinp
As ever, I will disagree :D

Your offer to buy doesn't happen until you go to buy the good in store. Reserving the good isn't your offer to buy, there is no obligation on your part to purchase once you have reserved, you can simply ignore it and it will expire and no questions will be asked.

The confirmation, as I have stated previously, is a conformation of the reservation of the good in question - the price shown is what the price was when you reserved it and it does state that the price you pay for the good is the price in store on the day you collect.

Until you actually try to hand money (or your card) over for the good in question, no contract of sale has begun.

The reservation service does NOT, i repeat NOT act as a contract of sale or confirmation of price paid, hence why Argos didn't budge on the price of your game.

Remember Argos are the worst company in the world for adhereing to stuff like this and will trust the purchaser not to take them to court due to costs. Remember the TV they put on their website at £2.99 instead of £299. They were wrong in law (as later proved in a case against Kodak) but they fought it to the hilt refusing to honour the price and it was only dropped because the people buying could not afford the risk of court costs.

Also, the Unfair Conracts Terms Act 1977 and Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1989 cover pricing of articles particularly where a retailer is in a position of strength. Thus by altering the price by 25% from the moment of offer to the moment of completion it could be regarded as unfair. The company could argue that by not taking my money and therefore the contract was only completed once I had gone into the store and purchased the article so I still had the opportunity to withdraw from the contract (which is what you are saying), the counter argument is that Argos were aware of the 25% differential at the time of my offer and therefore we acting unfairly under the said regulations.

Lets see what Trading Standards say eh.

More recently, there was an advertisement in the Sun newspaper quoting a price incorrectly. It was an error on the Sun's part, so we refused to honour it to anyone asking.

They didn't get this big without doing something right though, did they. Just look how small Index is in comparison....

several cases of human error in inputing a price have happened and gone to court.
The ruling has been consistently that after you have paid the contract is formed and they must attempt to deliver.
Before you have paid, a confirmation does not form a contract.

Originally posted by Cyclone
several cases of human error in inputing a price have happened and gone to court.
The ruling has been consistently that after you have paid the contract is formed and they must attempt to deliver.
Before you have paid, a confirmation does not form a contract.

Actually your totally inacurrate on this. The E-Commerce Directive 2000/31/EC states that the creation of legal relations occurs when the retailer has responded to a customer order and the customer is able to read that response, ie it is available on their PC or mail server.

The reason for this is that the consumer trading through E Commerce transactions was not totally aware of when the transaction was completed as it was often several weeks before their credit card bill was received. Therefore, this directive over rules what was particular standard Law of Contract established over centuries in that the contract was effectively formed at the moment the retailer responded not at the moment of payment

As Kodak found out to their cost.

Originally posted by dinp
More recently, there was an advertisement in the Sun newspaper quoting a price incorrectly. It was an error on the Sun's part, so we refused to honour it to anyone asking.

They didn't get this big without doing something right though, did they. Just look how small Index is in comparison....

Legally they were able to do so because the advertisement comes under a different domain (stand by for the ASA ruling on that one). You may find a fine on the way.

I can actually remember when Argos was struggling and bought by GUS.

so the kodak case never went to court.
Amazon apparently would have gone to court but no one took it.

Amazon said its terms of use strictly state that no contract for sale has been formed until customers receive an email stating that their order has shipped, meaning it had no obligation to hand out iPaqs at rock-bottom prices.

The company appeared to have the legal right to cancel the incorrect orders, judging by the way past incidents proceeded. At the end of 2001, when Kodak mistakenly offered a £329 digital camera for £100, legal experts argued that Kodak's automatic confirmation email formed a contract with the buyer, mainly because of the way it was worded.

"The legal consensus was that Kodak had formed a contract with the customers at the point when the confirmed acceptance of the customer's order, unless the company said something to the contrary," said Struan Robertson, a solicitor with law firm Masons, at the time.

Amazon's terms of use, on the other hand, specifically stated that the confirmation email does not form a contract: "No contract will subsist between you and Amazon.co.uk for the sale by it to you of any product unless and until Amazon.co.uk accepts your order by email confirming that it has dispatched your product."



So Kodak was a special case where they specifically shot themselves in the foot by saying in the confirmation that it was a contract.

Originally posted by Cyclone
so the kodak case never went to court.
Amazon apparently would have gone to court but no one took it.



So Kodak was a special case where they specifically shot themselves in the foot by saying in the confirmation that it was a contract.

The EC Directive I mention above actually only came into statute in this country after the Kodak case. It never went to court because Kodak backed down before it got there and mainly because they knew they would have lost and so stopped mounting legal costs.

Similarly the Argos case never went to court and I would suggest that the Amazon clause is an unfair term because the strength is with the retailer and weighted against the consumer. Also it probably contradicts that EC directive which says the contract is formed on the first response.

However, these will never be challenged because of the legal costs involved. The major companies rely a lot on that (McDonalds anyone?) the consumer will not challenge them because they cannot afford it.

EC Directives never become law, the countries have to pass their own laws to enforce directives that they've adopted, what's the uk law that enforces this?

mcDonalds lost a case for a hot cup of coffee... Compensation culture anyone.

Originally posted by Cyclone
EC Directives never become law, the countries have to pass their own laws to enforce directives that they've adopted, what's the uk law that enforces this?

mcDonalds lost a case for a hot cup of coffee... Compensation culture anyone.

EC Directive mentioned became law in this country on 21st August 2002 as regulations within the Enterprise Act.

fair enough, i'll remember that next time i see a silly price offer.

However in your case, argos didn't confirm a sale, they offered an alternative option (the reservation) which they confirmed, but which in the contract states that the price is subject to change.

Originally posted by Cyclone
fair enough, i'll remember that next time i see a silly price offer.

However in your case, argos didn't confirm a sale, they offered an alternative option (the reservation) which they confirmed, but which in the contract states that the price is subject to change.

Which I have never disputed. What I have said though (God knows how many times) is that I wanted to buy online but Argos said no, but offered with an alternative of collection with a confirmed price. The subsequent line about price you pay is price in store on the day could be deemed unfair as this is weighted in favour of the retailer not the consumer. Consequently, the confirmed price comes into line with the E Commerce directives as the contract is formed by the communication not the payment, and the line in terms is unfair until the appropriate unfair terms act mentioned.

But I am not going to take it to court for £6 although Trading Standards have specific departments for such things and they are currently investigating. Which, as I have said, I will abide with their fair judgement!!

Originally posted by MobileB
Which I have never disputed. What I have said though (God knows how many times) is that I wanted to buy online but Argos said no, but offered with an alternative of collection with a confirmed price.

No they did not!!!! Get that through your thick skull!!! How many bloody times must I say this!?!?!? The reservation is confirmed, not the effin price. Why you ask? Because it damn well tells you the price is subject to change - THREE TIMES nonetheless!!!!

You're typical of a know-it-all - completely lacking in basic common sense.

Cyclone gets it, I get it, why don't you get it?!?!?!

Originally posted by dinp
No they did not!!!! Get that through your thick skull!!! How many bloody times must I say this!?!?!? The reservation is confirmed, not the effin price. Why you ask? Because it damn well tells you the price is subject to change - THREE TIMES nonetheless!!!!

You're typical of a know-it-all - completely lacking in basic common sense.

Cyclone gets it, I get it, why don't you get it?!?!?!

My thick skull very obviously misread the page that popped up on my screen when I tried to order on line which stated "this article is not available to order on line but is available to collection from a store near you. Please click on continue if you would like to do so."

Originally posted by MobileB
My thick skull very obviously misread the page that popped up on my screen when I tried to order on line which stated "this article is not available to order on line but is available to collection from a store near you. Please click on continue if you would like to do so."

That is normal procedure. If its not available online, it gives you the option to collect from store instead and you click to continue.

Unless you did a print screen at each stage of the procedure, you'll have trouble proving it though.

You've illustrated lazy eye syndrome in this case as it is, whose to say the page did appear and you didnt notice it ;)

I had a funny moment during my visit to the Angel St store just before the New Year. After selecting my item (a pair of speakers), I walked over to the tills. However, I noticed:

a) a *massive* queue which was rather off putting

b) The two Quickpay machines - (both working!)

Having used one of these before in a London Argos store, knew how they sped the service up considerably. So, i opted for Quickpay..plus....there was nobody else using them- perfect

I just couldn't believe how I stood there, popped my debit card in the machine and had completed my transaction in under a minute. All the while, many of the people waiting in the huge queue literally stood and watched me do it, whilst still happily waiting in a line that wasn't even budging! Er, why? No one was even in the slightest bit curious.

My point is...were these people just being plain daft and waiting needlessly???? Or, aren't the Quickpay machines properly advertised. Do people actually know what they do - that you can buy items by card without having to queue? Who knows?

However, I would agree with previous comments regarding pushing in at collection points. Its just not on. Having lived in London for 5 years, thats something I would expect from many people down there...but not from good Sheffield folk.

:)

Nick

The Quickpay machines in the Meadowhall store are well used, but not enough people use them.

The downside of them is that they don't do offers, vouchers or cash payments, but then thay're quick for those paying by card.

The other downside is that they rely on Microsoft software, so they can be unreliable at times :D

People thinking of teying to defraud Argos can forget it too. The machines know a good card from a dud one, so if anyone says their card has got stuck (which sometimes happens), the staff know (by opening the machine) whether or not the sale was legit, so they can refuse to give the card back.

Obviously I'm not going to tell you how we know, but we do :D

Originally posted by MobileB
My thick skull very obviously misread the page that popped up on my screen when I tried to order on line which stated "this article is not available to order on line but is available to collection from a store near you. Please click on continue if you would like to do so."

Just thought that i'd let you know - a member of staff reserved something the other day, went to pay for it the following day and the price had doubled (it was in the half price sale) - he wasn't given it for the lower price either.

Have you got your new catalogue yet?

And any news on your complaint?

but on a lighter note.... did anyone see Bill Bailey's live show the other night on ch4?

[spoke in a golbinesque voice] "arogos and it's laminated book of dreams"

:lol:

Originally posted by dinp
Just thought that i'd let you know - a member of staff reserved something the other day, went to pay for it the following day and the price had doubled (it was in the half price sale) - he wasn't given it for the lower price either.

Have you got your new catalogue yet?

And any news on your complaint?

I received acknowledgement and they then asked me for further details which I provided.

Originally posted by MobileB
I received acknowledgement and they then asked me for further details which I provided.

Well I will be interested to hear the outcome of this, keep us posted!

dinp- do u know if the new ro lists are out yet, it usually comes out with the new catalogue doesnt it:confused:

Originally posted by matt186
dinp- do u know if the new ro lists are out yet, it usually comes out with the new catalogue doesnt it:confused:

Ex catalogue stock is available to view online, not all of it has been reduced though. I hope they reduce it soon though, i've got my eye on a couple of potential gems :D

ive seen the online reduced stuff, its not really the 75% off prices that there was last time. Ill keep my fingers crossed that they start marking down prices :)

Originally posted by matt186
ive seen the online reduced stuff, its not really the 75% off prices that there was last time. Ill keep my fingers crossed that they start marking down prices :)

I'm a bit disappointed as well, but to be fair the last list wasn't out straight away. My fingers are crossed as well!

I have absolutely no sympathy for the people who work in Argos (sorry if this offends) but just after the new year i went in to buy a coffee table and was told that not only could I not borrow an argos trolley to take it to my car but no help was offered to me, they refused to let me pick it up from the loading bay and instructed me to get a sainsburys trolley to move it,

so as it weighs 24 kg and is VERY bulky I did, only to get it outside and find I couldn't get it out the trolley, cos the divvy bloke had wedged it in, so after much tooing n frowing i sorted it,

so i'd just like to say Thanks Argos! for nowt!

needless to say I wont be shoppin there again

Why dont we just blow Meadowhall up with all the chavs inside of it un every1s problems would be solved, crime would go down, the centre would get better, .....

Originally posted by sheffield501
I have absolutely no sympathy for the people who work in Argos (sorry if this offends) but just after the new year i went in to buy a coffee table and was told that not only could I not borrow an argos trolley to take it to my car but no help was offered to me, they refused to let me pick it up from the loading bay and instructed me to get a sainsburys trolley to move it,

so as it weighs 24 kg and is VERY bulky I did, only to get it outside and find I couldn't get it out the trolley, cos the divvy bloke had wedged it in, so after much tooing n frowing i sorted it,

so i'd just like to say Thanks Argos! for nowt!

needless to say I wont be shoppin there again

I work there and we do not lend out trolleys as they get pinched. You can be Nelson Mandela or Mother Teresa, we don't lend them out.

We do, however help people to the door, providing we aren't completely snowed under with work, so you must have came in to the store at a time where we were grossly understaffed (not necessarily meaning that we LOOK busy).

95 times out of 100 we will help, but we aren't under any obligation to do so. You knew you were buying something heavy, why didnt you come prepared?

Lots of customers buying heavy goods bring a strong person, a trolley, or both with them. Those we do help range from eternally grateful to downright rude.

Originally posted by Haza
Why dont we just blow Meadowhall up with all the chavs inside of it un every1s problems would be solved, crime would go down, the centre would get better, .....

What an intelligent reply, i;m sure your parents are very proud of you.. :loopy:

its because every reply on this site is either extremly mundane and boring, and makes for c*** reading

Originally posted by Haza
its because every reply on this site is either extremly mundane and boring, and makes for c*** reading

why not save us the time of reading your replies by not bothering then.

I would just like to take the opportunity to thank those nasty f*****s who have stolen the trolleys used to take things out to people's cars so now we are unable to help people to their cars.

We are on skeleton staff at the moment so if you have a conscience, return them.



:rant:

The new Argos at Drakehouse/Crystal Peak is the best. There is always room to park and you can park right outside to pick up your goods.

Recommended

Originally posted by Alanbro
The new Argos at Drakehouse/Crystal Peak is the best. There is always room to park and you can park right outside to pick up your goods.


Recommended agreed...make life easier...order online pick up next day..no problems:clap: :thumbsup:

Originally posted by Alanbro
The new Argos at Drakehouse/Crystal Peak is the best. There is always room to park and you can park right outside to pick up your goods.

Recommended

I wish the nazis at Meadowhall would allocate a loading bay space outside the doors, people wanting to pick heavy things up have to risk a clamp by parking in a disabled spot or on double yellows. It aint fair.