WalMart - return policy on an appliance

Oh please! Are we supposed to feel sorry for you when you had three
months to return the thing? Everybody is busy (giving hugs to armless
children in warzones) but apparently you're too important to heed the
very generous return policy you agreed to when you purchased the item.
Why didn't you send your housekeeper, too busy not cleaning to ask?

ONE MORE REASON NOT TO SHOP AT WALMART!!!!

I work in Customer service at another chain and our return policy is
also 90 days with a receipt. Part of the reason for the return policy
is that after that time period the store cannot get their money back
from the manufacturer and it has to be written off, costing the store
money and ultimately raising prices.

You need to raise the issue with the manufacturer, not the store since
it is defective...that is what warranties are for.

As other posters have noted, if you shop at Walmart every week as you
stated in your letter, you should have been able to get the vacuum
back to the store before the 90 days was up...don't blame Wal-mart for
your own goofup. Either contact the manufacturer or just suck it up
and chalk it up to experience. Wal-mart did nothing wrong and you
don't deserve "special consideration" past the span of the generous
return policy offered by this store.

One aspect of this letter has been irking me. You claim you were "too
busy" to return the vacuum cleaner.

While some people are busier than others and have different energy
levels, everyone has the same 24 hours every day to get done what
needs to be done. It's about prioritizing. No one is that busy. I
know single parents who work and go to school who are on top of their
game more than that.

If, during the course of 98 days, you don't have time to put your
vacuum in your car and return it to the store (such as, at the same
time as one of your weekly trips to the same store), then your
schedule needs some rearranging.

I've sat on things too long and missed the chance to return them.
It's called "procrastination," not "too busy for the last three
months, one week, and one day."

While all this clowning around about how you use your vacuum is fun,
Karen, it doesn't really address your problem

Below is an internal Wal-Mart memo and while this was written by a
specific store manager (one who loves using "ensure"), the word is it
reflects the current corporate policy. A policy, btw, that changes
frequently.

"With our goal being this year to achieve a 8% increase in sales it is
crucial that we work hard at keeping our core customers and ensuring
they continue to shop here everyday. Although we have a 90 day return
policy please ensure we review what company the item comes from and
what the company warrants the item for. For Example all GE Electrical
Appliances in Housewares are warranted free replacement for.. 2 years
from the date of purchase. Sanyo TV's are warranted for 1 year from
the day of purchase and many other companies have the same
requirements. Since we can claim this merchandise and receive credit
for these items we need to ensure that we ensure we satisfy our
customers and have them leave the building feeling satisfied of their
shopping experience. Remember only 1 to 5% of all customers that come
to our courtesy desk are dishonest so we need to ensure 95% of the
honest customer leave the building satisfied."

You might consider printing it out and taking it with you to Wal-Mart.
Should the manager still balk, refer them to the WIRE (Wal-Mart
internal computer system) for the latest in return policy.

My, my, what catty comments. Saucers of milk all around? ;) :p

I can't afford a maid, either, but why be nasty and come off as petty
and jealous because someone else can? The fact that she has a cleaning
lady is not even relevant to her complaint. (In fact, I am wondering
why it was even included in the letter, except, I guess to underscore
that she is relating the problems second hand, as she has rarely used
the vacuum herself.)

Yes, she says she is in the store on a weekly basis, yet claims to be
too busy to return the vacuum. Seems like a contradicition, but let's
give the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps she isn't too busy to pop in
weekly and pick up a few things on her way to and from her charitable
causes and home, but is too busy to pack up the vacuum, lug it to the
car, and drive it around, then haul it in to the store and stand in
line, waiting to return it for an exchange.

As the returns department manager at my store, I do get tired of
having customers returns items long past warranty or the specified
time allowed for returns, and then claim, "Well, it's done that all
along. It's never worked properly."
If an item is not performing up to par, right out of the box, for
goodness' sake, take it back then, and not months later.

Nevertheless, Karen, I'm pretty sure you have the consumer protection
laws on your side. I see that you are in CA, and that state has some
of the strongest consumer protection laws in the country. If you were
simply returning the item because you didn't like it and wanted
another, then Wal-Mart's 90 day policy would hold. However, the law is
very clear on returns of defective items.
If this vacuum has no suction, and overheats and shuts off, it sounds
defective to me.

Since Wal-Mart is refusing to allow the return, and you do have your
receipt and documentation, may I suggest contacting Royal
Appliance/Dirt Devil directly? (800) 321-1134 M-F 8AM-7PM EST

Also, if you are interested, here is a link to the Civil Code for your
state
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=civ&group=01001-
02000&file=1792-1795.7 and I think these sections pertain to your
situation:
1792, 1792.3, 1793.03, 1793.1, 1793.2, 1793.3

Pretty dry reading, but they do point out that the manufacturer has to
offer warranty since the retailer is only obligated to do so for 90
days, and warranty can also mean service, rather than replacement.

You may be stuck with the vacuum, but Dirt devil has to at least get
it into working order for you.

Good for you that you're 'busy all the time, doing volunteer work'.
Too bad you were too busy to take the vacuum back in a timely manner.

I'm busy all the time, working. Also, I don't have a maid. Well, my
kids think we do. Her name is 'mom'.

Despite the fact that I work many hours and am raising two kids alone,
if I were to miss a deadline like this, I would accept it and move on.
It would be no ones fault but mine.

But I digress.

YOU are the one that allowed it to go past the 90 day return. No one
else. YOU. This makes the issue YOUR responsibility, not Wal Marts.
And believe me, I'm no wal-mart fan either. It pains me to utter the
words 'it's not the fault of WalMart'.

I agree with the other posters who recommended contacting the
manufacturer. It's worth a shot.

You really just wrote the letter to the wrong place.

Maybe instead of blaming WalMart for following the STATED return
policy, you should have taken a little time to do some research on
vacuums first. Find out what you are buying. There are plenty of
customer reviews out there regarding which models suck, and which
don't. Of course - sucking is a good thing in this case.

Oh wait, if you're too lazy to get to a store to get $100 of your
money back in time, you're too lazy to make sure that money is
well-spent in the first place.

The two statements kind of cancel each other out.

"Yes, I realize it was eight days past THE date, but this vacuum died
earlier and I simply didn't have the time to get it back to the store
any sooner (I'm busy all the time, I do volunteer work)."

"I would like WalMart to reconsider their poor decision, because they
will be losing a customer who shops there regularly, at least once a
week..."


Now with all due respect, which is it?

You're too busy to return it or you shop there regualarly at least
once a week? The way it's written it's both and it's just defies
logic.

If at least once a week dosen't place you in the store at least ONCE
in the GENEROUS 90 day return policy then something's not quite right.

A $100 vacuum is going to perform like a $100 vacuum. If you want
something that doesn't lose suction, buy a Dyson.

2 hours plus is a long time to run a vacuum (especially a $100
vacuum). Sounds like it's taking some abuse. And the poor cleaning
lady!

You knew about the 90-day return policy when you bought the vacuum.
Why would you wait until eight days after it's up to bring the vacuum
back? Judging by your letter, it didn't just die after the return
policy was up. Why didn't it occur to you: "The return policy will be
up soon, and this vacuum isn't performing the way I expected. I better
bring it back before it's too late". They can't make exceptions for
you, because if they give you eight days, where do they draw the
line?

I'm sure that there is at least a 1-year warranty through the
manufacturer. Try contacting Dirt Devil.

Did you try to contact the Manufacturer.

Maybe, It will help you..

I have a bagless Dirt Devil. When it gets "clogged" (animal owners
should NOT own bagless vacuums, I have learned), open the canister,
take out the removable filter, shake it out, bang it out on the
sidewalk to get all the crud off (I put a plastic bag around mine
first), and then replace it.

Or just tell your maid to try harder, while you watch TV on one of
your three TVs.

That was a long time and also using it for a lengthy time can cause it
to lose suction. I usually take it apart with a screwdriver and make
sure everything is where it needs to be, there are no strings stuffed
anywhere or sometimes a clogged hose or even the back of the vacuum,
clean it out and put it back together. Most of the time it works
again and the suction is back. We keep our vacuums many years by
doing this.

If you waited that long, I have to say, I understand why they are
saying no to the return/exchange. They are very clear with their
policy and 3 months really is long enough to make time to return a
defective product.

Since you'll either have to eat the cost or try to get satisfaction
with the manufacturer, depending on how much time and energy you want
to invest, pick the method you'd be happiest with.

I don't know if them not bending/breaking their rules/policies for you
means they're not into customer service, but I see you're pretty mad
about it. I guess if I was too busy to take care of something and
then finally got around to it, but was turned down because I took too
long, I'd want to displace my anger somewhere other than on myself
too.

(my vise is TJ MAXX---30 days is NEVER long enough for me)

Most stores have a 30 day replacement policy. Wal-Mart is open from 7
AM to 11 PM, where the stores aren't 24-7.

Now, I'm a Wal-Mart hater and I only shop there if I can't get what I
want elsewhere and need it right then, but I don't see how they did
the wrong thing by denying you a replacement AFTER the 90 days was up.
The vast majority of stores have a 30 day replacement policy.

You should be taking your concerns to the manufacturer. You DID fill
out the warranty card, didn't you? If you didn't, since you can afford
to pay a housekeeper, you can obviously afford to buy another vacuum.
Give it up and chalk one up to experience.

How big is your house that you vacuum for 2 hours straight? You
should contact Dirt Devil. It is not WalMart's fault.

there are customer at my work who i call "regulars". you know when i
start calling a person a regular? when i see them at least 9 times a
week, and know them by name. sometimes its just the first part, and
not the name though. to me, thats a regular, somebody whose buisness i
can count on.

but thats besides the point. companies have a return policy for a
reason. if they didn't, people would screw them over and they would be
out of alot of money. you have 3 months to replace that machine. if i
thought my maid was taking to long to vacuum because of the cleaner, i
would have taken it back sooner.

but in actuality, 90 days in pretty good. alot of places its only 30
days.

but my last question is, if you can afford a maid, why are you
shopping at walmart? j/k.

I'd contact the manufacturer of the vacuum. So what if it is 8 days
past the 90 days? A vacuum cleaner, even a $100 vacuum, should last
longer than 90 days.

Wal Mart may not be responsible at this point, but instead of acting
like they just don't care that your purchase didn't last more than a
few months, they should have helped you find the customer service
number for the manufacturer and wished you the best of luck,
acknowledging that you deserve better than that. And they should show
concern when the products they sell are no good, because it does
reflect on them.

I've had great luck with my purchases from Wal Mart, but I would be
unhappy with this as well.

First. You go in every week and couldn't take it back?

Two. "I'll have to find another place to shop because they are not
into customer service, obviously."
They're following the return policy but you aren't.

You have only yourself to blame.

I say good for Wal-Mart.

It's all been said before, but YOU are the one who kept the vacuum 8
days beyond the 90 day return window. In addition to that, a $100
vacuum is a $100 vacuum - - pretty much a piece of junk only meant for
light cleaning. The fact it actually ran fow two hours is amazing.
You get what you pay for and I'm sure WalMart won't go broke becuase
you aren't buying cat food, vitamins and cleaning supplies from them
any longer.

WalMart is not in the busines of providing customer service - - they
sell cheap stuff cheap - - either accept that or show elsewhere.

You mean that Walmart had the nerve to *gasp* ENFORCE THEIR RETURN
POLICY???? Oh no!!!! What's the world coming to????

Two solid hours of vacuuming? Of course an ordinary household type
vacuum is going to overheat, and that probably contributed to it's
early demise. If your house is so huge that it takes two hours to
vacuum, you should really invest in an industrial model.

The fact that you do volunteer work is completely irrelevant, and
doesn't entitle you to having the rules bent. As others have stated,
plenty of people hold down full time jobs AND do volunteer work, but
find the time to take care of their errands within the necessary
timeframe.

Sorry, I think you're going to have to suck it up (pun intended) and
do some research on a new vacuum that will better suit your needs.

at least something better than what $100 will buy. And, as Red said,
you have to clean the filter!

"because they will be losing a customer who shops there regularly, at
least once a week"
So not only did you wait for 8 days past the stated return period, you
visited this store at least 12 times during the 3 mos that you were
unhappy with the vacuum, and never one thought to bring it with
you?!?!?

I have this vacuum. There's a big filter that's VERY EASILY removed.
Take it out, shake the stuff off, and you will have a working vacuum
cleaner.

You said explicitly in your letter, "Yes, I realize it was eight days
past THE date."

Why is it a "poor decision" on WalMart's part to uphold a policy that
you admit to knowing was in place and flagrantly violated?

What makes you more special than Suzy Homemaker or Joe Average that
the rules should be bent for you?

Regardless of what excuses you may have (I'm a volunteer, the
housekeeper took it home, the dog chewed the cord, etc.) 90 days is 90
days.

The other commenters have all said pretty much the same thing, you
basically knew from day 1 that you weren't happy with the vacuum " It
was heavy and cumbersome but I thought, 'oh well'." therefore, you
should have made the time to take it back to the store sooner.

Oh well, indeed.

Your only real recourse at this point (assuming this Dirt Devil has a
warranty) is to contact the manufacturer - HOWEVER, if you read the
instruction manual like you say you did, make sure you familiarize
yourself with the section on the warranty coverage so you know when
you need to contact them by.

That way we can avoid seeing a similar letter like this to Dirt Devil
a year from now.

Give me a break. You were 8 days PAST the expiration date of the
policy, and yet you still think that you are special enough to be
granted an exception?

Why shouldn't you have to follow the policy when everyone else does?

I don't believe for a minute that you were too busy to return an item,
and even if you were, why is that Wal-Mart's fault!?

You passed the deadline. You have no one to blame but yourself.

Oh, and don't try this one on Target either, they have a similar 90
day return policy.

You were past the time allowed for returns, period. You knew early on
you were not happy with this vacuum and kept putting off returning it
so it's your fault.

The remark about the volunteer work was a cheap shot. WalMart has
pretty extended hours. Are you trying to tell us that you volunteer
14 hours a day, 7 days a week?

I feel badly for this customer of Wal Mart, however, as a consumer
advocate, and one who regularly advocates for customers, I must
concede that in this case Wal Mart was "right" in doing what they did.
The warranty had expired. I agree they "could have" bent the rules a
little bit to help this valued customer, but then, where do they draw
the line in the sand for these types of issues?It is a judgement call
of the manager. Please do not be angry with the manager at this store.
I would suggest that this customer realize that their Wal Mart store
serves hundreds of customers and they do have to draw their line
somewhere. A final
thought or suggestion-if this happens again, call the store before the
warranty expires and ask to speak with the manager. Be sure to take
notes of
your call, the day and time, and who you spoke with. Inform them of
your situation and ask them if you can return the item after the
warranty expires. If they agree then you have the information to refer
back to when you return the merchandise. If they tell you
no, then you will realize you have to get the item back to the store
before the warranty expires. I hope this helps. Thank You. Harold,
Chief of Helping People, HaroldSays

Who vacuums for two hours straight?

That being said, I believe, first of all, that you'd be better off
contacting the manufacturer, as the manufacturer's warranty (you did
mail it in, right?) is undoubtedly still in effect.

As for your claim that WalMart is not "into" customer service, I think
you are grossly exaggerating. You were, as you stated, past the 90
day return policy. I simply fail to see why you feel that you should
be exempt from said policy. Volunteer work is generally flexible (and
tossing that little tidbit of information was an obvious ploy), so I
don't buy the "I didn't have time to return it earlier" line - how was
it, with your busy schedule, you managed to find the time eight days
past the return cutoff?

I'm calling entitlement shenanigans, here. If you knew the vacuum
didn't work earlier, I fail to see how you feel entitled to a
refund/return well after noticing its alleged malfunction.

Repeat after me: it was my fault that I missed the clearly stated 90
day deadline. It is not Wal Mart's fault that I was too busy to
bother to return it within the window.

To begin with, Karen, check out the paperwork that came with the
vacuum for the manufacturer's warranty. It should be longer than
Wal-Mart's 90 days.

Despite what Wal-Mart says, you're right, customer service is the
pits.

I hope you find a better place to shop.

I'll bet if you were the one using that heavy, cumbersome vacuum,
instead of the housekeeper, you would have returned it the same day
you bought it.

What poor decision would that be? The fact that they followed the
rules and treated you just like every other customer? You had 90 days
to return an obvious defective vacuum. The fact that you do volunteer
work doesn't except you from following the rules like everyone else.