Exchange at Sharper Image. Did I make the right decision?

jonnyGURU

Moderator <BR> Power Supplies
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Oct 30, 1999
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When my baby was born, I bought the Sharper Image baby monitor. No doubt it was the best on the market. Where other monitors were black and white tubes, this was a color LCD. It was also more portable than all of the others.

Unfortunately, it died soon after I bought it. It would work on battery power, but not with the AC adapter. I bought another AC Adapter and it still didn't work, so I returned the monitor and got another. After about 10 months, the new one died in the same manner. Once again I took it back to Sharper Image and they exchanged it, but I don't get a new one year warranty with each exchange, so this new one would be out of warranty in a few weeks. I bought a service plan for it for $50. Cheaper than a new baby monitor, right?

Another 10 months later, this third one died too. And in the exact same way as the first two! I went back to Sharper Image to exchange it using my service plan, but they told me they were out of them and would only be able to give me a refurbished one in exchange. I didn't want a refurbished one as a replacement. I expected a new one.

The other option was a store credit for the full purchase amount of the monitor. A whole $269, which isn't so bad considering I bought it almost two years ago, but I would lose the money I invested in the service plan. I thought about it and decided that if it wasn't for the service plan, I'd be screwed now anyways! Count my blessings.

I told them I'd take the store credit, they gave me a gift card and I left.

When I got home, I wen't to Sharper Image's website and found the monitor there for only $107 refurbed! That's cheaper than all of the black and white CRT versions that are out there and it still had a 1 year warranty! I was happy and pissed off the same time.

I was pissed off because they jack-leg at the store was going to give me one of these refurbs "even Steven" when I paid more than twice as much for it in the first place. The only benefit is I would still have my service plan (which still had more than 2 years on it.)

But by using the gift card on-line, I can get the refurb monitor with a one-year warranty (only shorting me by a little more than a year from what I had on my service contract) and if I'm lucky and it dies too, it dies the same way as the others and I can still use batteries. I can then use the other $162 on other stuff. Ionic Breeze, anyone?

On the other hand, I thought about storming back into the store, pointing out that the refurb cost $162 less than what I paid and that if that was the only way to get mine replaced, demand to get a credit for the difference and keep my service contract active.

Any thoughts?
 

IGBT

Lifer
Jul 16, 2001
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..I have the Ionic Breeze device..poorly rated and after a few years of service the thing is a noisy POS. Can't properly clean it even though the dust collectors are removable. The cage is loaded up with dust and arcs and sparks. Tried blowing it out but still arcs and hisses.. Getting ready to leave it at the curb. Had a few other sharper image ionic cleaners and they all failed. The fine wires that are on the high voltage 2ndary all broke which makes the device usless. That's my experience with the gadget store junk..needless to say I won't buy anymore sharper image gadgets.
 

Kelvrick

Lifer
Feb 14, 2001
18,422
5
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Ask em and see what they do.

If they dont', then go online and buy it. Or, you could try making a fuss since a store with such an "upscale" image wouldn't want other customers to see how how unhappy you were.
 

FleshLight

Diamond Member
Mar 18, 2004
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I'd take a hint, research a little more and buy from a different company. What if the monitor decides to die during a real emergency?
 

Yzzim

Lifer
Feb 13, 2000
11,990
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What does the service contact state? You read the service contract before you purchased it, right? Does the service contract state that Sharper Image will replace your item with a new item or with a refurb?
 

Yzzim

Lifer
Feb 13, 2000
11,990
1
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Originally posted by: FleshLight
I'd take a hint, research a little more and buy from a different company. What if the monitor decides to die during a real emergency?

Yeah...and why would you buy a a refurb when you've already had THREE monitors die on you?
 

Looney

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
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I'm surprised they were giving you new units in the first place. What's the difference between them fixing your 2 yr old device, and giving you a refurb device that may or may not have been used before, but is working now?
 
Nov 5, 2001
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Originally posted by: Yzzim
Originally posted by: FleshLight
I'd take a hint, research a little more and buy from a different company. What if the monitor decides to die during a real emergency?

Yeah...and why would you buy a a refurb when you've already had THREE monitors die on you?

 

jonnyGURU

Moderator <BR> Power Supplies
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Oct 30, 1999
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Why do I think I should get a new one: Because I got new one's in the past and the contract states that I get a replacement of equal or greater value. If a refurb costs less than half the price of a new one, that's lesser value.

Why do I want another Sharper Image monitor: Can't find another with a color LCD and is NEARLY as portable as this one. Even the refurb has a one year warranty, just like all of the other brands out there. So if it dies within the year warranty, I swap it out. If it dies afterwards, I throw it out. Or, if it dies the same way as the others where it quits working with the AC Adapters but still works with batteries, I'll just use batteries.
 
Aug 26, 2004
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Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
Why do I think I should get a new one: Because I got new one's in the past and the contract states that I get a replacement of equal or lesser value. If a refurb costs less than half the price of a new one, that's lesser value.

Why do I want another Sharper Image monitor: Can't find another with a color LCD and is NEARLY as portable as this one. Even the refurb has a one year warranty, just like all of the other brands out there. So if it dies within the year warranty, I swap it out. If it dies afterwards, I throw it out. Or, if it dies the same way as the others where it quits working with the AC Adapters but still works with batteries, I'll just use batteries.

well if it says equal or lesser value...and you get one of lesser value...they have fulfilled their end of the contract...
 

So

Lifer
Jul 2, 2001
25,923
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Originally posted by: Wanescotting
Am I the only one that thinks "The Sharper Image" sells items that are mostly "show" and no go?

Yes, everyone else thinks that the sharper image sells things that are all show and no go.

I've never spent $1 there and I don't think I ever will.
 

Drakkon

Diamond Member
Aug 14, 2001
8,401
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Originally posted by: So
Originally posted by: Wanescotting
Am I the only one that thinks "The Sharper Image" sells items that are mostly "show" and no go?

Yes, everyone else thinks that the sharper image sells things that are all show and no go.

I've never spent $1 there and I don't think I ever will.
agreed...if ur gullible enough to think you need a $200 machine that "ionizes" air and a $300 baby monitor needs an LCD screen in color then sharper image is made for you....the rest of us will go to walmart and find a fan and walkie talkies for $10 total :p

 

jjones

Lifer
Oct 9, 2001
15,424
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Originally posted by: So
Originally posted by: Wanescotting
Am I the only one that thinks "The Sharper Image" sells items that are mostly "show" and no go?

Yes, everyone else thinks that the sharper image sells things that are all show and no go.

I've never spent $1 there and I don't think I ever will.
:beer:

 

jonnyGURU

Moderator <BR> Power Supplies
Moderator
Oct 30, 1999
11,815
104
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Originally posted by: quakefiend420

well if it says equal or lesser value...and you get one of lesser value...they have fulfilled their end of the contract...

Oops. I meant equal or GREATER value is what the contract said. That's why I got it. I figured that they wouldn't be making this thing forever, but didn't want something cheaper if they had to replace it under the service contract.

Wow. Some of you guys are realy brilliant with your responses. :( Trust me, once you use a color baby monitor, you appreciate it. I've used the "walkie talkies." You hear stuff and you have no idea what the sound is. I mean, if it's just the kid rolling around in bed, I'm not going to worry about it But if it's the sound of the kid falling out of the bed, we've got a problem. The B&amp;W monitors aren't so bad as long as they have night vision, but the CRT's are so bulky. They're not really portable at all. Having the color is nice because when Chantel covers herself up with a bunch of stuffed animals, I can differentiate them from her.

I agree that Sharper Image is mostly useless "toys," but for those saying I'm a fool for buying this monitor just because it came from Sharper Image are pretty dense yourselves. You can't find this thing anywhere else, or anything even close to it. It wasn't that expensive to start with (when other B&amp;W CRT monitors cost $150 to $200) and it does serve a purpose.

Maybe I don't "need" to watch the kid so closely, but consider it an investement in a sense of security. Let me guess. You other guys don't have a car because a bicycle does the same thing. You don't fly to other parts of the country when you can hitchhike. You don't own a refrigerator because canned food tastes just as good. Am I right?

Oh wait... Who am I talking to. You wouldn't own a computer because a pocket calculator and a library card is adequate. :disgust:

 

Drakkon

Diamond Member
Aug 14, 2001
8,401
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Your a FOOL for adamently denfending a place that sold you a defective product not once, not twice, not 3 times, but ultimately 4 times, and now asking here if you made the right decision.
Secondly Sharper Image isn't the only place that sells their stuff, they take stuff you can find all over the place online (usually on ebay sellers) and mark it up 100-200%...in other words you can find other places that sell the same junk all over the place and for a considerable markdown.
Thridly, yes, i was that guy u speak of in college...no car, no flights, no fridge, and even no comp in the beginning (the library was nice) it was a nice way of living. You learn only to spend your money on the necessities and to shop around for the best deal and to not be so gulible as to buy from companies like sharper image that are nothing but hype.