Loading ...Maybe a few weeks late, but finally all the current Freesat Digital Boxes are available to purchase from all the major retailers. After weeks of “in stock / out of stock” notices, it seems stock is now flowing and much easier to obtain. Even Freesat themselves make reference to availability on their website:
Humax and now Goodmans, Grundig and Bush HD digital boxes are available to buy this weekend. Order online now or check availability in your local store via the links below. Remember, to view HDTV you need an HDMI cable.
The Humax HD has made a return to Comet too, but still Northern Ireland have to rely on Argos, their only means of purchasing the new Freesat service.
Question is, has the service and advice being offered by the retailers improved? Maybe it has, we certainly haven’t had as many readers contact us with their stories, but we are still hearing of customers being turned away from Currys’ for refusing “compulsory” installation (not true!).
Argos also like to make things interesting; we’ve had a number of you tell us that despite the online price of £119.99 for the Bush HD Receiver, in-store they are trying to charge £129.99, using the “includes a free HDMI cable” as the sweetener. Some have managed to argue the price down, others have gone for it despite this, assuming that a HDMI cable would have cost more than £10 anyway (they don’t, they cost around £5, don’t pay more than you should for a cable, they are all the same!!!).
Certainly inaccuracies are always likely at the beginning of a new product, some more excusable than others, but things are finally starting to improve. We just hope that lessons have been learnt, to ensure that when the new IDTV and DTR/PVR’s appear, that there is high availability, expert knowledge, and good product!
May 28th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Just been listening to Radio 4 (You and Yours). They have been talking about Curry’s selling techniques (need to add on installation for £80 etc) Some bloke from Freesat confirmed that this was not true and that perhaps the retailers had misunderstood the messages given by them. He confirmed that there are now 150 trainers out there telling the chaps on the shop floor what can and more importantly cannot be done.
May 28th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
what are argos playing at?in thier additional catouloge in store the price of the bush hd is £119.99 so how can they charge a tenner extra?if the original price is incorrect then why dont they change the price in the catolouge,rather than using the tenner extra for a hdmi cable excuse(which they usually do a half price discount on a £10 cable anyway)
May 29th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
I bought the £119.99 deal from Argos yesterday. They charged me £129.99 but I hadn’t realised until they gave me the cable (I had bought several items at the same time). I argued it out, the manager wouldn’t believe me, I made him check the website, so he gave me the £10 refund PLUS the cable - success!
May 29th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
silverfox - well done, fight for your rights, they shouldn’t be trying on this trick, either make the box £129 (which they probably could, its still the cheapest!) or clearly state £10 is for the HDMI cable.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
admin, believe me I am formible when it comes to fighting for my rights. I’m also a mean union rep and haven’t lost a disciplinary in 15 years!
Argos are really trying it on here - and it’s only a cheap old cable.
May 30th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Interestingly, I bought the Goodmans HD box from Argos this week along with the Wharfedale £9.99 HDMI cable and the cable came up as ‘£0.00 - OFFER’
This wasn’t advertised anywhere - just lucky I guess.
May 30th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Kevin - a friend went to Argos today for the Bush box and got the HDMI cable as “£0.00 - Offer”. Maybe they are learning from the Currys/Dixons fiasco.
June 5th, 2008 at 10:40 am
I bought the £129.99 box from Argos acouple of weeks ago when it was first available, I didn’t get the HDMI cable with it and only realised I was overcharged from the online price when I had gotten home.
Not very happy at the situation, I ordered the same Bush HD Freesat box online for 119.99 plus 4.99 delivery and returned that one back to the Argos shop. That way, I at least managed to split the difference with the shop price.
Saying that, I am very happy with the HD quality (1080i does look better than the 720p setting). Apart from no picture in picture with the TV guide, it’s as full function as my Samsung Freeview set downstairs.