Restocking fee for machinery?

[J.R. Rutter]

I just wanted to see how common this scenario is.

I bought a $1900 piece of machinery locally, opened it up (it was in 3 boxes), and realized that there was a critical dimension missing from the specs that meant that I could not use it. The catalog photos and description lead me to believe that what I was getting something substantially different that what was actually in the box. All packaging pristine and intact except for the carton tape, all cosmoline still on, etc. I had it out of the box for 10 minutes, then repacked it exactly the way I found it.

I called the company just to make sure what the process was for a return where I just drove it back to the showroom. They had to check with a supervisor, so had to call me back. I had to leave the shop before I heard back from them, but just packed it into the car assuming it would be no problem. This morning, I just swung by and it was no problem - got a full return credit.

But my voicemail message from yesterday's return call said that they would charge me a 10% restocking fee. Really, $190? I'm glad that I had the option to just show up and drop it off without knowing what the official corporate response was!

[Mike Henderson]

That's a tough one. For best customer relations, the company would not charge a fee. But once the package was opened, they could have trouble reselling it because a future buyer might be suspicious of why it was opened and returned. How would you feel if you received a piece of machinery that had be opened and repacked?

So overall, the 10% restocking fee is probably not unreasonable unless they really misrepresented the product.

Mike

[J.R. Rutter]

I can see that. But if it obviously was never put into service, and had nothing other than re-taped outer boxes, not a big deal to me. Having a showroom model and/or better pictures and description would also go a long way.

{edit} In cases where it has to get shipped twice, I can understand the concern that the potential for damage to the packaging and contents would justify a restock fee.

[Matt Meiser]

This is one of the reasons I no longer shop at Best Buy.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Incomplete specs. Could not be confirmed from available published information. Not reasonable to expect the customer to open the crates/cartons on-site to measure and pre-assemble pre-purchase.

10% restocking fee? OP should have reasonably been told that pre-purchase. And, even if he was, can't see how this would have been anticipated.

My position is very simple: Worst case, you just paid a buck-ninety to learn where NOT to buy expensive machinery, nor cheap accessories. Nothing, actually.. Unfortunate lesson, but cheap at the price. Be sure that the owner/operators know this, as do the manufacturers of the machinery.

If you don't feel comfortable laying out the details in public, could I ask you to PM me with the details of retail and manufacturer? Them there kinda fellas I don't want to do bidness with.

[Art Mulder]

This is one of the reasons I no longer shop at Best Buy.

wait... because you get product that has been previously opened? Or because they charge you a restocking fee?

[Matt Meiser]

wait... because you get product that has been previously opened? Or because they charge you a restocking fee?

Because they charge the fee open or not and pretty much no one else does.

[Mike Heidrick]

No one smart would charge a great customer like JR a restocking fee. That would be very bad for business.

What tool did we miss a deal on??

Mikie

[Dan Hintz]

Because they charge the fee open or not and pretty much no one else does.

What weird Best Buys have you been shopping at?!

[J.R. Rutter]

I should clarify that so far, I have not been charged a restocking fee at all. The local counter guys have known me for close to 20 years, so it was no big deal to show up and return it. It was the corporate customer service people over the phone who wanted to do an RMA process and charge the $190. Maybe they will try to charge it to my card after the fact, but hopefully not.

I guess I started the thread because I got to work this morning after the return and got the VM from yesterday mentioning the 10% restocking fee. No harm, no foul at this point. It just surprised me.

This was a machine accessory that ended up being designed differently that I thought it would be based on a data sheet and catalog photography. If I give any more details, you will all know who the company is. :-) No point in bringing them up as it stands now. If they do charge me, you will hear about it.

[johnny means]

What do you mean by critical dimension? Was it something that could reasonably be foreseen a necessary for the user to know?

Judging by your post I'm assuming there are large bits of cast iron and steel involved. I, for one, think its unreasonable for retailers to absorb the cost of every impulse buyer who decides he/she would rather have his/her $2000 than the machine theythey just bought. Not that you are one of these people, but rules aren't made to protect us from thoughtful, responsible folk.

I live I'm the area where Sandy just did a heap of damage. Before the storm all our local borgs posted a no returns on generators rule. This was necessary to protect themselves from profiteers who would blow there life savings buying up generators to sell after the storm withwith the idea that the store would just take back anything they couldn't sell.

I know plenty of guys in my field who would have no problem buying a large machine just to get one big job out the door, then return it. Its these guys who make the testy of us pay restocking fees and such.

[Myk Rian]

15% is the usual fee I've seen posted in stores.

[Kevin Bourque]

I ordered a drive belt from Sears online for an older machine i rarely use.
When it came it was the wrong size so I sent it back for a refund.
I was denied the refund because I had ordered the belt from the machine's schematic they had on their website, not a live operator.
I said to the guy , "but it's not my fault. It's the wrong part # on YOUR schematic!!!"

I've got it hanging on my wall now,

[Mike Ruggeri]

Not to derail the thread, but its funny because I returned a TV to Best Buy and there was no restocking fee. I asked before I bought it and they said I could return it if I didn't like it provided I returned it within 30 days. They even came and picked it up at no cost to me (it was a large flat screen). Wonder if they set their policy on a regional basis or a store by store basis.

[Gary Herrmann]

The opened box thing is interesting. I got a screaming deal on a DP from Amazon years ago because it was considered used. It had been delivered to another guy who couldn't get it off the truck without liftgate and didn't think to ask for one.

Dang, JR. $190. That stings. Sorry to hear that.