New twist on returning damaged products?

ray french · Sep 28, 2009

I recently bought a defective product from one of the national home improvement centers and I paid cash.When I returned it I was told that they could only replace it or they could give me a credit towards another item but no refund of purchase price.What kinda $hit is this?

stuball48 · Sep 28, 2009

Ray:
Lots of folks get gifts - like at Christmas - and try to return them to that particular store for cash--without the "giver" knowing. It is frustrating if you are the one that bought the item but I can see their point.

oldvan · Sep 28, 2009

Which chain?

Did you have your receipt?

Many stores refuse cash refunds without receipt because addicts shoplift and want to return the stolen merchandise for cash so they can score their next hit of Meth.

Unfortunately, EVERYBODY suffers for shoplifters’ deeds.

ray french · Sep 28, 2009

It's not Christmas.It wasn't a gift.I had the receipt.I'm not an addict.It was returned just a couple of hours after the purchase in the original package,no other damage other than the manufacturers.And the cashier recognized me.

Bill D · Sep 28, 2009

I am no lawyer but I have heard many people buy a tool for one project then return it and claim it was too underpowered or some such. They are renting the tool for free.
That said if the tool broke using it for it's intended purpose the tool is defective. Either it was too weak a design or it was a bad one. there is an implied warranty that a item is good enough to do the job for which it is being sold. If it broke doing a job the package said it could handle, or had a picture of it doing that job, then it is defective.
Bill D.

The real Leigh · Sep 28, 2009

It's a cashflow thing

Once they get your money they don't want to give it back.

They couldn't care less whether you're happy or not.

They're the only game in town, so they know you'll be back.

If they cared about customer satisfaction they wouldn't sell that chinkese junk in the first place.

- Leigh

morsetaper2 · Sep 28, 2009

What was the item? Who was the retailer? What are the details of the item when you tried to return it?

You're only giving half the details...wondering if there is more to the story... :skep:

Steve in SoCal · Sep 28, 2009

I always use a credit card at these places and they credit the account, perhaps the terms on cash sales are different?

Steve

homemade · Sep 28, 2009

You are from Climax GA. One or the other of you is bound to end up "bent over the barrel"

Dave A · Sep 28, 2009

Have extensive experience with the Home Despot and all of it is good. During a home addition project that started last July, of necessity some items got returned for various reasons, including just bought too much of some things.

I had all receipts, so if I paid cash, I got cash back, if debit card, my checking account was credited and the same with a credit card. I have no complaints at all.

As far as I know, Lowes is the same out here, but then again, maybe the register told them I had spent more than a little money there lately.

77ironhead · Sep 29, 2009

Same advice I give to anyone in that situation:'

stand in a public, high-traffic area (the customer service counter just inside the front door is great!)
ask for a manager
question him/her in a LOUD, polite voice 'whattaya mean I can't return this, I just bought it here an hour ago and it's defective' etc etc
continue as needed until they give you your cash just to shut you up and not scare the other customers coming in the door....

Glenn Wegman · Sep 29, 2009

Send a girl to return it for you!

Darren UK · Sep 29, 2009

Oh yes, that one works.....LOL.....it's even better when it's a small shop and it empties as you are giving your sermon.....

surplusjohn · Sep 29, 2009

15 years ago I was going to Heckingers allot, its gone now but I think it was a regional chain. I was redoing a house so I bought several thousand dollars worth of stuff. I had accumulated a bag of unused odds and ends from several projects and returned them, but did not have the receipt but they were all unopened and I was a regular customer. The customer service gryl took the stuff "looked me up" and loudly annouced for all the hear: "Mr. Fitzsimmons you are on the list! this is the third time this month!" I asked for what and she treated me like I had done something wrong and she explained that I had broken one of her rules, I was really treated like a criminal and in front of a bunch of people, I asked to talk to the manager and she said she was the manager [she was about 22], so I announced that I had no idea that returned goods was wrong, I had done it before but never again, and I never set foot in that store again, which was easy since they went under not to long after that.

GregSY · Sep 29, 2009

Thta part of why I don't have much sympathy for Mom n' Pop stores vs. big chains. People like to forget that returning items used to be a big PITA, and it was almost like they were doing you a personal favor to take something back. When the big stores came along people were pleasantly amazed that they would take back stuff without all the guilt. Sure, it has led to abuses but that's not the issue most of the time.

ColoradoBoy · Sep 29, 2009

77ironhead said:
ask for a manager
....

In big stores you will probably get a dept manager. If that doesn't work out, ask for the store manager.

Writing their corp headquarters is good too.

ray french · Sep 29, 2009

Only giving half the details?The detail aren't important.Name of retailer?Who cares.For the most part what's been covered here is dishonesty,meth addiction,gift return,etc.The item purchased was a small item in a blister pack,you know, the kind of package that tests your sanity when you try to open it.The defective part flew out like it was rocket propelled.After five minutes of hunting it(this was in the shop) I finally found it and returned it from whence it came.Then I took it it back to HDepot almost immediately,I had already decided not to exchange it as I figured a replacement would be a crap shoot.

Details:customer buys item and pays cash.No particular reason for paying cash.Could have used the "Card" but I was playing pocket pool at the time and cash seemed more convenient.Besides I abore paying high interest on these small purchases.

Customer gets home,opens package with item in it and the item falls apart.

Customer takes item back to place of purchase with receipt in hand and is given two choices instead of cash back.

Customer chooses in store credit instead of wasting time arguing with cashier.

For some alien reason I was brought up to beleive cash purchase= cash reutrn.I have to wonder it they do this with big ticket items.

USMCPOP · Sep 29, 2009

Here's part of the Home Depot return policy from their web site:

Returns within 90 days of purchase and with a valid sales receipt will be exchanged, refunded in cash, credited to your account or refunded via The Home Depot store credit.

Purchases made with store credit, gift certificates and gift cards will be refunded as store credit. Store credits cannot be used to purchase gift cards.

There are a few exceptions on some items, and cash refunds over $1,000. are handled by check. And I like this: "The Home Depot reserves the right to limit or refuse to accept the return of merchandise at any time and for any reason."

surplusjohn · Sep 29, 2009

the big chains killed the mom and pops because they were able to stay open 7 days and long hours and take returns for any reason, etc. The little guy couldn't swing that. Ironically, online retailing I think is going to turn the tables. A small mom and pop can now compete with good prices and better service with the big guys, at least in some areas. There is a big mall here in Syracuse, Carosel Mall that was built in 1990 or so. For the past few years the billionair developer has been banging the drum for tax breaks so he can turn it into the biggest mall in the western universe. finally he gets the tax breaks, starts building a smaller version that adds like a million square feet to the original mall. the shell is up and the bank pulls his financing since they say the project is not viable and they had not signed up a single tenant! Also they have lots of open space in the original building, as does every other shopping center around here.

GregSY · Sep 29, 2009

I can remember working on projects, like installing a few electrical boxes, and Mom n' Pop had bins with two fittings of one size, three of another, and no idea when they would get more of either.

As for returns, I don't see why Mom n' Pop can't afford to take returns for any reason. In fact,their cost of doing a return should be a lot lower given their lower overhead.

As for Ray, it sounds like you had a dickhead helping you. Go back some other time and your return probably would go through with no big deal.

New twist on returning damaged products?

Titanium

Stainless

Cast Iron

Titanium

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Titanium

Cast Iron

Titanium

Titanium

Hot Rolled

Aluminum

Diamond

Diamond

Stainless

Titanium

Titanium

Diamond

Diamond

Similar threads