Some still do the right thing

[aeromed202]

As the family all had cell phone upgrade notices, we girded ourselves for the usually unpleasant decent into the Doom world that is understanding cell phone packages and the 'associates' that rattle them out. So at the Nameless phone store, we were told there were no more free low-end phones to be had anymore, even from the Big Box store down the road, quipped the associate, and had to select from the cheapest, $30, and on up from there. Well for me the cheapest one was worse than the 4 year old one I currently had so I said "maybe next time". But one of my kids wanted a better one for $50, so we figured fine, not shelling out $30 for mine meant we could swing it. So go forward about 30 mins to the Big Box store and what do we see but free upgrade phones, including the one we just paid $50 for. The associate there was happy to give us a copy of the flyer which we went back to the Nameless store with. There the manager said Oh, well you can return the phone but there is a $35 restocking fee once it leaves the store. Now me, I would have apologized for providing incorrect information and paid the $35 out of my own pocket, but not this guy. So we returned the phone and went back to the Big Box store. Not only did my daughter get the phone she wanted for free, but on their own they applied the screen protector for free and threw in a 12V charger for $1, all to defray that $35 restocking fee Nameless stood on. And they were happy to do it too. Now that's a little more like it I'd say.

 

[glh]

Competition

NEVER, NEVER accept the word of any business that their competition does not have a better deal.

You have to check for yourself. If you don't, you will probably pay the price. Experience costs money.

Like the old saying goes: "Caveat Emptor".

 

[Toastmaker]

As a consumer, I sense that this X number of dollars "re-stocking fee" will be a stake in the heart of businesses that use it.

 

[rhumbaflappy]

I got off the cell phone contract bandwagon about a year ago. I went with a no contract prepaid service, and never looked back. They have simple phones, smart phones, and recently even will just sell you a simcard to use with your own GSM phone ( for $15). Unlimited phone, texting and web for cheap. You buy monthly service cards for the service at Walmart.

My service is very good and uses AT&T towers... I even get their 411 service for free.

Shop around. Even Sears is offering discounted no contract phones for cheap.

Dick

 

[Daveroo]

if i were you...id send the name of the "assosiate" of the nameless store to the company headquarters,tell them that this person,gave you a "story"..id hate to use the word "lie"...and that after you found he or she had missled you you discovered a better deal elsewhere and returned the phone......where as if the person had not lied...you may have made a purchase or negotiated a "deal" basd on the compitions price and therefore been a return customer of said business...but now you will not return..youve been decieved and then charged a unfair restocking fee for what amounts to missleading sales practices,,and you are going to be very loud and out there about telling the people ...

ofcourse i rambled...but the point is....let em know you got BS'd,,,you dont have to use that "unnamed store" bit..its your right to call them out on the fact the person lied to you about the phones not being in the big box store just so he/she could make a sale....sure its part of his/her job...but what if the person had told you the truth?...go to the big box and get the free phone..then come back to me and ill take care of your extras???....would you do that?..i would....but if the person lies to me from the start...ill never go back....ill even change providers if necissary...

 

[EMatheson]

wasn't the restock fee the main difference between Best Buy and all of its now defunct competitors? stake in the heart, indeed.