Is 20% re-stocking fee acceptable?

[Metsy]

I recently purchased a SDIO GPS (no name, no brands till I have your opinion. – OK?) to be used with a HP iPAQ 2215 from an eBay supplier. The item needed 'driver' software on the iPAQ. I was not able to get the item to work with my iPAQ. I talked to the vendor who informed me that there sometimes were driver 'issues' and sent me a link to HP’s updated driver. It still would not work. At the vendors suggestion I attempted to contact the manufacturer by email but got no reply. In fact after about 10 days I got an response saying the email had been deleted without being read!

I then spoke again to the vendor and arranged to buy an alternative (compact flash GPS) which, at least, works. (It’s not as small and I won’t be able to use it with an O2 phone when I get one but, as I said, at least it works).

I still do not know what the problem was. Perhaps the hardware was faulty. Perhaps the problem is with the driver software. The HP iPAQ 2215 is specifically listed in the advertising as being compatible.

The vendor charged me a 20% 're-stocking' fee. It is my view that if the hardware is/was faulty it should be regarded as warranty. If the driver quality is such that it will not work with a device with which it is supposed to be compatible then I question the advertising and fitness-for-purpose?. Either way I think the restocking fee is harsh. Essentially the vendor is making a profit on two items after having supplied unsuitable goods in the first place. Especially after ending up with a lesser product than I initially tried to purchase.

What is your opinion?

If you think the vendor is being unreasonable I’ll ‘name and shame’.

Thanks
Regards
John

[Dave]

Unfortunately, yes. The consumer has driven the market down so that retailers now get iin most cases less than 20% gross profit on any item they sell. If you return it and the packaging is now opened/damaged and can't really be sold as new, then they will have to sell it at a reduced cost (usually -15% to -25%) which means in a lot of cases they are then selling the product below their buy price.

Usually a 15% to 25% re-stocking fee if the item isn't faulty is deemed normal, but in theory you are agreeing to this when you purchase an item because you agree to be bound by their terms and conditions on purchase.

I know it's not nice, but if an item doesn't work in your device (but isn't faulty) then the retailer has to try and not make a loss on the item when it's returned and are well within their rights to issue a re-stocking fee.

Unfortunately most people don't like buying opened products, and most products now days come in a blister pack (hard plastic moulding) and most people are fairly intelligent enough to realise when an item has been re-sold/returned, especially when a lot of companies will then re-box it in an unmarked brown box.

Some retailers will try to pull the wool over your eyes and ship a product out as new even though it's been opened and returned, but this isn't ethical, so charging a re-stock fee in this situation is okay. If, however, the unit is faulty then it should be returned and replaced by the retailer at no cost to you.

[Skippy]

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