Can a store force you to buy a warranty?

MrCodeDude

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
13,674
1
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In my quest to get a Nintendo Wii, I purposely avoided Fry's Electronics because they were only selling Wii bundles. Target was crowded, so I had to settle for Toys R Us (which opened 2 hours later than Target).

About 10 minutes before opening, the manager comes out and says that you have to buy the Wii as part of a bundle, including one game and a 1 year warranty.

There was no TRU advertisement in my newspaper, but Toys R Us is only offering Wii bundles, but none of them involve a warranty.

Considering warranty's are basically 100% profit for the store, can they force you to purchase a warranty with a product?
 

sygyzy

Lifer
Oct 21, 2000
14,001
4
76
Reading your thread title - no.

Reading the details - yes. Playing devil's advocate, I don't see why you make a distinction. It's ok that he made you buy a game but not ok if he makes you buy a warranty?
 

Quasmo

Diamond Member
Jul 7, 2004
9,630
1
76
Originally posted by: sygyzy
Reading your thread title - no.

Reading the details - yes. Playing devil's advocate, I don't see why you make a distinction. It's ok that he made you buy a game but not ok if he makes you buy a warranty?

You're gonna get a game anyway.
 

MrCodeDude

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
13,674
1
76
Originally posted by: sygyzy
Reading your thread title - no.

Reading the details - yes. Playing devil's advocate, I don't see why you make a distinction. It's ok that he made you buy a game but not ok if he makes you buy a warranty?
I can resell a game, I can't resell a warranty. And what's the point of having a system if you don't get a game?

I know lots of people who own systems without a warranty. Not so many who own a system without a game.
 

intogamer

Lifer
Dec 5, 2004
19,219
1
76
Do you know how much commission they get for extended warranties?????

You can probably return the warranty
 

MrCodeDude

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
13,674
1
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Originally posted by: intogamer
Do you know how much commission they get for extended warranties?????

You can probably return the warranty
I plan on it, but if they give me any flak, I want to make sure I've got some information on my side.
 

Alone

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2006
7,490
0
0
If the warranty is part of the bundle, and they're only selling the bundle, then, well, yeah.

EDIT: And why anyone wouldn't want a decent warranty on a new console is beyond me.
 
Apr 17, 2003
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Originally posted by: Quasmo
Originally posted by: sygyzy
Reading your thread title - no.

Reading the details - yes. Playing devil's advocate, I don't see why you make a distinction. It's ok that he made you buy a game but not ok if he makes you buy a warranty?

You're gonna get a game anyway.

not necessarily with the wii, i'm gonna buy a wii to play gamecube games and then over the holiday break i'll purchase wii games...
 

MrCodeDude

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
13,674
1
76
Originally posted by: Alone
If the warranty is part of the bundle, and they're only selling the bundle, then, well, yeah.

EDIT: And why anyone wouldn't want a decent warranty on a new console is beyond me.
... because you already have a warranty with the manufacturer?
 

AAjax

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2001
3,798
0
0
It depends on what state you live in, some states have laws against it because of the auto industry. As I recall in Indiana you could not (back in the dark days of my retail management career)
 

TechnoPro

Golden Member
Jul 10, 2003
1,727
0
76
No one can force you to buy one. By that same token, though, you cannot dictate to the store what components of the bundle you want or don't want. Personally, it's what i would deem an unfair practice but they are well within their rights to squeeze every last cent on these high-demand systems.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: Alone
If the warranty is part of the bundle, and they're only selling the bundle, then, well, yeah.

EDIT: And why anyone wouldn't want a decent warranty on a new console is beyond me.

Nintendo isn't known for problem consoles like Microsoft and Sony.
 

postmortemIA

Diamond Member
Jul 11, 2006
7,721
40
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BestBuy had lots of problems because this bundling policy, so they dropped it not so quietly.
 

Alone

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2006
7,490
0
0
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Alone
If the warranty is part of the bundle, and they're only selling the bundle, then, well, yeah.

EDIT: And why anyone wouldn't want a decent warranty on a new console is beyond me.

Nintendo isn't known for problem consoles like Microsoft and Sony.

Oh, I see. So they're still making quality products? Thank God. My N64 is a trooper.
 

eLiu

Diamond Member
Jun 4, 2001
6,407
1
0
Originally posted by: Alone
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Alone
If the warranty is part of the bundle, and they're only selling the bundle, then, well, yeah.

EDIT: And why anyone wouldn't want a decent warranty on a new console is beyond me.

Nintendo isn't known for problem consoles like Microsoft and Sony.

Oh, I see. So they're still making quality products? Thank God. My N64 is a trooper.

And think of how many SNES and NES consoles are still around... *pats SNES* this thing is almost 15 years old now, lol.
 

Alone

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2006
7,490
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0
And think of how many SNES and NES consoles are still around... *pats SNES* this thing is almost 15 years old now, lol.
Well...the original Nintendo isn't doing so great. Mind you...it was pretty crummy to begin with. Those cartridges, just, well, sucked.

*bang, smack, blow, bang, blow, smack, smack, smack*
It works!
 

MrCodeDude

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
13,674
1
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Originally posted by: Alone
And think of how many SNES and NES consoles are still around... *pats SNES* this thing is almost 15 years old now, lol.
Well...the original Nintendo isn't doing so great. Mind you...it was pretty crummy to begin with. Those cartridges, just, well, sucked.

*bang, smack, blow, bang, blow, smack, smack, smack*
It works!
Thanks for derailing the thread, noob.
 

Alone

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2006
7,490
0
0
Originally posted by: MrCodeDude
Originally posted by: Alone
And think of how many SNES and NES consoles are still around... *pats SNES* this thing is almost 15 years old now, lol.
Well...the original Nintendo isn't doing so great. Mind you...it was pretty crummy to begin with. Those cartridges, just, well, sucked.

*bang, smack, blow, bang, blow, smack, smack, smack*
It works!
Thanks for derailing the thread, noob.

You're quite welcome, MrCode.
 

Alone

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2006
7,490
0
0
Originally posted by: MrCodeDude
Originally posted by: postmortemIA
BestBuy had lots of problems because this bundling policy, so they dropped it not so quietly.
They just dropped it to avoid bad press?

That would make the most sense. Considering how much attention they've been getting as of late, they definitely wouldn't want the media to have anything they could slam them with.

Best bet with the warranty deal is to talk to the manager and see what he has to say.

EDIT: Oh, the manager DID say that. Interesting.
 

postmortemIA

Diamond Member
Jul 11, 2006
7,721
40
91
Originally posted by: MrCodeDude
Originally posted by: postmortemIA
BestBuy had lots of problems because this bundling policy, so they dropped it not so quietly.
They just dropped it to avoid bad press?

Well it was huge controversy last yr when XBOX360 came out... they were selling bundles and press and everybody got pissed off, so they had to fire some people (who only played along) to make it look like they actually are resolving the issue the proper way.
 

DeeKnow

Platinum Member
Jan 28, 2002
2,470
0
71
Originally posted by: MrCodeDude
Originally posted by: sygyzy
Reading your thread title - no.

Reading the details - yes. Playing devil's advocate, I don't see why you make a distinction. It's ok that he made you buy a game but not ok if he makes you buy a warranty?
I can resell a game, I can't resell a warranty. And what's the point of having a system if you don't get a game?

I know lots of people who own systems without a warranty. Not so many who own a system without a game.

that logic sucks..... there's hundreds of games out there. why is having that particular bundled game any useful ??
 

DeeKnow

Platinum Member
Jan 28, 2002
2,470
0
71
Originally posted by: MrCodeDude
Originally posted by: Alone
If the warranty is part of the bundle, and they're only selling the bundle, then, well, yeah.

EDIT: And why anyone wouldn't want a decent warranty on a new console is beyond me.
... because you already have a warranty with the manufacturer?

absolutely... any half decent product you buy is covered by a manufacturer's warranty anyway.
besides, competition law forbids any sort of bundling... this is clearly spelt out - no ifs and buts

 

BDawg

Lifer
Oct 31, 2000
11,631
2
0
Originally posted by: MrCodeDude
Originally posted by: sygyzy
Reading your thread title - no.

Reading the details - yes. Playing devil's advocate, I don't see why you make a distinction. It's ok that he made you buy a game but not ok if he makes you buy a warranty?
I can resell a game, I can't resell a warranty. And what's the point of having a system if you don't get a game?

I know lots of people who own systems without a warranty. Not so many who own a system without a game.


Ah, so it's a way to minimize system scalpers' profit! Kudos, TRU!
 

KK

Lifer
Jan 2, 2001
15,903
4
81
I'm sure legally it's okay for them to do it. Although you may wanna take it up with the manufacture to see if there is any stipulations that the retailer must follow when selling their units.