Ooh, that was rather good! (Argos.co.uk)

Member Name: opinions4u

Product:	Argos.co.uk
Date:	09/04/03 (104 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to navigate, Fast service

Disadvantages: I didn't encounter any

Now, I am an occasional online shopper. Not because I do not trust the net. Merely a phobia of paying delivery charges.

Anyway, I recently changed workplaces and, as manager of a new office, have tried to improve morale among my downtrodden colleagues.

I do not usually pay much attention to staff rooms. No time for breaks in the heady world of big business. But on a rare excursion to find a missing person, I noticed a kitchen area with no toaster, chipped plates and mugs and precious little cutlery. Not exactly fitting in with my principles of looking after my staff.

Action needed. What do I do? Delegate? No, a risk of delay and excessive cost. Sort it myself? Well, I am on a training course for a week, so I will not get time!

Then, a moment of inspiration! If my beloved employer is paying, do I care about postage charges? No! So, the simple solution sprung to mind. Argos. Online.

While I have never been particularly thrilled by Argos on the high street, they do have a habit of stocking just about anything the typical household could need. So, despite a promise to Mrs Opinions4u not to bring work home, on getting home I spent 10 minutes solving this problem.

I logged on to www.mypoints.co.uk and the link for www.argos.co.uk. The search facility is excellent. Key in the word TOASTER and 39 toasters will appear. You can sort by price and this identified the cheapest as £6.99 or £9.99 for a four-slice model. £119.99 for the top of the range model!!! Be a devil, I thought. Clicking on "Add to shopping list" I added the four slice to a shopping list. 30 seconds. £9.99.

Cutlery. We do not need a lot and a silver service is certainly not needed. £3.99 bought a basic 24-piece stainless steel set. Not particularly pretty, but clean, new and functionary.

A 24-piece dinner service. Some glasses. Some mugs. A few other frilly bits. Overall, my bill added up to around
£37 with a £3.95 delivery charge. Just within the expense cost I am empowered for!!

I then had to register my details, on a secured (padlocked) part of the site, including a basic password, address and credit card information. A very comfortable "delivery address" option allowed me to key the office in for delivery, saving me the need to carry lots of heavy equipment from home to work.

The order was submitted on a Monday night. Delivery was made early on Wednesday morning. I think this is fabulous service. So did the guys I manage!!

I also earned 80 mypoints (worth around 60p) and used my cashback credit card to pay with, so for stocking up the office I am also £1 better off myself!

My Argos.co.uk experience is a good one. Easy to use website. Minimal data collection to make a purchase. 3rd party delivery address and rapid delivery without excessive additional charges.

Personally, this one experience is a first class one. The available range of products is wide and varied. While I have not had to return items or contact them by phone, I would fully recommend what I have seen so far. This is what online shopping should be!

Summary: