4 ms·

It happened once to me. I bought a Sonata Antec PC case ~15 years ago. Quite expensive, first (and last) time I shelled out so much for a case. The PSU was we

It happened once to me. I bought a Sonata Antec PC case ~15 years ago. Quite expensive, first (and last) time I shelled out so much for a case. The PSU was weird, it didn't work with my new mobo but did work with an older one. Got the mobo sent back for checking (I had to pay extra fees for “repairs“, bought in the same shop), came back okay. A week of intense pondering with one of my friend on the floor of my bedroom. Two weeks top of back and forth with the shop. Then it hit us: the 24watts 4-pin sugar was missing internal cabling. This explained the hit and off working. Back to the store with the case and the PSU (again). I am told they won't replace it because it's not an hidden defect, it's a “physical damage” and I'd have to send it back myself to the manufacturer and they can't do anything. I bought a 20€ no-name PSU on the spot and never again bought anything from this shop. To this day I am still using all the clot I have on people asking for PC advice to convince them not to go there.

pjmlp 6y ago
In many countries that is sorted out via the consumer protection agency, links below for the German and Portuguese ones. https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/ https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/ https://www.consumidor.gov.pt/ https://www.consumidor.gov.pt/ And across Europe we have, https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/consumers/resolve-your-consumer-complaint/european-consumer-centres-network-ecc-net_en https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/consumers/reso... Usually those pesky shops get gently very quickly if you are willing to bring them into the fight.
- oasisbob 6y ago
  It's not just small pesky shops that screw the consumer. You step out of the EU/NA and consumer protections quickly disappear. Reliance is one of India's largest companies, they have a consumer electronics brand like Best Buy. The worst return experience I've EVER had was trying to return a DOA pair of Bluetooth headphones to them. Their literal return policy is that you don't, unless it's defective, then you can exchange. It was only after opening two more pairs of Sony crappy-developing-market-special-models that were also defective that they refunded me and sent me on my way. I have no doubt that the only reason they did that for me in the end was because I was a tall white foreigner.
  - bleepblorp 6y ago
    Once you step out of the EU, consumer protections quickly disappear. Your experience in India would not be not unusual in NA for consumer electronics or computer components. "No returns, all defective products must be handled, at your shipping expense, by manufacturer's warranty" is a very common policy in this sector in North America, as is "final sale, even if defective or counterfeit."
    - oasisbob 6y ago
      I have never purchased any electronics under those terms in the US, certainly not brand new electronics by retail.
mianos 6y ago
We had this issue down here in Australia with a firm called MSY. They refused to offer returns on defective products. That is not legal down here (we are somewhat like CA in terms of consumer protection) and the ACCC fined them $200K AUD. The incredible thing is they still found those pesky customers returning defective products too much trouble and started telling people that there were no refunds. After another few years of that, the ACCC fined them another $730K AUD. If you have an issue with something and have to return it now they are very easy to deal with. :)

pjmlp 6y ago

In many countries that is sorted out via the consumer protection agency, links below for the German and Portuguese ones. https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/ https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/ https://www.consumidor.gov.pt/ https://www.consumidor.gov.pt/ And across Europe we have, https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/consumers/resolve-your-consumer-complaint/european-consumer-centres-network-ecc-net_en https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/consumers/reso... Usually those pesky shops get gently very quickly if you are willing to bring them into the fight.

oasisbob 6y ago
It's not just small pesky shops that screw the consumer. You step out of the EU/NA and consumer protections quickly disappear. Reliance is one of India's largest companies, they have a consumer electronics brand like Best Buy. The worst return experience I've EVER had was trying to return a DOA pair of Bluetooth headphones to them. Their literal return policy is that you don't, unless it's defective, then you can exchange. It was only after opening two more pairs of Sony crappy-developing-market-special-models that were also defective that they refunded me and sent me on my way. I have no doubt that the only reason they did that for me in the end was because I was a tall white foreigner.
- bleepblorp 6y ago
  Once you step out of the EU, consumer protections quickly disappear. Your experience in India would not be not unusual in NA for consumer electronics or computer components. "No returns, all defective products must be handled, at your shipping expense, by manufacturer's warranty" is a very common policy in this sector in North America, as is "final sale, even if defective or counterfeit."
  - oasisbob 6y ago
    I have never purchased any electronics under those terms in the US, certainly not brand new electronics by retail.

mianos 6y ago

We had this issue down here in Australia with a firm called MSY. They refused to offer returns on defective products. That is not legal down here (we are somewhat like CA in terms of consumer protection) and the ACCC fined them $200K AUD. The incredible thing is they still found those pesky customers returning defective products too much trouble and started telling people that there were no refunds. After another few years of that, the ACCC fined them another $730K AUD. If you have an issue with something and have to return it now they are very easy to deal with. :)