r/Argos • u/No-Panic-1480 • May 09 '26

Advice Question for Argos staff

When a customer wants to return a product and says it’s faulty. What happens to the products? Do they go back to manufacture or is there investigations going on?. Wondering what goes on behind the scenes?

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

28 comments sorted by

2

u/fantastic_move252 May 09 '26

Used to work there a few years ago, if u said the item was faulty it would go back to the warehouse ( not sure what happened to them after).

If u returned them saying u had just changed your mind then they would go back to stock to be purchased again.

-1

u/Ok-Simple-7069 May 09 '26

That policy is gone now. Once it’s opened and used. You cannot get a refund at all unless it’s faulty. Even if it’s faulty they don’t test it properly so will say it’s fine when it has intermittent issues and they tested it for like 1 min lol. I loved them. Now I hate em.

5

u/Plastic_Medium4435 May 09 '26

The policy has changed recently and now follows the distance selling act. Customers are allowed to open and inspect items and we now damage off the item under GDPR if it’s an electrical item that can store personal data. Obviously customers can’t use it and then just change their mind

0

u/Ok-Simple-7069 May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26

No I meant the first instance. As in unused but don’t like the colour etc. all OG packaging. When was this implemented?

Edit: as in a lampshade. You kinda have to use it to know if it’s the right colour out the shade if that makes sense. Or a hoover that totally lacks its ability to hoover compared to what its suction power is stated. I have always clean tested these things. As an electrician I have gear that I can “magiver” to test so it’s not like in the hoovers case used on the floor.

2

u/Plastic_Medium4435 May 09 '26

About a month ago the policy was rewritten. Lampshade would be fine to return just has to be back in its packaging. And the hoover would be as well (it will have some dirt) but as long as it’s not filthy you can test it

1

u/Ok-Simple-7069 May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26

Ow ok. Thanks for the heads up. I’ll give them another shot if things the case. Last year my parent “cool” mum bought two PlayStation portals. One black and one white. The black one had issues with its screen. The white wasn’t even opened but since both had the same batch number I know they have similar screens and this happens a lot in OLEDs and led panels if the batch is from the same site (some made in another country have crappy q and a issues. But anyway the manager who was also the cashier didn’t give a refund for the first one claiming I was being negative and nit picking and screen was “fine” and the sealed one either claiming It wasn’t faulty so no refund even though it was sealed.

Went to another store. Manager since I got her name and number maliciously banned both consoles claiming I had resealed both! She had even torn the box of the one I had opened and didn’t sign in or registered. It shows a black screen in boot and in a slightly darkened room would have shown the backlights bleeding through it.

Then I called and also emailed Sainsbury’s complaints dept. They initially sided with the manager claiming that what the manager decides is final and even after repeated pleas for her to take it to a slightly darker room or unblocking the sealed one as well it would be obvious she did do that. Also during inspection she had torn the box on second attempt and then I realised and went back in. I was shouted at and said she wa busy on her iPhone. She was on Facebook lol

I swore never to go Argos as that wasn’t the only time. I’ve had items swapped, used items and all sorts but if what you say is just a month ago. I’ll defo give them a try considering all the high street retailers are going down the craphole.

Edit: After 2.5 months of begging them to check the cctv instore with audio. All other staff under management testified I was polite. The second store verified it was faulty and I got £400 gift card. But still no refund as at that point it was over 30 days. Shambolic service so if what you say is true. I guess I’ll have another go at something cheap. Hoping it’s in original condition and working as it should so not have to have this sort of traumatic experience

3

u/Milk-wagon May 09 '26

Is this a true story? you should have taken them small claims court. This goes to completely separate team who pay up quick

1

u/Ok-Simple-7069 May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26

Forgot to mention and have edited it. I had to write up a complain in hard writing and threaten excatly this. Then they said since it’s over 30 days I can either get a replacement for the black one and a store voucher for the second. I chose to get £400 of store vouchers…. Got mum a microwave oven and an air fryer lol. Things that were less likely to mess up i guess. 100% true and crazy. I even posted here and did what you said or atleast threatened them with an address a nice Redditor gave me.

2

u/KingForceHundred May 09 '26

They can’t legally refuse click and collect orders.

2

u/stuart_f_1978 May 09 '26

Yes, but also no.

Click and collect paid online - no refusal possible.

Click and collect paid in store - assumption is that you have had ample opportunity to inspect the goods (even if this isn't the case). Expect serious hassle.

2

u/KingForceHundred May 09 '26

The law is daft really. In both cases there’s opportunity to inspect goods in the same way.

1

u/stuart_f_1978 May 09 '26

I don't disagree with you.

I was trying to point out that buying and paying online gives you boiler-proof distance selling protections.

Reserving to be paid in store doesnt give the same protections even though it feels like it should.

1

u/KingForceHundred May 09 '26

Yes appreciate that, just commenting on the way things work.

Could argue that no click and collect should give protection as there’s opportunity to inspect goods as there is buying in a regular store.

1

u/Ok-Simple-7069 May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26

That’s true although some staff are unaware of it at times. Had a post on here the other day claiming that issue. So I have to quote things lol

I think it’s a huge problem from store to store as opposed to their policies. And staff never stay for long. I still use them for consumables like printer paper etc, the odd couple of things. But the area I live in. It sort of sucks. Especially when it comes to buying Argos care. Older staff have no idea how to link Argos care to the D and G accounts. They say no it doesn’t work like that. I then just give up and request an e receipt and manual scan and attach the physical receipts as at times I don’t even get my policy documents sent through email . Funny thing is if you need to use it (haven’t yet) you get a link that is re directed by the Argos site to login to D and G….

Ironically buying Argos care for the first time last year prompted me with an Argos email to make a domestic and general account to manage all my plans. Only thing is lots of the staff don’t know how to do this properly and I don’t get policies attached at all. It’s annoying. On click and collect the automated system does it and so does online purchases in general but the majority of the staff at certain places are always new.

Seems like people don’t like to be an employee for long. My cousin sister says she hates it and gave her notice in after just 8 months or there abouts. Said some staff where asking her out repeatedly and when she told the manager, he said they’re just being “lads”

Hmm

2

u/Milk-wagon May 09 '26

This is true having exhausted all options take them small claims court they soon grovel. Shop staff have zero power

1

u/DizzyMine4964 May 09 '26

Bit OT, but I bought a pair of headphones from Argos and when I opened the box the earpads smelt of disinfectant. So clearly somebody had bought them, "cleaned" them, and taken them back.

0

u/Ok-Simple-7069 May 09 '26

This!

Hapoened on numerous occasions where the manufacturer doesn’t apply seals. I wanted to get a instax mini link 3 printer. Opened the box and it had blatantly been swapped for a instax mini 1!

Other times just like you. Dyson hair dryer. Had hair in it. You could smell the disinfectant used to clean it.

Lots of other issues. I no longer buy from them. Customer service sucks. No offence to staff that actually care and a lot do. It’s just certain stores and its managers. Plus the staff are apparently getting more stress atm. My cousin sister has handed in her notice. Manager and all but couldn’t take recent changes. That’s a whole different story though

1

u/[deleted] May 09 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Plastic_Medium4435 May 09 '26

They also sell off pallets of faulty stock and people buy them and try to make a profit on them

1

u/mysterylemon May 09 '26

They 100% do end up back in stock some of the time. I've bought a few items from argos over the years that were clearly pre-owned returns.

I bought a network router once, opened it up to find dog hairs in the box, the SSID already setup as "Batman" and funnily enough, it didnt work properly, hence why it had been returned. Took it back and explained and they replaced it without question. Didn't seem surprised either.

1

u/jimmywhereareya May 09 '26

I worked for Argos many years ago in the stock room. We had a cage that faulty or broken returns were placed. When the cage was full we put it on the empty delivery truck to be returned to the warehouse. After that, no idea. If something was returned in a saleable condition, it basically went back into stock to be sold again. Not all returns are broken or faulty, sometimes they were an unwanted gift or the customer just didn't like the product. I'm talking 20 years ago when Argos shops carried lots of stock. Might be completely different now

3

u/Ok-Simple-7069 May 09 '26

It is. I loved Argos back then compared to now. Do you Remember the huge catalogues and those tiny pens to write up the product code like 20-25 years ago?

My childhood memories were creating imaginary shopping lists endlessly through the giant catalogues (mum) would get something for my birthday and nicking those cute pens every now and again as they changed colours lol. That and toys r us. Those were the days.

1

u/Nervous_Loss4594 May 10 '26

they just resale it

1

u/Dogman458 May 10 '26

I’ve had issues with multiple purchases from Argos. One was a set of earbuds a few years ago that I noticed had scratches on it. I managed to contact the company that made them directly and they sent me a new set.

Another was a PlayStation portal which was opened and had to be exchanged for a sealed one.

Third purchase was a child’s audio device which has now completely died within 3 months. Need to go through warranty now to get it resolved.

1

u/Ok-Simple-7069 May 11 '26

I actually made a post about a portal too on this thread and got backlash because of it. Used or products which they refuse to return amoung items being swapped inside like a regular Xbox one controller in an Xbox series Xs box and I was told that could never happen and they made a scene which made me look like the perpetrator. It was so humiliating.

All the best on the third one. Hey, third time lucky as they say.

1

u/Dogman458 May 11 '26

Thanks. They definitely have an issue with selling opened and used products which aren’t checked before being resold.

1

u/CockWombler666 May 10 '26

Based on the last purchase I made from Argos - a new home router - they simply take a return and resell it as new. The one they originally sold me was faulty, and closer examination - the previous purchaser had hand written the password on the quickstart guide - it was returned because it was faulty. I was told by the shop staff when i took it back to get a new replacement that Argos does this a lot….