returns

Vonage Sends 14 New Modems To Replace Customer's Broken One

Vonage Sends 14 New Modems To Replace Customer's Broken One

My Linh’s Vonage modem stopped working, so she called to request a replacement under the terms of her service agreement. Vonage was happy to oblige. So happy, in fact, that they sent her 14 modems instead of one via UPS—but then couldn’t figure out how to get UPS to come pick them up again. Hey, they do VOIP, not logistics.

*Guy Finds Customer Service For Bogs Walks On Water

*Guy Finds Customer Service For Bogs Walks On Water

Sergio writes in to gush about exchange service he received for Bogs waterproof shoes. The pair he ordered didn’t fit right, and the company sent him out another pair immediately, not even requiring him to send back the original order.

Man Twists Amazon's Arm, Gets It To Accept Money It Gave Away

Man Twists Amazon's Arm, Gets It To Accept Money It Gave Away

Joshua had a problem with Amazon. He and his wife bought Kindles, broke one and went for a return/exchange, in which the couple ended up with a new Kindle and $300 of Amazon’s money in its account.

Walmart Thinks Woman Is Laundry Soap Thief, Refuses Return

Walmart Thinks Woman Is Laundry Soap Thief, Refuses Return

When a soon-to-be mother realized she had bought the wrong laundry detergent at a New Mexico Walmart, she tried to return it. That didn’t work out so well, ending up with the store manager insinuating she was a con-artist who replaced the detergent with water.

Amazon Is Just Giving Money Away Now

Amazon Is Just Giving Money Away Now

It’s not often that we get an email from a reader complaining about a company that gives him money and won’t take it back, but with Amazon, anything is possible.

GM's Money Back Guarantee Comes With Lots Of Fine Print

GM's Money Back Guarantee Comes With Lots Of Fine Print

GM’s new 60-day money back guarantee (good through November 30th, 2009) on new car purchases sounds pretty straightforward—if you don’t want the car for any reason (it doesn’t have to be a good reason), you can bring it back. But it has a few rules that you should be aware of before your purchase, notes the Associated Press.

DeadlyDeal Neither Deadly Nor A Deal, Just Lame

DeadlyDeal Neither Deadly Nor A Deal, Just Lame

Brandon regrets having done business with DeadlyDeal.com earlier this year. He figured he “couldn’t go wrong” with his mystery box purchase—”after all, my dealings with Woot.com had all been more than satisfactory so far.” But DeadlyDeal is no Woot, friends. Well, except maybe in the creative writing department, because there’s no way those DeadlyDeal customer testimonies (“Thanks for my free iPhone!”) are legit.

Retail Return Databases: Fraud Deterrent Or Privacy Nightmare?

Retail Return Databases: Fraud Deterrent Or Privacy Nightmare?

No shopper wants higher prices because of excessive return fraud, but many people aren’t comfortable having their driver’s license scanned when making a return at the store, either. We’ve covered the reasons for this before, but Retail Customer Experience took a closer look.

Best Buy Will Bribe Customers To Keep Their New Fat PS3s

Best Buy Will Bribe Customers To Keep Their New Fat PS3s

The PS3 Slim is hitting stores next week, or even sooner at some stores, so it’s natural that recent buyers of older-model, fatter, more expensive PS3s will be returning their consoles en masse.

Apple Sells Old Laptop, Wants Customer To Pay To Fix Problem

Apple Sells Old Laptop, Wants Customer To Pay To Fix Problem

Will thought he was buying the newest MacBook Pro model—that’s what it said on the box and on the receipt. After he’d set it up, he discovered it was a previous model, so he took it back to the glass box Apple Store on Fifth Ave in NYC to get the version he paid for. Now Apple wants him to pay $100 to transfer his data over to the new laptop. But hey, he shouldn’t complain, because they’re “waiving” the restocking fee!

Motherhood Maternity Misplaces Misdirected Merchandise

Motherhood Maternity Misplaces Misdirected Merchandise

Three months ago, I ordered a batch of maternity clothes from the Gap and Motherhood Maternity. Unfortunately, when I returned the pieces that didn’t fit – I mixed up the returns! The Gap immediately returned the shipment meant for Motherhood, but Motherhood did not. In emails they have claimed to have 1. never received it (I sent the UPS delivering confirmation), then they claimed to have sent it back (I asked for tracking info what was never supplied), then they just quit answering emails. I reported them to the BBB saying – yes, this was my mistake but they still should have returned it – and they told the BBB that no proof was every supplied that the items were sent to them (I resent the email thread and the delivery confirmation).

Watch Out For Throttling If You're On A Blockbuster Rental Plan

Watch Out For Throttling If You're On A Blockbuster Rental Plan

Robert’s recent experience with his local Blockbuster just underscores how ill-equipped the rental chain is to compete against Netflix and new-star-on-the-block Redbox. Whether Robert has caught them deliberately throttling his account, or he’s just the victim of a poorly implemented system, it’s not the kind of customer experience you should have to settle for anymore.

Why Is This Store Scanning My Driver's License?

Why Is This Store Scanning My Driver's License?

Ed went to return a pair of shoes to Finish Line because they were the wrong size. As part of the exchange, the sales associate took Ed’s driver’s license and scanned it, and he wondered why.

CircuitCity.com Reborn As… Circuit City!

CircuitCity.com Reborn As… Circuit City!

CircuitCity.com is back, and it looks eerily familiar. The zombie website is now controlled by Systemax, the same folks who own Tiger Direct. Though the new site may look similar to the old, no doubt part of Systemax’s goal to keep alive a “proud brand that America has grown to count on,” it isn’t nearly as consumer-friendly as we would like…

HealthyBack Forces Free Pillows On Customer, Then Charges Him $120

HealthyBack Forces Free Pillows On Customer, Then Charges Him $120

Tony bought a Tempur-Pedic mattress from healthyback.com last December, and they sent him two pillows as a “free gift.” Tony didn’t want the pillows, but HealthyBack refused to take them back, and assured him they were part of a promotion.

No More Free Online Returns From Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Atheleta

No More Free Online Returns From Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Atheleta

Reader Joe sent us a tip that Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Atheleta have changed their online return policy. “They now deduct 6$ from the return refund, no questions asked… ” he wrote. Well, that’s not exactly it. Here’s the official word from Gap Inc.

Verizon Loses The Broken Phone You Returned, Suspends Your Service

Verizon Loses The Broken Phone You Returned, Suspends Your Service

Luis dropped his busted LG EnV in the mail at the end of last year and tracked its progress as FedEx delivered the package to Verizon. Verizon, apparently unfamiliar with tracking numbers, doesn’t believe that Luis ever returned the phone, and insists that they’re owed a $320 replacement fee. Luis disputed the charge, but rather than investigate his claim, Verizon decided it would be easier to suspend his service. Now they want Luis—a customer of seven years who pays over $350 across six phone lines each month—to pay another $15 to reconnect the service they should never have disconnected in the first place. He writes:

"Box Of Rocks" Scam Caught On Walmart Security Camera

"Box Of Rocks" Scam Caught On Walmart Security Camera

Here’s another “I bought a box of rocks!” story, only this time there’s proof that the victim wasn’t pulling a dirty trick on Walmart. Instead, it was someone before her who bought and then returned a Nintendo DS, only they swapped out the unit with rocks before making the return.