#1 Ex-Employee
AUTHOR: Debra - Tampa (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, November 10, 2007
POSTED: Saturday, November 10, 2007
This is a problem that I complained about until I was blue in the face and management never listened. I worked in electronics for three years. when things are returned they are placed in bins and are later returned to the departments.
When electronics items are returned, someone from electronics are supposed to be called to the service desk to inspect high priced items such as computers, etc. the service desk is responsible for checking the contents of all items returned. even if the box is taped. ALL BOXES ARE TO BE OPENED AND INSPECTED. I tried to cram this in their heads because people buy rolls of tape all the time!
I cant tell you how many times I've had used items returned in new boxes that have been taped up. it gets reshelfed, someone buys it, takes it home, discovers the switch, but when they try to return it, they get denied. I would get chastised by managers when they'd see me inspecting returns, but i'd find something every other day. Brand new Sanyo TV switched for an RCA with fingerprints all over it. when the dvd burners came out they were like $300, they'd get returned with a regular $30 apex dvd player inside. someone even returned a classic nintendo console in an XBOX box!! It sounds like your VoIP phone was returned and it should have been sent to claims but was basically "recycled" back to stock.
I wonder if walmart realizes they could be liable if that got in the hands of the wrong person and there's info on that phone that could be gained?
#2 Consumer Comment
AUTHOR: Tallulah-phoebe - Beverly Hills (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Sunday, November 11, 2007
POSTED: Sunday, November 11, 2007
Since when are returned items considered USED? Oftentimes, people will buy something and then return it, before even opening the box. Sometimes people do open the box, realize they don't really like or want the item, and take it back to the store. These items are not USED, they are simply returned. The store does have a right to put them back out on the shelf to re-sell, as there is nothing at all wrong with them.
As for you, when purchasing high-end expensive items:
1- Open the box before leaving the store to ensure that the item is correct AND in working order.
2- Don't buy high-end expensive items at Walmart. This goes without saying for the majority of the population.
#3 Update By Author
AUTHOR: Kevin - bono (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, November 13, 2007
POSTED: Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Sorry but a product is used the minute a consumer pays for it and it leaves the front door. At this point it belongs to someone else besides Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has no right to repurchase used products from a consumer to put back on its shelves to be sold as a new product again. I personally do not want someones elses junk that they have used and did no telling what with it. For all I know the person who purchased the phone and talked on it could have spit into the reciever and could have had hepititus. The price of the product has nothing to do with it. This practice may be illegal according to consumer laws anyway.
#4 Consumer Comment
AUTHOR: Peter - Pony (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, November 14, 2007
POSTED: Wednesday, November 14, 2007
But alas, you are incorrect, AGAIN. It is not against any kind of law to re-sell returned items as long as they are not defective and work as good as new. Obviously, most stores even sell open-box items which clearly is not against the law in any state! So get over yourself. If you don't want to buy merchandise that has even the most remote chance of having been returned by someone else, may I suggest that you only shop at stores that have NO RETURN policies.
PS. What are you complaining about regarding "hepititus"?? Care to explain what that is, and how you can contract it from a telephone receiver?
#5 Update By Author
AUTHOR: Kevin - bono (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, November 14, 2007
POSTED: Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Sorry Peter but you are wrong. You need to brush up on the The Sale of Goods Act 1979 and all recent revisions. Pay close attention to all of section 14. Also if you do not know what hepititis is and the ways someone can contract this disease may I suggest you brush up on this as well. This can be contracted through touching something or through bodily fluids including saliva. By the way you sound like a high ranking Wal-Mart employee.
One last comment. Other retail chains like K-Mart, Kohls, and Sears do not put their returned goods back on the shelf, they are at least smart enough to know better.
#6 Consumer Comment
AUTHOR: Alma1120 - Columbia (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, December 27, 2007
POSTED: Thursday, December 27, 2007
The same thing happened to me. I purchased a child-sized basketball hoop for my son that I later realized had been returned and sold as new. The box wasn't torn up or anything so we didn't think that anything would be wrong with the product. Inside we found a brand new shelf liner that I later took back to customer service and told them that it came in a box with a totally unrelated item. They looked confused and thanked me. That should have been my first clue that something wasn't right.
When my son actually started using the product the rim started to slip downward and would not allow one to shoot the ball normally. My son is only 3 and could not have caused such damage on his own. My husband looked at it and determined that he couldn't fix it. We just left it like that because we didnt want the hassle of the return.
I believe the product was returned for this defect and Wal-Mart put the item back on the shelf and sold it as if it was new. They should have the same policy as Best Buy and mark the item as an open box item so that the buyer can at least have some warning that the item was previously returned.
I also saw a horrible case of this on the news about a man that purchased two "new" MP3 players for his daughters for Christmas only to find out that the items had been returned. The shocking part was that the previous owner had loaded highly offensive material of a sexual and graphic nature that upset and scared his daughter. The father was very upset and felt that his daughter's innocence was taken away. Wal-Mart clearly has to do something about this method of conducting their business.
#7 Consumer Comment
AUTHOR: Kevin - Bono (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Friday, December 28, 2007
POSTED: Friday, December 28, 2007
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - It's not what Santa intended.
A man in Cookeville, Tennessee, is thinking about suing Wal-Mart because the MP3 video player he gave to his little girl for Christmas turned out to be loaded with explicit tunes and porn videos.
Daryl Hill says the 10-year-old child burst into tears when she saw it. He says he just wishes he could get those "thoughts and images" out of her head.
Hill figures the player must have been returned by somebody who had loaded it with sex clips and songs about drugs.
Wal-Mart says it's investigating because returned items that have been opened are not supposed to be resold. In the meantime it's offering Hill a replacement. But he says he's going to hang on to it until he talks to a lawyer.
My thoughts are, Go for it Daryl. Lay it on them. I honestly hope it cost them millions. Now does anyone else want to dispute my original claim ?
#8 Consumer Comment
AUTHOR: Michelle - Mckeesport (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, January 01, 2008
POSTED: Wednesday, January 02, 2008
i just wanted to note on this ripoff report. as i do not feel it is a rip off at all. walmart is not the only store that does this. i have not found any store so far that does'nt. all store give you a certain time to return things for any reason. highest time i have seen is 90 days. if the item is broke then it is sent back to the company it came from. if it is'nt ( they check all items that have been opened before returning them to the shelves.) then they get restocked. most returns are done the same day or in a few short days.
so i feel that the item is still new. how much use can you really get out of something in 3 days? but yes it is all store that do this. that is why the news posts after christmas about restocking fees if your going to return a gift or anything.
#9 Update By Author
AUTHOR: Kevin - bono (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, January 12, 2008
POSTED: Saturday, January 12, 2008
Ok Michelle. You do not think it is wrong for WalMart to repackage products, retape the boxes, and sell you a used torn up product leaving you to believe it is new? I have found plenty of stores that doesn't follow this practice. I listed them before. Kohl's, Sears, K-Mart, just to mention a few. Wal-Mart will let people return food products and those products are returned to the shelves also. Would be a good oportunity for a terrorist to taint food and poison a whole lot of people wouldn't it. You know who would be financially responsible? WalMart would be responsible. Do you think they would even care? NO! They have insurance. Use your brain Michelle.
Kevin
#10 Employee
AUTHOR: Josh - Kingwood (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, January 23, 2008
POSTED: Thursday, January 24, 2008
from Wal-Mart in Oakland, and per management, we are required to put returns that are NOT considered defective by the customer into a bin. If there's something wrong with the questionable item, it goes in a bin labeled "Claims" and it is sent away to CMI. I am Cross-Trained in Electronics, connection ctr, and Photo, so I've also had to stock said merchandise. An electronics associate is required to come to the front for items over $100 and must make the call of whether to defect it or place it back on the shelves. but don't blame us, upper management is the cause. Thanks for listening.
#11 Employee
AUTHOR: Neocarbunkle - Sahuraita (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, April 30, 2009
POSTED: Thursday, April 30, 2009
I have worked for walmart for 4 years, 3 of which were in the electronics department. The returns system walmart has very often makes me feel like I am doing some thing dishonest. When any high dollar electronics device is returned I am called up front to verify that it is the same product and that all of the parts are there. As long as that is the case and they have the receipt, and it is in the return period we take it back.
Now the store can usually only do one of two things with this product, resell it or send it back to the manufacture. If the product is damaged its fine to send to the manufacture and walmart gets a rebate or a new one or something kind of compensation. However if the product is not faulty we can't send it back to the manufacture, they wont accept it. So the only option is to resell it.
There have been exceptions but for the most part were told by managers to re-tape it and sell it as new. Some times its fine because the box is well repacked and everything looks good and probably wasn't even turned on. Most of the time however it's pretty obvious that it has been used and not fit to be sold as new. There have been times that I have only had the obviously returned product left and I had to try and hide that fact from the consumer. I really feel that a small discount ought to be taken off the price and be honest with the consumer about what they are giving but most electronic devices have such a small mark up that if you took 5% off you are making hardly anything off the sale.
Like another post here I have also seen a case where someone bought a used laptop and it too was full of pornography!
My advice is to inspect everything you buy at walmart. Make sure that there is the tape that comes from the manufacture and everything seems right with it. If the box seems like it might have been returned, don't buy it.
#12 Consumer Comment
AUTHOR: Bill - Cotuit (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, March 23, 2010
POSTED: Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The people vs Circuit City 2004. The class cited that open box returns were being sold as new, damages awarded to plaintiffs. I see this almost daily and it is frustrating. I went to Walmart yesterday for a new motorcycle battery only to discover that there was only one battery with the size that I needed. Then box had been re-taped so being suspicious, I zipped it open only to discover that the electrolyte was missing! I brought the package to the service desk after marking my initials on the box with a Sharpie. I'll lay 3:5 odds that it ends back up on the shelf. Then to the courthouse I'll go seeking treble damages, a Walmart attorney will call, and I'll receive a check in the mail for my inconvenience, works every time.
Why file a report here? Ripoff Report is a permanent record! Other complaint sites copy our content then remove reports for money.
