What the hell is wrong with Argos?!? Second visit in a row ended up with a frustrating me trying to understand their consumer-unfriendly methods…

I am trying to buy an office chair, I pick one I like online, reserve it for pick up, and go to the cashier at the closest Argos Store. Conversation follows:

• Cashier: Yeees, there might be a substitute of similar specification. Might not be exactly the one in the photo.
  
• Me: What?!? Why?!?
  
• C: because it happens sometimes, it is a 50-50 chance.
  
• M: So, you’re telling me I am buying something I do not know how it looks like?!?
  
• C: sir, it’s going to be of similar specification (!)
  
• M: is it going to be black and of this design?
  
• C: It will probably have stylistic differences, cosmetic differences (!!)
  
• M: Can I see it before I buy it?
  
• C: No (!!!)
  
• M: So, I am buying blindfolded?
  
• C: It will be of similar specification (again!)
  
• M: Similar specification?!? So, basically, the only thing you can tell me is that it is going to be a chair? Why the heck do you put photos in the catalogue? And why on earth don’t you mention this possibility in your catalogue or terms?
  

at that point I was red-faced from anger, she didn’t even apologise obviously believing that this is a fantastic policy to torture the customers, so I left in frustration. They could just sell me a freaking stool for what matters as the “specification” is still the same: you can sit on it!

But round 2 hasn’t yet commenced… Stay tuned for more…