Argos > Reviews (117)

Having shopped at Argos for the past ten years regularly, both via the web and in their shops, I have come to the conclusion that there is little need for me to visit the stores any more, due to the wonderful service I receive by ordering online.

Argos stock just about every conceivable item you could want for the home, together with personal items, garden furniture and toys. How many times have you braved the crowds at Christmas time, and had to stand in the Argos store for over an hour, whilst being jostled from both sides, and all the time getting more and more impatient? Do yourself a favour this year, just head over to the Argos site and order all your gifts from the comfort of your own home.

The layout of the home page is simple. The main page is set out on a blue and white background, and other sections are in brighter colours with easy to read headings and sub-headings for the different sections of the site.

If you already have an Argos catalogue, the easiest way to search for a product, is to type in the catalogue number from the book, as the entire catalogue is available online. This can be carried out via the search function at the top left of the home page, and pressing the word “go”, or by using the quick order function. Alternatively, items can be searched for by name, or a specific word. One word of warning: this week I had spotted some saucepans in the catalogue that I wanted to order. I typed in the number, only to be told that this item was not available. I then typed in the word “saucepan” and enormous arrays of items were displayed. Although this is wonderful, it does mean that you can then spend a vast amount of time browsing through every type of saucepan imaginable! There is however, another way to search for an item on the home page. In the middle of the page is a huge array of headings for specific categories, i.e. home wares, sports and leisure, with sub headings beneath.

In order to buy items from the site, you will need to provide email details, login name and password, and of course an address for delivery. An account will then be set up on the site, should you wish to purchase items in the future.

The “feature zones” section has innovative ideas for the décor of the home, with links to different ranges or ideas for different rooms. There is also a swatch service available on all sofas and chairs in the current catalogue and as many swatches as desired can be ordered, but this does have to be done by phone. The “technology store” within this section gives details of DVD players, cameras as well as the latest in office furniture and computer games and accessories. The “Back to School” section is a little misleading, as items listed here are bicycles, computer desks and Walkmans! The “Gift Ideas” section is where items can be searched for by using the strings “child”, “teenager”, “adult” and “baby”. This is fine in theory, but how many teenagers would like the same thing?

Of course, there is the obligatory “Special Offer” section on the site.

This section has pictures of the products, as do all sections, whereby clicking on the name of the product will display information and a short description of the item in question. The price is displayed by all items on the site, together with the savings made if ordered from Argos, compared with other high street stores.

Payment can be made via credit or debit card on the site, and there is also the option to apply for an Argos card. The card will entitle you to 56 days interest free. However, if you spend over £195 on the site, there is an option to take out a six month interest “opt out plan”. If this option is chosen, 5% of the balance has to be paid each month, with the balance being paid by the end of the sixth month, and no interest will be charged. Not only do you accrue premier points every time the card is used, but there is also a choice of three card designs. The card can be applied for online, by telephone or via an Argos store.

All orders are processed on a secure server, so there is no need to be worried about the details of your cards when placing an order.

Once your items have been ordered, it is then up to you to select the day on which you would like them to be delivered. The earliest date for delivery will be two days after the order is placed, and unfortunately this has to be an all day appointment, although I have always received my order in the morning, apart from once. You will need to sign for the items purchased on delivery. Items such as furniture and large electrical appliances may not be delivered so quickly, but will normally be delivered within two weeks, and a customer services representative will call once the order is in stock, to arrange an appropriate delivery date. Luckily, I have never experienced any problems with the ordering service or the delivery and the delivery people have always been polite and courteous.

Argos offer free delivery on any orders over £125, otherwise delivery charges are £3.95 for each order plus another £2.95 if you would like the item delivered the next day or on a Saturday. A small price to pay and it means I don’t have to go to the store, queue up for an age, and lug bagfuls of items home with me.

If you are not willing to pay the delivery charge, it is possible to use the reservation service on the site. Obviously, not all items are available to reserve online, but each item displays details. If you choose this service, you will need to opt for which store you wish to collect the item from, and the date on which you will be going to collect. There is a store locator on the site, if you are not familiar with the Argos stores in your area. Any reserved items will be kept until the end of the next working day at the store selected. Payment can be made at the store when you arrive, so there is no need to pay online for items if you are using this service. Reservations can also be made by telephone or now even by text from a mobile phone. Nectar points can also be used when reserving items, so if you have a Nectar card, don’t forget to use it when reserving your order.

Returns have to be taken to your local store within 16 days of purchase, and Argos will refund your money if you are not happy with the items purchased. The item must of course be unused, and in its original packaging, unless it is damaged. Returns can also be collected from you, free of charge, if the order has been placed on
the website. Even the furniture is covered by the sixteen-day policy, which is a little worrying, as lots of bottoms could have sat on your new sofa.

If your order fails to arrive, there are contact telephone numbers and email addresses on the site in order to contact the customer service representatives. I have ordered from the site many times, and have never had any problems with the delivery.

Argos provide a wedding service online, whereby lists can be made and guests may go into a store and buy gifts for the forthcoming nuptials. Unfortunately, this service is not available online yet, but there is a whole section devoted to it on the site.

As well as ordering, reserving and buying items on the site, Argos also offer a vast array of other services.

It is possible to order travel insurance via the site, as well as your travel money, and also the hire of a car for your stay if you are going abroad. Argos also promises a saving of approximately 56% on airport parking charges, if booked through them. However, this does have to be carried out via the telephone. The site also offers many other types of insurance, and more information on these can be found on the site.

Argos is also cashing in on the cheap telephone calls phenomenon, and it is possible to sign up for their service on the site.

Loans are another of their sidelines, and these can also be taken out via the site. Argos offer a 6.9% APR on loans for £15,000 or more and 11.4% APR for loans of £5,000.

I have signed up for the Argos email service, in which I receive details of any special promotions that the company is running, together with details of competitions running on the site. The competition changes each month and normally consists of a couple of questions about one of their products. The prizes vary, but are normally electrical appliances either for the home or the garden.

As you will see, if you have got this far, Argos doesn’t just sell items from their
catalogue. It was not until I researched the site properly for this review, that I realised just how many services were available.

Overall the delivery service I have received from the site has been second to none, as has been my perception and experience of using the site in general. I will definitely be ordering from Argos online again in the future, and think it is a much easier way to shop, rather than spending hours queuing in their shop.

www.argos.co.uk