Terry would like to return his new 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche with only 70 miles on it. The only problem is that when he drove it back to the dealership, they found an empty lot. The dealership had gone out of business.
returns
The Big Box Project
By 1.19.07
- This site is a result of my customer service experience with the Microsoft Xbox 360 support/repair team. My 360 failed for the second time in 6 months but this time the service has changed… without warning. According to their “highest tiered” phone agent, Microsoft has exercised their “right to change the terms and conditions” of my warranty without notification. Upon first failure I received an empty box in the mail to return the damaged goods in, shipping covered. This time the cost of shipping falls upon me and, apparently, there is no other option. I pressed and pressed and pleaded my case but I was assured there are no exceptions. Well, since they can’t help me out and cover the cost of an empty box, they are going to be receiving and returning the biggest damn box they have ever seen. I won’t spend 15 dollars but I’ll spend 15,000 dollars to prove my point and expose their conniving ways.
Scooba Fears The Consumerist
By 1.15.07
Jennifer invokes the name of The Consumerist when Scooba customer service starts back talking, and gets ’em to bend over like lil’ robo bitches.
Macy’s Wants Your Social Security Number For A Gift Card Return
By 1.11.07
Reader George writes in because Macy’s asked his wife for her Social Security Number when she tried to return a pair of jeans she bought online with a gift card. No, she wasn’t trying to get cash back. Yes, she had all the documentation from Macys.com.
HOW TO: Have Happy Returns
By 1.2.07
The tree is shedding needles and the cheap champagne hangover has faded along with your memory, which means it’s time to think about returning all those crappy gifts you got. Consumer Reports Shopping blog has some tips on making your returns happy:
Returns Gone Wild: Up To 30% of Merchandise Comes Back
By 12.26.06
The most common form of retail fraud is the return of stolen merchandise, and now, in the return season, is the time stores need to watch for it. And who pays the price? You. With stricter return policies. “According to most industry estimates, shoppers in the United States will return about $100 billion of merchandise this year, and about 9 percent of the returns will be fraudulent.”
Many Unhappy Returns
By 12.26.06
Mouse Print’s got a roundup of some of the stricter return policies.
Help! Get Our Dell Back!
By 12.16.06
- Please tell me there’s a way to get our laptop back (and fixed) from Dell?
EXCLUSIVE: Costco To Make Return Policy Stricter?
By 12.9.06
Costco is making its liberal return policies stricter, according to a little birdy. Previously, you could return anything, except computers, at anytime, with or without a receipt.
Happy Returns Mean Happy Returning Customers
By 12.9.06
Our favorite? “Wardrobing.” This is the retail industry term describing the practice of a consumer wearing a piece of clothing once and returning it; it’s especially common with prom and other special-occasion attire. Yay for girls at a dance with the tag still on the dress. This was probably pretty common at our prom, which we did not attend. Actually, never mind that, the dresses probably still had the security tags on, if you know what we mean. —MEGHANN MARCO
Meghann Will Ship Her Broken DVD Player Back
By 12.7.06
The people have spoken. Meghann will ship her broken DVD player, not make a video of her smashing it. Spoilsports.
What To Do If A Store Blacklists You From Making Returns
By 12.6.06
Speaking of making returns, retailers are placing some serial returners on blacklists. This is mainly to prevent abuse, like these scammers who stole over a million dollars from Home Depot in fraudulent returns, but sometimes legitimate consumers can find themselves on the return blacklist. Based on first-hand experience, Become’s Pocket Change tells us how to get off the list. — BEN POPKEN
Retailers’ Return Policies
By 12.6.06
Retailers are getting stricter with their return policies this year. If you’re not hot about the Marshmallow Shooter or Toshiba SD-4990 DVD Player grams got you, keep the receipt and don’t take it out of the package. Here’s the return policies of some of the major retailers. — BEN POPKEN
What Should Meghann Do With Her Brokeass Woot DVD Player?
By 12.6.06
After Meghann pitched her woe about getting a Woot!ed DVD player that wouldn’t turn on, we tried to convince her to do ship it back to Toshiba.
Woot: Thanks for the Broken DVD Player
By 12.6.06
We’ve been a member of Woot since Feb ’05, but until the other day, we never saw anything we needed. Then our DVD player broke, and Woot had one, and it was like 40 bucks, and so we finally tried Woot!
Sending Broken Stuff Back Really Works
By 10.13.06
A few weeks ago we posted about how instead of throwing out broken gear, try mailing it back to the manufacturer with a nice note, and they may just very well send you a new one.
