How to deal with vendor repack?

[hirschma]

So, I ordered two monitors from a well-known vendor. One was obviously new - it had "tamper tape" on it.

The other one? Definitely repacked. They had covered the "tamper tape" with generic tape; the stuff inside is in the wrong places (including leaving the DVI cable rattling against the back of the monitor - not good), and they tried to cover up the mess with a label that says "Packing List Enclosed".

Because I ordered two, it is beyond obvious that one is a repack. I stopped unpacking things, so I can take photos.

Anyone have any tips on how to approach the vendor? I don't like the idea paying for new, but getting someone's return, nor do I want to have to pay for return shipping. Worse, the price on the monitor has gone up by all vendors, by $80...

 

[Narynan]

We need to know the vendor. tell them straight up that you were to buy a "new item" and it was not new. And you would like a brand new item.

 

[postmortemIA]

smells like newegg to me... but speculating at this point.

 

[hirschma]

OK, the vendor was Provantage - I've been repeat client, and they've never pulled this kind of crap before.

 

[HOOfan 1]

I'd assume they made a mistake and politely inform them of it. If they insist you are in the wrong, see if you can get your credit card company involved

 

[RPatrick]

I know sometimes Newegg will label an item "new - open box" and sell it at a reduced price. Hopefully they don't try to sneak returned items to people, I have not ordered enough there to be sure about that. I know I would be upset about spending hundreds on something that was returned.

 

[Insomniator]

If someone returns an item and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, then they shouldn't have to resell it at a lower price or label it as an open box. Take it out, check it out and don't bother them if it works properly.

If anything is wrong, raise all hell.

 

[Boobs McGee]

Originally posted by: Insomniator
If someone returns an item and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, then they shouldn't have to resell it at a lower price or label it as an open box. Take it out, check it out and don't bother them if it works properly.

If anything is wrong, raise all hell.

If the box has been opened that would be the definition of "Open Box" would it not?

I am not trying to rag on you, but I think that is bad advice. If you spend your money with the expectation that you were getting brand new gear and you received anything less than that I think you should bring it up with the vendor. If the equipment is not damaged and functions as expected then at the least the vendor should give you a discount.

 

[shangshang]

Frys sell returned items at the same price as new all the time! Frys just put a label that says something like returned merchandise but inspected (by the highschool kid or the asian cute chick) to be in perfect working condition. Love it!

Maybe your monitor is new and nothing is wrong with it. But if you must return, can I give you some advice? Just tell their RMA that your monitor is DOA, and there's something rattling inside it probably due to shipping damage. Once they've issued you an RMA, then give the monitor a few good bang to make sure that it's DOA. Don't waste time talking to customer service because they will resist, and once you've spoken with them, you can't say your monitor is DOA anymore. Just make it DOA now and move on! This is why retail stores charge us more, because they have actual customer service, well at least Micro Center does!

Newegg only recently have this "open box item" thing, probably within the last couple years. I wonder what was Newegg doing before this? selling returned items as brand new??! Makes you kinda wonder.





The members are correct. This is dishonest and fradulent to make such a claim and we wont't condone this type of behavior. Make another post such as this and you will receive a vacation.


esquared
Anandtech Senior Moderator

 

[HOOfan 1]

If you pay for something brand new, then you should get something brand new and not open boxed. If it was opened then it is used, just like a car, if the title changes hands, whether it is driven or not, it is used. Even if you see no external damage, then the previous owner could have done something to it. They obviously returned it for some reason and it should not be passed off as a new item.

If these vendors don't like that then perhaps they should have a more strenuous return policy....or at least if their return policy was so lax to begin with then when you get an opened box item purported to be new, you should just keep returning them until you get a completely new item.

It is BS like this that will give online shopping and online vendors a bad name. I personally would go to Circuit City and pay a 30% markup just to ensure I am getting a brand new unopened monitor.

 

[RPatrick]

A more stringent return policy should be enforced to help avoid this issue. If there is nothing wrong with an item, it should not be accepted back by the vendor unless a stiff restocking fee is paid, which helps cover the open box discount the next buyer gets.

The problem with buying an open box item is that there could be damage that is not initially evident. Once an item is removed from the packaging, it is subject to damage from improper handling (such as static damage to video cards, motherboards,etc.). Maybe the monitor was banged against something, kicked by a little kid, coke spilled into the vents, who knows ?

The bottom line is I should not have to pay retail price for something that is in questionable condition.

 

[postmortemIA]

when return policy is stringent then other half of this forum complaints how they can't return DOA item for free.

 

[RPatrick]

To clarify, a stiff restocking fee would be charged for the return of something that has nothing wrong with it. Items that are DOA or are defective would not require a restocking fee.

Outside of a policy like this, which may have its own problems, vendors could just consider open box discounts a normal cost of doing business and price all of their items higher to deal with it. It sucks but if that is what it takes to get a factory sealed item then I'll pay it.

 

[idiotekniQues]

Originally posted by: shangshang
Frys sell returned items at the same price as new all the time! Frys just put a label that says something like returned merchandise but inspected (by the highschool kid or the asian cute chick)

lol

 

[hirschma]

Update: While Provantage could use some improvement in their customer service, it looks like a happy ending may be in the offing.

+ No response to email sent out on Friday thus far;
+ Excessively long hold times to get to an representative; I finally got a representative after 35 minutes.

The funny thing? When the representative asked me for information on the box, I found a label for "Lenovo National Returns". OK, this had absolutely been sent back at some point.

That being said, they are going to make this right. They offered to pay for shipping both ways for a new monitor and for the return of the old one. Crossing my fingers...

Moral: Don't settle for repacks. If you pay for new merch, insist on getting new merch.

jh

 

[smut]

Keep us updated, I'd like to know who is shady and who isn't so I don't make a mistake ordering from a bad site. I hope it works out satisfactory to you.

 

[hirschma]

Originally posted by: smut
Keep us updated, I'd like to know who is shady and who isn't so I don't make a mistake ordering from a bad site. I hope it works out satisfactory to you.

See my previous post, which I edited. Looks like Provantage is going to do the right thing without any arm-twisting, so props to them for that.

They're claiming that they're going to have everything in motion by tomorrow, so I'll update the status then.

 

[taltamir]

frys typically sells items for the same price (3 cent discount on a 50$ item) but they put a label on it that says its open box... the thing is.. i have heard of cases of newegg, frys, best buy, and others using shrink wrap machines that they have in the back to repack merchandise and sell it as new... there is no distinct behaviour here, and sometimes employees do things against policy, or sometimes policy is inconsistent.

I have seen first hand the king of mess returns can be. I know of cases where people would return the wrong merchandise, or older hardware revisions for newer ones. I have returned defective merchandise and I saw it go back on the shelf at frys. (they didn't beleive me it was defective.. I came back the next day and it was on the shelf... the replacement video card I bought was the same model and did not have the problem). And there are other issues.

The thing is, who cares if there is something wrong with it. they were deceiving him. Just because an item is used doesn't mean its broken, i buy used items all the time. Heck sometimes when it is the ONLY thing on the shelf at frys, i buy a used item for new item price (if i must, despite all the bad things i see happening, sometimes its ok). But here he is being deceived.

anyways, when you talk to them, record your conversations.

 

[hirschma]

Originally posted by: taltamir
The thing is, who cares if there is something wrong with it. they were deceiving him. Just because an item is used doesn't mean its broken, i buy used items all the time. Heck sometimes when it is the ONLY thing on the shelf at frys, i buy a used item for new item price (if i must, despite all the bad things i see happening, sometimes its ok). But here he is being deceived.

anyways, when you talk to them, record your conversations.

Provantage is claiming that the error was made by their distributor, who drop-shipped the monitor. They're still taking responsibility for the mess - at least, so far.

As for recording conversations - I hope that keeping notes will be good enough!

 

[taltamir]

no it will not.
the point of recording is that you have evidence.

"What do you mean you are charging me restocking fee? you shipped me an open box item and the rep said you will replace it for free" "I am sorry sir but that is impossible, we don't ship open box as new items, and restocking free is never waived"...
Do you want THAT to happen?

 

[hirschma]

Originally posted by: taltamir
no it will not.
the point of recording is that you have evidence.

"What do you mean you are charging me restocking fee? you shipped me an open box item and the rep said you will replace it for free" "I am sorry sir but that is impossible, we don't ship open box as new items, and restocking free is never waived"...
Do you want THAT to happen?

I guess that this is good advice, but I figure if all goes to crap, there's always Amex chargeback. That seems to be the great consumer equalizer.

To wit: I just charged back a few hundred dollars worth of clothes and shoes that my gf bought on sale from Kenneth Cole. Seems that Kenneth Cole changed their return policy immediately after she got the merch, and would not longer do refunds if online purchases were returned at a retail location. Nor would they pay for the return. Amex approved the chargeback quickly and cheerfully. Salvation Army is going to get a nice donation out of it (as we still have the stuff that KC wouldn't accept for retail return after changing the policy post-purchase).

In the same vein, I'd happily take the repack for free (assuming it worked) had I needed to resort to such tactics.

That being said: Provantage is doing a great job fixing the situation, so much so that I'm bolding it for the folks that just skim. They have the replacement monitor on its way, free overnight ship for tomorrow, and they're paying to pick up and ship back the repack as well.

Given this, I think that it is fair to chalk this up to a mistake, and that they're recovering as well as any vendor could (or would).

The real lesson: pay close attention to what gets shipped out, mistakes or not.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: shangshang
Frys sell returned items at the same price as new all the time! Frys just put a label that says something like returned merchandise but inspected (by the highschool kid or the asian cute chick) to be in perfect working condition. Love it!

Maybe your monitor is new and nothing is wrong with it. But if you must return, can I give you some advice? Just tell their RMA that your monitor is DOA, and there's something rattling inside it probably due to shipping damage. Once they've issued you an RMA, then give the monitor a few good bang to make sure that it's DOA. Don't waste time talking to customer service because they will resist, and once you've spoken with them, you can't say your monitor is DOA anymore. Just make it DOA now and move on! This is why retail stores charge us more, because they have actual customer service, well at least Micro Center does!

Newegg only recently have this "open box item" thing, probably within the last couple years. I wonder what was Newegg doing before this? selling returned items as brand new??! Makes you kinda wonder.

I hope the mods see that post.

 

[shangshang]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry

Originally posted by: shangshang
Frys sell returned items at the same price as new all the time! Frys just put a label that says something like returned merchandise but inspected (by the highschool kid or the asian cute chick) to be in perfect working condition. Love it!

Maybe your monitor is new and nothing is wrong with it. But if you must return, can I give you some advice? Just tell their RMA that your monitor is DOA, and there's something rattling inside it probably due to shipping damage. Once they've issued you an RMA, then give the monitor a few good bang to make sure that it's DOA. Don't waste time talking to customer service because they will resist, and once you've spoken with them, you can't say your monitor is DOA anymore. Just make it DOA now and move on! This is why retail stores charge us more, because they have actual customer service, well at least Micro Center does!

Newegg only recently have this "open box item" thing, probably within the last couple years. I wonder what was Newegg doing before this? selling returned items as brand new??! Makes you kinda wonder.

I hope the mods see that post.

And do what?




This is what we will do since you asked.............................

The members are correct. This is dishonest and fradulent to make such a claim and we wont't condone this type of behavior. Make another post such as this and you will receive a vacation.


esquared
Anandtech Senior Moderator

 

[VirtualLarry]

I'm pretty sure they don't condone defrauding vendors.

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: shangshang
Frys sell returned items at the same price as new all the time! Frys just put a label that says something like returned merchandise but inspected (by the highschool kid or the asian cute chick) to be in perfect working condition. Love it!

Maybe your monitor is new and nothing is wrong with it. But if you must return, can I give you some advice? Just tell their RMA that your monitor is DOA, and there's something rattling inside it probably due to shipping damage. Once they've issued you an RMA, then give the monitor a few good bang to make sure that it's DOA. Don't waste time talking to customer service because they will resist, and once you've spoken with them, you can't say your monitor is DOA anymore. Just make it DOA now and move on! This is why retail stores charge us more, because they have actual customer service, well at least Micro Center does!

Newegg only recently have this "open box item" thing, probably within the last couple years. I wonder what was Newegg doing before this? selling returned items as brand new??! Makes you kinda wonder.

This is fradulant and dishonest.
Why did you make this post here?