I got Guitar Hero for a gift from my girlfriend. I suck at it and don’t play video games. I waited too long and was out of town but now it’s open and I want to return it… I’d even accept store credit. I have the receipt.
The thing is that she paid with her debit card… I have no problem with the money being refunded back to her card.
Would I be able to return this still? What should I expect and what approach should I take so that I can return the game?? (I’m asking factually so I’m asking this in GQ)
Wal-Mart is pretty lax about enforcing there policies and prefers to make the customer happy. Just tell them it was defective (as you claim it is) and most likely they will just give you store credit.
My girlfreind just did this for a gift (a Nintendo DS Lite) I gave her daughter for Chrustmas. The 5 year old washed it in the sink while I was out of town (I had the reciept) so she just dried it off and put it back in the box and returned it. They gave her a store credit for the lowest price that it had sold for in the previous 3 months, no questions asked. I shared this story with my co-workers and they all reported similar things that their wives have “gotten away with” at Wal-Mart (and other stores) customer service department. It appears that most large chain stores don’t even bother to inspect returned goods anymore.
As you mention, the stores will usually try to make a customer happy, even if the reason for the return is suspect. They’re aware that there will be abuses, and most chains will do ID checks and compare them with a database of prior customer returns that can help identify customers frequently abusing the service, but those who just occasionally abuse the returns process are usually still profitable customers.
About inspecting the merchandise-- such a wide variety of merchandise is carried by a store that it would be nearly impossible for any customer service person to be knowledgable enough about a product to identify use/damage. Most of the returns I get in my department are abuses of the returns process, but I can’t expect cashiers to look at a bottle of vitamins and realize that it’s got a label design we haven’t sold in a couple of years.
I brought it in and basically they said that guitar hero is a video game and it was open so they can’t exchange or return it. I asked how would they know that none of their products are working perfectly? and went on to tell him how it’s a ridiculous thought to have a business and not stand behind a product with a guarantee.
He then resorted to saying ‘we’ll exchange the guitar, but not the game.’ At this point, I was being quiet because he was being irrational.
He calls back to electronics and they inform him that they don’t carry that game anymore. Ultimately, he left it at
‘there’s nothing I can do’
Tomorrow, I’ll be on the phone with corporate HQ. I tried tonight but apparently they shy away from talking to people.
actually the guitar’s buttons glitch and could be considered defective. I suppose i would return it if I played it because it would eventually drive me nuts…
