Circuit City
"installation" fee unreturnable

On Black Friday after waiting for about 7 hours for a $399 HP laptop deal, the guy at the register tells me that the voucher I have is for a laptop that comes with a $90 installation fee of Kaspersky security software. Right then and there I'm already like "wtf?" but after waiting 7 hours I didn't want to just leave empty-handed like that.

So I ask the guy "Can I return this later for a refund if I have to?" and he says "Sure, within 14 days if you don't open the box." Okay, seems fair. So I take it home.

After catching up on sleep I look around online and find MUCH better deals for the price I paid after getting the $90 crapware forced upon me. So I decide to return this laptop even after investing so much time into acquiring it.

When I get to the store, the customer service lady first tries to charge me a 15% restocking fee, and I immediately did not allow her to do that. She then checks the box and claims that it has been opened, which was definitely not true, as I pointed out. Apparently, she was looking at a Firedog sticker that was over the box's opening, and that sticker was cut. I had not noticed it before. Anyway, apparently she detects my building annoying and is "convinced" that maybe I didn't open the box after all.

Then she tells me that she can't refund me the installation fee. I'm like, "what? Whatever software you installed is still IN THE LAPTOP." and demanded the refund. Immediately she goes to the manager, who is extremely inflexible, saying that "services" are not refundable.

This "service" of course refers to nothing more than Circuit City's OWN employees opening my box before I even bought it, popping in the Kaspersky CD, and charging $90 for that. WAY more than it was worth, and it was definitely never explained to me BEFORE I bought the laptop that this "service" fee was non-refundable. Eventually I wind up returning the laptop and not getting my $90 back. I will be disputing the $90 charge with my credit card company but I consider this extremely unethical and am very disappointed with this policy.

Company: Circuit City
Country: USA
State: New York
City: Westbury
Address: 1504 Old Country Road
Phone: 5162270899

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