Dear Argos and Apple,I purchased a pair of AirPods from Argos in December. Unfortunately, one of the pods stopped working, so I returned to the Argos store to request a replacement. The staff informed me that I needed to contact Apple first to obtain a reference number, which would then allow Argos to process the exchange.A few days later, I contacted Apple, spent some time on the phone, and successfully received the required reference number. I then returned to the Chelmsford Springfield Argos store to complete the return.From the beginning, the staff member I dealt with was dismissive and unhelpful. Within minutes, another staff member returned from the back room, seemingly pleased with herself, and informed me, “That’s not the right reference,” clearly hoping I would leave. Instead, I called Apple again from the counter and obtained a new reference number.When I provided the updated reference, I was told I needed a paper receipt. I explained that I only had a screenshot of the receipt, as I keep all receipts digitally to help reduce paper waste. Despite this, she refused to proceed. I even offered to show my bank records or asked if they could look up the transaction, but this was also refused.When I requested the staff member’s name, she refused to provide it. I then asked to speak with a manager, who came to the counter only to say, “My colleague has told you—there’s nothing we can do.” When I began recording for accountability and again asked for their names, they all walked away from the counter and refused to engage further.This experience has left me extremely disappointed—not just with the service from Argos but also with the overall treatment surrounding an Apple product. I urge both Argos and Apple to look into this situation seriously and take appropriate action before more loyal customers become disheartened by such poor service.I would appreciate a prompt response and a clear resolution to this matter.Kind regards,Ricky Oliver
