- Aug 20, 2009
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I recently purchased a Lenovo ThinkPad from B&H Photo. I paid $929.66 after taxes. I wasn't satisfied with it because the mousepad was innacurate (even after udpates) and there were sharp plastic edges on the front that scrape my hands when I use the mousepad. Overall, very uncomfortable.
Anyways, come to find out B&H Photo has a no-eturn policy on laptops (among other things.) I requested the return the very same day I received the laptop, and they approved my return with a 15% restocking fee.
Afterwards, I went to Best Buy and they had a Lenovo Thinkpad on display. It wasn't the exact same model, but it had a similar price tag and the exact same out shell/case. It did not have any sharp edges and the mousepad was actually accurate.
So, I call them up and tell them I think my laptop is defective. I'm palced on hold. They return and say they checked and Best Buy doesn't sell that same laptop, but they can give me a 10% restocking fee instead of 15%. I say okay, but what if I purchased another laptop from B&H Photo? Would I still have to pay a restocking fee? I'm placed on hold. They return and say yes I can exchange the laptop for a different product or receive in-store credit. I say I need a laptop but I'm unsure which one I want, so just give me the in-store credit. They say they will send me an email with the new details.
Later, I get the email and it still says a 15% restocking fee will be deducted from my in-store credit. I call them back and tell them I was told otherwise, and they basically tell me they don't do returns on laptops but they will give me a return with a 15% restocking fee. When I try to explain I believe the laptop is defective they continue to tell me that's not the normal procedure for troubleshooting and that the return was originally setup as "item not as expected". They also tell me that waiving the restocking fee just doesn't make sense for them so they can't do something that doesn't make sense. They never offered to troubleshoot the laptop to test for defectiveness.
If I hadn't already mailed the laptop back with the original return label, I might have taken the issue up with Lenovo. Though I doubt they could do anything about it.
I added up my total purchased from B&H Photo over the past 3 years I've been doing business with them and it totals $5,994.13
Also, my girlfriend recently bought a Lenovo Yoga from Lenovo.com and they have a 30 day full refund policy.
My thoughts, if their little money on one exchange is more important than a one-time issue for a customer, then it doesn't make sense for me to shop at a store that has a zero-return policy, at least for anything that has a zero-return policy. But the principle of the matter makes me want to avoid them altogether.
I'm sure most of you have had great experience with B&H Photo; as I have had as well up until now.
Am I being ridiculous in thinking that they should have at least offered to check the laptop for being defective, or at least given me the 10% restocking fee they told me they could give me previously? Have I come to expect too much from stores that are not Amazon or Walmart? I know they have no-return policies on certain items, but certainly not on laptops.
Anyways, come to find out B&H Photo has a no-eturn policy on laptops (among other things.) I requested the return the very same day I received the laptop, and they approved my return with a 15% restocking fee.
Afterwards, I went to Best Buy and they had a Lenovo Thinkpad on display. It wasn't the exact same model, but it had a similar price tag and the exact same out shell/case. It did not have any sharp edges and the mousepad was actually accurate.
So, I call them up and tell them I think my laptop is defective. I'm palced on hold. They return and say they checked and Best Buy doesn't sell that same laptop, but they can give me a 10% restocking fee instead of 15%. I say okay, but what if I purchased another laptop from B&H Photo? Would I still have to pay a restocking fee? I'm placed on hold. They return and say yes I can exchange the laptop for a different product or receive in-store credit. I say I need a laptop but I'm unsure which one I want, so just give me the in-store credit. They say they will send me an email with the new details.
Later, I get the email and it still says a 15% restocking fee will be deducted from my in-store credit. I call them back and tell them I was told otherwise, and they basically tell me they don't do returns on laptops but they will give me a return with a 15% restocking fee. When I try to explain I believe the laptop is defective they continue to tell me that's not the normal procedure for troubleshooting and that the return was originally setup as "item not as expected". They also tell me that waiving the restocking fee just doesn't make sense for them so they can't do something that doesn't make sense. They never offered to troubleshoot the laptop to test for defectiveness.
If I hadn't already mailed the laptop back with the original return label, I might have taken the issue up with Lenovo. Though I doubt they could do anything about it.
I added up my total purchased from B&H Photo over the past 3 years I've been doing business with them and it totals $5,994.13
Also, my girlfriend recently bought a Lenovo Yoga from Lenovo.com and they have a 30 day full refund policy.
My thoughts, if their little money on one exchange is more important than a one-time issue for a customer, then it doesn't make sense for me to shop at a store that has a zero-return policy, at least for anything that has a zero-return policy. But the principle of the matter makes me want to avoid them altogether.
I'm sure most of you have had great experience with B&H Photo; as I have had as well up until now.
Am I being ridiculous in thinking that they should have at least offered to check the laptop for being defective, or at least given me the 10% restocking fee they told me they could give me previously? Have I come to expect too much from stores that are not Amazon or Walmart? I know they have no-return policies on certain items, but certainly not on laptops.
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