I recently returned a Ipod to Dick Smith Electronics with a faulty button, a quck search of the internet shows this is a common problem with iPods and I imagine the stores get them returned regularly. I was asked for a $100 assessment fee for Dick Smith to look at the unit, it was explained to me that they get a third party to assess these and the third party charges $100 per assessment (the internet of the assessment firm shows they get charged $50).
I stated I didn't really care what they were charged, they had sold me a faulty product and they should repair it, that they hadn't indicated a sale that they would charge me extra for repairing faulty products. Of course they said I would get a full refund if they found the unit hadn't been damaged by me, but then added they might keep the hundred because it just outside the warranty period. The warranty period is irrelevant in this case due to the New Zealand Consumer Guarantees Act, but nonetheless I was advised their legal department would look at it and in all likelihood I'll have to go to the Disputes Tribunal to get an independent ruling on whether they can charge me a bond.
Now I also read recently that the Dick Smith chain is losing money and is likely to close a lot of stores. I'm not surprised, when you have protracted discussions with your customer over a simple repair, imply you might be responsible for a common fault with the item, talk about what your lawyers are saying, and repeat the phrase "but it is out company policy" over and over, you're not providing good customer service.
I had a laptop motherboard repaired recently by a rival firm, not too dissimilar circumstances as a little research showed it was a common manufacturing fault. No bond, no hassle, in fact polite concern from the staff and a reasonably quick turn around. The iPod is still not fixed, awaiting a response from Dick Smith, I think they just lost another customer and I might as well pay $50 directly to the repair company.
So Dick Smith Electronic, you may have a blanket policy because you get burnt from time to time with customers trying to pull the wool over your eyes, but if you consistently put barriers in the way of customers getting legitimate recourse to a known manufacturng fault, then likely you deserve to go out of business.
