From the Other Side

[jb79]

I work for a retailer and I have a several items that we sell which seem to attract abuse on the gurantee from some customers.

 

The problem is that there are real customers with real problems and we always need to look after you guys so you come back and buy from us again, however there is a small number of people who seem to think we offer a free hire service. They buy an expensive product use it for what they need and return it good as new and claim it's faulty.

 

We refund the money as the "customer" doesn't want a replacement and send it back to the manufacturer, they check it and find that there is nothing wrong with it, the product is used so it can't be resold and has to be skipped.

 

This then costs everyone more money as we have to put the prices up to cover the costs. Not to mention the fact a perfectly good piece of merchandise is rotting in landfill because someone thought returniong a perfectly good product was better than hiring.

 

Does anyone have any ideas on what would be an acceptable way to deal with this?

 

I suppose that it would help to know the products involved but it happens with everything from clothes to garden furniture.

[Bookworm]

We refund the money as the "customer" doesn't want a replacement and send it back to the manufacturer, they check it and find that there is nothing wrong with it, the product is used so it can't be resold and has to be skipped.

 

This then costs everyone more money as we have to put the prices up to cover the costs. Not to mention the fact a perfectly good piece of merchandise is rotting in landfill because someone thought returniong a perfectly good product was better than hiring.

 

Does anyone have any ideas on what would be an acceptable way to deal with this?

 

 

Start by boycotting a company that deems it acceptable to skip items rather then selling them heavily discounted?

 

How many people actually do this? A handful. How many companies try to deny people their statutory rights when they have a problem? Thousands. No contest. IMO, SOGA doesn't go far enough. Consumer rights are being eroded, day after day, and although I deplore the dishonest attitude of a very small minority, compared to the day in day out dishonest attitude of so many companies driven by profit, and profit alone, I find it hard to even spare one minute sympathy towards the retailer. Sorry. ;-)

[jb79]

It happens more than you'd think, and retailers don't lose out they pass the cost on.

 

Just thought someone might have an idea of how to stop making the honest customer pay for the cheats.

 

p.s. we aren't on any of the posts

[blacksheep1979]

how about you only refund the money after the goods have been tested and found faulty? Thats what a lot of places do.

[Bookworm]

Just thought someone might have an idea of how to stop making the honest customer pay for the cheats.

 

The simple answer is: You can't. That would mean being able to make a distinction between an honest customer and a dishonest one. That's not a call any retailer can make unless they are prepared to pursue the dishonest one for fraud. Or give the retailer more powers to say "no"... Not a good idea when you see how so many already flout SOGA as it is. As for passing the cost on, well, it's all factored in, as is the cost of shoplifters, real faults on products, etc... So don't lose too much sleep on that particular worry ;-)

[jb79]

As you say it's all factored in however the genuine faults and shoplifting is something we know how to reduce or at least try.

 

I thought about getting more information on the guys doing this and it will probably be what happens we have the capability to do it. But it's not a good route, CRA's (or similar) would end up getting in on the act too and we have enough problems already.

 

I'm waiting for the insurance industry "information sharing" to start being misused, guessing going solo on a 40% price rise is a good indication that everything isn't quite rosie.

 

Just seems that there are plenty of wrong ways to do this, but not many right ways.