Here's a little shopping tip, now that Christmas is getting closer.
A savy consumer will look beyond price, or simply a nice “shopping experience” in the store.
Take, for example, a nice Christmas present like the TomTom XXL 550 GPS, with a 5” screen.
You could get one at Crappy Tire – some do, apparently.
But what if the box is opened on Christmas morning, and the product is DOA? Or maybe it dies within a couple of days.
What are the policies for refund or even just exchanges?
Well, let's just check out the Crappy Web Site:
TomTom XXL 550 Automotive GPS | Canadian Tire
“1 year repair only warranty redeemable at any Canadian Tire store”.
Too bad, so sad, Santa screwed you over, and now you have to wait for it to be shipped off for repairs.
But what if you’d instead bought at Walmart?
Let’s have a look at their policy:
TomTom XXL 550 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator, Anti Glare GPS, TomTom Touch Screen GPS, Auto GPS Navigation System
Hmm … nothin’ on there about a “Repair Only”. (Gee, didn’t some CTer claim “they all have the same damn policy?).
Well, let’s see what the overall policy is for such an item at Walmart:
Walmart.ca Help Centre: General Return Policy
Here’s what it says:
If I buy something from Walmart, can I return it?
Yes, (with just a few exceptions). We know that sometimes you buy something that doesn’t work out the way you had hoped, and for that reason we did our best to make a return policy that is helpful for you.
Almost anything you buy from Walmart Canada stores may be returned within 90 days from when you bought the item …. There are a few exceptions you should know about, which are listed below:
Within 14 days
Computers, tablets, laptops, monitors, printers, camcorders, digital cameras, portable video players, GPS units, wireless prepaid phones
And, check this OUT!
If I am an eligible for a return, do I get cash back or a store credit?
If you’re returning an in-store purchase with the receipt, you will be refunded using the same method of payment that you used to make the purchase. However, if you don’t have your receipt, we will give you store credit.
Now, maybe I’m ‘not like other consumers’, because I think ahead. (Or, maybe I’m just better-informed?).
I suppose some people are just price-driven, and don’t care about any old Return Policy.
So have a look at this:
CT price: $179.99.
Walmart price: $125.18
Niiiice! Better support, AND lower prices!
Refund!
Refund!
Refund!
Refund!
(You get the idea.)