Do consumers have any protection in the U.S.???

[Nuieve]

Why do we always have to pay for return shipping of defective items?

Why do we let stores get HUGE profits by charging us restocking fees? (by selling the same defective units over and over again)

I've been receiving way too many defective computer parts in the last year, and it really got to me. I want to know if there's a law that can support me in my claims to have full refunds including full return shipping compensation? Any organisation, that you can file a claim with? (not BBB, but a real, that could prosecute the store if they ignore the claim)

I checked google, but didn't find anything specific.

 

[her209]

Should the store have to pay for your gas that you used driving back to the store to return the POS?

 

[FoBoT]

if the policy is stated up front, then it is your choice to do business with them or not

your choice

free enterprise, no one is forcing you to buy from a store that has a 15% restocking fee policy

 

[d3n]

Consumer protection in most states lies with the states attorney generals office.

 

[FleshLight]

Shipping is not part of the product. It is simply them using a middleman to get the product from warehouse to your door. Why should they have to reimburse that?

 

[chambersc]

If you don't like a companies policy, don't shop there. That's the best consumer protection ever.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Stop buying "open box" parts from Akbar & Jeff's Komputer Hutt. Problem solved.

I've had to RMA 1 video card in 5-6 years of buying from Newegg for both home and work systems.

You pay less for every part you buy, but in exchange you pay return shipping to RMA parts and restocking fees if you screw up and buy something you change your mind about later. That's how people have voted with their wallets, so almost every vendor sells that way.

 

[Double Trouble]

Yes, the 'protection' is called "choice". If you don't like the return policy or the way a store handles its customers, you are free to purchase somewhere else. Heck, if you think there's a much better way, you are free to open your own competing store.

 

[spidey07]

Marked for ownage.

 

[Nuieve]

"Choosing a store" is a passive defense. It's avoiding problems not solving them. And this exactly approach by many of us, sheep, is what lets these policies exist. Basically there's a law that has manufacturers accountable for all defected (both in production and design) products it's just noone seems to use it for small cases. I bet if there were a few lawsuits against stores for selling such items, they'd be more careful and probably wouldn't keep all kind of crap in stock. And yes shipping is not a part of the product, but it's part of the financial damage caused by the damaged item.

Restocking charges are basically a form of scam... They just have to be outlawed. I wish... *sigh*

 

[ElFenix]

WWYBYWB?


and yes, that is solving a problem, because if enough people get fed up the invisible hand of the market will solve it for them.


it's like how the limeys all thought the bar they frequented were cheating them, so the government made a regulation requiring machines to measure out exact amounts of alcohol for each drink. when the dumbasses could have gone to a bar that offered a better pour, hitting the barkeeps where it hurts most.

 

[FoBoT]

what are you , some kind of communist?

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Nuieve
Restocking charges are basically a form of scam... They just have to be outlawed. I wish... *sigh*

No, restocking charges protect the retailer from morons who abuse return policies.

Only a very small percentage of returned items are actually defective. The defective items are returned to the manufacturer. The items that are tested OK, are re-sold as "Open Box" items for below retail price. The store cannot be expected to simply absorb this difference, nor can the store be expected to be held liable for consumers who cannot make the product work properly or who are deliberately trying to defraud the store.

The vast majority of stores I've done business with only charge restocking fees on items that are returned open but undamaged. If they verify the item as defective, they will usually exchange it for a new item and waive the re-stocking fee.

ZV

 

[chrisms]

It goes both ways. I've returned items to stores simply because I changed my mind. As Zemmervolt said, although I think he called me a moron, is correct that the store has to absorb the cost involved in my returning items. Now this hasn't happened very often but neither has a company screwing me over on a return, so when that has happened I'd say we're about even.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: chrisms
It goes both ways. I've returned items to stores simply because I changed my mind. As Zemmervolt said, although I think he called me a moron, is correct that the store has to absorb the cost involved in my returning items. Now this hasn't happened very often but neither has a company screwing me over on a return, so when that has happened I'd say we're about even.

No, changing your mind isn't abusing the policy.

The morons are the people who have a video card die and order an expensive one via mail, but buy a cheap card from a local store to use until the mail-order card arrives, then they return the cheap card claiming that it didn't work right or something. Or the people who buy a TV before the superbowl and then return it afterwards.

People do change their minds, and people do make mistakes, but there are a lot of people out there who set out from the beginning to defraud stores and those people are the "morons" I was talking about.

I apologise if I gave a different impression.

ZV

 

[PAB]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: chrisms
It goes both ways. I've returned items to stores simply because I changed my mind. As Zemmervolt said, although I think he called me a moron, is correct that the store has to absorb the cost involved in my returning items. Now this hasn't happened very often but neither has a company screwing me over on a return, so when that has happened I'd say we're about even.

No, changing your mind isn't abusing the policy.

The morons are the people who have a video card die and order an expensive one via mail, but buy a cheap card from a local store to use until the mail-order card arrives, then they return the cheap card claiming that it didn't work right or something. Or the people who buy a TV before the superbowl and then return it afterwards.

People do change their minds, and people do make mistakes, but there are a lot of people out there who set out from the beginning to defraud stores and those people are the "morons" I was talking about.

I apologise if I gave a different impression.

ZV

He raises a point.

Frys in Sunnyvale dosent sell cameras. They merely rent them.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: Nuieve
Why do we always have to pay for return shipping of defective items?

Why do we let stores get HUGE profits by charging us restocking fees? (by selling the same defective units over and over again)

I've been receiving way too many defective computer parts in the last year, and it really got to me. I want to know if there's a law that can support me in my claims to have full refunds including full return shipping compensation? Any organisation, that you can file a claim with? (not BBB, but a real, that could prosecute the store if they ignore the claim)

I checked google, but didn't find anything specific.

SUcks you don't ahve Fry's and Costco?

Cuz I love those 2 stores. Best Buy is a joke. FVCK their 15% restocking fee.

Originally posted by: PAB

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: chrisms
It goes both ways. I've returned items to stores simply because I changed my mind. As Zemmervolt said, although I think he called me a moron, is correct that the store has to absorb the cost involved in my returning items. Now this hasn't happened very often but neither has a company screwing me over on a return, so when that has happened I'd say we're about even.

No, changing your mind isn't abusing the policy.

The morons are the people who have a video card die and order an expensive one via mail, but buy a cheap card from a local store to use until the mail-order card arrives, then they return the cheap card claiming that it didn't work right or something. Or the people who buy a TV before the superbowl and then return it afterwards.

People do change their minds, and people do make mistakes, but there are a lot of people out there who set out from the beginning to defraud stores and those people are the "morons" I was talking about.

I apologise if I gave a different impression.

ZV

He raises a point.

Frys in Sunnyvale dosent sell cameras. They merely rent them.

Are you serious? I thought Costco does that... I've only abused Fry's for LCDs and hard drives, and basically it's very rare because I like Fry's.

 

[shoRunner]

go jump in a well troll

 

[McCarthy]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
what are you , some kind of communist?

Looks like one to me.
I'm telling Joe.

 

[soydios]

Consumers' protection? Collective vote with the wallet.

For example:
I buy all my computer parts from Newegg. I will never buy anything from TigerDirect again (I'll omit the story). Newegg, with its straightforward and transparent website and ordering process, along with awesome customer service, gets my money. TigerDirect does not, but TigerDirect wants me to buy from them, so they'll try to be more like Newegg. Competition is beneficial for the consumer.

 

[Wheezer]

I love it when people come here looking for empathy for stupid sh*t

 

[mwtgg]

So... if companies were forced to eat losses on returned merchandise and shipping fees (both ways for an exchange, right?)... where do you think they'd make that loss up? I mean, they surely wouldn't tack that on top of the price of the item in the first place, that's just insanity!

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Nuieve
Why do we always have to pay for return shipping of defective items?

Why do we let stores get HUGE profits by charging us restocking fees? (by selling the same defective units over and over again)

I've been receiving way too many defective computer parts in the last year, and it really got to me. I want to know if there's a law that can support me in my claims to have full refunds including full return shipping compensation? Any organisation, that you can file a claim with? (not BBB, but a real, that could prosecute the store if they ignore the claim)

I checked google, but didn't find anything specific.

What store charges a restocking fee if you return an item for an exchange? I've never heard of that. I assume since you mention defective units that you'd be exchanging for a working one. If you return an item that is not defective just because you decide you don't want it anymore, they have every right to charge a restocking fee.

If you are consistently getting defective computer parts, I think you're either buying from crappy sellers or there is something wrong with your computer (not the parts)

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: chrisms
It goes both ways. I've returned items to stores simply because I changed my mind. As Zemmervolt said, although I think he called me a moron, is correct that the store has to absorb the cost involved in my returning items. Now this hasn't happened very often but neither has a company screwing me over on a return, so when that has happened I'd say we're about even.

No, changing your mind isn't abusing the policy.

The morons are the people who have a video card die and order an expensive one via mail, but buy a cheap card from a local store to use until the mail-order card arrives, then they return the cheap card claiming that it didn't work right or something. Or the people who buy a TV before the superbowl and then return it afterwards.

People do change their minds, and people do make mistakes, but there are a lot of people out there who set out from the beginning to defraud stores and those people are the "morons" I was talking about.

I apologise if I gave a different impression.

ZV

I'd say that if a person buys an expensive electronic item, opens it, uses it, then decides it's not what they want, that's borderline abuse. Return policies don't exist so you can not bother to learn about what you're buying before you buy it.

If you buy a pair of shorts, try them on at home and return them new with tags, that's no big deal.

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Nuieve
Why do we always have to pay for return shipping of defective items?

Why do we let stores get HUGE profits by charging us restocking fees? (by selling the same defective units over and over again)

I've been receiving way too many defective computer parts in the last year, and it really got to me. I want to know if there's a law that can support me in my claims to have full refunds including full return shipping compensation? Any organisation, that you can file a claim with? (not BBB, but a real, that could prosecute the store if they ignore the claim)

I checked google, but didn't find anything specific.

What store charges a restocking fee if you return an item for an exchange? I've never heard of that. I assume since you mention defective units that you'd be exchanging for a working one. If you return an item that is not defective just because you decide you don't want it anymore, they have every right to charge a restocking fee.

If you are consistently getting defective computer parts, I think you're either buying from crappy sellers or there is something wrong with your computer (not the parts)

valid point. If you exchange the product for the same one, intentions seem honest.
Don't get used to Costco or Fry's. Too many people abuse this. I know someone that has been upgrading their digitial SLR for about 5 years via Costco return policy.