Apple's 10% Re-stocking Fee = BAD Policy!

curious · Feb 8, 2006

I just got back from a visit to the Apple store. Nice place. I felt like an idiot because I didn't know how to work any of the Macs, but oh well.

Anyway, I found out from a very nice Mac sales guy that Apple has a 10% re-stocking fee on "opened" items. You're kidding me, right?

First off:
Even Dell offers a 21 day full money back guarantee.

Secondly:
Apple would like more PC users to switch, right? They claim that if a PC user buys a Mac, they'll most likely want to keep it (at least that's what the sales guy told me). So why implement a 10% re-stocking fee? Since many PC users are skeptical about making this huge leap, why not make it easier to jump, not harder.

If I know that I can return a MacBookPro and get a full refund, I'd be MUCH more tempted to try one out for myself. And if what everyone says is true, I'd most likely keep it. Then, I'd most likely be a Mac customer for life. But if I know that it'll cost me around $250 to return a MacBookPro if by some chance I *don't* like it, I am MUCH less open to taking that leap.

Left Face Down · Feb 8, 2006

Not to be rude, but most stores have a 15% restocking fee. Atleast all the stores I go to (Best Buy, Circuit City, Fry's Electronics).

Also not to be rude but, you're talking about Dell. A company I wouldn't ever buy a computer from even if I had no other choice in computers. That's just from my past experiences with them, thankfully they weren't actually mine.

Though I know what ya mean. I actually hadn't heard about this policy. Though, if I didn't like mine I'd sell it on eBay for the price I got it for (I'm a student). It'd be cheaper than buying it brand new to them... barring they're not a student too.

//Edit

According to this:

Apple said:
RETURN & REFUND POLICY
If you are not satisfied with your Apple purchase of a pre-built product, please call 1-800-676-2775 for a Return Material Authorization (RMA) request within 14 calendar days of the receipt of the product. If the item is returned unopened in the original box, we will exchange it or offer you a refund based on your original method of payment. The product must be returned to the Apple warehouse within14 calendar days of the issuance of the RMA. All products must be packed in the original, unmarked packaging including any accessories, manuals, documentation and registration that shipped with the product. A 10% open box fee will be assessed on any opened hardware or accessory. If you purchased your order using an Apple Business Lease, you may be asked to provide a major credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover) for Apple to assess the 10% open box restocking fee.

In my past experiences if you only open the power supply/computer, which **** man don't rip the poor power supplies bag to shreds, if you just seal it back up again they SHOULD give you your money back.

Granted I did this at Best Buy with... darn, what was it. O'yeah, it was a DVD Recorder for my parents down stairs. Anyways, point being they took it back as long as I had everything there. Though, a little *****ing goes a long way. I wouldn't take that from Apple what so ever.

Though I mean you're not going to find any in-store deals better than a 10% re-stocking fee from any store I know of. Dell I don't even concider worth concidering so I don't even count them. Just to add to my Dell stories, my room mate recently got one and a lot of the pre-installed programs are buggy and if he does certain things it locks up his computer. Granted, only one action has locked up his comp so far.

mynameis · Feb 8, 2006

Order from Amazon, its cheaper and they ship a lot faster than Apple, I think they have a better return policy.

Remember when Apple offered 30 day trial for mac mini, that lasted maybe 24 hours...

curious · Feb 8, 2006

Left Face Down said:
most stores have a 15% restocking fee. Atleast all the stores I go to (Best Buy, Circuit City, Fry's Electronics).

The point is, Apple needs to "hook" me to pull me away from the PC. Once I'm hooked, they'll gain a life-long customer that buys lots of Mac and Apple products. To get hooked, I need to feel more comfortable about the purchase. I would think that Apple would realize that point. Guess not.
BTW, the big electronics stores are in a different situation than this.

Left Face Down said:
Also not to be rude but, you're talking about Dell. A company I wouldn't ever buy a computer from even if I had no other choice in computers.

It's getting late. I'm just not gonna go there.

Left Face Down · Feb 8, 2006

curious said:
The point is, Apple needs to "hook" me to pull me away from the PC. Once I'm hooked, they'll gain a life-long customer that buys lots of Mac and Apple products. To get hooked, I need to feel more comfortable about the purchase. I would think that Apple would realize that point. Guess not.
BTW, the big electronics stores are in a different situation than this.

It's getting late. I'm just not gonna go there.

I really don't seee the difference. Both loose money simply because you opened it then returned it. After that they have to make sure it's ok and sell it as a refurbished.

Nothing different from what I can see. I mean, I understand what you mean but you make it seem like it's un-ordinary.

O'yeah, on the whole "not going there" on the Dell subject. I'm not even getting anywhere near my good stories. Also, I don't really care to argue over opinions seeing mine wont change yours, and yours wont change mine. It's the way of life. :yinyang:

inflexion · Feb 8, 2006

Think about it on the other side though Apple store has one machine left that want to buy but its been opened by a previous customer regardless of the condition would you want a discount for that.............hence why open box returns get a 10%discount for the next customer

admiralpye · Feb 8, 2006

I think the soloution is, if you find the deal isn't worth it, THEN DON'T BUY A MAC.

At all.

I sincerely don't understand why someone who prefers PC and already thinks PC is a better deal than a mac would post in a mac forum. There are plenty of forums for PCs around.

Plus, most people in this forum aren't mac retailers (are there ANY mac retailers here at all?), so I don't see how this thread edifies the members of this forum. And there's almost nothing we can do about the 10% policy, I'm sure that's obvious.

I hope to see more threads here that actually HELP mac users with their issues and concerns rather than threads about people who prefer PC complaining about mac which they have never used.

peter_hutson · Feb 8, 2006

Not sure where your based, but in the UK it is illegal for companies to charge restocking fees on mail order purchases. They can pass on the post of the original delivery, but thats all. Though most ignore the law, but once you bring it to their attention that you intend to push the matter, they generally back down.

curious · Feb 8, 2006

admiralpye said:
I hope to see more threads here that actually HELP mac users with their issues and concerns rather than threads about people who prefer PC complaining about mac which they have never used.

Yeah, me too. ;-)

BoingoBongo · Feb 9, 2006

I sent my iMac back this week. They said I could send it back, they would refund my card, and I could order a new one. They never mentioned any restocking fee, and I'm going to be one angry customer if they try and charge me one.

In all honesty, I've always loved Apple products. I've dreamed of owning my own Apple computer for years now, and I've got to say that so far the experience has been pretty disappointing. My computer had a dead pixel (I consider this to be defective), I had to go through a huge hassle to get a return authorized on a defective product, and if they add a restocking fee for a defective product (that they don't consider defective), I'm not going to be happy. I don't like Windows, but at this point, I'm almost considering just sticking with Windows because this has been such a huge hassle. I could see in the brief time I spent with my iMac that it was a superior machine, but here I am now with no computer and no money. Yay.

inflexion · Feb 9, 2006

you wont be charged in that instance as the product was faulty, you only get charged if their is nothing wrong with the product

Smartz · Feb 9, 2006

to be honest i think this is a case of global company not being striclty aware of domestic laws. In the UK the sale of goods act states that if an item is not up to the job it can be returned for a full refund. In strict sense you do not even need the receipt only a proof of purchase which could be a bank statement. Apple should not and cannot as far as i can see charge a restocking fee.

I was in the Apple store once in London and a gentleman had a problem with a Ibook. he was a solicitor and was not being swayed by the young man saying their was a restocking fee. After about 25 minutes of arguement the store manager came over and apologised for the trouble offering the customer a full refund.

inflexion · Feb 9, 2006

Apple has dropped the restocking fee in the UK now

kaidomac · Feb 9, 2006

If I were Apple, I'd do the following:

1. Adopt a "zero defective pixel" policy. Test every single screen before shipping (Cinema displays, iMacs, and laptops) to check for dead or stuck pixels.

2. Offer a personalized one-hour training session with each purchase of a new Mac to introduce users to OS X and how to install and run programs and save files.

3. Include a free year of .Mac and lower the price to $49. Show customers how to use it when they buy their new Mac; set it up in the store for them during the training and have them upload a few sample photos and test their email account.

4. Include Office 2004 (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). Let's face it: aside from iLife, I'm betting that 90% of average Mac users use Office or an Office-compatible suite. Most computers are just glorified word processors.

5. Sell other monitor brands at their stores, maybe even CRTs (low cost). If you're not computer savvy and you just want a computer to dink around with for word processing and Internet surfing and you see the Mac Mini for $499 and go "oh yay!" and then see that all they have to offer is the $799+ Cinema displays, you might be a little put out. If Apple still wants brand control, offer a $199 15.4" widescreen Cinema display or something.

6. Along these lines, offer some kind of "builder" system in the store. For example, have a kiosk set up where you select the hardware and software for your system, print out a sheet, and have the Apple personnel bring everything out to you. Like, you could select the Mac Mini, and then it says, you will need a monitor, keyboard, and mouse; here is our selection of monitors available. You can buy a basic keyboard and one-button mouse combo for $20. With the training provided in-store, the customer could walk out completely confidant that they got a $1,000 computer that will do everything they need and they know how to use it. Customers will be happy and more loyal to Apple because of this.

I used to work at Staples when I started college. Staples is a non-commission store, so I was able to share product information rather than push the products. I explained what hardware or software would be best suited to their needs and budgets. Sometimes that meant selling the cheapest printer in the store. I spent time explaining what there was and how the product worked and how to set it up. As a result, I had loyal customers who would always come to me whenever they wanted to purchase computer equipment, even if it was more expensive at our store. Some of the managers didn't agree with my selling policy because of their business background, but then, I ranked #2 in the store for sales, so I didn't get much argument. Companies need to realize that being customer-focused doesn't mean a loss in profits.

7. Increase Apple employee salaries to be more than competitive. If people don't have to worry about the money they're making and they feel like they're being well taken care of, they can enjoy the job more and will most likely do better work. I had a good tour of duty at Staples soley because I had previously developed a good work ethic. A good number of people there put in the bare mininum to keep their jobs because that's how they felt the company treated them -- they got paid, like me, less than eight bucks an hour to deal with irate customers all day. I don't blame them.

Overall, just make sure you have a good product, make sure your customers have an easy time buying it, and make sure they know how to use it. i.e. take care of your customers.

rman · Feb 9, 2006

kaidomac said:
1. Adopt a "zero defective pixel" policy. Test every single screen before shipping (Cinema displays, iMacs, and laptops) to check for dead or stuck pixels.

From what I have read every manufacturer, had a similar policy when it comes to dead pixels on an LCD display. If a company were to test every screen then the cost of the screen would go increase. I believe it is up to the store manager to replace a lcd screen with only one bad pixel, when policy states that it has to be more than five.

D3v1L80Y · Feb 9, 2006

curious said:
The point is, Apple needs to "hook" me to pull me away from the PC. Once I'm hooked, they'll gain a life-long customer that buys lots of Mac and Apple products. To get hooked, I need to feel more comfortable about the purchase. I would think that Apple would realize that point.

I am sure that Apple does realize this. Any company with any business sense does, including Apple.
However, if the hardware and software doesn't "hook" you on its own, then you likely never will be. I will admit that the practices of a company do lend to the overal comfort of the purchase, but a restocking fee is such a standard practice, I just don't see where it would drive someone away.
Apple doesn't really do nearly as many "hooking" gimmicks that other computer manufacturers rely on. Instead, Apple tends to focus more on the quality of their equipment and software, and no so much with the freebies, bells and whistles and other fluff to draw in business.
Still, like I said, IMO if the computers themselves don't "hook" you then you likely never will be.

inflexion · Feb 9, 2006

kaidomac said:
If I were Apple, I'd do the following:

1. Adopt a "zero defective pixel" policy. Test every single screen before shipping (Cinema displays, iMacs, and laptops) to check for dead or stuck pixels.

2. Offer a personalized one-hour training session with each purchase of a new Mac to introduce users to OS X and how to install and run programs and save files.

3. Include a free year of .Mac and lower the price to $49. Show customers how to use it when they buy their new Mac; set it up in the store for them during the training and have them upload a few sample photos and test their email account.

4. Include Office 2004 (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). Let's face it: aside from iLife, I'm betting that 90% of average Mac users use Office or an Office-compatible suite. Most computers are just glorified word processors.

5. Sell other monitor brands at their stores, maybe even CRTs (low cost). If you're not computer savvy and you just want a computer to dink around with for word processing and Internet surfing and you see the Mac Mini for $499 and go "oh yay!" and then see that all they have to offer is the $799+ Cinema displays, you might be a little put out. If Apple still wants brand control, offer a $199 15.4" widescreen Cinema display or something.

6. Along these lines, offer some kind of "builder" system in the store. For example, have a kiosk set up where you select the hardware and software for your system, print out a sheet, and have the Apple personnel bring everything out to you. Like, you could select the Mac Mini, and then it says, you will need a monitor, keyboard, and mouse; here is our selection of monitors available. You can buy a basic keyboard and one-button mouse combo for $20. With the training provided in-store, the customer could walk out completely confidant that they got a $1,000 computer that will do everything they need and they know how to use it. Customers will be happy and more loyal to Apple because of this.

I used to work at Staples when I started college. Staples is a non-commission store, so I was able to share product information rather than push the products. I explained what hardware or software would be best suited to their needs and budgets. Sometimes that meant selling the cheapest printer in the store. I spent time explaining what there was and how the product worked and how to set it up. As a result, I had loyal customers who would always come to me whenever they wanted to purchase computer equipment, even if it was more expensive at our store. Some of the managers didn't agree with my selling policy because of their business background, but then, I ranked #2 in the store for sales, so I didn't get much argument. Companies need to realize that being customer-focused doesn't mean a loss in profits.

7. Increase Apple employee salaries to be more than competitive. If people don't have to worry about the money they're making and they feel like they're being well taken care of, they can enjoy the job more and will most likely do better work. I had a good tour of duty at Staples soley because I had previously developed a good work ethic. A good number of people there put in the bare mininum to keep their jobs because that's how they felt the company treated them -- they got paid, like me, less than eight bucks an hour to deal with irate customers all day. I don't blame them.

Overall, just make sure you have a good product, make sure your customers have an easy time buying it, and make sure they know how to use it. i.e. take care of your customers.

So you would bring apple to its knees by over pricing their equipment and giving employees a pay rise across the board.

Not really a smart business move all the above really is it?

penguhwin · Feb 9, 2006

I bought a G5 4 days before they introduced the Intel, and I can tell you it did NOT feel good to pay $129 restocking fee to "upgrade" the thing, particularly when I learned that if I had bought the machine from Amazon, I could have just returned it and ordered the newer model.

Apple might have not have lost my business, but the Apple store sure has.

Discerptor · Feb 9, 2006

penguhwin said:
I bought a G5 4 days before they introduced the Intel, and I can tell you it did NOT feel good to pay $129 restocking fee to "upgrade" the thing, particularly when I learned that if I had bought the machine from Amazon, I could have just returned it and ordered the newer model.

Apple might have not have lost my business, but the Apple store sure has.

Unless there's some strange loophole because they consider the Intel imac a completely different product, it would seem they cheated you. I thought Apple had a policy where if a product was updated within a week or two of you buying it, you could get the upgraded one at no extra cost. This might just be with the online store, though; I'm not entirely sure.

TheRover · Jun 7, 2006

My own experience (refurbed Shuffle)

I ordered a refurbed Shuffle from apple last week. It arrived a couple of days ago.....I plugged it in, set it up, and used it for about 20 minutes at work yesterday. Last night it crashed.....no response at all.....computer didn't recognize it.....nothing. Today I called Apple and they told me that since it worked initially that there would be a restocking fee.....even though this thing is dead and shouldn't be restocked at all!

So, my advice is that when you call Apple with a problem like mine where the product worked for a little while and then crashed, you better TELL 'EM THAT IT NEVER WORKED AT ALL.

And don't buy refurbished electronics.....I knew it was a bad idea but I just couldn't resist. I guarantee you and everyone who will ever inhabit our planet from now until the end of time that I will never ever ever ever again buy a refurbished piece of electronic gear ever ever ever again.....so help me great power in the sky!

Apple's 10% Re-stocking Fee = BAD Policy!

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