How Much Off on an Open Item?

[steve-u]

Another item to add to the list for restocking fee is to discourage those who no longer need the item as in they needed it for one or two tasks, cleaned it up real nice and are now returning it kind of like a free rental. A few years [maybe 10] back the major electronics chains offered a 30 day trial period on computers when computers were still failry expensive. Well what happened is that many college students bought the computer to use over Christmas break or whenever to do term papers and such and then returned them on day 29. So many computers were returned that the chains stopped offering the 30 day money back guarantee. If they timed their scam right they never had to pay for the purchase on their charge card. Kind of a sad state of ethics for a too large percentage of our popualtion but that is what is happening. Local hardware stores around here also do not give refunds on ladders.

Steve

[LCHIEN]

Another item to add to the list for restocking fee is to discourage those who no longer need the item as in they needed it for one or two tasks, cleaned it up real nice and are now returning it kind of like a free rental. A few years [maybe 10] back the major electronics chains offered a 30 day trial period on computers when computers were still failry expensive. Well what happened is that many college students bought the computer to use over Christmas break or whenever to do term papers and such and then returned them on day 29. So many computers were returned that the chains stopped offering the 30 day money back guarantee. If they timed their scam right they never had to pay for the purchase on their charge card. Kind of a sad state of ethics for a too large percentage of our popualtion but that is what is happening. Local hardware stores around here also do not give refunds on ladders.

Steve

Best Buy was telling me that if I bought a camera and wanted to return it
they would charge me 20% restocking. The salelady told me thay had too many people get them, go on a vacation for a week, and return it afterwards. At least, that was last year. I have bought no cameras from BB since that time.

[MBG]

Best Buy was telling me that if I bought a camera and wanted to return it
they would charge me 20% restocking. The salelady told me thay had too many people get them, go on a vacation for a week, and return it afterwards. At least, that was last year. I have bought no cameras from BB since that time.

Yes - but that's only if you open the box!

[LarryG]

This does not enter into the equation with the consumer.

Sure it does, if you're talking about the NEXT consumer (which I was, and which is what this thread is all about). If a vendor accepts a opened-item return and knows he is facing a loss if he returns it to his distributor, he ought to offer that item to the next customer at a lower price. He avoids taking a loss, the next customer gets a deal. Win-win situation.

[LCHIEN]

Sure it does, if you're talking about the NEXT consumer (which I was, and which is what this thread is all about). If a vendor accepts a opened-item return and knows he is facing a loss if he returns it to his distributor, he ought to offer that item to the next customer at a lower price. He avoids taking a loss, the next customer gets a deal. Win-win situation.

I admit to having bought a few open box items.
I figure, esp. for electronics items they are returned by people who couldn't figure out how to use it, not because it was defective.


I suppose a real schemer can buy the item, return it opened and come back the next day and buy it at the open box price and save another
10%. Of course, if it was me, Some guy would beat me to it on the second day or I'd run into the same salesman...

[just4funsies]

Sure it does, if you're talking about the NEXT consumer (which I was, and which is what this thread is all about). If a vendor accepts a opened-item return and knows he is facing a loss if he returns it to his distributor, he ought to offer that item to the next customer at a lower price. He avoids taking a loss, the next customer gets a deal. Win-win situation.

But if he sells it to the next customer at FULL price, the retailer wins bigger, and that's the way most of them see it. If he knows everything is as new and nothing is missing, he's not going to have any troubles with his conscience. The buyer should examine the article before he buys it, and decide if it's worth full price at that time (a decision which may be influenced by the fact that it's the last one in stock, and if he doesn't buy it, he goes home empty-handed). It's all a matter of perspective. Otherwise, you're going to have retailers who simply don't take anything back unless its bona fide defective. Why should he lose money to the next customer because he was kind enough to refund the item to the previous one?

[heartwood]

Hey MBG! Its nice to hear that Woodcraft made the adjustment, and made things right for you. I have never done business with them yet, but its nice to know that some retailers today still operate with some integrity!