Argos "Clearance" Items 75% More Expensive Than Just Months Ago

Argos is selling “clearance” items for up to 75% more than they cost just months ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7YbosRL-Jo

As reported by Harriet Cooke in The Sun Money, bargain hunters have spotted the prices of so-called "clearance" items are not as good as they seem.

Argos deals are usually popular with bargain hunters, but the retailer has been caught hiking prices by up to 75%.

These Panasonic headphones are in the clearance sale.

It’s reduced from £92.99 to £75.99.

But in September it was £61.99.

This Braun Epilator has a “Great New Price” of £22.99.

But it was just £19.99 in October.

And a Sexy Devil outfit was found for £5.99, but in September it was £1.49. 75% less.

How can I see if an item is the cheapest price on Argos?

Argos often tells you when it is the lowest ever price.

Look for a message that says “Our Lowest Price”. The retailer likes to shout about its cheapest ever prices.

If the message is not there, you should assume it is not the cheapest it's ever been.

Free Price History Tools for Argos

I often use these price history tools for Argos. They're free and the data is usually quite reliable (not perfect):

• PriceSearcher - Price Searcher is a free tool where you can search for a product, and then see a price history for it at Argos. For example, here's one for the Braun epilator.
• PriceSpy - PriceSpy is a massive source of price data. You can compare the prices of thousands of retailers including over time. For example, you can search for "Braun epilator" and it'll show you a price history graph across all retailers (including Argos). However, you can't get a graph just for a single retailer.
• Idealo - Similar to PriceSpy, Idealo is a price comparison tool with a price history graph. Again, the graph displays the history of prices across all stores, not just Argos. Here's one for the Braun epilator.

Argos Clearance Items are Never In-Stock Anyway

Argos clearance items are (supposedly) reduced in price because the retailer wants to get rid of them.

Once a store has sold out, no more is ordered in. This is why very often there is little stock available for clearance items.

On the Argos website, you can check if there's stock of a clearance item in your local store by using the free stock checker.

Enter your post code and Argos will tell you if the product is available at your nearest store.

How can I see all the stores in the UK and which have stock?

• CheckNow - This is a very useful stock checker for Argos. It tells you which stores across the UK have a product. If you're willing to drive to pick up a bargain, or if you have a friend nearby, it's very useful.

CheckNow is also useful for a second reason - spotting whether Argos is pulling a marketing trick...

Many members of Latest Deals have complained that Clearance items are listed on the website but very often are unavailable everywhere.

It seems that sometimes the retailer pushes a big deal, but that it's unavailable everywhere. If you use the tool to check, you can then warn others that this is the case and expire the deal if it's posted on Latest Deals.