Return Refused

[ChopChop]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

I purchased a BIG LCD TV from Costco and I accidently scratched the bottom of it and broke off a small plastic piece of the frame. The TV still works perfectly...no scratches on the screen, no cracks, or any damage to the actual screen.

Due to financial reasons, I could not keep the TV and I needed to return it to the store, but the store manager refused to accept the return. Costco's policy clearly states at the store, online, everywhere that, "We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell with a full refund. The following must be returned within 90 days of purchase for a refund: televisions, projectors, computers, cameras, camcorders, touchscreen tablets, MP3 players and cellular phones."

THAT IS IT!!! That is Costco's entire return policy! No joke!

By the way, I have only owned the TV for 45 days, so I am well within the 90 day return policy. Okay, I damaged a small portion of the TV...my fault, but based upon Costco's return policy, do they have to accept it. Notice the words, "We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell with a full refund." I am not satisifed, based upon the lack of durability of their product. I know its a BS answer, but does it fly? Do I have a case? Keep in mind, its not my return policy, but Costco's policy AND I AM NOT SATISFIED!

 

[swalsh411]

How are you not satisfied? You just made a poor financial decision.

Try calling the Corporate number. If you are not happy with their response you are free not to renew your membership. You could also try suing them but I don't see you winning.

No reasonable person would expect a store to accept a damaged TV for a refund.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Sorry, you don't get to break the product before becoming unsatisfied. It must be returned in its original condition. You were not satisfied based on your inability to afford it.

 

[ecmst12]

Try ebay/craigs list. You might be able to sell it and get some of your money back, even with the damage.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

I agree with calling the corporate number. If the return policy is silent on the condition of the item being returned, the policy may be a policy to allow the return, regardless of the condition.

I've seen Home Depot refund money to a woman for a lawn mower that they never carried.

Similarly, Sears and Snap-On have always replaced hand tools, regardless of the cause of the breakage. I heard of a Snap-On driver refusing to replace a clearly abused tool. The abuser told the boss, who refused told the driver to find someone else to service the account. The next driver replaced the abused tool.

 

[Antigone*]

You are not satisfied because you broke the television. Sell the piece of junk privately.

 

[BL]

That policy does not include damaged items you caused.

 

[Antigone*]

That policy does not include damaged items you caused.

Then his remedy is to sue Costo. (Like that will go anywhere).

I can see it now.

"Judge I broke the TV, and in addition to that I bit off more than I can chew and since my house is in forclosure, I won't have a place to watch my fancy 80" TV anyway."

 

[racer72]

Similarly, Sears and Snap-On have always replaced hand tools, regardless of the cause of the breakage. I heard of a Snap-On driver refusing to replace a clearly abused tool. The abuser told the boss, who refused told the driver to find someone else to service the account. The next driver replaced the abused tool.

Snap On's return policy specifically excludes tools that have been abused or otherwise used in a manner that was not designed. If the rep replaced the tool, the cost likely came out of his own pocket as a goodwill measure. Sears policy is the same, I buy a lot of used tools and Sears has refused to replace some do to obvious neglect or abuse. Of course, none of this has anything to do with TV's or anything electronic. Even Snap On and Craftsman have limited warranties on all of their electronic items, none of them have lifetime warranties.

 

[sandyclaus]

I know from personal experience that Costco's return policy for electronics is one of the most generous in the industry, and it tends to make it one of the most abused as well. They will, indeed, accept returns for items that are broken or damaged by the user, and rarely ask any questions or refuse to accept the returned items. However, due to the increase in abuse of the policy, if a customer is a habitual returner, i.e., returns a large quantity of the items they purchase, then Costco is now starting to refuse the returns on that basis alone.

Given OP's extensive knowledge of the return policy, as well as a clear intent to use and abuse that return policy, it seems to me this is probably NOT his first time returning a broken item to the store. I'll just bet that Costco has labeled them as one of those habitual returners, and is now restricting their right to return just any old item - especially one that is quite obviously not defective and was most likely damaged by the consumer.

 

[LdiJ]

I know from personal experience that Costco's return policy for electronics is one of the most generous in the industry, and it tends to make it one of the most abused as well. They will, indeed, accept returns for items that are broken or damaged by the user, and rarely ask any questions or refuse to accept the returned items. However, due to the increase in abuse of the policy, if a customer is a habitual returner, i.e., returns a large quantity of the items they purchase, then Costco is now starting to refuse the returns on that basis alone.

Given OP's extensive knowledge of the return policy, as well as a clear intent to use and abuse that return policy, it seems to me this is probably NOT his first time returning a broken item to the store. I'll just bet that Costco has labeled them as one of those habitual returners, and is now restricting their right to return just any old item - especially one that is quite obviously not defective and was most likely damaged by the consumer.

There is actually a little more to it. Costco (and other big retailers) could afford to be so generous with their return policy because they could force the manufacturers to take the ultimate financial responsibility for anything that was returned to them, whether it was actually defective or not. Manufacturers have begun to be fed up with policies like that and are begining to refuse to accept returns of merchandise that did not have an actual manufacturer's defect. So, its kind of a double whammy.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

Manufacturers have begun to be fed up with policies like that and are begining to refuse to accept returns of merchandise that did not have an actual manufacturer's defect.

There are only a few manufacturers that have that much power.

When I was working in Consumer Good, the retailer simply notified us that the goods had been returned, deducted the price (plus a penalty) from the next invoice, and said if we didn't like it, we could simply stop selling to them.

My favorite was when the VP of sales was calling on K-Mart. They demanded a 33% decrease in price after the price of plastic dropped 33%. They had refused any increase when the cost of plastic increased 50%. Before the materials decrease, we were selling these items for less than the cost of the materials in them.

The buyer said to the VP "I know you just build a new factory to make these for us, so you can't refuse us. Doing so will force you to close that factory". The VP asked to use the phone, called the plant manager of the new factory and said "Switch over to Wal-Mart".

 

[LdiJ]

There are only a few manufacturers that have that much power.

When I was working in Consumer Good, the retailer simply notified us that the goods had been returned, deducted the price (plus a penalty) from the next invoice, and said if we didn't like it, we could simply stop selling to them.

My favorite was when the VP of sales was calling on K-Mart. They demanded a 33% decrease in price after the price of plastic dropped 33%. They had refused any increase when the cost of plastic increased 50%. Before the materials decrease, we were selling these items for less than the cost of the materials in them.

The buyer said to the VP "I know you just build a new factory to make these for us, so you can't refuse us. Doing so will force you to close that factory". The VP asked to use the phone, called the plant manager of the new factory and said "Switch over to Wal-Mart".

Its actually the smaller manufacturers who are taking the harder stance with companies like that. A smaller manufacturer normally has a different customer base that does make them decent profits and are deciding that the big box/big store retailers are not worth it. They are realizing that selling 1000 units of a product and making a healthy profit is better than selling 100,000 units of a product and losing money.

My favorite story involves a smaller manufacturer of fancy wood products and a big name home improvement company. The manufacturer was already getting a little fed up with the big name co. One day a customer purchased a set of fancy closet doors manufactured by the small manufacturer. The customer then took the 20-30 year old metal doors that they replaced, put them in the box the fancy wooden doors came in and returned them to the big name home improvement store. The big name home improvement store then attempted to make the manufacturer give them credit. The manufacturer sent their sales rep to inspect the alledgedly "defective doors" and when the sales rep reported back to them, they said..."no way". The big name home improvement store threatened to stop selling their products, and the small manufacturer said, "hooray".

 

[ChopChop]

They accepted the return, because they wanted to keep me as a happy customer. Case closed!

 

[mmmagique]

I guess I'll know who to thank when my yearly membership goes up (again)