Thu 28 Dec 2006
How To Lose A $25,000 Customer Over $120.00
Posted by RichSlick under Rants
[4] Comments
I purchased a 42″ LCD TV for my parents this Christmas over at MicroCenter for about $1200. While at the store, I asked the sales guy if they offered shipping and he said that they only delivered locally. My parents live about 400 miles away so delivery wasn’t an option. I purchased the TV and brought it home and gave to my parents -new in the box. Unfortunately, the TV wouldn’t fit inside their SUV.
We figured we could fit the TV inside the car without the box so we opened it up and measured the dimensions of the TV itself and it wasn’t going to fit even without the box. After much debate and deliberation about swapping cars (it fit in mine), renting a u-haul, borrowing a truck we finally decided that the easiest thing to do was to return the TV, write my parents a check and have them buy a TV locally in their home town and have it delivered and setup.
I went over to Microcenter two days after the fiasco to return the TV, still new in the box never been setup, opened or otherwise used and Microcenter demanded I pay a 10% restocking fee. I felt like yelling at the clerk but she was very nice about it apologizing and pointing out in my receipt where it states that there is a 10% restocking fee for LCD TV returns. I argued that it was still new in the box and all I did was open it up to measure the dimensions but she said her hands were tied.
I ended up paying $120 restocking fee since the TV was for my parents and I had already purchased a similar one the year before at Microcenter. I won’t EVER set foot in that store again which is really unfortunate for Microcenter since I personally spent about $2500 a year there. Over the course of 10 years I would have spent $25,000 there but that business will end up elsewhere now.
Was Microcenter unfair about the whole thing? I honestly think so since the TV was totally brand new and my only “crime” was breaking the seal to measure the stupid TV and I took it back two days later. I understand why they would have such a policy because no doubt, their return policy has likely been abused by people trying to game the system or perhaps a few “freeloaders” wanting to have the TV for 30 days only to return it later for full refund.
It’s a free market economy and Microcenter can penalize it’s customers any way they want to but in this instance it’ll cost them at least $25,000 all over $120.
Man, you really have a thing against “frugualists.” What frugualist would ever hall a 42″ LCD back and forth for 30 days of free TV watching? Not a single one I’m aware of. If that’s the case, they would put these people on a list and make sure they aren’t repeat offenders. That would be the solution for that problem.
Also it’s impossible to remove a huge TV like that from the box and put it back in 30 days without it appearing to be used. Thus they could differentiate between opened and unused (your case) and open and used (a person trying to game the system for 30 days of free TV). If they can differential the between those two they can have separate policies.
It’s more likely that it’s one of two things:
1) Prices drop on the TVs quite quickly, so they don’t want to give a full refund if it’s likely the price has dropped. That’s not the case here, but it’s a reason for the policy.
2) More likely than #1 – Consumers don’t want to pay full price for something that’s “Open Box.” Microcenter probably can not seal it to make it look like the other boxes in the store, so they either have to shipping it back for reboxing, sell it as “open box”, or use it as the display item (and sell it cheaper that way).
I’m torn. I think the policy is terrible and I wouldn’t shop there either. Then again, I feel that consumers are to blame for their attitude towards “open box” merchandise.
Did you try to explain to the store manager (not the lowly clerk) that you spend a considerable amount of money there and this policy will prevent you from doing so in the future? Usually in such a case, they’d AT LEAST give you something like 10% off your next purchase, which would put you pretty close to even on your next purchase. The principle is still terrible, but perhaps that would have been a good compromise between an iron-clad policy that comes from the corporate level and what is probably right and just.
Lol! I put “frugalist” in quotes because I couldn’t come up with a name for people that do that for a living and I know there are a few out there.
As for speaking with the manager, the clerk offered to get manager but I didn’t see much point to it because it seemed like this situation happens all too often with them.
All I did to the box was cut the cellophane tape and open the flaps and slide my measuring tape to measure the size. If you simply put a strip of cellophane tape over the slit you would never have known that it was open. The box was in mint condition.
Of course, they took the tv to the back and UNPACKED EVERYTHING to check to make sure I hadn’t damaged the TV or perhaps stolen the remote or something. Perhaps this is why it becomes OPEN BOX because of the interrogation they do themselves on the TV/BOX.
Oh well you live and learn. I lost $120.00 and they lost $25,000 but the good news is that someone out there will have the opportunity to make a 25k customer.
UPDATE:Â THE WORD FRUGALIST HAS BEEN INAPPROPRIATELY USED SO IT HAS NOW BEEN CHANGED TO “FREELOADER”.
Their loss. Penny-wise, pound-foolish on their part.
Hello Mr. Slick,
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