I purchased a Dual - Dual 7" 16:9 Widescreen LCD Portable DVD Player - Silver Model: XDVD271 this morning at the Tustin, CA store and it was really bought for the kids to keep them entertained on the road trip.
Excited as I was with this purchase, I started with the setup and installation around noon. Immediately, I identified several problem with the unit, such as the secondary LCD monitor has jitter sound when tuned up high, the DC power plug does not stay in (which I tried several different ones and on different cars), and that the power button was not responsive.
I went online and did some reach on this brand and found many people had issue with their quality control. After I picked up the kids from school around 5:00PM, I went back to the Tustin, CA store to exchange for another brand due to this defective unit. I was instantly told that I will be charged a "restocking fee" of 30%. I was shocked and dismayed by what I was told. I told the representative that I just bought it this morning and it was defective. I told him that I'm exchanging it not returning it and the main reason is that it is a defective unit. Then I said what if I exchange it with the same brand, and I was told that I will be charge 10% restocking fee. This time, I almost felt to the ground. How can you charge someone fee for selling a "defective equipment?" I restated that it was defective and the representative told me that he will have the tech. Verify it. After 5 minutes he came back and told me that no issue was found. Now, most of the testing was not done in front of me and it was done behind the counter. I was truly not happy by what I was told and told them that I parked right outside of the store door and I can show them the problem. He refused and repeated his statement. I then asked for the manager and he told me the same thing and again refused for me to show them the problem. After half an hour, the manager finally agreed for me to change the same brand without the 10% restocking fee. After walking back to pick-up the new unit (which I really didn't want to get another one with such a bad known quality) I ran into the department rep. And told him about the issue. He told me that he will talk to the customer services representative about getting a different unit and waive the restocking fee. After the customer services representative agreed, he then started the paper work process.
He and another manager told me that they couldn't do that and the only thing they can do is an equal exchange. I told them that how can it be equal when the newly exchanged unit is $20 cheaper than the original one I bought with higher tax I paid. I gave up and did not want to argue on this issue anymore and swear to myself that I will never put myself in this kind of situation again by buying at "Worst Buy."
How can they put up this policy and attitude with this tight economic situation and the millions of online based retailers, who would want to deal with this kind of policy and behavior? As a consumer, the only reason I'm willing to "walk" into a store and paying high price is because I can get it immediately and knowing that I can take care of an issue when I encounter it. If I lose that too, why would anyone want to walk into a store and deal with this kind of unreasonable policy and behavior?
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