The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Comments on: Need a new set of b*llocks? Try Argos

Well known 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 09:49 GMT

Its well known that the argos site only searches on the first 4 letters of any search term...

They also do a nice line in:- 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 09:53 GMT

Thumb Up

assholes

4 letters 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 10:24 GMT

Interestingly you get different responses for boll, bollo and bollocks so the first 4 letters theory seems inaccurate.

It's not just the bollocks.. 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 10:33 GMT

Jobs Horns

a search for 'crap products' returns 6 results; 3 of which are listed under "customer service".

and yet .... 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 10:34 GMT

Only one cunt.

I'm surprised at this from Argos 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 10:41 GMT

Happy

If this was the Ikea website I wouldn't be, though. After all, I think they probably have an end-table named Crap, a free-standing lamp called Shite and most likely a very nice shelving unit with the charming monicker of Poop.

Bedroom Furniture 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 10:45 GMT

Coat

Obviously thats the department we're looking for :)

Lovely Jubbly 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 10:48 GMT

A nice bit of marketing and lots of fun for the family on rainy days.

Don't forget... 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 10:52 GMT

Coat

the 14 day money back guarantee if your new bollocks fail to satisfy.

Hours of fun... 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 10:55 GMT

Try doing the same on Autotrader.co.uk with the More Search Options -> Keywords

They do more bollocks that quality 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 10:57 GMT

798 bollocks and only 97 quality!

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500000701&langId=-1&searchTerms=bollocks&x=0&y=0

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500000701&langId=-1&searchTerms=quality&x=0&y=0

4 letters eh? 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 11:01 GMT

Obviously they have a lot of Shit then...... A poor substitute for Shite I know but they're definately well stocked.

I feel very out of the loop as I was completely unaware how Argos' search worked.

strangely 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 11:03 GMT

Thumb Down

they don't have any useless tat, or just plain tat for sale

Thank god.... 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 11:06 GMT

...theres an even number! :)

Paris Hilton 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 11:08 GMT

Paris Hilton

I did a search for Paris Hilton but it actually returned a real result with a bottle of Paris' perfume.

I've always said 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 11:09 GMT

Coat

Argos was the nuts.

@Tony 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 11:21 GMT

IKEA do indeed have some...interesting names. I used to work there, and would grin at the "Kolon" floor mats or the "Fartfull," which I believe was a computer desk. Was always good fun trying to figure out what they'd come up with next, but there is in fact a method behind it. Different categories of item are given different types of name. For example, all desks are bloke's names, IIRC.

Ikea.. 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 11:25 GMT

"If this was the Ikea website I wouldn't be, though. After all, I think they probably have an end-table named Crap, a free-standing lamp called Shite and most likely a very nice shelving unit with the charming monicker of Poop."

Wouldn't suprise me. I saw a shower curtain in there with the name "fuktar"

yep... shite it is. 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 11:42 GMT

Happy

4 results under customer services for shite. In this worls of outsourcing, lies and statistics, at least they're honest about it!

@Shane 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 11:49 GMT

Flame

Not just inaccurate - a load of bollocks.

type "minge" and your get a threesome... 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 11:54 GMT

...The Color Institute Menage A Trois

No arsehole? 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 12:16 GMT

Alert

A search for arsehole and asshole both returned no results. Explains why it's full of shite really.

Interestingly a search for "chav jewellery" returns no results either, which is a surprise as I thought that was all the jewellery they sold...

Chav Search 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 12:58 GMT

Paris Hilton

Given that only a chav would buy from Argos (Elizabeth Duke - need I say more?),

Argos are obviously smart enought to realise that chav's can't spell, which is why it's doing some sort of mangling of the search, stripping out vowels, S and double letters.

For instance:

C*nt -> cnt -> matches count

Minge -> mng -> Menage (but not Minogue, or Hilton)

Bollocks -> blck -> Block

It's funny, but they're just catering for their customer base.

@Greg 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 12:58 GMT

Happy

"For example, all desks are bloke's names, IIRC"

""Fartfull," which I believe was a computer desk"

ROTFLMAO!!!

Never mind the Bollocks... 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 13:03 GMT

Unhappy

...there's no Sex Pistols!

- Sorry, we didn't find a result for SEX PISTOLS

Re: No arsehole? 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 13:16 GMT

Thumb Up

You have to search for 'assholes', plural.

Lost Government Data Disks 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 13:23 GMT

Coat

Argos hasn't got them.

Extra IT Angle 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 13:33 GMT

IT Angle

A search for 'naff' just brings up their complete Sat Nav offerings. Remember - spelling and pronunciation probably aren't the strong point of Argos' customers so it's probaly just some phonetic based search system basesd on traditional rhyming chav as in 'oi - av u nicked a sat naff yet?"

If their search facility hadn't crawled to a near halt this lunchtime (for some inexplicable reason) I'd probably research this some more ...

Dave 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 13:36 GMT

Alert

I bought a laptop table for my old job from ikea (dont ask why) and it was called Dave....Dave made me happy, I built him and then tried to adjust his height using his little black knob! But to my horror I broke it off. I felt very bad for a good while...Dave now no longer has his little black knob :(

DAMN YOUR SHODDY CRAFTSMANSHIP IKEA *sniffs*

But still no WMDs -- what a relief! 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 15:50 GMT

I did the most important search of all:

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500000701&langId=-1&searchTerms=weapons+of+mass+destruction&x=0&y=0

Looking for weapons of mass destruction? Try Tesco :D 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 16:11 GMT

Happy

http://direct.tesco.com/search/default.aspx?search=weapons+of+mass+destruction&confirm.x=0&confirm.y=0

:D

@AC: But... 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 16:24 GMT

Stop

...a search for WMD turns up 2 results.

Plenty of 'guff' and 'toss' too, but... 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 16:35 GMT

..strangely no 'tat' (which is what Elizabeth Duke actually specialises in).

And... 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 17:37 GMT

Alert

They seem to do a good line in 'crap computers'.

They also reinforce my personal opinion of the Nintendo DS, as it presents me with two of them when I search for 'toss'.

Shame 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 18:57 GMT

Stop

I just tried to reserve some bollocks but they don't seem to have them any more. Fortunately they still have seven spare assholes though.

doggie bollocks ... 

Posted Thursday 22nd November 2007 19:34 GMT

Coat

... are at http://www.neuticles.com Apparently too many dogs suffer staggering blows (heh) to their self- esteem after getting neutered, and it's nice to see corporate Amurka rise up to get a grip on the matter.

@Jason Aspinall 

Posted Friday 23rd November 2007 01:41 GMT

Pirate

That search gave me a Jack Sparrow figure. Didn't know that Pirates are classified as WMD's!

Arrr matey!!

Not at all surprised 

Posted Friday 23rd November 2007 09:01 GMT

Since I have bought all sorts of bollocks at Argos over the years.

Argos ends sillyness 

Posted Friday 23rd November 2007 12:57 GMT

Go

I just went to their website and searched for;

Bollocks

Utter shite

Toe jam

Winnet

Belly button fluff

No results were found for those, but I still got results for crap kids furniture

Don’t Miss

email symbolStill sending naked email? Get your protection here

Security How-to Buckle your seatbelt, encrypt your bits

Google's Satan phoneT-Mobile G1 Google Android-based smartphone

Review Operating System 1, Hardware 0

Ubuntu teaser Ubuntu 8.10 - All Hail new Network Manager

Review The good kind of UI theft

OpenOffice_logoOpenOffice 3.0 - the only option for masochistic Linux users

Review And linear optimizing Mactards