What does stores do with returned electrioncs ?

[302efi]

I've always wondered this, but what does all the dept stores do with all the returned (broken/defective) consoles, TV, games...ect ?

Are these auctioned off in lots or returned to the manufacture/dist ?

I seen a PS3 and a big LCD TV in the returned section the other night at Walmart with "Broken" on them, so I was wondering...lol

If they are auctioned, is this public ?....Care to point me to a link ?

 

[EricMartello]

They are sold as new on newegg.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Sold as refurbished at newegg, fry's, buy, etc...

 

[302efi]

So they get fixed or are they just put right back up for sale once the new owner or store gets them ?

Who repairs them ?

Wheres the auctions ?

 

[JohnCU]

what does they do?

 

[EricMartello]

Actually, it depends on whether the product was "doa" or if it was damaged by the consumer. If it is a DOA return, they can group it together with a batch of other DOA products and return it to the distributor/manufacturer for a credit on their purchasing account. If it's damaged by the consumer they either sell it as a refurb or junk it and eat the loss if it's unsellable. Electronics retail is a fail business...super thin margins, super high competition. LOL @ Newegg only making $140 million on $2 billion in sales. What a joke.

 

[SandEagle]

http://www.bizauctions.com/howitworks.shtml

 

[Kalmah]

From my understanding after working at circuit city for 3 years(I didn't work customer service so I'm not 100% sure on this..)

If it's defective, it's returned to the manufacturer followed by a replacement/refund being sent. The manufacturer then does the repairs or whatever..

If it's defective and is covered by retailers extended warranties, retailers have contractor repair services that they send the unit to to get fixed.

If it works fine, as is just returned.. it is inspected then placed back out for sale as an 'open box' with a cheaper price and an extended return policy.

 

[Nik]

They're typically sent back to the manufacturer. The manufacturer sells X-number of units to the store and ships to the store. The store shelves those units and sells them. If one comes back that they can simply put back on the shelf, they'll resell it. However, if the package is open and contents jumbled, the item is usually shipped back to the manufacturer for a refund or replacement. The manufacturer then recycles the pristine parts back into the packaging system to be sold to another retailer, fixes up a broken unit and sells it as refurb, etc.

 

[grrl]

It depends upon the arrangement they have with the manufacturers. When I worked in an electronics store, small items (and all Samsung products) were returned to the manufacturer for credit, while most big items were sent out for repair, then sold as returned goods (or, when possible, repackaged and sold as new). The manufacturers destroy some returned product, but in some cases repair them and then sell them as refurbs.

 

[302efi]

I never knew manufacturers sell directly to a certain store ? For instance Walmart, so Sony sends PS3 units to each Walmat, and if any get returned as being DOA, individual Walmart stores send back each unit directly to Sony ?

 

[Kadarin]

Fry's will put the item back in the box as best as possible, shrink wrap it up, put a "previously opened" sticker on it, and put it back on the shelf.

 

[ultimatebob]

Fry's will put the item back in the box as best as possible, shrink wrap it up, put a "previously opened" sticker on it, and put it back on the shelf.

Yep... that's what they'll usually do, whether or not it actually works

 

[Modelworks]

Most manufacturers have a refurbisher on contract. Once a product leaves the factory it never returns. Instead when an item fails it is returned to the contractor to decide if it is broken, worth repair or junk. The things is when I worked with GE I managed a refurb and warranty center for them and I would say 95% of the items we got there was nothing wrong with them . That is why I buy refurbished products all the time without fear. Most of the time it is customers wanting a refund but are afraid that if they tell the store they just changed their mind or didn't want it that the store wouldn't refund the money.

 

[lxskllr]

Fry's will put the item back in the box as best as possible, shrink wrap it up, put a "previously opened" sticker on it, and put it back on the shelf.

That's what BestBuy always did too. I generally don't mind open box; dings and scratches don't bother me, but putting something that's never been tested on the shelf is bullshit. Twice I bought open box from BestBuy, and twice I had to take the items back because they didn't work, and the most brain dead person in the world would have seen that if they had even tried it out. I got my money back, but it's a PITA driving back to the store, when I shouldn't have had to.

 

[Modelworks]

That's what BestBuy always did too. I generally don't mind open box; dings and scratches don't bother me, but putting something that's never been tested on the shelf is bullshit. Twice I bought open box from BestBuy, and twice I had to take the items back because they didn't work, and the most brain dead person in the world would have seen that if they had even tried it out. I got my money back, but it's a PITA driving back to the store, when I shouldn't have had to.

It is also against a lot of manufacturers rules. GE has or had, this was about 10 years ago , a strict policy that if a customer returned an item claiming it was broken it had to be returned to them. Once the box seal was broken it was no longer to be resold.