...Fa la la la la, la la getyourmoneyback!
Every year around this time we all relish in the time we spend with our families, the food we eat, the egg nog we drink, and the hundreds or thousands of dollars in gifts we give/receive...and then return to the stores. We all get what we don't want at some point, but do we all get the money back we expect? We could all benefit from a refresher course now and then, to make sure bad employees/business practices don't needlessly get the better of our wallets this season. There are a few tips and steps I like to adhere to when I get something that I need to return:
Tips:
1. Call the store ahead of time and find out if their return policy covers full cash back/replacement of product/store credit.
2. Always have your receipt for the product, if you have to do a little digging/asking for it, there's no shame in that - people these days are fairly jaded to the idea of something being returned(which is why I usually just get people gift cards or cash anyway, I'm horrible at deciding what gifts to give people)
3. Make sure you write down the name of the customer service rep at the store you are returning your product to(EVEN if you are mailing the product in to a national service center 5 states away from you, or Japan, or India, get their name!)
4. Make sure your product came with a warranty(if it did, then you should take the time to read your warranty, there might be helpful info in there that you otherwise wouldn't be able to take advantage of, as the case most of the time is, the store clerk has no idea what is written in that warranty, and if you walk in with a little bit of know how, you might come out on top instead of 'Big Co., Inc.')
These tips can help you prepare for a return that could otherwise cause you to hear "Sorry, we don't give refunds...*click*"
Steps to follow if you have to bring your product back to the store yourself and confront someone face to face(hopefully that person who's name you took down over the phone)so you can successfully complete your return transaction are as follows:
1. Make sure you bring your studied receipt and warranty with you. Have it on hand at all times, it's like your lawyer, can be irritating to deal with, but will help you in the end, because you paid for it.
2. When you speak to the customer service rep, don't speak down to them, but don't be passive either, they've had to spend their holidays listening to people like you, and I'm sure they'd rather be doing something else than listening to a bunch of unhappy, griping customers. Be assertive, and elicit their full attention. If they start to wander, remind them that you are the customer, and you are in charge...but don't be a jerk, you can do that in a calm, pleasant tone while still being assertive. Remember, they have a job to do, and it's OK to remind them from time to time of that.
3. Don't be afraid to speak to the manager if your customer service rep isn't giving you the service you expect from a CSR. The elevation in authority usually gets their attention if all else fails, and if they're being lazy or inattentive, this will definitely remind them that YOU are the boss, not them.
4. When speaking to the manager, be prepared to restate your case and make your demand again, but also be prepared to state why you had to have him called here in the first place(bad customer service.) Once the manager hears your story, chances are you are in like Flynn, and will get the service you desire. Managers hate bad customers, because managers are always under review, and a bad review could cost them their job.
5. Once everyone's clear on the proper transaction for your return and you are satisfied, make sure(if you have a warranty or an extended warranty)that BEFORE you complete the transaction, you are aware of their fulfillment policy. If you've read the post before this one, you'd know that I was burned by Best Buy on their fulfillment policy after I purchased a two year warranty, and only got one service out of it. Companies will do this to you, in hopes that you won't read your warranty.
Most extended warranties are expensive, and there's NO refund for those. This is how most companies make their money. There's no two ways about it. My brother purchased a $1,300 laptop a couple of years back and bought the only extended warranty offered for that laptop at a price of $300, for 3 years. He's not going to get the money back on that warranty, and neither are you! Make sure you get full service on your warranties!
Above all, don't take no bull! There will be companies that you want to return something to that you just can't, because they have a no-return policy. In that case, EBAY(or your favorite auction site)can help you get a bit of cash in your pocket where you would instead have a piece of plastic you can't spend anywhere else but the place you got it.
You know, I've still got a SEARS store credit gift card for $20 for returning a Tie 2 years ago, and I go into SEARS about once every six months, I've still yet to spend that money...just making a point.
Have a happy and safe holiday everyone!
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