The Lemon Fool

Went to my local Argos, for some CampingGAZ cylinders.

Well, I say "my local Argos", I used to have a proper Argos store locally, but that's now gone. What it means now is the corner of my local Sainsbury's.

"Out of stock here" - By the look of it most other things are too, apart from Christmas goodies.

Look online, "Not in stock" in my nearest 'Argos' - no surprise. But I can get it if I travel to another one, they give me the post code.
Bath. BATH? But I'm in fr****** London!

So, Sainsbury's shareholders - how long before Sainsbury's just shut Argos down?

Which planet have you just returned from, and did you need to spend time in one of those horrid quarantine hotels?

Argos, Screwfix, Toolstation and the like are not designed to be used as shops. That all stopped years ago. The scheme is now that you look up what you want on their web page and order it online, either for collection or delivery. It works a treat, and the best bit is that when you go to collect something, you just walk past all the old fuddy-duddies trying to use the place as a shop.

Bminusrob wrote:Which planet have you just returned from, and did you need to spend time in one of those horrid quarantine hotels?

Argos, Screwfix, Toolstation and the like are not designed to be used as shops. That all stopped years ago. The scheme is now that you look up what you want on their web page and order it online, either for collection or delivery. It works a treat, and the best bit is that when you go to collect something, you just walk past all the old fuddy-duddies trying to use the place as a shop.

"Not in stock here"; "Not eligible for delivery"

Guess this old fuddy-duddy will be 'shopping'(!) at Millets.

XFool wrote:

Bminusrob wrote:Which planet have you just returned from, and did you need to spend time in one of those horrid quarantine hotels?

Argos, Screwfix, Toolstation and the like are not designed to be used as shops. That all stopped years ago. The scheme is now that you look up what you want on their web page and order it online, either for collection or delivery. It works a treat, and the best bit is that when you go to collect something, you just walk past all the old fuddy-duddies trying to use the place as a shop.

"Not in stock here"; "Not eligible for delivery"


Guess I'll be 'shopping'(!) at Millets.

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and suggest that there is likely some crazy rule prohibiting the sending of an explosive gas in a pressurised container through the post?

Watis

Watis wrote:

XFool wrote:"Not in stock here"; "Not eligible for delivery"

Guess I'll be 'shopping'(!) at Millets.

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and suggest that there is likely some crazy rule prohibiting the sending of an explosive gas in a pressurised container through the post?

Well yeah, very likely!

So... looks like we fuddy-duddies are ahead of the curve.

Argos has become a total steaming pile of late.

I've tried buying a few things online, and get to checkout, whereupon it tells me the item is unavailable. What's the purpose of that? Dammit, it was after just such an experience I first discovered ao.com as an alternative supplier for something electrical.

XFool wrote:

Bminusrob wrote:Which planet have you just returned from, and did you need to spend time in one of those horrid quarantine hotels?

Argos, Screwfix, Toolstation and the like are not designed to be used as shops. That all stopped years ago. The scheme is now that you look up what you want on their web page and order it online, either for collection or delivery. It works a treat, and the best bit is that when you go to collect something, you just walk past all the old fuddy-duddies trying to use the place as a shop.

"Not in stock here"; "Not eligible for delivery"

Guess this old fuddy-duddy will be 'shopping'(!) at Millets.

Did you try Screwfix or Toolstation? They appear to have them in stock, at least where I live, and generally, if you order them and they are not in stock, Screwfix will have them in the following day.

For example: https://www.toolstation.com/search?q=ca ... 0cartridge

Bminusrob wrote:Did you try Screwfix or Toolstation? They appear to have them in stock, at least where I live, and generally, if you order them and they are not in stock, Screwfix will have them in the following day.

None at Screwfix, Toolstation don't do the size I need.

They 'do' four for £10 in Argos. Which will be handy, if I'm ever in Bath.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argos_(retailer)#History

When Sainsbury's announced in 2020 the closure of most Argos outlets, it was commented that the closure was an admission that its purchase of Argos had been a mistake; "Sainsbury's management clearly did not know how to run Argos and the plan to transplant into spare store space has not worked. ... Argos and Sainsbury's appealed to very different customer segments with little overlap."

Have you tried the store locator here:

https://www.campingaz.com/gasfinder/

Midsmartin wrote:Have you tried the store locator here:

https://www.campingaz.com/gasfinder/

Thanks. It recommends my local Argos...

But also a couple of Halfords that may be of more use.

Oh wait... One of those I know is closed down now.

They are not the same since they stopped taking Green Shield Stamps.

Julian F. G. W.

XFool wrote:When Sainsbury's announced in 2020 the closure of most Argos outlets, it was commented that the closure was an admission that its purchase of Argos had been a mistake; "Sainsbury's management clearly did not know how to run Argos and the plan to transplant into spare store space has not worked. ... Argos and Sainsbury's appealed to very different customer segments with little overlap."

Talk about plucking defeat from the jaws of victory

Argos used to be an excellent online retailer with high street presence. Whereas Sainsburys was a big supermarket group with some online business.

Then came covid, with a big boost for online retail. Dream scenario for combined Sainsburys/Argos? Well, if only management had been half-competent. In reality they're not even combined: there's no way to place a combined order, except by visiting the shop in person! And Argos has got so bad that an item can be listed as available from the same big Sainsburys branch that delivers food to me, yet I can't order that item for delivery from there nor any other Argos!


No wonder there are no synergies, when they actively prevent them!

Watis wrote:
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and suggest that there is likely some crazy rule prohibiting the sending of an explosive gas in a pressurised container through the post?

Watis

I took delivery of 6 x camping gas cannisters just a few weeks ago off ebay


CF https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233883006202

didds wrote:

Watis wrote:
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and suggest that there is likely some crazy rule prohibiting the sending of an explosive gas in a pressurised container through the post?

Watis

I took delivery of 6 x camping gas cannisters just a few weeks ago off ebay

CF https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233883006202

I stand corrected.

Looking at eBay's extensive list of banned explosive and flammable substances (no doubt prepared in accordance with Post Office regulations), I'm amazed that gas canisters are not also banned.

Watis

I suspect I won't be shopping at Millets now after all...

Following an incident this morning involving a fire and then a detonation (I guess I shouldn't have shaken it to see). Five hours later my hearing is still not quite back to normal.

XFool wrote:Following an incident this morning involving a fire and then a detonation (I guess I shouldn't have shaken it to see). Five hours later my hearing is still not quite back to normal.

Bloody hell, you're serious? Detonations really aren't supposed to happen. Get thee to A&E if in any doubt.

BJ

Watis wrote:

XFool wrote:

Bminusrob wrote:Which planet have you just returned from, and did you need to spend time in one of those horrid quarantine hotels?

Argos, Screwfix, Toolstation and the like are not designed to be used as shops. That all stopped years ago. The scheme is now that you look up what you want on their web page and order it online, either for collection or delivery. It works a treat, and the best bit is that when you go to collect something, you just walk past all the old fuddy-duddies trying to use the place as a shop.

"Not in stock here"; "Not eligible for delivery"


Guess I'll be 'shopping'(!) at Millets.

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and suggest that there is likely some crazy rule prohibiting the sending of an explosive gas in a pressurised container through the post?

Watis

Until a few months ago, I could order After Shave, Cologne etc from Amazon and have it delivered to one of their lockers. It was just so amazingly convenient to have everything delivered to a place quite close, enter a code and take the items. Rules have changed. No liquids allowed! Not even shoe polish!

Steve

"This week I 'ave been mostly learning: 'Don't pick up things that might explode'. "

Thanks for the prod. In the garage I have an interesting collection of antique butane and propane cartridges, some of which are left over from when I did the central heating system - and that was 26 years ago. Plus a small clutch of lighter fuel cartridges which seem to have been gifted to me, I know not how or when.

The council recycling people won't want them unless they're empty, and maybe not even then. The blowlamps etc that they used to fuel are long gone, and the lighter fuel nozzles don't seem to fit my supposedly refillable barbecue lighters. I suppose I could clear them by jamming a nail into their valves so as to release the gas, but somehow that doesn't seem like a good idea. How do you neutralise a pressurised gas cartridge?

BJ

bungeejumper wrote:How do you neutralise a pressurised gas cartridge?

BJ

Stick it up your backside and ignite the blue paper?