Posted on 06/17/2002 7:28:14 PM PDT by Dale 1
So I bought a new $500 dollar digital camera from Comp USA. No big deal, some pay less and some pay more, but finally I got one. That was March 24, 2002. I played with my new camera for several days and gave it to my wife to take on a trip to visit the grandkids. When she got there, the camera wouldn’t work – and hasn’t since. When she got back I took the camera back to Comp USA and they informed me that they now have a 14 day return policy and this was the 22nd day and that there was nothing they could do for me because I didn’t buy their extended repair policy (which was about 25% of the cost of the camera).
Several national companies (now dead) followed a plan where they were the greatest thing ever at their inception. They stayed great until they hit a plateau for earnings – then start to cut back on customer service and plant upkeep and they folded by design.
Comp USA is about to fold by design. They will spend their last days squeezing every last penny from their customers, and then they will fold. Their customer relations suck. Their plant upkeep sucks too – no qualified representatives – slow service – no sales reps on the floor – old products – and they quibble about 14 days and 22 days.
Time to sell…
That is why I prefer to purchase at Best Buy. Full refunds, few questions asked. More salespeople and they are more helpful too. Also better prices. But CompUSA has a greater selection.
I now order everything off the Web (Ubid.com has good prices but expensive shipping -- remember to factor that into your bid, and ZDNet's Computer Shopper will point you to low-cost retailers). Since I'm going to have to go to the manufacturer for repair/replacement anyway, I may as well save $50.00 - $100.00.
I avoided buying high-dollar items on line because I felt that I should support the local merchants in my area, but if I get no support in return, why bother? I've had few problems with on-line merchandise (I've purchased everything from digital cameras to PDAs to Epson cartridges to eggplant caviar), and certainly nothing to compare with the outright disdain shown by Best Buy.
If you'd like some links to good on-line retailers (places I've personally used more than once), FReepmail me and I'll send you the URLs.
OK, I get the humor/sarcasm.
However, you know that some people make less money than others. The level of injustice rises sharply when you are screwed out of half a month's pay.
Too true.
It must vary depending on what city you're in. Here, Best Buy is on my list of places to NEVER enter. Sales staff is NOT knowledgeable unless you're there to buy computer games. I tried to buy a PC and monitor and told the guy writing up the deal that I wanted the box, the monitor and that he could save his breath because I did NOT want a "service plan," "extended warranty," or whatever it was that they called it. I told them that if they started pitching me, I would take my business elsewhere.
The guy couldn't resist. He started in and I said, "Pardon me, but if you say one damn word about a service policy or extended warranty, I'm walking and you have NO DEAL." He waved to someone, and she came over and SHE launched into the pitch.
I walked. I understand that at Best Buy, failure to pitch the warranty is grounds for dismissal - so these guys were damned if they did, damned if they didn't. But I REFUSE to listen to a pitch for any add-on. Even when I go to Sonic, I place my order and then add, "And that is ALL I want tonight." That works at Sonic, but at Burger King, I have to add, "No drinks. I have plenty of Coke at home."
At least they don't try this stunt at the grocery. It's damned tough to sell an add-on at the supermarket checkout.
OTOH, CompUSA has been pretty good here, and their prices on the "box" I was GOING to get at Best Buy turned out to be 100 clams cheaper.
Michael
Went back and they said we bought the display....... we said, sure, but we were told the battery was in there......it isn't a disposable battery - you HAVE to have the one that comes with it to work!
After two months of calling and leaving messages that were never returned - I gave up......I hate to admit that but I did.......I ordered a battery on line, and I will never step foot in a CompUSA again...........
Anyway - the shortened return period is a growing policy industry wide. More and more retailers are turning to the factory warranty for problems, instead of just taking back everything. It costs the retailer serious $$ when they take back a product that either A - isn't actually defective and is user error, B - is a fraudulent return (more below), or C - is a borderline warranty issue that the manufacturer may not cover.
Is this fair to the consumer? Not really, but I can see the retailer's point of view.
Now - for an explanation of my above reasons:
A - User error- probably the biggest reason for returns in the industry. Users, like me, tend to have a go at their new toys without reading instructions (sometimes the instructions are more complicated than the item!). Other users just should stay away from high-tech items altogether, while still others simply don't have the patience to deal with it. I also group in this category consumers that just plain chainge their mind or have buyer's remorse - either way they cost the retailer lots of $$ because most manufacturers won't accept returns of non-defective merchandise - therefore leaving the retailer "holding the bag" for a used item - often taking a loss to unload it as an "open-box" item.
B - Fraud - You would be surprised how many times I have read posts on message boards telling of how they got an out-of-warranty item replaced for free, or even got defective items at an auction and returned them to a retailer....
For example, you could go buy an identical camera from CompUSA or another retailer - swap the camera for the new one, and return the broken camera to the new retailer - within the 14 day return period and will likely have no problem getting your money back....
Another case is where someone may buy a recent model electronic or other item on ebay or otherwise second hand for cheap - find that it is defective (or know already) and pull the same swap as in my first example. Very dishonest, illegal, and just plain wrong - but it's done all the time. Who gets left holding the bag here? Yep - the retailer.
C - Borderline warranty issue - sometimes these also could fall under category "A". maybe the item was dropped - no outward sign of damage, but still broken. How about an item that just doesn't do what the consumer expected it to do (even though it's technically working according to specs? In this case, a 14 day return period should be adequate to determine if the product is appropriate for the consumer's use.
Granted, products fail. More often than not, defects usually show up pretty quickly, thus the reason I always give my new toys a thorough workout soon after purchase. Otherwise, you may be stuck working with the manufacturer.
And no, I don't work for CompUSA, although the majority of my experiences with that company have been quite positive.
A word to the wise - if you are concerned with the return policy of a given company - check it out before you buy. Many online retailers now charge major restocking fees if they don't find a defect, some also charge you for the return shipping charges, even when you receive an item "DOA". Again, check with a retailer's policy before you buy.
Online retailers are almost always the way to go for the best price. As someone else posted, Freepmail me for some suggestions....
Agreed. Your points are all accepted and as far as I know, accurate. Retailers are supposed to make money. My complaint is that Comp USA is aggressively choosing to withdraw from active business. I think that they are PLANNING to fold. I think that their stockholders should divest soonest.
you’re absolutely right. Nobody should invest or not based on the fact that I got rip off by comp USA. I am frustrated and angry by their policies that don’t consider me as a customer, and that they would rather save the expense of exchanging a defective product and causing me to research the process of exchanging it myself. Not a big deal, but definitely something people should know about the attitude of Comp USA. I would rather have sent a “disgruntled note” to the HQ of Comp USA, but they don’t allow that.
Hey, you only said HE couldn't make his pitch; you didn't warn him that having anyone else try it would also jinx the deal...
Still, stores should train their staff that limitted upsell pressure is good, but overdoing it is almost always bad. Even if a high-pressure upsell on an extended warranty nets an immediate sale, the customer will not feel good about the store and will be less likely to return.
Same here at Jackson, MI. Went to a Best Buy just 3 weeks ago to buy 6 27" TV's for our resort cabins up north. Browsed around and found what we wanted and attempted to locate a salesperson to assist and inform as to whether they were in stock. After a 10 minute wait...that was enough. As we were walking out, around the front door there are no less that 6 "employees" standing around fumbling their n#^ts. I remarked as I was leaving the store to the situation and one of the 'punks' swung around, in a confrontational manner, and said "are you talking about us"?
Well, you can only imagine my response, which is not suitable for describing on FR.
Fortunate to say...we drove not more than two blocks to a "Circuit City" where we were greeted at the TV department by a saleperson, found the exact same model we had decided on at Best Buy...for $20 less per set no less.
BTW...Best Buy was informed of our 'experience'. No reply to date.
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