At what price will you not bother sending online purchases back if defective?

RedRooster

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2000
6,596
0
76
Just got a pair of those powerline ethernet adapters, wanted to try some and see if they were better than wireless. They worked for a minute, until I tried updating the firmware, then they BOTH died. I paid $50 shipped, and am flip flopping whether I should return/exchange them and pay even more money to ship them back(probably $10-15), or just eat it and mark it up to buying pieces of junk without researching more.

Dangit. Had a nice string of luck with tech stuff working properly lately, I was due I guess.
 

3DEC3

Junior Member
Apr 19, 2013
15
0
0
This is a funny question, I wonder about this myself. I'm not sure if I have a price point but you just have to weigh the cost of returning the good with it's value of it being screwed up. In your case if they totally don't work than I would return them I guess.
 

chimaxi83

Diamond Member
May 18, 2003
5,456
61
101
Shipping isn't covered by them when you purchased a defective product?
 

xSauronx

Lifer
Jul 14, 2000
19,582
4
81
Just got a pair of those powerline ethernet adapters, wanted to try some and see if they were better than wireless. They worked for a minute, until I tried updating the firmware, then they BOTH died. I paid $50 shipped, and am flip flopping whether I should return/exchange them and pay even more money to ship them back(probably $10-15), or just eat it and mark it up to buying pieces of junk without researching more.

Dangit. Had a nice string of luck with tech stuff working properly lately, I was due I guess.

i buy most online purchases through amazon and iirc they cover shipping with a pre made label on defective items. i dont have a problem paying return shipping if i bought the wrong thing, but i may not bother if i paid less than 10 bucks.
 

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
78,817
323
136
For $50 I'd go through the hassle of returning it but I would ship using regular USPS, maybe USPS priority.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
57,981
8,219
126
A lot of it depends on size and hassle. If it was as easy as dropping in the mail, I'd get my $50, If it required a lot of special packaging, I'd probably just eat it. Can you reflash the firmware?
 

darkxshade

Lifer
Mar 31, 2001
13,749
6
81
I RMA'd a $35 piece of hardware last week. It was a bluetooth transmitter so it was small and I just put it in an envelope with the documentation and mailed it out 1st class for $2. If it gets lost in the mail or I never get a replacement, it's fine with me, it was worth the price and effort.
 

Bacstar

Golden Member
Nov 2, 2006
1,273
30
91
Give them a call and let them know. Maybe they'll ship you out a replacement with the condition you return the defective units. Amazon did this for me with a defective hard drive a few years ago.
 

T9D

Diamond Member
Dec 1, 2001
5,320
6
0
One thing that pisses me off is UPS. They give the company some insane discount. You go to send it back and it costs almost as much to ship as the item cost. Once a $120 item cost $80 to ship back ground. I'm not kidding. I got there and my jaw was on the ground. I said screw it I was already there I'm not shopping around now. I avoid UPS like the plague.

This is also how big companies can sell cheap junk that breaks and not offer shipping. They know it's not worth sending back, you'll lose more money than it's worth. Huge freaking scam.
 

Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
11,684
5,222
136
One thing that pisses me off is UPS. They give the company some insane discount.


Well, UPS, and FedEx, too, for that matter, do give discounts to companies that ship a lot. BUT, the company has to sign a contract guaranteeing a certain volume of shipping per week/month/quarter. Don't ship as much as the contract called for, the company gets charged for the difference. If the company fails to meet minimum shipping quotas repeatedly, the contract will call for an escalation of what they pay.

And UPS/FedEx do this to ensure their fleet is not wasted sitting around, waiting for someone to ship something. Essentially, UPS/FedEx are there to serve business first, the average consumer is just an afterthought and pays full rates. Sucks, I know, but them's the breaks.
 

EagleKeeper

Discussion Club Moderator<br>Elite Member
Staff member
Oct 30, 2000
42,589
5
0
With any defect; I contact the seller and let them decide how they want to handle it.

They cover the costs; I paid for it once; not multiple times.
 

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
Just got a pair of those powerline ethernet adapters, wanted to try some and see if they were better than wireless. They worked for a minute, until I tried updating the firmware, then they BOTH died. I paid $50 shipped, and am flip flopping whether I should return/exchange them and pay even more money to ship them back(probably $10-15), or just eat it and mark it up to buying pieces of junk without researching more.

Dangit. Had a nice string of luck with tech stuff working properly lately, I was due I guess.

?? USPS is like $5

I will always contact the seller to see what they are willing to do. Here's a dirty fact: its cheaper for most places to ship than to send out a call tag. So a lot of the time they are willing to ship you a new product rather than pay the extra shipping charges.

I can't think of the last time I had a purchase go bad and the seller didn't take care of it. I had a $10 purchase on Amazon go bad and they just sent me a new one. Didn't even want the old one back.
 

RedRooster

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2000
6,596
0
76
Shipping isn't covered by them when you purchased a defective product?

Doesn't appear so, no. Tiger Direct. There's options to exchange for the same item, exchange for a different item or outright return. All options need you to pay the shipping back to them.

I called TrendNet(the brand of the adapters) and since I JUST bought it they want me to return it to the store. I didn't feel like fighting with them last night, maybe this week.

Last time I had something break, it just so happened to be a Logitech remote from...Tiger Direct again, hmmmm....but I called Logitech and they just mailed me a brand new one and said to chuck the old one. Now THAT'S client service!
 

RedRooster

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2000
6,596
0
76
A lot of it depends on size and hassle. If it was as easy as dropping in the mail, I'd get my $50, If it required a lot of special packaging, I'd probably just eat it. Can you reflash the firmware?

Unfortunately, they won't even turn on. Just no power at all, otherwise I'd keep trying to flash those suckers until they actually died or started working.
I've never heard of a firmware flash killing the device. Now I have.
 

RedRooster

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2000
6,596
0
76
Well, UPS, and FedEx, too, for that matter, do give discounts to companies that ship a lot. BUT, the company has to sign a contract guaranteeing a certain volume of shipping per week/month/quarter. Don't ship as much as the contract called for, the company gets charged for the difference. If the company fails to meet minimum shipping quotas repeatedly, the contract will call for an escalation of what they pay.

And UPS/FedEx do this to ensure their fleet is not wasted sitting around, waiting for someone to ship something. Essentially, UPS/FedEx are there to serve business first, the average consumer is just an afterthought and pays full rates. Sucks, I know, but them's the breaks.

I always wondered that, good info. Like how can they ship a two pound parcel across the country for $7, but if I ever have to send it back I pay 2-3x the price minimum. It totally is a scam to get us to not bother sending stuff back, I agree with T9D.
 

RedRooster

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2000
6,596
0
76
?? USPS is like $5

I will always contact the seller to see what they are willing to do. Here's a dirty fact: its cheaper for most places to ship than to send out a call tag. So a lot of the time they are willing to ship you a new product rather than pay the extra shipping charges.

I can't think of the last time I had a purchase go bad and the seller didn't take care of it. I had a $10 purchase on Amazon go bad and they just sent me a new one. Didn't even want the old one back.

Not in Canada. :(
That's the problem with these fly by night operations like Tiger Direct and probably NCIX and Newegg. They all want you to pay even more to be able to get your money back. It doesn't make sense.
That's why I'm starting to lean towards just saying eff it, and chuck this junk in the garbage.
 

Rakehellion

Lifer
Jan 15, 2013
12,181
35
91
I bought a power cable for $10 that was defective. It was from Amazon and they pay return shipping, but it isn't worth the hassle of finding an envelope and dropping it at a UPS store. I'm certainly not staying home to wait for a pickup.

For $50 I might.
 

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
Not in Canada. :(
That's the problem with these fly by night operations like Tiger Direct and probably NCIX and Newegg. They all want you to pay even more to be able to get your money back. It doesn't make sense.
That's why I'm starting to lean towards just saying eff it, and chuck this junk in the garbage.

wtf are you talking about? Those places have been open forever.

You are either trolling or ignorant.
 

RedRooster

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2000
6,596
0
76
wtf are you talking about? Those places have been open forever.

You are either trolling or ignorant.

They just seem "shadier" than places like Amazon and direct from manufacturer. Obviously you'll still get your stuff, but their policies after you get your stuff just aren't quite what the really big places are it seems.
I won't NOT buy from them, but my expectations when something goes wrong are much lower. I'm sure the US versions of the sites are much more friendly for returns though, always seems to be the way.
 

dabuddha

Lifer
Apr 10, 2000
19,579
17
81
Shipping isn't covered by them when you purchased a defective product?

Always is for me when I call and threaten to dispute the charge if they don't take care of it. Fucking bullshit that they'd try to charge me to ship the item to me and ship the defective item back to them
 

Raduque

Lifer
Aug 22, 2004
13,140
138
106
For me, it's when the cost to ship the item back is higher than the cost I paid for it originally.