HELP Argos deciding how my faulty goods refund is spent

[laalinz]

Hi guys,

 

This is a one for my mam.

 

She needs advice regarding Argos.

 

She bought a tefal fryer one her argos store card on a buy now pay later plan which is now all paid off. She then let my brother buy a ps3 on her argos card on a new buy now pay later plan due to end in July, when he will pay the outstanding balance off as to incur no interest.

 

the problem is though, the tefal fryer has a fault (still under guarentee) so she returned it to Argos and asked for a refund.

 

They are saying that she can only have the refund applied to her card against the playstation buy now pay later plan.

 

This seems unfair. This plan does not require payment until July, so why should they keep the refund and apply it to that plan?

 

She has always paid her statements on time and incurred no late chargers so why should they think they can tell her how to use her refund for a faulty good?

 

She now has no fryer (no chips ) and no money to buy another.

 

Please help!

[rebel11]

Hi laalinz

 

It's clearly unfair because they are asking you to spend more money to buy another fryer, but I think what they have done is refund via the original purchase method,

which would be o.k. if there wasn't already a debt balance there. It sounds more like a technology issue then anything else.

 

I would write a Formal Letter of Complaint, mark the letter as such. Explain whats happened, explain why it's unfair and what you would like to happen.

 

Sara Weller, Managing Director, Argos sara.weller@argos.co.uk

[laalinz]

Hi rebel,

 

many thanks for that.

 

Have passed that on to my mam.

[meerkatsmimm]

hi,

if your mother is simply swapping it for a new model then there is no need for a refund, just a straight swap.

a refund is a different situation and i'm not sure on your rights - hope you have things sorted my now xx

[laalinz]

Hi,

 

she isn't swapping as its the second one that she has had that hasn't lasted more then a few months before something has gone wrong.

 

She has decided to get the money from my brother who has the PlayStation on the buy now plan on her card. (the plan that they are putting the refund against).

 

She has cut up her Argos card though, so they have lost a good customer! haha

[meerkatsmimm]

hi,

 

is she looking to purchase another brand/item or simply a refund - fullstop.

 

if she is looking a refund they are within their rights to pay back onto the card as that was her original method of payment. Alternatively she should be able to ask for a gift card giving her store credit.

 

however if your mother is able to get the value of the fryer from your brother in cash then it may just be simpler to get the refund to her card against the existing debt and getting the cash from your brother.

 

argos are within their rights to place the refund back to the account, however i'm not sure if they are able to insist it goes against the interest free agreement she has in place - you may find in the small print that she has agreed to terms that mean the money gets allocated in a certain way when it is credited to the account - in a similar fashion to CC that use repayments to pay of the lower interest debts first etc etc

 

hope she gets its sorted though... xxx

[meerkatsmimm]

p.s. if she wants a different model or brand that shouldn't be a problem for a straight swap xxx

[Vicky30]

They are totally wrong here you are entitled to a full refund as the goods bought were faulty,you need to push them on this.

[meerkatsmimm]

yes the purchaser is entitled to a full refund - that is not in dispute i don't think, but by the original purchase method, and if the terms of the card state that funds credited get allocated in a certain way then that is what she has agreed to. argos do not have to give cash back when the purchase was made by store card....

 

argos are within their rights to send the item off to get it repaired but they are offering and exchange/refund therefore complying to the law.

 

what i would suggest is that the purchaser request a gift card to spend in store on something else or exchange for another item.