When it's OK to demand your money back?

[Diablo2000]

Spoiler: Wall of Text

Okay, first of all, let's go over today's headache that was caused by the silliest of reasons. A Earphone (She1360/55 from Philips if you are curious), that's the brand and model I use normally for three reasons:

1 - They are clear and loud in sound.
2 - They are comfortable for me, a lot of people prefer plugs. I don't like them, never did.
3 - They are very cheap to buy (Somewhat, they started much cheaper, few years later I am having to pay double the price I originally did)

One annoying drawback though, they can't seem to last more than a year of use. While normally I don't mind having to spend a few more bucks every so months for good cheap quality, I only hoped it was the case this time.
So as usual, it's starting to develop problems like one the hears randomly stopping and coming back after tweaking it with it a bit. So I decided it's was time to buy a new one, and buy a new one I did. And it was immediate regret as soon as starting to open the package. It was harder to open than the usual, but only thinking back, it should've have been my first red flag.
Once I got that done was that I noticed other details, like the weight of the earphones themselfs being lighter than my 1 year old earphones, it was a bit bigger in the ear which made them very uncomfortable to use, there was metalic glow inside the earphones which was not present in any of the previous I owned, the plastic it was made of felt cheap, cheaper than the quality I am used to for this product and when I finally test it out, the sound was muffled and quiet. Both sides of the phones were working, but that's about the nicest thing I can say about it.

At this point since I decided that it was better to have good sound sometimes rather than never, I would simply trade it back for my money back since there was no way in hell I was going to use those things.

OK, so a bit of background, the laws in my country says I can trade back as long as they are defective. If the quality isn't up for snuff, then it's by the store's discretion and they can (in some cases will) tell you to go fuck yourself. You bought it, it's "working as intended", your loss if it's shit and you are unhappy with it.

So, the trade. I got my money back, not before getting into a argument trying my best to explain in my non-internet shy self that there was a very quality issues with it, even bringing my old defective earphone to try to point out the diferences. Eventually it went broke down to "Philips won't take the damn thing back if the box is open and it's working", "If I give your money back, then I will be in a loss" and finally "Isn't the first time you trade stuff and leave me in loss" (More background, happened two times before... One for Third Party 360 Controller that wasn't responding well, got my money back for that too, promptly left for another store and manage to get a cheaper Microsoft 360 Controller elsewehere. Another one was for a controller for the PC that turned right when you turned left and couldn't turn left at all on one of the analog sticks, trade it for a diferent one... it's on the desk, it works, I finished Dark Souls and Shovel Knight recently with it).
Eventually he did gave my money back more as means to get rid of me already. Which was lucky because I was about to accept defeat and leave anyway since I couldn't mount convincing arguments and they had no legal reason to give me my money back.

TLDR: Bought a product I always buy, regreted it for either being a fake or had a huge quality drop, had no legal backing over these cases in the country I live, clerk tried to guilty trip me into accepting as it was, got my money back anyway, still felt like a dick due to guilt trip, it raised a of lot of questions over protection of consumer.

It was a exercise in pointless, but one that actually it raised a question about when it's acceptable demanding your back, even though the thing you buy "works". (Used the word very loosely in this case)
So Escapist, what do you think about it all?

 

[Pyrian]

Hmm. I'm no fan of "buyer beware". If they can only get your money by effectively tricking you into thinking you're getting something better than what you actually got, then they don't deserve your money. Mind you, it sucks that the bucks stops at the retailer, though. He should be able to return it to the manufacturer.

 

[Queen Michael]

Hmm. I'm no fan of "buyer beware". If they can only get your money by effectively tricking you into thinking you're getting something better than what you actually got, then they don't deserve your money. Mind you, it sucks that the bucks stops at the retailer, though. He should be able to return it to the manufacturer.

In the vernacular of today's youth: "THIS, SO MUCH"

 

[Xeorm]

If the brand is the same and they're advertising it such that it's still the same product, yet what you actually get is different, then that's a problem on their end. They've sold a different product than what they said they were selling. If you bought the product, thinking it was something different by mistake, then it's only a courtesy that they let you return it.

From the sounds of it, you got a product that didn't work as it should have. Even if it technically functioned by playing sound, there's more to a pair of headphones than just the sound.

 

[Avnger]

If what "comes out of the box" is exactly what was described on the box, tough luck. If you simply decide that you don't like what you bought or it didn't end up like you hoped it would be (ie: disappointed in a 30fps game when expecting 60fps despite not pledge of 60fps), you should be stuck with it. Anything broken, not working as advertised, or sold under false pretenses (lying/exaggerating employee) you entirely deserve a refund.

Video game example:
Arkham Night on the PC was essentially unplayable for a large number of people - more than understandable return.
You buy a Souls series game and decide you don't like the combat or DS 1's 30fps - suck it up, buttercup.

 

[FalloutJack]

If it's not the product I paid for, you're taking it back. I know what I fuckinng want and you're not getting money for something that doesn't deliver. So, basically, I don't have any guilt over this. Customer satisfaction is a thing. That's why nearly everything I own is stuff that I want and exactly as I was promised.

 

[tippy2k2]

To me, if it doesn't meet the standards I have, it's fair game to ask.

Now I do take into consideration what I'm paying (so I'm going to have much lower standards on a $10 pair of headphones versus a $200 pair of headphones) but if I feel like I didn't get what I paid for, you're damn right I'm going to ask for my money back.

There are not a lot of ways to get me to "boycott" someplace but I will NEVER go to a Mens Warehouse for a suit ever again after the bullshit they pulled with the suit I bought that had the seams tear during a wedding. I brought it back, found out "You'll like the way you look, I guarantee it" was bull-fuckin-shit and have vowed that they will never see a penny from me ever again because they wouldn't take their garbage suit back.

(I also tell that story to anyone looking to buy/rent a suit so I really hope that my $200 was worth it jackasses)

 

[DeliveryGodNoah_v1legacy]

It's fair to ask, of course.

It's also the store's right to tell you no. They're a private business. As long as they're selling things to you while following the law, they don't have to give your money back.

If they do, great. If they don't, suck it up or go somewhere else.

My experience in retail has shown me that it's rarely ever actually the clerk/cashier's decision whether they can take an item back or not. Believe me, if it was entirely up to me, I'd just take the shit back and toss the money at the person so I can get back to doing one of the other 30 tasks they force cashiers to do simultaneously. And indeed I've done that before. I usually just thought to myself "Well, would I be upset?" If yes, I'd do the refund. If no, then I'd try and tell them no, but then they throw a tantrum and then I'd just call the manager, which would then do whatever it took to get the person out of the store.

But every store is different, regardless of the measures the corporate offices will go to so they can make all the stores in their chain have the exact same standards.

If you think this is going to be a problem in the future, you can try calling someone higher up in the company. I'd say 8/10 times they'll give you what you want if you complain enough, sometimes more. If that doesn't work, then like I said, go somewhere else. Or just buy online. Online stores are usually better with their return discretion.

 

[Diablo2000]

If you think this is going to be a problem in the future, you can try calling someone higher up in the company. I'd say 8/10 times they'll give you what you want if you complain enough, sometimes more.

Wasn't a big chain of stores though. The person who I was dealing with was the owner of the damn place. Who sold me something clearly fake, then went on the saying the manufactorer wouldn't get their product back that way. (Even if it was inside the box all closed up, they would still likely laugh his ass off if he tried to return that) So either he's ignorant of quality he's getting and he's getting screwed over by his distributor, or he's a liar.
While the first one still get's some of my initial simphaty, both of them makes me highly question their bussiness... Needless to say, I won't be shopping there again.

 

[Rednog]

I would honestly say to stop shopping at that place.

Primarily because the relationship, by your own words, with the place is extremely poor.
I've worked in retail and from what you've said I'm surprised you haven't been outright banned. I really don't blame a retailer for not wanting to take back a "defective" product when you seem to have a history of returning things. This happens in retail and there's plenty of times where people are just trying to rip off the stores.

Just save yourself and the owner a hassle and stop going there.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Can't you just buy these sort of things online? You can always return stuff from Amazon.

 

[SmugFrog]

I would honestly say to stop shopping at that place.

Right? Why bother with it? I was building a new computer for my father-in-law and had ordered some parts through Newegg. I got it all put together, and POP, the motherboard blew. Called them, sent it back, and they mailed out another. The same thing happened with the second one but it was when I adjusted the VGA cable because the monitor wasn't displaying anything. Called them, sent it back, they mailed out another one. I tested it with a different video card, no problems. That's customer service. They also worked with me over a laptop that broke a day after receiving (2nd time I've tried refurbished - never again) - and although it took a month to get it sorted, they discounted the price and paid for express shipping.

It never hurts to try and get your money back on something you're not satisfied with. Likewise, good customer service goes a long way towards earning loyal customers.

 

[Scarim Coral]

As long you're not a dick to the employee per say unless the employe was acting a dick then it's ok in my book and that is saying alot cos I worked in retail.

I assuming they were just trying to follow the company policy or covering their asses (had a customer wanting to return a curtain but the deputy manager refuse cos it was fine and open meaning hygine risk and the customer was going apeshit toward him!).

I mean why should you cared what they/ he/ she think of you?

In saying so however I'm not in a higher position to make those called (take your refund case to the manager or deputy manager) and I have no loyality in the company I worked in (it's an a hole company to worked for) so I don't give a danm if the store make a loss on that day.