posted
A few weeks ago I bought a wireless all-in-one printer at the Electronics Department of a Fred Meyer's store in Portland. The price at time of purchase was $129.99. It was to be a Christmas gift, so the box remained unopened.
Checking local ads a few days ago, I found the same printer being sold for $109.99 at a few other places ... so I went to Fred Meyers with my receipt, waited in line at Customer Services and asked for a price adjustment. I actually brought the sales ads from two different competitors with me.
The Customer Service rep said "sorry we don't do price adjustments". I then asked to speak to a Manager and explained the situation, to which she replied "Well, that's not something we do after the fact".
I then asked "So what is your return policy", and they both replied "Thirty Days for full refund or exchange". So I pulled out the receipt and said "Alright, I'd like to return this printer".
Those knuckleheads calmly processed a full refund on the spot with no questions asked - and I was trying to help THEM avoid a return to begin with! Absolutely stupid, absolutely no common sense and what's even more ridiculous, is that after receiving my refund I went back to their Electronics Department and found the SAME printer on SALE for $109.99!
I went to Best Buy and bought it from them - put it back in my trunk and drove off. I've always found retail sales very reasonable in situations like this, it's the first time I've actually encountered BLIND stubborn-ness of this sort. I love Fred Meyers stores though so I'll probably continue to shop there (after all, it's where I met Kristin), but I'm amazed at how ridiculous and stubborn they were; so much so, they were willing to take a return rather than make a price adjustment.
I could have brought BOTH boxes ... the one I had purchased and a new one from their own Electronics Department to the same counter and acheived my adjustment that way. Unbelievable.
[ December 21, 2008, 12:39 PM: Message edited by: Ben Del Amitri ]
-------------------- Respectfully,
Ben
Malory in Signature Posts: 5772 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
Some retail giants are so stubborn, and up high they'd rather stick to a policy than satisfy a customer...I know a lot of stores no longer do price guarantees.
-------------------- If feet are your bottom line, you're gonna get trampled...if women are your bottom line, you're gonna get lovestruck!
posted
That's why i love me some walmart. No matter what, with or without a receipt, i can return something even after i've opened it and it stopped working, take it back in, explain my situation. Bam! Whole new product or exchange. It's awesome!
-------------------- I've got a fetish for sexy female feet. Everybody knows. I love it. Posts: 675 | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote:Originally posted by A&F_FootDude_05: Some retail giants are so stubborn, and up high they'd rather stick to a policy than satisfy a customer...I know a lot of stores no longer do price guarantees.
Conversely, I've always had great luck with all retail chains ... this is the first time (after years and years of active shopping) I've come across such a hard-headed response. And incidentally, I'm a voracious consumer.
The other thing that's funny here, is that anybody with any sense would certainly rather do a price adjustment within the stated return period, than to accept a return. What makes it even more stupid, is that I could have actually USED the printer, brought it pack poorly-packed in the box, with open ink cartridges, etc, and STILL had a full return. They had no way of knowing it was still unopened.
-------------------- Respectfully,
Ben
Malory in Signature Posts: 5772 | Registered: Oct 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Bootman: That's why i love me some walmart. No matter what, with or without a receipt, i can return something even after i've opened it and it stopped working, take it back in, explain my situation. Bam! Whole new product or exchange. It's awesome!
I love those guys too, they've got a few of those "Super" versions close to where I live. I just got an Acer mini-book (for coffee shop surfing, etc.) for $329 there, and a couple of outstanding MP3 / Video players for stuffers. The only time I ever had to do an exchange there (for faulty product), everything was clockwork.
-------------------- Respectfully,
Ben
Malory in Signature Posts: 5772 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
That is pretty stupid on the part of the store. You'd think they'd want to keep their customers satisfied in this economy.
Word to the wise though about Best Buy - I've heard that they will gladly take back things for most reasons. However, from what I understand, they charge a "restocking fee" of 15% on certain items that have been opened prior to returning. That means that if you spend $100 for certain items, open it and then end up taking it back, you pay them $15 just for them to take the item back and put it back on their shelves!
For more information about their screwed up policies, check out this link:
posted
it may not be the whole store chain.. just that one is filled with morons... and they were on the same shift, same day.. has happened to me.. i came back the day after.. and service was as expected. but the prior day, just flat out morons!
RPM
p.s. side-track.. footgirl.. miss ya tons! (yeah, i have some interesting way of showing it)
quote:Originally posted by Bootman: That's why i love me some walmart. No matter what, with or without a receipt, i can return something even after i've opened it and it stopped working, take it back in, explain my situation. Bam! Whole new product or exchange. It's awesome!
I love those guys too, they've got a few of those "Super" versions close to where I live. I just got an Acer mini-book (for coffee shop surfing, etc.) for $329 there, and a couple of outstanding MP3 / Video players for stuffers. The only time I ever had to do an exchange there (for faulty product), everything was clockwork.
The same at Sears. They have what they call a "30 day Price Matching Policy". If you purchase an item through them, later on you see it somewhere else cheaper, they'll match that price and give you 10% off the difference. You also get a 30 day price protection guaranteed with them, meaning that, if you purchased something from them, and it goes on sale later on.....you can bring the receipt back to the store and get a price adjustment. I love shoping at Sears just beacuse of those perks you get with them.
Posts: 466 | Registered: Sep 2007
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quote:Originally posted by Fate111: That is pretty stupid on the part of the store. You'd think they'd want to keep their customers satisfied in this economy.
Word to the wise though about Best Buy - I've heard that they will gladly take back things for most reasons. However, from what I understand, they charge a "restocking fee" of 15% on certain items that have been opened prior to returning. That means that if you spend $100 for certain items, open it and then end up taking it back, you pay them $15 just for them to take the item back and put it back on their shelves!
For more information about their screwed up policies, check out this link:
The restocking fee applies to certain items, such as Camcorders, Digital Cameras and Laptops and there are good reasons for that policy.
Before they started charging a restocking fee on such items, people were using them as a source for FREE RENTALS. They would go "buy" a digital camera, take it and use it on vacation ... after the vacation or special event, return it for a full refund. Many customers bold enough to "buy" digital cameras AND camcorders for several family members, two or three of each; put them on a credit card and return the whole pile of used merchandise after the event or vacation, etc.
Best Buy doesn't just put this used merchandise back on the shelf for sale when this happens. They can't sell it as new anymore, and end up discounting the items to sell as "Open Box" ... harder to sell, and often at a loss. Merchandise in these categories already has razor thin margins and Open Boxing them barely salvages a net loss.
If somebody brings in a laptop or digital camera within the fourteen-day period and wishes to exchange or "trade up", they'll gladly waive the restocking fee. I generally prefer buying high-ticket items at major chains such as Best Buy, because I consider their fair return and exchange policies a major benefit.
[ December 30, 2008, 01:22 PM: Message edited by: Ben Del Amitri ]
-------------------- Respectfully,
Ben
Malory in Signature Posts: 5772 | Registered: Oct 2004
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