Complaint Review: CIRCUIT CITY - EASTON Ohio

Hello, Im an employee of Circuit City. I don't understand why you were upset that they wouldnt take back something that you bouht TWO months ago. Even if they were unopened. 30 Day return is pretty standard. It is clearly stated on the back of the receipt and in most stores at the front counter about the return policy. If you have such a problem with it, find a store that has a longer policy. Whats the limit? If they make exception for everything, it would be rediculous. Yes, managers can make exceptions, but, a policy is a policy, a law is a law (im not saying the return policy is a law), Just like no smoking, or a speed limit. period.

Now that is how an employee should respond! We do the same thing at my store with telling them that we are making an exception. I think that when you tell customers that they appreciate the customer service they are getting even more. They realize that you could have declined the return but you didn't!

First of all, I would like to say that I agree with Brenda on the fact that the majority of the employee rebuttals I'm reading are terrible. There is no point in attacking the customer making the complaint, regardless of if you think the complaint is valid or not. Someone is expressing a concern that they had, and there is no reason to diminish that. On that note, it is pertinent to say that our return policy is in place for a reason. A 30 day return period is not too uncommon in this day and age, especially in a store like Circuit City, where technology changes quickly and product models are constantly being replaced with new ones. Some of our items even have a 14 day return policy. However, in an instance like this involving CDs, my decision would have been pretty cut and dry. I would have returned the CDs and given the customer a gift card, since they were paid for with a gift card in the first place, and politely explained that we were making an exception this time, reminded her of the 30 day return policy, and also explained that a gift card never expires, unless it is a special merchandise card issued from our corporate office. Even then, you can use the merchandise card to buy a gift card that won't expire. The customer service associates also have a certain amount of leniency when making decisions like that... we don't always have to go scurrying for a manager when something like that happens, at least not at my store. We're generally trusted to make certain decisions on our own, and if the customer doesn't like our decision and wants to speak to a manager, that's fine. But there's simply no point in arguing over something silly like this. You just have to make an exception sometimes, and then make sure that the customer is aware of certain facts so it doesn't happen again.

Are you telling me to get a law book? That's funny.... You say at least you know a few things about copyright laws but what you know is wrong! You say Circuit City isn't concerned about the copyright laws but before you posted that according to federal law they couldn't return things. Seems to me, you are the one who is uneducated about the law. You say, " I think it shows how strong of a family Circuit City is that their employees are willing to take time to either correct misconceptions that customers have or explain why things have happen end." That would be nice if what you were saying was true or if the Circuit City employees didn't spend their time calling the consumers names or fighting with other posters. I have seen this on mannnny other circuity city posts. "The managers don't have as much say in changing those polices as you think." I never said they had any say in changing policies. I have worked in retail since the day I COULD work and every second of it has been in a computer store. I am VERY aware of what managers can do or what they can't do. At the store I work at now the managers are empowered to HELP the customer. If we did sell CD's and a customer came in with an unopened CD after a few months... we would take it back! There would be no harm done, we can resell it and we would *KEEP* a customer! I guess our store just cares about it's customers more than Circuit City does. Yes corporate makes the policies. I am sure that Corporate also is NOT going to fire anyone for breaking one of those policies (within reason) in exchange for keeping a customer HAPPY. Remember, this customer had CD's that were UNOPENED! People say oh they could have shrink wrapped it back up. Ok.. except shrink wrapping looks totally different from how CDs are originally wrapped. I use our shrink wrapping machine almost EVERY day and ANYONE could tell the difference between a CD that was factory wrapped and a shrink wrapped CD. Like I said, I don't agree with the OP throwing insults around and she should have returned the CD earlier. She has no one but herself to blame for the incident but they could have bent the rule, especially for something I am sure they still can sell. Circuit City needs to learn how to impress and please their customers. All of the replies on this website clearly incicates that they don't care about them and don't train their employees enough in customer service.

Well at least I know a few things about federal copyright laws, to bad some of the people are uneducated about them. The point about the big boot leg operations is a valid one. Circuit City isn't as concerned about them, it is the punk kids that like to burn and return that the police is in place for. Polices are in place because there is a valid reason for them. If people weren't so dishonest and always looking for a way to save a dollar, this kind of thing wouldn't be in place. I think it shows how strong of a family Circuit City is that their employees are willing to take time to either correct misconceptions that customers have or explain why things have happen end. Customers come into the store and yell at the employees and get mad at us when were just doing our jobs. It is corporate that sets our policy's not the employees. The managers don't have as much say in changing those polices as you think. Im working at Circuit City while im in college and I have a higher education then half the people who come into the store I work at, yet they have the nerve to treat me like im the idiot because after 4 months they decided they want their $13.99 back for a cd they decided they just don't want anymore.

Well at least I know a few things about federal copyright laws, to bad some of the people are uneducated about them. The point about the big boot leg operations is a valid one. Circuit City isn't as concerned about them, it is the punk kids that like to burn and return that the police is in place for. Polices are in place because there is a valid reason for them. If people weren't so dishonest and always looking for a way to save a dollar, this kind of thing wouldn't be in place. I think it shows how strong of a family Circuit City is that their employees are willing to take time to either correct misconceptions that customers have or explain why things have happen end. Customers come into the store and yell at the employees and get mad at us when were just doing our jobs. It is corporate that sets our policy's not the employees. The managers don't have as much say in changing those polices as you think. Im working at Circuit City while im in college and I have a higher education then half the people who come into the store I work at, yet they have the nerve to treat me like im the idiot because after 4 months they decided they want their $13.99 back for a cd they decided they just don't want anymore.

Well at least I know a few things about federal copyright laws, to bad some of the people are uneducated about them. The point about the big boot leg operations is a valid one. Circuit City isn't as concerned about them, it is the punk kids that like to burn and return that the police is in place for. Polices are in place because there is a valid reason for them. If people weren't so dishonest and always looking for a way to save a dollar, this kind of thing wouldn't be in place. I think it shows how strong of a family Circuit City is that their employees are willing to take time to either correct misconceptions that customers have or explain why things have happen end. Customers come into the store and yell at the employees and get mad at us when were just doing our jobs. It is corporate that sets our policy's not the employees. The managers don't have as much say in changing those polices as you think. Im working at Circuit City while im in college and I have a higher education then half the people who come into the store I work at, yet they have the nerve to treat me like im the idiot because after 4 months they decided they want their $13.99 back for a cd they decided they just don't want anymore.

Well at least I know a few things about federal copyright laws, to bad some of the people are uneducated about them. The point about the big boot leg operations is a valid one. Circuit City isn't as concerned about them, it is the punk kids that like to burn and return that the police is in place for. Polices are in place because there is a valid reason for them. If people weren't so dishonest and always looking for a way to save a dollar, this kind of thing wouldn't be in place. I think it shows how strong of a family Circuit City is that their employees are willing to take time to either correct misconceptions that customers have or explain why things have happen end. Customers come into the store and yell at the employees and get mad at us when were just doing our jobs. It is corporate that sets our policy's not the employees. The managers don't have as much say in changing those polices as you think. Im working at Circuit City while im in college and I have a higher education then half the people who come into the store I work at, yet they have the nerve to treat me like im the idiot because after 4 months they decided they want their $13.99 back for a cd they decided they just don't want anymore.

Firs of all, to C in Springhill: There is no LAW saying you cannot take back opened cd's or dvd's or whatever. You might want to stop telling people that. Copyright laws don't deal with that. Second: This person was way past the 30 days. Every store has return policies. If they don't like the 30 days then they need to start buying CD's from Target or Wal-Mart because they are virtually the only retailers that sell cds, dvds and games and have a long return policy. If these were purchased at FYE or Best Buy the OP would have been faced with the same result. She didn't have to spend the gift card right then and there, she could have waited to make sure she found something she really wanted. I also think mentioning that he had bad hair was in poor taste and rude. These reports should have the facts, not insults because she didn't get what she wanted! I'm not too fond of Circuity City but I realize that they have return policies that they follow and I accept that. I do notice that there seems to be a lot of Circuit City employees on here who tend to attack the complaints. That doesn't look good for the company you represent guys!

One simple correction.....for people who might have thought I meant something else...or most likely want to put words in my mouth...... I never said black market rings DONT exist. OH YES! They ARE out there. So, Robert, you need not have posted all those nifty articles. I simply meant...who in their right mind is going to GOTO A CIRCUIT CITY AND BUY ONE.... BURN IT..... RE-SHRINKWRAP IT.... AND JUMP THROUGH CIRCUIT CITIES...OH SO USER-FRIENDLY RETURN POLICY TO RETURN IT!!!?????? I think any black market bootleg CD operation is going to.... go home...... fire up the PC...... download it off the web..... and start burning. Seems like a more prudent path eh? Sheesh! And here is another little tid bit of common sense some people missed... Why would a black market ring that DID buy their original "master" copy at a retail store even bother with returning it? I mean lets get real here! If I were going to bootleg a zillion CD's, CDROM's, or DVD's, why would I be concerned about getting that little amount back? After all, its all the money that I'll be making on the bootlegs that matters. Do you really think a person that just sold off a bunch of bootleg music CD's is going to bother with these flaming hoops just to re-coup $15??? Even a regular legal business would write this off as "cost of goods sold" along with the blanks used to make the bootlegs! If $15 is going to make or break the books of a bootleg operation to the point of making them post a rip-off-report here, then they need to find a new business. If the glove doesnt fit...... This is trying to put a glove....on your foot!

It's a federal copy right law that open CD's, DVD's, Video games, and Computer games can only be exchange for the exact same one due to the fact that it is that big of a problem. If you can't figure out in 30 days that you don't want something you bought then maybe you have problems. I would hate to see how you are with making other decisions in life and I hope that you never have to make a decision bigger then if you do or don't want a CD because other wise you may be really out of luck.

-4 April 2006 1:28 by Dela Two men have pleaded guilty to several charges after what was called the largest bust of pirated music and software CDs in America. The individuals, Ye Teng Wen, 30, and Hao He, 30, both of Union City, California, each pleaded guilty to 5 criminal counts on Monday. They admitted to making at least 200,000 pirated CDs, most of it Latin music, and to other offenses such as trafficking in counterfeit labels. A third man, Yaobin Zhai, 33, did not plead guilty and is due to appear in court in May. The three were indicted in October of copying music CDs and software from popular companies such as Symantec Corp. and Adobe. Officials had seized nearly half a million pirated CDs and 5,500 stampers used to make the bootleg products. The software discs even came complete with an anti-piracy seal. "This is the largest case involving CD manufacturing piracy uncovered in the United States to date," Kevin Ryan, U.S. Attorney for Northern California told a news conference. "The theft associated with this kind of piracy, copyright infringement, is in the hundreds of millions of dollars, I believe, on a yearly basis." Each of the five counts against the men carry a maximum sentence of five years. The music industry is blaming piracy for a large drop in CD sales over the past seven years. As commercial piracy operations become more hidden as technology advances, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has stepped up efforts against this form of piracy. Source: Reuters -Music Pirates Busted Nationwide RIAA Anti-Piracy Unit Finds Successes in Chicago, New York, Richmond and San Antonio Washington, DC February proved to be a rough month for music counterfeiters as the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) Anti-Piracy unit took their actions nationwide in a continued effort to combat piracy. Assisted by law enforcement in the Chicago, New York, San Antonio and Richmond, Virginia areas, the RIAA acted on search and seizure warrants resulting in the confiscation of countless counterfeiting devices, scores of illegal CD-Rs and the apprehension of numerous alleged music pirates. Our ongoing efforts with law enforcement and prosecutors at the federal, state and local levels are continuing to show clear results, said Frank Creighton, senior vice president and director of Anti-Piracy. There is not a corner in this country where we will not look. Anyone selling, manufacturing or distributing suspected illegal sound recordings will be found." On February 8, 2001, uniformed officers of the Chicago Police Department apprehended a vendor who was attempting to sell illicit CD-Rs along with another subject at the same location who was transporting approximately 1,500 alleged pirate CD-Rs. Both men were taken in for processing. Subsequent to that investigation, four search and seizure warrants were executed on February 9, 2001. The warrants resulted in the arrest of five individuals, two of whom operated a Chicago retail store. A total of 476 alleged counterfeit and pirate cassettes and 2,769 alleged pirate CD-Rs were seized. On February 12, 2001, the Chicago Police Department seized 300 alleged counterfeit cassettes during the investigation of an unrelated incident, resulting in the arrest of one subject. It was later discovered the individual was responsible for the distribution of illegal sound recordings to street vendors. Felony charges are currently being filed. On February 13, 2001, members of the New York Police Department's 33rd Precinct seized approximately 9,600 alleged pirate and counterfeit CD-Rs from a store in New York City. The location was a suspected distribution point for alleged counterfeit CD-Rs in the city. The subject involved was arrested at the scene and charged with Trademark Counterfeiting. On February 14, 2001, the San Antonio Police Department, assisted by members of the RIAA Anti-Piracy Unit in Texas, raided a San Antonio store suspected of selling bootleg compact discs and videos. A search of the store led to the seizure of 374 alleged bootleg CD-Rs and 89 alleged bootleg videos. Among the artist recordings seized were pop and rock acts such as U2, the Grateful Dead, Metallica, and the Dave Matthews Band. The two owners of the store were arrested on the scene and charges are currently pending. On February 15, 2001, the Evergreen Park Police Department, with assistance from the RIAA Anti-Piracy Unit in Chicago, served a search warrant at a kiosk located in an Evergreen Park, Illinois shopping mall. It was suspected that illicit compact discs and cassettes that included tracks by rap acts such as Juvenile and Big Tymers were being sold from the kiosk. As a result of the search and seizure warrant, 819 alleged pirate CD-Rs and 110 alleged pirate cassettes were seized. Charges are pending against the storeowner. On February 15, 2001, a search warrant was executed by the U.S. Secret Service in cooperation with the New York Electronics Crime Task Force, at an alleged illicit CD-R distributor in lower Manhattan. One subject was arrested and charged with Trademark Counterfeiting and Failing to Disclose the Origin of a Recording, both felonies under New York law. A total of 7,750 alleged counterfeit CD-Rs were seized from the location. On February 28, 2001, the Midtown South Detective Squad, assisted by the RIAA Anti-Piracy Unit in New York, executed a search warrant at a building on West 31st Street in New York City. It was suspected that the location served as a distribution center of illicit CD-Rs. Approximately 81,700 alleged pirate CD-Rs were seized during the raid. Some of the seized recordings included Latin and Pop acts such as India, Anthony Santos, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, and Toni Braxton. Charges are currently pending against the five individuals who were arrested at the scene On February 28, 2001, a search warrant was executed by the Richmond Police Department, with assistance from the RIAA Anti-Piracy Unit in Washington, D.C., at a retail location on Government Road. It was suspected that the store was involved in the manufacture and sale of illicit CD-Rs. Among the items seized were 1,068 CD masters, four cassette decks, two CD-R burners, one stereo receiver, 390 alleged pirate CD-Rs, 523 jewel cases, and 30 blank CD-Rs. 100% of the product sold from the store was pirated material. Three individuals were charged with violation of Virginia's True Name and Address statute. The RIAA is a trade association whose members create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 84% of all legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States. The Anti-Piracy division of the RIAA investigates the illegal production and distribution of sound recordings that cost the music industry hundreds of millions of dollars a year domestically. Consumers, retailers and replicators can report suspected music piracy to the RIAA by dialing a toll-free hotline, 1.800.BAD.BEAT, or sending email to [email protected] or [email protected]. I personally know one guy in the DC area who does it. He acts like he's crazy, so the cops leave him alone. He makes a ton of money. The policy is simple, and straightforward. Some people just won't accept the fact, that they are not special. As Ben noted, I too would have exchanged the UNOPENED products for something else. Apparently though, the Manager at that store chose to follow a strict interpretation of the rules. The OP could have, and probably should have, gone to another CC and tried to exchange them there. Different store, different Manager, different management technique. Maybe not, but it's worth a shot.

I never throughout my rebuttal ever stated that she was a crook, or a member of the black market circuit. But, if we start to trust everyone who comes in the store, what will the store become.... For example, a very nice couple walked with with a pristine TV and DVD player. I was all ready to take it back, until I looked up their information and they bought them last June. I told them politeley about our return policy. They boasted that they were gonna buy two very expensive TVs, which they didn't even come close.... Anyway, say we took it back, because they were nice, gracious, and it was unopened. How does that return benfit Circuit City. Both those products are so old that we could sell them again if we tried. That's the problem .........

Oh ya! Sure! Every day I hear about these "huge" black market piracy rings being busted here in the States. You know? The ones that buy CD's from retail stores, burn thousands of copies then have the gall to re-shrinkwrap the CD's and try to return them....months after the original sale. Yup they are all over the place. Matter of fact...most people are members! (someone please notice the sarcasim in my statements....PLEASE!) GET REAL! Who in their right mind in this day and age is going to go through all these hoops to bootleg a single CD. Especially when you can just go on the web and do it without ever leaving your house (let alone dealing with the stuff needed to shrinkwrap!). While I will admit waiting 2 months to return something is a bit odd. Especially when it was an item the purchaser was not too hot about in the first place. I really find it MORE odd that stores get all pissy when an item is returned at any time when its still unopened, in its original container, and is all ready to just go back on the shelf as if nothing had happened. I understand Circuit City has a 30 day policy. If I were the manager dealing with this, I would have just taken it back. After all, we would have still had the customers money. It was a gift card. They were still going to spend it at the store, on another product. Big deal! I have a sale (in this case....now it was a phone), I have another product to sell (in this case a music CD), and I have a customer that would be leaving with the feeling he got some extra special treatment (which he really didnt...its simple) and will most likely come back and shop again. Win/Win scenario. Here you just have a person that will most likely never shop at Circuit City again, has flamed the company on a website for all to see forever more, and only one measely music CD has changed hands. Lose/Lose scenario (unless you count the sale of a single music CD a massive win......oooooh the profits CC must be wallowing in!) I think a simple judgement call by the manager, and a little less "all customers are crooks" attitude by him would have saved the day. Oh well, one customer a guaranteed loss, a few pennies gained, and most likely many more consumers that read this thread will never darken the doorstep of a Circuit City for the rest of their lives. If anyone feels differently...so be it. Just my 2 cents. Or in this case...my $15.99 (about..the average cost of a music CD)

I'm a CSA, with a decent haircut... You kept the CDs for over two months. These days, you could've opened them, burned them on your computer, and packaged them right back up. It's your fault you waited so long. If you had a Gift Card, you should've waited till you saw something you really wanted. The 31 day policy, when I use it, is usually extended to 35-40 days, especially if the CDs were unopened. This situation is clearly your fault, sorry ...