Used item from Argos

Yamanoto

Purchased the hair clippers linked to below from Argos this evening, having reserved it online earlier in the day.

On removing it from the packaging, I spotted a fingerprint up near the top of the unit (an area I hadn't touched) & some other minor scratches / blemishes visible elsewhere. Now obviously it's going back tomorrow but I'm wondering if it's common practise for Argos not to label customer returns as such & sell them as brand new.

Like most folks I'd imagine, I wanna be the first to open & handle an item post-manufacture - all the more so given it's a personal grooming product.

http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10152&catalogId=14551&langId=111&searchTerms=WAHL+9246-863X&authToken=

L1011

On returning something before I've seen a debate about whether it could be be repackaged. Was a DAB radio that was extremely signal deaf so it'd have worked for someone living near the mast but not for me in the semi-sticks despite having three others that worked fine... so the definitely do repackage/restock some returns if even on a store by store basis.

pleasant Co.

They do open packages to allow customers to inspect the product prior to purchasing if requested.

donkey_kong

Argos do resell returns if the staff member involved feels that it is in resellable condition however personal grooming projects are exempt from the returns policy. This means that hair clippers etc will only be taken back if faulty so its unlikely that your product is used - likely a previous customer inspected it and decided not to purchase.

TheDriver

I got a glass lampshade once from argos and it was clearly a return that someone had broke, repackaged and brought back. It obviously wasn't checked by staff on return before resale to me.
To be fair, they took it back and replaced no problem

Teagwee

I bought a steam mop recently from Argos and when I got it home I discovered there was water inside the steam chamber. Someone had clearly tried it out and returned it - which is what I should have done too. It was used once here and now sits in the corner like a bit of a white elephant.

Pure laziness and the distance I have to travel to return to Argos sometimes makes me hold onto things that don't really suit, but, all in all, I'm usually happy with their policies as a whole.

Yamanoto

pleasant Co. wrote: »

They do open packages to allow customers to inspect the product prior to purchasing if requested.

donkey_kong wrote: »

....likely a previous customer inspected it and decided not to purchase.

Perhaps that's the case here so, thanks folks.

Bringing out the Howard Hughes in me though, so still goin' back.

coylemj

I think these situations are a direct result of people using the 'no-quibble' returns policy to try out things and then bring them back, typical of how we Irish abuse a facility that's intended to benefit people who make a genuine mistake but not to facilitate tyre kickers and time wasters.

The number of cartons in the 'special offers' display that people rip open in Aldi and Lidl is also a disgrace. On one occasion last winter I saw that someone had used a pocket knife to slice open a bag of salt and grit to inspect the contents! Yesterday in my local Lidl I saw that someone had ripped open the lid of a cardboard case of 20 x 33cl bottles of Heineken - were they looking for a golden ticket?

End of rant.

Yamanoto

Just to follow up, the clippers were replaced without fuss, though the girl did appear puzzled that I'd returned it solely on the basis that it'd previously been handled (as part of a customer inspection apparently, as correctly suggested by pleasant & dk above).