Argos offers 'buy now pay in 3 months' deal

Re: only the beginning

Many years ago the Holiday Inn off the Hanger Lane gyratory system managed to submit a bill to my credit card company 9 months late. And didn't even apologise.

I'll never stay there again. But that's largely because it looked like Challenge Anneka had decorated the place.

Re: Because data protection

Done that to the interminable bank phone calls once or twice:

Bank monkey: "Can you confirm your name and address please, to prove who you are?"

Me: "You're my bank - you've called me on the number i've given you. I want to know *YOU'RE* who you say you are before I give out any personal information! Can *you* confirm *my* address?"

Bank monkey: *silence*

And yes, Data Protection is the new Health and Safety. No-one really understands it. I fell foul of it trying to cancel my granddad's phone contract after he passed!

Re: Because data protection

This is one of my bugbears

caller : can I take some details for data protection please?

me: You rang me.... why don't you tell me who you want and I'll tell you if you're correct

caller: I'm afraid I can't give out that information

Me: Oh well...

Caller: So if I could just take your name ?

me: You rang me.....

Caller : I can give you another number to call

me: You rang me, why would I ring the other number you've given me?

So on and so forth.

There's also the birthday variation...

caller : can I take your DOB please?

me: you rang me, why don't you tell me what you've got and I'll confirm if its right or wrong

caller: I'm not allowed.... blah blah blah

I almost feel sorry for them TBH, they're just trying to do their jobs

Re: Because data protection

> I have had calls many times from people wanting to discuss something with me, they then drop the line "For Data Protection can you confirm your name..."

nine times out of ten, when that happens, it's a scam or a debt collector trying to track you down.

Re: Express yourself

don't still understand that there is value (as well as expense - which will be passed n to the retiring customer) in delivering stuff when people want it.

I know there are loads of options on this front, but can I put a word in for the Co-Op? We've bought several "white goods" from them over the last few years and while they may not be the cheapest around, they are certainly competitive and they do deliver when they say, with 60-minute slots.

Co-Op Electrical.

M.

Re: Express yourself

>Argos, Curries - to name but two have never paid their staff to be competent,

On the other hand... I bought a microwave from Argos recently. The girl who hefted it to the counter from the Magic Cave of Argos Stock out back was about 4' 6", and looked about 12.

I could barely lift it, and I'm the far side of 6'.

Whatever they're paying her, it's not enough.

Re: Express yourself

"grumpy waiting for a British Gas visit"

That would be the Brutish Hash who made a song and dance in their TV adverts about coming out on Saturdays - and then told customers that they couldn't have callouts or boiler inspections on Saturdays.

Also the same British Hash who came out the next working day to diagnose my boiler as "broken", then left it unfixed for 3 weeks, during a particularly cold March. The excuse given was lack of parts, however the manufacturer claimed to be holding large numbers of everything for the model (including the pump which had expired)

The best way you can deal with British Gas gas is to take your business elsewhere, in the same way that the best way to save 65% off your Tesco car insurance is to go somewhere else. They won't negotiate and they don't care. Both are the TalkTalk/EE of their fields.

Re: what i really like about ARGOS is...

wasn't when I worked in TV sales & Service 30 years ago.

We had a customer bring in a new defective A*** video recorder with what become a common fault with the remote (when the sun shone it wouldn't work), so we sent it back to A***. We received a factory sealed new replacement and as we had already refunded the customer we put it in stock & it was sold. New customer found our service tag on the back and called in trading standards. Despite showing them documentation that proved our version of events we ended up with a £2K fine.

I'm not sure why modern shops believe they can get away with selling second hand goods as new, its blatant nowadays.

And Argos that firm that last Sunday declined my wife & my perfectly valid cards online. Next call I get is from My Bank's fraud department. They were £25 cheaper than Currys who offered my a chance to order online & collect in store that day except just before paying the bill they changed it to delivered into store in the next 5-10 days.

Amazon are hardly getting stiff competition.

Re: what i really like about ARGOS is...

Still not good enough. Stuff without intact packaging/shrinkwrap etc should go into the "Manager's Specials" flog off cheap selection.

Re: Meh!

Dunno. In my, perhaps limited, experience they've never quibbled on anything I wanted to return regardless of the reason. And that has been stuffed picked up from the store rather than delivered.