The newest syndrome - returnitis

[kshapero]

Way back every town had a camera store or two. We would read about a new camera, lens or flash, etc. Go to the local store and check it out. Touch it, hold it and so forth. GAS was mostly a local human to human hands on transaction. Then came mail order, 42nd St Photo and Shutterbug classifieds. Now the moral dilemma began. Go do the touch thing at your local camera store then decide on whether you bought there or went mail order to save a few bucks (or more than a few).

Flip to 2019, here in South Florida, USA, I think the closest camera store, among the 3 or so left, is 30 miles of traffic from my house. The other 2 are Leica shops. So now I rely almost solely on Internet Shopping (Just another form of mail order), but there is no human touch or feeling until after the purchase is paid for (as in when it is delivered). I now find myself doing returns like never before. Most of these companies make it super easy (thank you) to return purchases. So now I am stuck doing returns on a almost weekly basis. How did we get to this? Was it our desire to always get the "best price", that made the demise of the camera store? I don't think so, because it is happening in almost every sector of business (Go to a mall on a week day. Other than the Apple store, it is a jogging trail for guys my age.). Who knows maybe returnitis is slowing down GAS. The whole thing is just plain weird to me.

 

[Highway 61]

How did we get to this?

*You* got to this.

The worldwide online market wants you to do it (buy, return, re-buy, re-return, re-re-buy, re-re-return...) because it generates some cashflow at some point, while eluding the matter of real people having a job and be paid for their work normally at the same time.

But you don't have to obey. Not yet.

 

[Out to Lunch]

I was in Canada this summer and noticed that the Big Box stores are not in great shape. These stores killed off the neighborhood stores and now it's their turn to perish. So far, the online sellers get a tactile service for free but when the Big Box stores eventually die, I'm sure the online sellers will invent touch and feel alternatives.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

My wife buys and returns a lot. Most of the time it is not our fault.
Bad quality, wrong sizes.
One time we have to return entire dining set, including huge table.
We barely made it to Costco before heavy snowfall.
It was damaged on factory, wrapped and packaged for shipping. And you can't check it at Costco.

Buy and free returns is what big box stores wants as well. No need to have many stores, just ship from warehouse.
But made in China puts a lot of re-sellers out from business. I buy directly from China. Free shipping and often it is under very reasonable time.
We don't have to drive and waste time on shopping. I'm not a fan of shopping. Some of us, from USSR, have different shopping experience in the past.

 

[Darthfeeble]

I bought a ten dollar item on Amazon prime, got it and discovered that I bought the wrong item, returned for credit. Got free shipping both ways, how can that be profitable? Well, because I've bought scads of stuff from Amazon. I subscribe to Prime and for the most part buy all I can from them. I live in a small rural community with very poor shopping opportunity. Wal Mart is about the only game in town for all sorts of things and I refuse to shop them. I have noticed that for one reason or another, the camera store that is nearest me (some 40 miles) has been able to meet the online store prices on a lot of gear. I like that as I prefer to shop local but when the price difference is quite large I'm afraid that the pocketbook rules.

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

I am lucky to be within 40 minutes of central London with numerous dealers, many of whom I have bought from.

I have bought locally from a dealer near my father in Plymouth.

I also happily buy from internet dealers around the country and overseas.

I have been known to buy from Ebay and indeed FB Marketplace (via Paypal)

Thanks to the EU Distance selling regulations I can return goods bought remotely from dealers within 2 weeks of arrival for any reason. I have fewer rights for purchases made in person, though most offer equivalent customer return possibilities.

Anything that isn't as described, or defective in any way goes straight back. If I've made a mistake I treat it as my problem. I will let a physical dealer repair it as I often have no alternative but I've had enough of so doing, so will buy from the internet instead.

There is one physical retailer nearby who doesn't have stock but has things to test, but mostly without working batteries. I've given up on them and on the larger camera chains (such as exist) as they have nothing worthwhile in stock. They will shortly go the way of the dinosaurs - do I want to drive 30 miles, park in some expensive multi-storey and then find they haven't got what I want - but you can order it online sir... (I can do that from anyone)

All the specialists I use have both mail order and physical shops. It is the way of the world.
I do miss the specialist superstore that stocked everything camera related just 3 miles away, but they closed, like the specialist rare classical music CD warehouse near there, about 25 years ago. Hey ho!

 

[splitimageview]

Competition is great, isn't it? Easy returns.

They want your business, and want to make you happy.

What's not to like?

 

[Out to Lunch]

Thanks to the EU Distance selling regulations

Let's see how that works a few months from now.

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

Let's see how that works a few months from now.

They are incorporated into UK law as the Customer Contracts Regulations (2013), the only legal question would be whether those protections would apply to purchases by me from EU countries. Ebay rules provide a more than adequate substitute.

 

[css9450]

So now I am stuck doing returns on a almost weekly basis.

That's a LOT of returns. I would feel guilty returning stuff that often, regardless how much I decide to keep.

I can recall every single item I bought online and then returned:

1. A Think Tank roller bag accessory which I bought and upon reading the confirmation email, realized I'd clicked on the wrong one, so I sent it back and re-ordered (Adorama). My fault.

2. An expensive video camera I ordered and had second thoughts about as soon as it arrived. I returned it and bought a lesser model (Adorama). I felt guilty.

3. An auto part which was clearly mis-labelled and was nothing like what it was supposed to be (Rock Auto.com). Not my fault.


I also returned a $2800 f2.8 zoom lens to B&H which I hadn't ordered but showed up anyway in an otherwise inexpensive box of film I ordered ("Why is this box so heavy? Ohhhh..."). Returning it was the right thing to do.

But that's all I've ever returned.

 

[css9450]

On the other hand, I know a guy who used to buy expensive gear from B&H and then he'd take it on trips with him and use it. As soon as he got home, he'd pack it up in the original boxes and send it back to B&H. Abuse of the policy, in my opinion.


He's now a small business owner. I wonder how he'd like it if customers did it to him?

 

[David Hughes]

People have been buying clothes, wearing them to a party or wedding and then returning them to the shop for a refund for years. A local fiddle was to buy locally but return to the branch in Milton Keynes and get a profit as MK prices were higher.


Regards, David

 

[kshapero]

On the other hand, I know a guy who used to buy expensive gear from B&H and then he'd take it on trips with him and use it. As soon as he got home, he'd pack it up in the original boxes and send it back to B&H. Abuse of the policy, in my opinion.


He's now a small business owner. I wonder how he'd like it if customers did it to him?

Totally agree. if I use it (more than checking it out at my desk) and wish to return, I put it up for sale as used. Only fair.

 

[robert blu]

On the other hand, I know a guy who used to buy expensive gear from B&H and then he'd take it on trips with him and use it. As soon as he got home, he'd pack it up in the original boxes and send it back to B&H. Abuse of the policy, in my opinion.


He's now a small business owner. I wonder how he'd like it if customers did it to him?

I probably live in a different world, out of time: I would never think about doing anything similar...

 

[ptpdprinter]

If you are buying and returning stuff on a weekly basis you have a shopping addiction.

 

[Dogman]

In my entire photographic life--over 45 years--I have...

1. Returned to B&H a new 400mm Canon lens because it was defective. They sent a replacement.
2. Returned to KEH a used Olympus 12-60mm lens because it was defective. They sent a replacement.
3. Returned to Amazon a new Canon 10-22mm because it was defective. Got my money back on that one.
4. Returned to B&H a used 60mm Micro-Nikkor lens because it was defective. Got a refund and bought a new 60mm Micro-Nikkor from B&H.

Other stuff? I can't recall ever returning anything for any reason other than it was defective. Or, in the case of clothing, it didn't fit.

I guess I'm just not much of a modern shopper.

 

[JeffS7444]

Even the easiest product returns are kind of a hassle, so I try to avoid them by minimizing impulse buys, using strategies including:

• Putting items in my watch/wish lists, where they will often sit for months, or until I get bored of the idea.
• Lots of advance research regarding specs, possible new models, best available deals, etc.
• Not going to camera store (or Apple Store!) unless I actually plan on buying something on the spot.
• Unsubscribing from all "Deals" emails, notifications and print-catalog mailings.
• Removing Amazon and eBay from my Firefox's list of search engines, using Duckduckgo as my primary search engine.

You're welcome!

 

[ChrisPlatt]

Amazon's loss - Your gain!

Amazon's loss - Your gain!

Amazon Warehouse has some real bargains on photo items.
The Domke bags I have purchased were in like-new condition.
I suspect most may have been "buyer's remorse" returns.

 

[Ted Striker]

On the other hand, I know a guy who used to buy expensive gear from B&H and then he'd take it on trips with him and use it. As soon as he got home, he'd pack it up in the original boxes and send it back to B&H. Abuse of the policy, in my opinion.


He's now a small business owner. I wonder how he'd like it if customers did it to him?

That won't work with any camera with a shot counter.

 

[Pál_K]

The enjoyment of going to a camera store has always been with me - from the late 1960's to this very day - although today I certainly have to travel over 30 miles to a real store that has film cameras.

Rarely do I buy anything online. The only new photo equipment I've bought online are:

In 2003, a Nikon FM3a from B&H
In 2004, a Polaroid Image 1200 from B&H
In 2006, a Nikon 28-85 AIS lens from B&H

All of which I've kept.

I've bought a few other cameras from KEH. The only camera I've ever returned (KEH) was a Leica R3 which was totally dead-on-arrival.