question about returning items

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

my friend has a question..
You buy a small laptop at best buy, and after the 14 day tmeframe to return the item, some of the keys stop working. but if he bought the same laptop again, and simply puts the old one in the box and returns (for refund) that using the new receipt (but keeping the new laptop) could they possibly find out? I told him there are probably serial numbers and the like, and that's not how the return policy is supposed to work. Thoughts?

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Serial numbers on the box?

The serial numbers are not going to tell them when you bought the lap top.

Make sure you get actual money back before you do it other than store credit.

 

[Tosk]

Surely there's no need for dishonesty...can Best Buy (or the manufacturer) really deny replacement for a faulty product after only 14 days? If so, your consumer protection laws are effed.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

The manufacturer told him to ship it back and they'd try to fix it. But with non-working keys they might not be able to. He's only had it a few months. He wants to just return the old one to the store by buying the new one first and using the new receipt since the old receipt is more than two weeks old... in his mind he still bought the item

 

[Commishsleer]

The manufacturer told him to ship it back and they'd try to fix it. But with non-working keys they might not be able to. He's only had it a few months. He wants to just return the old one to the store by buying the new one first and using the new receipt since the old receipt is more than two weeks old... in his mind he still bought the item

In Australia the law is one year consumer protection on goods no matter what the seller says. Surely there's an equivalent law in the US.
Why not send it back to the manufacturer like they said?

However if he wants to return it to the store, your friends gotta check whether they have the serial number on the receipt. I don't know about Best Buy but you've got to know the Returns people if he's going to try the old switcheroonie. If the returns people actually bother checking the problem then maybe they might check the serial number if one is printed on the receipt. I've found sometimes people check and sometimes they don't. He could ring up the store and say he wants to know if the serial number is on the receipt for insurance purposes. He's also gotta check whether the laptop model hasn't changed even slightly in the couple of months. It happens

When my laptop failed (under a year > 14 days) I took it back to the shop and they put it in for repair for me. Its harder for them to insist that you return it to the manufacturer yourself if you're in the returns line in the store complaining loudly about their faulty laptops.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Thanks for the advice! I may have him send it back to Acer..

 

[MacLeod]

The manufacturer told him to ship it back and they'd try to fix it. But with non-working keys they might not be able to. He's only had it a few months. He wants to just return the old one to the store by buying the new one first and using the new receipt since the old receipt is more than two weeks old... in his mind he still bought the item

In Australia the law is one year consumer protection on goods no matter what the seller says. Surely there's an equivalent law in the US.
Why not send it back to the manufacturer like they said?

However if he wants to return it to the store, your friends gotta check whether they have the serial number on the receipt. I don't know about Best Buy but you've got to know the Returns people if he's going to try the old switcheroonie. If the returns people actually bother checking the problem then maybe they might check the serial number if one is printed on the receipt. I've found sometimes people check and sometimes they don't. He could ring up the store and say he wants to know if the serial number is on the receipt for insurance purposes. He's also gotta check whether the laptop model hasn't changed even slightly in the couple of months. It happens

When my laptop failed (under a year > 14 days) I took it back to the shop and they put it in for repair for me. Its harder for them to insist that you return it to the manufacturer yourself if you're in the returns line in the store complaining loudly about their faulty laptops.

It's the same in the UK, Electrical goods come with a years warranty, but that's with the manufacturer so it might go back to them for repair. But it sounds as if the manufacturer in tis case is willing to repair it, if they can't in the UK you would expect a replacement.

 

[tharpdevenport]

They can open it and fix keys, also they can work around broken keys with commands. Hell, they can probably attach an external keyboard.


That dishonesty shit is a poor route to go. I've been the victim of that, having to stop what I was doing and go back to Wal-Mart and get a replacement, as the one I got the previous breif owner felt like keeping some parts of and then repacking, hoping (and they were right) customer service would not check the contents.


Some companies will be happy to fix things. I remember a relative of mine relating their boyfriend got a flat screen that had one pixel out; he called up and got a replacement (and was able to keep the old one), telling them he was a graphics designer.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

^yes I agree.
After calling Acer, they said they would fix it free, except shipping cost, despite being out of the 15 day warranty so the new one was brought back I was with him and the teenager behind the counter was smart. she checked the serial number on the unit

 

[shivkala]

Glad things worked out, but for the future, there's a few things to keep in mind. The 14-Day return policy is set by Best Buy. This is not the warranty on the computer, it's simply the store policy for returns.

What your friend was thinking of doing is considered Return Fraud. While I can't find information regarding laws that govern this, that isn't to say there wouldn't be repercussions. Back in 2006, a figure of a loss of $9.5 billion dollars was stated. Ultimately, that loss affects the consumers as stores seek to recoup that money. In addition, they've sought to tighten their return policies, making it harder for honest people to return unwanted or defective products.

Acer, as the manufacturer, would most likely have offered a limited warranty, which lasts for a year or two, depending on the model. This has nothing to do with Best Buy and their policies. It sounds like this is what your friend used to get service, as the text of the warranty states that they'll provide service, but the customer is responsible for shipping and handling.

After the period of the limited warranty, they'll still provide service, but will charge you for that service. Of course, after a year or two, the possibilities of finding the exact model your friend purchased for sale diminish, so at that point, it would be up to your friend whether they wanted to buy a brand new computer or pay for the service.

Luckily, it sounded like things worked out for your friend. I had a Dell monitor under warrant about 7 years ago that stopped working. It took hours with Dell customer service to convince them I had a warranty, that the monitor was covered by the warranty, and that they should replace it. They finally agreed, but after the expected delivery date, the monitor never arrived. After a few more hours on the phone with Dell, where I again had to convince them I had the warranty on the monitor and that the monitor was covered by it, they had trouble confirming the monitor was sent. Eventually it all got resolved.

Some key things to remember in the future are that you sometimes have to be persistent. You also have power as a consumer. Social Media has opened up a new means of seeking help for problems. Most companies don't want the negative attention an upset customer can bring and often, through things like Facebook and Twitter, you can get a hold of somebody, as companies are starting to get that not responding to problems brought up by social media users can be a black mark against them.

Last year, my daughter's phone stopped working and after dealing with the local MetroPCS store that handled warranties (there is only one store authorized to handle warranty issues, the others are just authorized to sell MetroPCS products and services), she got a replacement, which suffered from the same problem. A quick search online found that others who had the same model, manufactured around the same time, had the same problem.

Fed up with this problem and the store's attitude about it, I took to Facebook and Twitter and MetroPCS comped me for a month of service. I also hit up LG's Facebook and Twitter sites, but they were less helpful. Of course, with cellphones, they can play the, "Oh, we're just the manufacturer, you have to go through the dealer/Oh we're just the dealer, you have to go through the manufacturer" game. LG was willing to fix it, but they need to get the phone first, diagnose the problem, and then, depending on whether or not they found the problem to be their responsibility, they could turn around and require you pay for the service.

I had the same issue with a Samsung phone I dropped in water. I was honest with them about it and they told me to send it in, but after they received it, they determined that it would cost me to fix it. I was not willing to pay that much, so they sent me the damaged phone back. I wasn't upset about that, beyond the fact that the customer service representative I was dealing with made it seem like it would be easier than it was to get it fixed.

TL;DR: Check with the manufacturer warranty. Best Buy's 14 day return is more for a customer who decides that the product isn't what they wanted, versus a defective product (which isn't to say they won't replace the product, though some instruction manuals and warranties direct you to contact the manufacturer and not the store where you purchased the item for help with a defective item). Most electronics will come with a limited warranty from the manufacturer. If all else fails, take to social media to try to apply pressure to these companies to get a problem fixed.

And, honesty is the best policy.http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

 

[wulfio]

put on your best bath robe and go back to the store and start yelling.

 

[shivkala]

^
Before you do that, wait a few days without shaving. It is very important you cultivate a decent neckbeard before you don the bathrobe. Said bathrobe should be slightly tattered. Slippers are preferred, but flip flops will do in a pinch. Under the bathrobe should be a tank top, with a few stains on it.

 

[JoeZhang]

The manufacturer told him to ship it back and they'd try to fix it. But with non-working keys they might not be able to. He's only had it a few months. He wants to just return the old one to the store by buying the new one first and using the new receipt since the old receipt is more than two weeks old... in his mind he still bought the item

In Australia the law is one year consumer protection on goods no matter what the seller says. Surely there's an equivalent law in the US.
Why not send it back to the manufacturer like they said?

However if he wants to return it to the store, your friends gotta check whether they have the serial number on the receipt. I don't know about Best Buy but you've got to know the Returns people if he's going to try the old switcheroonie. If the returns people actually bother checking the problem then maybe they might check the serial number if one is printed on the receipt. I've found sometimes people check and sometimes they don't. He could ring up the store and say he wants to know if the serial number is on the receipt for insurance purposes. He's also gotta check whether the laptop model hasn't changed even slightly in the couple of months. It happens

When my laptop failed (under a year > 14 days) I took it back to the shop and they put it in for repair for me. Its harder for them to insist that you return it to the manufacturer yourself if you're in the returns line in the store complaining loudly about their faulty laptops.

It's the same in the UK, Electrical goods come with a years warranty, but that's with the manufacturer so it might go back to them for repair. But it sounds as if the manufacturer in tis case is willing to repair it, if they can't in the UK you would expect a replacement.

Yes and no - the first call is always the retailer who has the responsibility to ensure that goods are fit for purpose - so you could contact the manufacturer and the retailer often tries to get you to do that but it's their problem.

 

[Commishsleer]

^
Before you do that, wait a few days without shaving. It is very important you cultivate a decent neckbeard before you don the bathrobe. Said bathrobe should be slightly tattered. Slippers are preferred, but flip flops will do in a pinch. Under the bathrobe should be a tank top, with a few stains on it.

Years ago I wanted to change a flight and the person over the phone told me the company policy wasn't to be able to change flights . Its a bit more complex than that but after arguing the point for 10 minutes she told me just to go into an office. I said why would the policy be different in person and she whispered just try it. Low and behold I went in and they just changed the flight for me, no questions asked.

The idea was that my request was reasonable and I had a big line of people behind me and they didn't want a big fuss in person. While I think the importance of customer service has decreased over the years I think its always worth a try to get help in person. Especially when you are in the right. And when the staff member themselves is not paying for the computer.