[Madhatter]

If something is faulty, and you are not satisfied with the quality all you have to do is say you are not happy with the quality and you are entitled to your money back, they can not make you have a repair or another replacement new item. You don't have to prove that it's faulty, thats the shops responsibility to prove it isn't.

As for the reciept. you don't need a reciept, all you need to do is prove that that item came from that store. for example if I buy something from argos, and its in an argos box, then that is sufficent proof. You do need proof of the purchase price if its different to what it is now though. If you bought it at full price and return it without a reciept, the shop will give you the current sale price.
If I was going to steal one, I'd buy one, the go back in to the store pick one up and ask for a refund on my reciept.

The 16 day refund gaurantee is misused by argos as an excuse to not give you your money back for faulty items after 16 days. Don't be conned into believing it. Thats a refund gaurantee for non faulty items in new condition with reciept for money or without for current price in vouchers.
If it's faulty it doesn't apply.
If for example you buy a clock with automatic month change and after a month the month hasn't changed, that would be over 16 days, but your still entitled to your money back, because it's a reasonable amount of time for the fault in question.

Thats repeated some of what you've said Jambutty, but never mind.

I too think shops have a fob you off attitude, they lie, are argumentative to cause a situation where security can be called, obstructive, and will find any excuse so as to not give you what you desserve.
It took us over a year to get a new matress out of alders, The bed cost 700, which was half price ten years ago, just before a year was up, the stitching on the matress quilting started to come undone. By the time we'd finished arguing that the company warranty being 6 months out of date didn't mean we should accept a substandard that would reasonably last for years not months, and got it replaced, we'd had the bed three yr's.

This pc i'm on from cpc is another nightmare. They're supposed to be factory reconditioned. In actual fact, windows is just reset. I've had, 1, 2, and 3 computers 1 and 2 returned, 3 was supposed to be repaired, but got lost, I ordered another and got one back I'd had before. I know, I know where the scratches were on the case. I've still got it, broken, I'm not sure waht to do now.