Argos is not selling laptops or vacuum cleaners for just £1

Posts on Facebook have claimed the retailer Argos is selling both Lenovo Ideapad 3 laptops or Dyson V15 Absolute vacuum cleaners for the discounted price of £1. 

However, a spokesperson for Argos confirmed these are not genuine offers. 

Posts offering fake deals are very common on Facebook. We have fact checked them many times before, with recent examples including supposed offers for other brands of laptop, air fryers, mattresses and PlayStations which, despite claims to the contrary, were nothing to do with Argos. 

It is always worth checking posts sharing offers that seem too good to be true. One way to verify this is to see whether the offer has been shared by the company’s official page—this will often have more followers, a verified blue tick on platforms like Facebook or Instagram and a longer post history.

What do the posts claim?

One post features a photo of a row of laptops in what appears to be a shop, all accompanied by a label in front of each laptop that identifies the products as “Lenovo Ideapad 3”. The price displayed is £1.00, and the word “Argos” in red font appears at the top of the label. 

The photo also features a hand holding a small piece of paper, resembling a receipt, that also includes the word “Argos” and seemingly shows the buyer has bought one of the Lenovo Ideapads for £1. 

The text of the Facebook post claims the discount is because “we refuse to maintain warehouses at our own expense” following a “collapse in a well-known store”. The post contains a link encouraging people to “Shop now”. 

This takes users to a website that features the Argos logo in the top left corner, and seemingly mimics some features of the header of the company’s website. The site features images of laptops and tells people that they have “become a member of the promotion at Argos” and can buy a laptop for £1 if they answer some questions. 

The other post claims that a number of Dyson V15 Absolute vacuum cleaners are being sold for £1 as “there was an accident at the warehouse in the UK” that meant “shipping boxes… were damaged.” It is accompanied by a photo of a woman wearing a blue waistcoat standing alongside four large boxes, all featuring Dyson branding and an image of the vacuum cleaner. Above the boxes is a sign that features white text reading “Argos” on a red background, and a price of £1. 

A link attached to the post encourages viewers to “Order now”. The link brings people to a website, also seemingly resembling the official Argos website. The company’s logo also features in the top left corner, alongside a search bar and icons that are similar to those used on Argos’s website. 

The site contains images of the vacuum cleaner, and text that tells viewers they have “become a member of the Argos promotion and get the Dyson V15 Absolute for only £1” if they answer a few questions. 

There are clues both sites are not the real Argos website. The URLs do not match the one Argos uses, and the website layout features key differences, such as lack of a menu or home page. The genuine Argos website also does not encourage people to answer survey questions in order to buy products.

Image courtesy of Mtaylor848