Does a company’s return/refund policy affect your buying decision (s)?
I was just reading a post by someone about dealing with a defective product at HD. They will gladly exchange or give you a store credit “gift card”. What is wrong with a straight up refund, if you choose?
I will no longer shop with any firm that will not allow me to have MY money back.
Business owners and store managers hear this…………If you value my business then trust me to come back if I wish. This will, of course, depend upon YOUR attitude and CUSTOMER SERVICE. If, in fact, you have any.
Even though it may be a bit more work to return something purchased online, phone, etc., I will always give them my business first.
I understand that there are acceptable percentages of rejects/returns of products of any kind. What I do not understand is why we allow these companies to dictate how our money is handled. I exchange it in good faith for a product that should work. If after 2 or 3 tries your product does not perform then I demand my money back, in full. You have already inconvenienced me for the repeated visits to rectify a problem I didn’t create. Do not hold me hostage to your store/product line.
This is one reason I no longer go to HD. Past experience-poor results. I will do without rather than compromise any more.
The same goes for other “services” (restaurants, etc.) as well.
…The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain…
Be kind to your children….they will choose your nursing home.
…aim low boys, they’re ridin’ shetland ponies !!
Edited 11/15/2007 5:15 pm by oldbeachbum
Replies
"I was just reading a post by someone about dealing with a defective product at HD. They will gladly exchange or give you a store credit 'gift card'."
I think there must be more to the story.... Home Depot's return policy is that they will issue the refund in cash (or credited to your credit card, if you paid that way) as long as you (a) have the receipt, and (b) return the item within 90 days of purchase. I don't think that's unreasonable at all.
-Steve
That is also my experience. The reason they do not issue refunds if you do not have a receipt because they have been taken advantage of by people who return products purchased elsewhere or purchased at home depot at a lower price and returned for full price later. If you do not have a receipt they will give you whatever the lowest price the item was sold for at that store within the previous 2 months.
I think I am the person that this thread is about. I returned the second defective Ridgid Planer and was given a gift card and not a refund. I had the receipt, I paid with a credit card, the credit card bill had been paid, the time period between the first returned item and purchase was less than 90 days and the time period between the second return and it's pickup was less than 90 days. They still would not give me a credit to my credit card and insisted on the gift card.
I do buy some things at HD and Lowe's so I thought it was better, after a bit of discussion, J to accept the gift card. I was in the market to replace my old and very heavy table model drill press with a new floor model so that is what I used the card on.
I have seen different refund/return policies at different stores of the same chain and I believe that you do get customer service, or dis-service, at different store locations. I am now very leery of the Ridgid brand and of the refund policy at HD. I have bought carpet there recently and have been very happy with the quality and installation, so I do still shop there.
One problem with an immediate exchange is that if something is paid for with a check, it may not have cleared when the return happens. They haven't gotten the money yet and they shouldn't be expected to do a cash refund until the check clears. Some people will biatch and moan until they get their way but if the check hasn't cleared, no cash should be handed out. Sure, a stop payment can be done but that costs the issuer money and if they make a habit of stop pays, the bank will become suspicious.
No receipt, no cash. People scam cash out of retailers all the time and it's a huge business.
I understand what you guys are saying and I've seen some of that kind of behavior but I'm talking about when I purchased a small compressor, bad regulator. Take it back to exchange they say OK, we'll give you another. I agree. They check out "mine" I check out the replacement. Same issue. I then say two for two I want a refund. Then they try to stonewall me, send me to another "associate". I want the shift manager. He'll be right here. 30 minutes later, still waiting. No manager. Here try another. No thanks, just a refund, now. Debit card. After almost 2 hours of dikkin around and many attempts to get me to accept a store credit or.....
No thanks. That's not customer service. Similar situation with my son and he was putting in some of their lighting fixtures. Parts missing in one. The next had parts broken. They tried everything but offer an immediate refund. I was with him.
Keep me happy I will probably come back. Pizz me off, I walk for good and bad mouth you to boot. There are other sources. The compressor thing was about 3 years ago. The lighting stuff was last year, different city. Same attitude.
I don't ask for what is not mine. Just fair, efficient service and and an understanding/attitude that my time and inconvenience are worth as much to me as theirs is to them.
Without "us" there is no need for" them"....The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...
Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home.
...aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
I would pass on the shift manager and go to the store manager. He's the one who needs to know how customers are being treated. Effectively make your point to him and it'll trickle down in a hurry."I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Edited 11/15/2007 9:50 pm by highfigh
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38552.6 in reply to 38552.5
I would pass on the shift manager and go to the store manager. He's the one who needs to know""
I did the follow up and barely had a response. I try not to be a d---head. I've worked customer service (airlines in the 70's & 80's when it meant something), had my own business (gas station & repair bays). For that reason I probably am too easy in some ways with the "help", remembering what it was like to be the target of whatever happens that day.
I was working weird hours and it was tough to go into them during traditional business hours. I simply avoid them now. As building slows down they are going to wish they paid more attention to smaller Joe Customer. Price does not always attract me. It is service, convenience and reputation....The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...
Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home.
...aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
Never had that experience with them either... I had one that was frustrating though... I bounced a check (not my fault... Mortgage company screwed up and debited 2 payments rather than one from an account) we called the day it bounced (HD) and told them it happened and what happened and asked how to fix it... We tried to return stuff (we overbuy all the time) and they would not for a month and a half allow us to return anything. We had $4500 in appliances ordered and paid for but not received at the same HD at the same time. I talked to the manager about it because I thought it so unfair. Drew
I've never had that experience at either Home Depot or Lowe's. In all cases, I give them the receipt, and they process the refund. If it's a piece of equipment, they might ask me if something was wrong with it or I just didn't want it. I've had "repeat returns," too. I once took home a light fixture (from Lowe's) only to find that the glass was cracked. I brought it back and got another--I should have looked inside the box on that one, too, but it was kind of a pain to unwrap, so I didn't. Of course, it was broken, too, so I returned it, and this time I went back with one of the guys, and we went through all the boxes to find the ones that were broken (more than half of them) and got them off the shelf.
If they hassle you, all you have to do is point their return policy out to them. I think it's even posted at the service counter.
-Steve
beach bum ,
I feel the same about customer service or lack of it .
I don't buy from the big box stores period .
I look at it like this , if one of those stores or any customer hires us to do a custom job and for some reason it either dosen't fit or dosen't meet the expectations , we don't get paid .
We do a few hundred dollar home repair for example and one little miter joint is not tight or they pick something apart and use it for just cause not to pay us.
I don't believe in taking advantage of return policies either , as talked about in another thread .
There is an office supply store here called Staples , I have never seen a company take care of problems so quickly and politely as them . Even on electrical things and for instance digital cameras, almost a year after purchase my camera would not hold a charge , I took it back and while they did not have that model they offered me the next one up and I paid the difference or a full refund .
dusty
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