Coming up with reasons for refunds and exchanges
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I buy stuff online and in retail stores all the time. From basic stuff like bread and water to keep me alive, to stuff like gas and oil change to keep my car alive, I buy something almost everyday. Whether I buy something online or in person, the cash from my hands or my accounts disappears immediately. However, if I ever want a refund for anything, I get asked a myriad of questions as to why I would like to return an item, even if it’s for an exchange for another item in the same store.
The same cashier that last week took my credit card happily to charge it now puts on a miserable face and asks me a series of questions to know why I would be committing the horrendous act of returning an item. “What’s wrong with this shirt?” is what I’m asked, and I say “It’s smaller than I thought.” “What seems to be the problem?” they ask, to which I reply “The background light in this was too low, so I’m going to get another webcam.”
Why don’t these companies ask me similar questions when I’m buying the stuff? They’re happy to take my money instantly, but need reasons to give it back to me. How about asking me “Why are you buying this sunscreen protection?” and I could say “Because I’m going to eat it.” Or how about “Why would you want to buy this milk?” and I would say “I want to seduce kittens so I could kidnap and raise them.“
How about you? Have you ever returned an item and felt any hassle or problem in the process? Have you ever been asked questions when returning an item, yet were not asked a single question when buying that same item?
Going from buying milk to buying Sprite, here’s a macro picture of some bubbles being created inside a glass full of Sprite. The brown background is the brown table I chose for this shot.
Twitter: @makuahine :
( June 9th, 2006 at 12:40 am )
I think the biggest hassle I have had to endure was when I returned that iHome to Best Buy. I bought it for $99 then immediately afterward found a much better deal for $70 at Sam’s Club including more accessories so I took back the other one. This guy had to give me the speal about how they match prices blah blah blah and I had to make it clear that dang it, this other one has a REMOTE baby. And then I think I had to pay a 10% restocking fee or something because I don’t think I got back all my money.
Then last week I returned a pair of jeans to Walmart because I bought S the size he said only to find out they didn’t fit. The ONLY thing the cashier said to me was, "so do you want this back on your card?"
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( June 9th, 2006 at 5:07 am )
You’re lucky that you’re staying in US. In my place, we have this law called BUYERS BEWARE. Once sold considered yours. You cant exchange anything unless the product provides you a warranty.
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( June 9th, 2006 at 3:54 pm )
Hehe, I do know what you mean about returning stuff! Luckily, I never really return much stuff… I guess it’s because I take a loong time to decide if I actually want to buy it or not. LOL.
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( June 10th, 2006 at 12:33 pm )
"Why would you want to buy this bag of ice and manufactured rain?"
"I want to seduce penguins so I could kidnap and raise them."
Oh so so simple.
Nice photo.
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( June 12th, 2006 at 9:47 pm )
Valerie — > The 10% restocking fee should be illegal, or an explanation should be sought from such stores as to why such a restocking fee applies, and a breakdown of the procedure that the store has to go through, in case of any refund, that warrants such a fee. Many stores just put a sticker on the return, look at it the same way they look at exchanges, and put it back on the shelf. See, no matter what you pay, if you aren’t satisfied, you never get your full money back. What kind of logic is that? It’s logical for the company, but not for the customer.
I like the way that return of your jeans at Walmart went through; that’s how it should be. Go ahead, check if the merchandise is the same or not, and then return the money right away without any hassle.
Jerine — > Wow, yes, I remember. That’s the same case in majority of the world. Some countries I have been to, you can’t even ask for your money back a second after you handed it over. Most of the products have to be returned to the companies directly under a warranty, also, and not the shop.
Chau — > Returning stuff, like you don’t like a new guitar you bought and want to return it for a refund or maybe an exchange. Heh, I guess looking around and deciding carefully for a long time helps too.
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