Circuit City Rip Off. Brand New Product Return opened by them, Charged Stocking Fee! Orlando Florida
Ordered Garmin GPS from Circuit City online. Received it before Christmas already opened. Checked the contents to make sure it was still new. Looked fine. Wrapped and gave it as a gift. The person I gave it to wanted to return it. So I went to return it for them after Christmas.
Went to the nearest Circuit City store and waited in line. Gave them my AMEX card to look up the purchase, since it was not sent with a receipt. The lady behind the desk opened the box, looked it over, then said a person had to inspect it, so I should wait on the side. I asked if I could go look around, instead of wait and she said sure. So I went to go look at computer hardware deals, not thinking that anything could go wrong, considering it was Brand New.
I walked back a few minutes later, the line had died down and I asked her if it was ready and she said she would have to charge me a restocking fee. And I asked for what? She said the software had been opened. I asked her to show me because I knew everything in there was sealed. She brought out the cd with the warning "if opened there will be a restocking fee" in there among the many other accessories in there that were still sealed and it was torn open. I told her that's not how it was brought in, and she knows that it wasn't, then I asked to see the manager.
The manager came out and I told him what happened. How it was sealed when I brought it in and the person who checked it must have opened it. He looked at the open cd and said that it's opened. As if I was unaware of that. I said it was not brought in that way. He then turned to the associate and asked her if this is how it looked when it was brought in to which she waited a moment fiddled with the crumpled cd slip/case then said yes that's exactly how it came in. To which I called her a liar.
They wanted to charge $85.00 for me to return a new product. I told them I wanted their corporate number, because this was unbelievable.
I don't know why they did that. If they didn't want to return my product they could have asked me to mail it back, instead of become greedy and try charging me. I don't know what benefit they get from scamming a customer.
Now how do I explain an opened cd that was not opened when I brought it there. I reported them to the Better Business Bureau and am contacting their corporate office for resolution, but judging from online reports I most likely won't get one.
I don't know what they stand to gain from this, but I will NEVER shop there again.
(if you do decide to shop there, don't let your return leave your sights, and if they take it to the back to check it out, ask them to stay where you can watch them)
Jimmy
Orlando, Florida
U.S.A.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Lorraine - Geek Consumer Advocate :-)
Phoenix,Arizona,
U.S.A.
How so Denny?
#5Consumer Comment
Sun, January 01, 2006
How is the customer supposed to take responsibility for something he didn't do? You are asking him to toss 85 bucks out the window because an employee was stupid enough to open a CD slip to make sure it was there when it was obvious none of the other items in the box had been opened or tampered with? Wrong.
I haven't read your other posts due only to not reading any of the reports on this business yet. I build my own computers to save money and get exactly what I want in them, so don't do business with this company. I will say you come off as very rude in this one though. I almost regret giving you credit for trying to help people on the Movieland reports with their problems in the copy/paste I put on them all now...although in the end it was me who did the hours of web surfing to come up with the 3 forms of fixes to get rid of it. You only replied at the beginning of it all and then when too many reports started showing, you got rude in the last ones you responded to, then disappearing from them altogether.
This man seems to have a valid report and the store let him down. They should have taken responsibility for their employee's actions that ended up costing him a pretty penny.
Denny
Honolulu,Hawaii,
U.S.A.
Ben is delusional. seeing things that are not there, and do not exist.
#5Consumer Comment
Sun, January 01, 2006
To the OP, Ignore Ben M.
He's a conspiracy adovate, seeing things that are not there, and do not exist.
I do not work for CIrcuit City, Best buy, SEars, Walmart or ""water company"" I post replies to complaints about. I reply to complaints that have no merit because I worked in retail for 10 years, and have seen it and HEARD it all.
Ben like his ilk, do not want to take responsibility of their actions or wrongdoings, and rather blame others or "companies" for their inepitude.
Ben
Martinez,California,
U.S.A.
Ignore Denny......
#5Consumer Comment
Fri, December 30, 2005
Just ignore Denny. He is another Circuit City employee that just spouts off the usual take the money and run mantra that many others like him have posted on this site.
Matter of fact, if you do a search on Circuit City you will find his name along with several others that most likely are the same person. Impersonations are common now among the Circuit City threads.
You ARE RIGHT! While the "policy" is stated on the back of the recipt, it is not always where these wonderful employees state it is. About the only place that everyone can agree that it IS, is on the recipt. It seems that from store to store and state to state, its not posted very well. Or not at all. It depends, some may post it, some dont. Currently the only store left open near me has NOTHING.
That being said, the policy being on the recipt is just pathetic. To adhere to a policy AFTER the SALE is moronic.
In earlier Circuit City complaints about restocking fees these "Circuit City Patriots" spewed forth the comeback that restocking fees "were NEVER charged for defective items". Even when posting on a thread that clearly stated the consumer was charged one. Thus the reason for the complaint itself! They simply live in denial and just say "nope...your wrong....no rip off here!" and move on to bash the next consumer complaint. As if all these people just woke up one moringing and decided to post bogus complaints about restocking fees on defective items for fun.
Now you can see they have changed their tune to suit their needs.
Suddenly its "Their right" to charge a restocking fee at will.
You got taken by Circuit City. And they have you over a barrel with there "after the sale policy" scam.
Be prepared for Denny's next comeback if you intend to press the "policy is not posted issue". He will say something like "go into a store and take pictures to prove it". When he knows d**n well you cant because nobody can take pictures without managment showing you the door. Forcefully.
Just do a search of the Circuit City threads and you will see the pattern clear as day. There has already been an upswing in complaints now that the post-Xmas return season has arrived. It will get worse.
Denny
Honolulu,Hawaii,
U.S.A.
restocking fees are a norm, no matter if opened
#5Consumer Comment
Fri, December 30, 2005
Next time read the return policy which are posted at EACH register and printed on the back of your receipt.
No matter if the product was opened or not, you will be assessed a restocking fee, unless you are exchanging the item for the same because of it being defective.
no rip off here.