Argos problems

[gioia]

I saw a laptop in the argos 2010 spring/summer catalogue,it was described as the toshiba L450 priced £399.99. I intended to buy it and by coincidence my mum came home with an argos sales brochure which had the exact same laptop (toshiba L450) with the exact same spec and £70 off.I made sure it was exactly the same and there was only one L450 that argos sold in both catalogue and brochure anyway so it had to be the same. The catalogue number for it was different in the sales brochure to what it was in the catalogue,though.I purchased it and just assumed I had the right laptop.My mum had thrown away the sales brochure with the details of the laptop. 2 weeks later I looked in the catalogue and the L450 spec said that it had a webcam and mine didn't so I typed the cat no off my receipt into the argos site and it came up that it was the toshiba L450 18D(which is what they gave me) with 2 GB,no webcam and an intel celeron dual core t3100 processor when I should've got a3Gb,with a webcam and an AMD Athlon dual core processor.The laptop they gave me wasn't even in the catalogue or brochure and it was £399.99. I paid £329.99 for the other as it was reduced from £399.99 so if I had the right one why didn't they charge me £399.99? I e mailed customer sevices who were meant to reply within 48 hrs but never did so I rung and was told that a bulletin was in the store saying that it was only a 2 Gb laptop. I said that I did not see any bulletin whatsoever. She said she'd ring the store and ask if there was a bulletin.She rung back and said there was a bulletin at the till and they'd told me at the till. I said no one had told me anything and she said she'd ring them and ask them if they'd told me at the till(after just saying she'd asked them!).She rung back and said they'd told me.I said they hadn't and she said she wasn't arguing with me and I was to argue with them at the store. I said I wasn't gonna do that, I'd just write directly to the MD. She said she was finishing at 12 pm so she'd ring the store the next morning coz they should have some old sale brochures and that she'd ring me back. The next morning she said there weren't any and stores don't keep old brochures and she shouldn't have even tried to find one coz it was me that had to prove it. I said I couldn't coz I didn't have the brochure and she said that was it, so I told her to get lost.I've written to the MD and explained that it's their mistake and if I was meant to have what they gave me why did they charge me the price of the one I thought I was getting? My receipt proves it. I'm waiting to see what they say. what can I expect? I know I'm dozy for not knowing earlier but I'm not the criminal.

Edited August 4, 2010 by MARTIN3030

[rebel11]

Hi gioia

 

Welcome to CAG

 

Argos have a habit of playing around with product codes and products when it suits. I had the same situation with a shredder. Basically two products can have the same product code, so you don't know which one your going to get. I think you've done the right thing. Sales at Argos are

down. Lets see what the MD says.

[MARTIN3030]

Not familiar with the MD response.

Lets see what transpires.

Keep us posted.I have edited a couple of choice words in line with site posting policy.

[gioia]

I've had an e-mail from argos saying that they're sorry that I'm disappointed with my laptop spec but sometimes the demand for a product exceeds the stock so they try to give a product with the closest spec or higher and the best place to tell peopl is at the till.They said bring your laptop and receipt to the store where our staff will further assist you. They have not said if they're just going to give me my money back or give me an alternative laptop. I would not be happy with them just giving me my money back because the cheapest 3Gb with webcam is £449.99 so I'd to pay an extra £120. What should I do if they only offer me a refund? Should I demand the 3Gb co that's what I want to do,I have had a lot of agro?

[blitz]

We currently have an Acer with the specs above for £399.99 (508/3345). It might be worth pushing for that one as a replacement.

 

Argos stores always send back old leaflets to the DC for recycling so it is very very rare to have an old one lying about anywhere which obviously makes it very hard to prove, though I would stick with saying that you purchased the laptop as it was advertised as the spec in the brochure which was not provided. As such you require a laptop that meets the specs.

 

If they don't fulfil the contract then you will have no option but to report the breech to trading standards.

[gioia]

I've had an e-mail from argos saying that sometimes the demand for a product exceeds the stock so they try to offer a product with the closest spec or higher and the best place to tell people is at the till.They said bring your laptop and receipt where our staff will further assist you. I don't know if they are just going to give me my money back or give me an alternative laptop.They do have an Acer with the spec I should've got that's £399.99 and a toshiba that's £449.99. Why should I have to pay more for a 3Gb now? I'll have to pay at least £70 more if they're only offering me my money back.Should I demand that they give me a 3Gb? what if they don't want to give me another? The full price value of the one I should've got was £399.99 so should I try to get the toshiba one that's £449.99 for my trouble I have no transport and I have to walk to the store carrying it and I've e-mailed several times and wrote a letter that was 3 A4 pages long and sent it recorded delivery and rung argos several times and a consumer helpline?

[gioia]

I e-mailed argos last night and said that they didn't clarify if they were just going to give me my money back or give me a 3Gb with webcam. I said I wouldn't be satisfied with just my money back,I want the Acer with the right spec that's £399.99 (the original price of the one I was meant to get) plus £50 vouchers or alternatively the Toshiba 3GB with webcam that's £449.99. I said I want them to agree with me beforehand then ring the store and tell them what they're to give me, and that I'm not going there without knowing what's going to happen coz I don't want to argue in the store. I received an e-mail this morning(that wasn't automated)saying there was a problem with their e-mail system and they couldn't reply quickly and if my query was not resolved to ring on 10th aug between 11am and 3pm and gave a different phone number for me to ring.I reckon they're buying time to ask if they can give me what I've asked for.

[blitz]

I personally don't see a store offering you a "more expensive" replacement without customer services say so, emphasis that

 

a) The bulletin was not read out at the till (This can be worded as a substitute may be received, or the item may be slightly different from the one in the catalogue). I will actually check which bulletin is on it later

 

b) You have a contract for the spec 3gb, xxx processor etc

 

c) Argos has a responsibility to fulfil that contract or pay damages in respect to fulfilling the contract yourself. (I.e getting the advertised laptop from elsewhere)

 

d) If Argos do not provide you with the spec advertised of damages to purchase at another retailer than you will be looking at issuing small claims against Argos and reporting the case to Trading Standards for both breeches of contract and false advertising.

[gioia]

They said sorry they didn't tell me at the till. I,d be fine with the Acer but I want £50 of vouchers for the bother of having to go back there(cos I have to walk),writing a long letter and paying for recorded delivery,writing several e-mails,ringing them and a consumer helpline,having to set up another laptop and being originally told on the phone that I had to prove it after she said there was a bulletin saying they were giving out a different spec.She was nasty.

[gioia]

I wouldn't expect voucgers if they gave me the toshiba I'm not greedy. It was customer services that Iwas e-mailing I think they are sorting out what to give me that's why they pretended their e-mail was broken and want me to ring on tuesday.

[gioia]

I rung on tuesday,the customer services guy said he didn't know what the store was gonna give me and he couldn't tell them what to give me.I went there and the manager said I had to pay £70 extra if I wanted to swap it for the Acer.I said I wasn't paying any extra and they had to give me the advertised spec and I'd had an e-mail from Argos saying that they were sorry they didn't inform me at the till that it was a different spec. She rung customer services and they said she had to give me the Acer at no extra charge.I got home and the Managing Director's office rung me about the complaint letter I wrote.I said they'd given me the Acer and he said that was lovely so I asked for some compensation vouchers and he offered me £25,so I said I wanted a bit more and he said he could only compensate me for any out of pocket expenses so I mentioned travelling,recorded delivery letter and phone calls and he said he'd give me £35 of vouchers through the post, so I agreed and he gave me a number to ring should I have any problems with my new laptop. Result-end of story.

[AtlantisZPM]

Wow Argos are easy to fool! =D To summarize you seen a Toshiba laptop in the catalogue and note the partial model number and then seen a brochure with the same partial model number for £329.99? You knew the item was a different catalogue number so possibly knew it was a different item? Looking on their website it does look like they advertise the full model number. The above maybe why comet response have left this issue alone, well done gioia on your free money

[blitz]

Easy to fool, from my understanding of the situation; a item was incorrectly described (the flyer was misprinted), and as the customer was not informed of the misprint they were entitled to the advertised spec.

 

Fooling... I don't see any

 

Please troll elsewhere

[AtlantisZPM]

Forgive me if you think I am trolling but in the initial post the OP did imply they was aware of it having a different catalogue number, would this not raise concerns to you it was a different item? I am just adding a neutral point of view based on the information above. Was it confirmed the laptop on the flyer that the specific laptop for £329 was 3GB with a webcam? I will stand corrected if so

[gioia]

No Atlantis you've totally not understood anything.I've got an Acer 3GB with webcam and AMD Athlon 11 x 2 processor with the value of £399.99. I originally was meant to get a toshiba with the same spec and the value of £399.99 but reduced to £329.99. Argos swapped the product and were giving out 2GB toshibas without webcams and an intel celeron processor.This was also priced at £399.99 but they were giving it to people for £329.99 but they should've been getting the 3GB toshiba. All the laptops original values are £399.99. I have just got a 3 GB that's £399.99 for the sale price of £329.99 which is what I should've got in the first place had they not swapped the laptop in the sales brochure for a less good one. They were meant to tell people at the till that they had swapped it for a less good one and they didn't tell me.I said they had to give me the same spec as advertised for £329.99.Now they've had to give me one that's not in the sale for the sale price of £329.99. They haven't done me any favours they've caused me a lot of trouble for a £35 gift card in compensation.

[gioia]

They were not giving out the laptop that was in the sales brochure! It was them that were trolling! Everyone else understands! I thought the cat no was different in the sales brochure to what it was in the large catalogue because it was in the sale and they wanted the sale price to come up.I didn't think it was different because they were going to give people a rubbisher one(not the one shown) when they got to the store! Capiche?

[AtlantisZPM]

I am afraid I don't understand.... You made the assumption that the laptops as you refer to as "Toshiba's L450's" which is just the first part of the model number but with a different catalogue number were the same. A catalogue number is I assume (Blitz can correct me if I am wrong) is a unique indentifier for that product so if the price changes it will change for everyone else? Would it be fair for you to pay £70 less than someone else? However with the above been said who knows what laptop was on that sales brouchure would be good if Blitz could find out but companys like Argos, comet, currys etc will give a laptop an artificial price so they then sell it a few weeks later as £70 off.

 

Just checked Argos website look at Asus X5DIJ -> £299 was £399 - Do they honestly think people would pay 399 for that spec its cheap marketing tactics...

 

EDIT: I need to add that this is not a dig at you but I am trying to encourage people to be careful with their money, cos for me a laptop 300+ pounds is a big purchase so it is always good to becareful and not to fall for companies gimics

Edited August 15, 2010 by AtlantisZPM

[gioia]

Atlantis you are dense man! I saw a freaking laptop described as a toshiba L450(no other numbers or letters) in the large catalogue for £399.99. I saw the SAME one described as a toshiba L450(no other numbers or letters) in their sales brochure for £329.99. It had all the same details as in the large catalogue and the same picture.It was thew SAME one.Capiche? The catalogue number was replaced with a slightly different one.I noticed and assumed it must be so that the price would come up £329.99 at the till coz there was £70 off. Argos were giving people a toshiba L450 18 D at the till which was not the one shown in the sales brochure and it was not even in the sales brochure or in the large catalogue. At home I typed the cat no that was in the sale brochure and on my receipt and a toshiba L450 18 D popped up on the screen priced at £399.99.They were giving it people for £329.99 though.

Thet were giving people an unadvertised replacement that was rubbisher than the one they were meant to get.They were meant to tell people at the till that the person would be getting a lower spec than what was advertised but they didn't tell me.Argos can't be conned by me! They've apologised to me. Do you think I can con Argos? Argos tricked people! If you don't get it I can't help you! Don't work in a shop coz YOU will get conned!

[Googley2]

Lets just say I worked previously in the legal sector and I was amazed at the amount of High Street Firms that we did court claims for - defending their illegal selling tactics, false advertising, etc. etc (putting items in advertising for stupid prices (digital camera £10) and they had no intention of even stocking it for that price but it brought people into the store so they purchased something else (no stock does not mean SOLD OUT, probably means YOU BEEN CAUGHT OUT). When I once asked "dont these legal bills cause financial problems" the reply from a senior legal executive was "No - they are peanuts to these high street companies as the income they got from their rules/law breaking far outweighted the cost of a court case which was maybe £20,000 each case". I would say each high street firm could easily have had around 20 court cases on the go at any time - they knew the law, they knew they were breaking it but didnt really care as it boosted their incomes way above the fines. Very much sounds like one of those cases to me!! Moral of story: Buyer beware".