I would be interested in hearing how your LHS or model train shop handles returns.
Does the shop you frequent have a sign posted “no returns” or “returns/repairs are the responsibility of the manufacturer”…or something similar?
And if there are signs of this nature, does it seem like a negative to you? I mean, does it affect your decision on whether or not you purchase a locomotive from a shop with a posted policy about returns?
Would you clarify please?
Do you want to return defective goods (in which case you have statutory rights) or beecause you changed your mind about the product?
TIA
[8D]
If I buy something and its defective then I expect it to be replaced or my money returned. If I buy something and then later decide I don’t want it then why should the hobby shop have to take it back? Thats just wrong.
[#ditto][#ditto]
Most of the ones I’ve dealt with are exchange only.
Sorry…in my effort to keep posts shorter, I sure didn’t explain where I’m coming from…
as an owner/operator of a train shop, I don’t currently have a posted policy on returns. I’ve always thought it was a negative, a turn-off…just looked “standoffish” or whatever.
But a couple times a year, which may not be enough to worry about, a situation involving a repair or a return does not get handled properly here in my opinion.
So I am considering a policy on returns and repairs that will prevent eruptions of misunderstanding.
But I was curious as to how other shops handle things, or what their posted policies are…
I prefer the “we can handle things in a friendly manner without a bunch of rules” approach but that doesn’t always work either.
My LHS doesn’t have any signs posted.
I ordered something from Walthers through him one time, and in my e-mail I put down the wrong part number, so the wrong item got ordered. Even though it was a special order, he just took it back and put it on the shelf, and ordered the right thing for me. I even offered to take it and find some use for it, but he was quite happy to take it back. (I never saw the mistaken order on the shelf, so somebody must have picked it up pretty shortly thereafter.)
Anyway, that kind of “customer focus” is always appreciated.
I would think that you could have a policy with a set amount of time for money back returns with receipt. After that time, 30-90 days, you could have an exchange or store credit only. Some stores have a ‘restocking fee’ for canceled special orders in the 10-15% range. I think that will only discourage special orders. One thing I have always stayed away from in my business is ‘no returns on clearance merchandise’. I’ve found that you will discourage more sales and be stuck with the merchandise anyway. One thing to remember is to print this return policy on your receipts. Pointing to the small sign behind the counter is not acceptable to the crabby customer.
Just my toughts on the subject. I do not know my LHS’s return policy.
One LHS in this area gives store credit only. This policy is a big turn-off for me as I feel you should be able to get a refund, provided the item is returned in a reasonable amount of time and in good condition. For special order items, excluding defective merchandise, I can see a more restrictive return policy. Another LHS close to this area does give cash refunds.
I suppose I have been lucky in this regard because I have had to return few things to any of my locals but there have been numerous topics here on the forum recounting horror stories in dealing with returns to hobby shops.
One of my locals had a sign very conspicuously displayed which said 'NO CASH REFUNDS. I was not his most prolific customer and I can recall nothing which ever needed returned. On at least two occasions I had reason to return defective merchandise to the local that I do most of my business with; I returned them for exchange. One item was out of stock; I was offered a cash refund but I just took something else in its stead. The second item I just exchanged in-kind.
I do have a horror story to recount.
Back in 1968 I purchased my first die-cast locomotive - a Varney Old Lady 2-8-0 - from a hobby shop in San Bernardino, Calif - it was missing one axle with drivers, and another, in addition to looking like a dog’s hind leg, had a bent driver; the box was taped instead of cellophaned closed and I began to suspect that it had already been returned at least once because of these defects. I was not the most experienced modeler in those days and I had no idea whatsoever about how to go about getting replacement parts; Varney was out of business so I took this thing back where I had got it.
Now, I had only paid a sale price $19.95 for this loke but when I returned it he - the owner/clerk - pointed to this ‘NO REFUNDS ON SALE MERCHANDISE’ sign above the counter at which time I shoved the daily newspaper under his nose directing his attention to an article about California’s recently passed Implied Warranty law; I had, I said, a typewriter, paper, envelopes, stamps, and the address of the state Attorney General. That got his attention and he promptly opened his cash register and graciously handed me back my $19.95. POSTSCRIPT TO STORY: a couple of weeks later I wandered in there -
I worked at Home Depot for awhile and they have a very liberal retuens policy. However they won’t give back cash on a credit purchase or debitcard purchase for obvious reasons.They will give you store credit though. If you can show the reciept they will give cash back if you paid cash.Also if you showed a reciept for almost anything that looked relatively intact they took back freely. Folks used to buy tools they needed to finish a small job and bring it back a few hours later when their project was done saying the tool just wasn’t doing the job. We used to call it tool rental. I quit there,didn’t care for the corporate BS and went to work for a hobby shop. His return policy was posted all sales final ,no cash returns, $50 on NSF checks. It was embarrassing. I like your policy of a freindlry manner with no specific rules. However things that run may have been abused, specially R/C cars and planes. Those things can take a beating in a few seconds and the customer will say its not what he thought it was so a policy of no returns should be correct there. I don’t know if you repair stuff ,that feature can cause arguments, and will you fix the stuff or offer advice on things folks don’t by at your store? Tough question dude.
If you buy something, you should keep it or sell it privately.
Most stores have some kind of policy on returns, but my wife uses that to return things she purchases.
Cheers
I dont recall returning anything to a LHS except one engine that was definatley not working right. That one got shipped to the factory and returned as new. After that experience I do my own returns direct to the factory if necessary.
When I decide to buy something from the LHS, I make a specific order and take it home. If I feel that I dont want the item for whatever reason after a period of time, I sell it on Ebay. Usually it finds a good home.
We buy things to keep, we never return anything.
Once in a while an item comes to the counter and it isnt quite what I wanted or expected or some other little tidbit. Sometimes I would ask it to be returned to the shelf… but it is very rare.
My old LHS had a “no cash refunds” policy, but since I was a kid at the time, the item was undamaged, and I was friends with the proprietor, he handled my only refund with cash. With guys who brought back used items, he would buy the items back for a reduced price and sell them from an odds-and-ends box. That one closed in August. For the HS I go to now, the policy is that refunds are store credit or exchange, except if you paid with credit and the item is unopened, in which case you’ll get your credit back.
Ohio hobby shops is govern by Ohio laws regarding merchandise returns for exchange or cash refunds.The last hobby shop I worked part time at had a “no question” return policy.
I totally stopped dealing with a “G” gauge hoby store in Oak Lawn Il now in Worth Il.
I purchased a HLW Engine that was defective engineering. I met the onwers/representives at a traide show. Living very close to them. They said I could bring it into them to correct.
They seen the problem and could not correct it. They gave me a letter and said to return it to the hobby shop for refund.
The Oak Lawn/Worth Il. hobby shop charged me a very large restocking fee.
Thanks for the comments.
It seemed that every other hobby shop I’ve vistited had some sort of returns policy prominently posted. From this thread I see quite a few shops must not.
Personally I like the “no questions asked” return policy, it just makes life simpler for all.
Why try to make 100% of your customer base adhere to some sort of stringent rules when only 3% cause any trouble and those 3% are not going to follow any rules anyway…why take the chance of making the other 97% unhappy.
But when I lose a good customer because he will not follow the manufacturers requirements for repairs, or when other customers mention that my good nature gets taken advantage of every once in awhile…sometimes I wonder about having a policy so everyone knows what is expected.
My preferred LHS closed after 30 some years this past June. Until then, whenever I purchased anything, prior to my leaving the owner would make it a point of saying, “…and, listen, if it doesn’t work, or you don’t need it, you bought too much/many, just bring it back.” I took him up on that when I found the EZ-Command to be much less than I had anticipated. He dutifully relieved me of it and ordered a replacement DCC system. I also returned a couple too many bags of ground foam and some turnouts once…again, he was all “business”.
I appreciated that about Ken.
Now, having worked in government and its legal confines, I would have to say that you are better off, in the long run, making it abundantly clear of your policies. Those loyal to you will understand, and those whose intentions are less than honourable, or who simply will not take their responsibilities as buyers seriously should be the beneficiaries of an unambiguous and prominently displayed notice. It is always good policy to have policy, and policy that is not widely disseminated is ineffective. Post it, and then there are few arguments. However, nothing precludes you from unilaterally making exceptions when you think a particular case calls for it. [;)]
-Crandell
I agree, Ken’s was a great place to do business with.
The HS I have done most of my business with after leaving Vancouver Island, I do not know their return policy and I have never had to use it.
Though I’ve seldom used it, my two local LHS’ seem to have an “Exchange or Store Credit” policy. I have had to exchange several items in the past several years–one a curved turnout that turned out to be the wrong radius, the other a box-car that I didn’t realize was ‘out of Period’ for my MR. In both cases, there was no problem at all (of course, they probably knew that I’d end up buying something additional, LOL!).
When I worked in retail at a music store for several years, we had a "No Cash Refund/Exchange Only/Store Credit policy that worked for the most part. However, these signs must be PROMINENTLY posted in several areas.
Tom