Shop4tech fraudulent Return policy

[spiritgumm]

I ordered a dvd burner from them, and after having some problems, decided to return it. Their refund policy states you'll get a FULL refund if you return it within 30 days (with a RMA #). Elsewhere on the site, they start making exceptions to this declaration - certain brands and certain types of things (like media or harddrives) are not returnable. Also if you return the postal box unopened (they call this CHANGED YOUR MIND) they get charged Return shipping by the post office, so they'll charge you 15% restocking fee. I understand this, as the customer is responsible for Return shipping cost. Nowhere does it say the customer will be responsible for the advertized free shipping TO the customer if the customer returns an item. I went to get the RMA number and that window says of the different reasons for return, I MIGHT get charged restocking IF the reason was CHANGED MY MIND - that would be if I returned it with postage due, as already stated above. I would be paying return shipping so a restocking fee shouldn't apply, and I clicked "Incompatible" as my reason. Got an email saying I'd be charged 15% restocking. Phoned them, their Returns dept voice line was screwed up, so had the operator transfer me. Guy there said the only way you get a full refund (no restocking fee) is if an item is DEMONSTRATABLY DEFECTIVE TO THEIR TECHNICIANS. He said this was their way of recouping the "free" shipping TO customers.
Their viewable policy should be: we charge 15% restocking on all allowed (narrowly defined) returnable items, full refund only if defective. As it stands, this totally contradicts the stated refund policy, and is not knowable to a customer until a return is attempted.
I'm never going to buy from them again.

[Joe The Dude]

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience with that online retailer.

However, I do want to thank you for giving us all a heads up about their shady return policy.

This information will save many of us some heart (and possibly wallet) ache in the future.

[Cobra]

Important to share experiences, and remember to share the good ones too!

[spiritgumm]

I bought a few times from Shop4tech before with no problem - prompt shipping, etc., so I expected they'd be consistent and honor their own return policy. Aside from the Returns guy, the woman operator also said that returns generally got charged a restocking fee, so that seems to be their actual policy, which is fine if it were stated up front. Live and learn.

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

I have bought from them before but never had to return anything. It's good to have a heads up tough.

[lordsmurf]

Any company that charges a restocking fee should be boycotted. CompUSA is the worst offender.

Returning an item at your own travel or shipping cost, understandable. A "restocking" fee is bullshit. Especially when all they do is scan it back into stock real quick, and walk it over to the shelf.

[3Simon7]

Sellers can be checked out at

www.resellerratings.com

Some bias is probably included in the posts there but
overall it gives a general idea of a company.

Also check company info through Google!

[spiritgumm]

Exchanged several emails with head guy Derek Price (I think the name literaly translates "raise the price"). He kept pasting bits of the policy that explained the "exceptions" to the 100% Refund policy. Aside from ignoring the larger issue of deception, none of this applied to my particular purchase. He said the reason I got a fee was "clearly stated on the site":
"A 15% restocking will also sometimes apply to certain items, which cannot be re-sold as new."
Of course, how could I NOT know I would be charged!
He implied I was a crank because 1) almost noone had ever complained before (!), and 2) the fee in my case was "$3". So it's okay to deceive people if the $ amount is low?
Since he brought it up, I figured out my 15% fee should have been $5, but they charged me a 16.67% fee. Probably the extra was a "Disputing the Restocking Fee Fee."
He also said I misunderstood what all the phone techs were saying. Not sure how I can misunderstand "Everything gets a restocking fee -except defective items- to cover the initial free shipping" repeated by several people. But then he said the Customer and Store were "a team," and the customer can't expect the store to offer free shipping/low prices AND to absorb their order processing expenses from selling/returning item. "In most cases, a restocking fee was charged." He essentially repeated his phone techs!
Again, I'm not disputing their right to charge a restocking fee. I'm unhappy that the site says you'll get a 100% refund except for certain conditions. The reality is you always get charged a fee unless item is demonstratably defective. Before you take a hammer to something you want to return, they won't refund you if they suspect it's defective from "customer misuse."

[lordsmurf]

and 2) the fee in my case was "$3". So it's okay to deceive people if the $ amount is low?

Blockbuster recently tried this with me. For the first time in about 2 years, I went there to rent a game. The guy tried to just add it to my bill and not say anything. When I saw the price was about $1.50 higher, I asked why it was so expensive. He said I had a late few "about 225 days ago". When I asked what movie, he said he didn't know. I said I wasn't going to pay it, I had not stepped foot in a BB for more than 2 years.

Then he said, "It's only a dollar, dude."
I replied, "Then you ******* pay it!"

I went to another BB store a few miles away because the half-retarded high school kid was dumber than dirt. The lady at the other location listened to me, also saw that she could not prove I owed anything (just a mystery fee, no movie name attached), cut up my card, and issued me a new account.

It's my money. I don't care if it's a penny, it's my damned penny.

[spiritgumm]

Lordsmurf, I'm surprised they expunged the fee. You should have suggested they change their name from Bestbuy to BadRent.

You know, I was going to say that aside from the restocking fee deception, Shop4tech still has its merits (reliable orders, low prices). Then I heard from Better Business Bureau. I filed a complaint about the store with them, and Derek responded by threatening to revoke my partial refund. He told them I probably defrauded the store because: 1) I bought the same dvd burner 3 months earlier and didn't complain about that one, so why should I complain about this one?, and 2) I was probably "upgrading" that burner with the new one.
The illogic of the first statement is just too painful. The other notion that I'm going to replace a dvd burner every 3 months is ludicrous. Aside from having no reason to do this, if I planned to do so, I wouldn't complain to him or the BBB; I'd try not to call attention to the return. His counter-complaint and threat to re-charge me is obviously retaliatory, insulting and intended to intimidate.

[lordsmurf]

He sounds like a real asswipe.
If this was a credit card purchase, enter a dispute with your bank.

[spiritgumm]

Oh, yeah, Derek's the real deal. I keep flushing him down but he keeps floating back up.
Someone told me he can't revoke the partial refund, so it was an empty threat. I don't know what Better Business Bureau's role was - all they did was have us duke it out via emails again. I was hoping for some Sybok-type reaction from them ("let me share your pain"-StarTrekV).