23

I bought a PC for € 2199 (about $2500 USD) 8 days ago. Today I saw that the same store where I purchased it sells the same product for € 130 less. Unfortunately, I can't just bring it back* and re-buy it because I have already littered the packaging. What can I do in order not to have paid too much?

* The market claims that you can give a product with packaging back without providing a reason.

Marcus D
  • 789
  • 4
  • 16
kidded
  • 341
  • 1
  • 2
  • 6
  • 17
    How did you pay for the item? Some credit cards have "price protection" offers that will reimburse you in such situations. – BrenBarn May 04 '16 at 18:13
  • 41
    You thought when you bought it that you had not paid too much. Just keep thinking that, and hey, you haven't paid too much. – Eric Lippert May 04 '16 at 19:30
  • 62
    Another way to look at it: if the price had gone up, would you expect the store to call you up and say sorry, we charged you too little, cough up an extra 130 euro please? Why would you think that ridiculous, but think it perfectly reasonable to do that to the store? – Eric Lippert May 04 '16 at 19:32
  • 2
    130 euros probably makes way more of a difference to an individual than to a store.. – Cat'r'pillar May 04 '16 at 20:50
  • 18
    @EricLippert: it's not ridiculous because the sale transaction wasn't symmetric in the first place. The questioner bought, bundled along with his PC, a put option at the original purchase price that has not yet expired. He happens to have thrown that put option in the bin along with the box, but the store chose to sell it to him, and it didn't demand that he give them the CFD you describe. Since he doesn't have the box, he can't exercise the put as written, but it's far from ridiculous to wonder if there's some other way to recover it. – Steve Jessop May 04 '16 at 20:55
  • 6
    In the US, there is a store called Best Buy and they offer a 14-day price match guarantee. Last year I spent $369.99 (pre-tax) on an item and a few days later it dropped by $40. I walked in with my receipt in-hand and the customer service desk refunded the difference to my credit card. Due to a policy I was able to get the discount. You can certainly ask them if they have any sort of policy or if they can help you out but do not expect them to grant you a wish. Ask kindly and humbly; "no" or "I'm sorry, sir." means no. Pro-tip: the more bummed (not upset) that you look, the higher your odd – MonkeyZeus May 04 '16 at 20:56
  • 15
    @Cat'r'pillar: I invite you to try out your theory. Try underpaying by, say, fifty cents next time you buy a cup of coffee, and inform Starbucks that they can afford to lose the 50 cents more than you can. If this doesn't work for fifty cents, why would it work for a hundred bucks? – Eric Lippert May 04 '16 at 22:34
  • 1
    @EricLippert Is there a comment missing now? Cat'r'pillar's only message is about 130 euros mattering more to most people than to most stores, and your comment above about coffee "doesn't pass the taste test" so to speak (or "doesn't hold water"... or "other coffee related saying" - doesn't make sense) – Xen2050 May 05 '16 at 03:50
  • Is this specific to the USA? In Europe, they would very likely just refund the difference, because the ongoing price curve is officially part of the sale, and you're allowed to return an item if it became a lot cheaper at the same or a different store. (Minus a usage fee, if the item lost value greater than its packaging cost, e.g. if you scratched it.) That customer-friendly law is also why prices here are generally a bit higher :) – mafu May 05 '16 at 09:20
  • @mafu Europe, Germany – kidded May 05 '16 at 09:23
  • @kidded I just noticed I failed to realize it was at a physical store. Then my above comment does not apply. It's only like that for remote (e.g. online) purchases. Sorry! Still would try and ask them nicely - they'll be happy to make you happy and a regular customer. – mafu May 05 '16 at 09:30
  • @mafu In Italy, they would probably just laugh at you. –  May 05 '16 at 10:00
  • @LuciaBentivoglio Sorry to hear that. Are they not afraid of online competition? (Afraid we should keep the comment section short.) – mafu May 05 '16 at 10:10
  • @MonkeyZeus or instead of an upset demeanor, employ the "kindly brontosaurus" https://consumerist.com/2013/08/14/either-the-kindly-brontosaurus-is-a-genius-way-to-get-what-you-want-or-totally-wackadoodle/ – user662852 May 05 '16 at 11:55
  • 1
    @user662852 I think you might have misinterpreted my comment; I said "(not upset)". There is a difference between upset and bummed. My original answer was truncated into a comment at some point and a bunch of text was cut off. – MonkeyZeus May 05 '16 at 12:21
  • @Xen2050 He is saying that "130 euros probably makes way more of a difference to an individual than to a store" is equivalent to "50 cents probably makes way more of a difference to an individual than to Starbucks". I.e. the business won't see it that way. – GalacticCowboy May 05 '16 at 16:28
  • 1
    @GalacticCowboy Thanks. Then it is (unfortunately) exactly how it looks... and attempting to rip off starbucks by 50 cents is completely different from a store policy for returns & matching recent sale prices. --- And OP, NEVER throw out the package until the return time is up! Even keep it folded flat or cut apart behind a dresser or someplace – Xen2050 May 05 '16 at 19:27
  • 1
    This is why I have learned to stop looking at advertising for a month or two after buying a PC. It is guaranteed that there will be a better offer. Even with a price guarantee, the better offer will be on another model or just after the guarantee period expires. But if you wait for the perfect offer, you will never buy, and that isn't an improvement. As others have said, if the price want too much on the day you bought it, you didn't pay too much; the fact that someone else found a better deal really is irrelevant. This isn't a contest, it's just a purchase. – keshlam May 06 '16 at 06:23

5 Answers5

57

Two options you can try:

  1. Go to the store and ask them to refund the difference. They might not, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Often stores will do this if you are within the return window because it saves them some hassle over you returning the used item and then buying a new item at the lower price.

  2. Buy the identical item again at the new price, then return it using the old receipt.

I do not recommend any cheating or fraud. Please let me explain further what you might do.

First, attempt #1 above. It is very common for stores to give you a refund shortly after the purchase. Why? Because this is an easier and better option for everyone than any of the other options. The store wants to keep its customers happy; that is why it has the generous return policy in the first place.

If the store employee doesn't go for this, (perhaps he doesn't know how to properly enter this into the register), tell him that you would like to buy the item today at the new price and return it at the old price with your old receipt. This may not have occurred to the employee as an option, and it might help the employee figure out how to enter this transaction and give you your refund.

If the store employee doesn't like this, tell him that you are planning on purchasing the new item today and returning the old item tomorrow. At this point, the store employee might realize that the store is better off keeping their new item on the shelf than they are exchanging a new item for a used item, and allow you to do the second option right there.

It's possible that they won't go for this either. Now, if you purchase the new item, you'll have a decision to make. You need to return one of the items with packaging using one of the receipts.

If the store is logging serial numbers on the receipt, it may not be an option to return the new item with the old receipt. If the receipt does not contain the serial number, I would argue that there is no fraud or cheating going on by returning the new item with the old receipt. If the receipt does contain the serial number but the packaging does not, then you should be able to use the new packaging to return the old item.

Ben Miller
  • 115,533
  • 30
  • 329
  • 423
  • 36
    +1 for "ask them". People generally seem to forget that, the majority of times, the worst that can happen is they say "no". – BobbyScon May 04 '16 at 16:47
  • 14
    RE: Option #2... Most receipts I've seen for expensive electronics here in Canada contain the model number and the unique serial number of the item... – DJohnM May 04 '16 at 17:43
  • 4
    @DJohnM That could be a problem. Although, if I owned a store, I'd rather have a customer return an unopened, unused item than one that he'd been using for 8 days. – Ben Miller May 04 '16 at 17:48
  • 11
    One consideration with the buy-and-return approach is to buy a new one solely to use its packaging to return the old one. Doesn't cross into fraud and will ensure your return goes through without an issue... given you have all of the other requirements fulfilled for the return (receipt, being in the return window, etc.) – Xrylite May 04 '16 at 18:58
  • 8
    Or, how about -- you were satisfied with the purchase price when you bought the computer, so just be happy you got it. With anything you buy, it will go down in price later. Just move on, you were happy... stay happy. – SnakeDoc May 04 '16 at 20:45
  • 1
    @Xrylite Doesn't cross into fraud - unless the serial number is printed on the side of the box or in a tag by the manual, one of them are almost guaranteed to be. – Mindwin Remember Monica May 04 '16 at 20:56
  • 2
    As an addendum to part 1, when you go to the store, bring your receipt and say you'd like to get the price difference but don't want to have to pack up the computer and cause a hassle returning etc. Also, lots of stores will do the 'return' on just the receipt, so you can start by just assuming that. – Adam Martin May 04 '16 at 21:11
  • Are there any risks if I choose option #2? – kidded May 05 '16 at 09:14
  • 3
    Option 2 is fraud. If they detect it, you risk prosecution and you will become a criminal. – fabspro May 05 '16 at 09:25
  • In addition, option 2's assumption that you can return an item at all is not supported by law in Europe, so you risk having them refuse the return. Unless it's store policy, of course, which is sometimes the case. – mafu May 05 '16 at 09:32
  • I would suggest removing option 2 from this answer, as it recommends an action which is quite likely to be illegal. You are essentially cheating the store of their right to refuse to accept a return of an opened package. Another way of looking at it is that you are artificially extending the return window. Yet another way is that you are unfairly gaining an advantage from market price movement - if the prices had gone up instead of down, you would not do this, so the store can only lose out. – JBentley May 05 '16 at 09:44
  • 1
    @mafu We can probably guess from the OP's wording that he was talking about a physical store, but if it is an online store then you often have the right to return an item within 14 days of receiving it, under the EU Consumer Rights Directive. – JBentley May 05 '16 at 09:52
  • @JBentley, it may boil down to fraud, but it's important to know that the reason most stores will say yes to #1 is because they know how easy #2 is and would like to avoid it. – JPhi1618 May 05 '16 at 13:51
  • @JPhi1618 It's not that easy. The box will have serial numbers, the computer will have serial numbers, and the receipt will have serial numbers. If any of those 3 don't match, you've committed attempted fraud, and at best, get asked to leave the store, at worst, they prosecute. – SnakeDoc May 05 '16 at 15:57
  • @SnakeDoc, true on a computer or other more expensive device, but for most items in most stores, it's super easy to do and just causes more of a hassle for the store then just giving you the sale price. – JPhi1618 May 05 '16 at 15:59
  • @JPhi1618 That may be the case, but my point wasn't related to the practicality of it - it was that it probably isn't appropriate on Stackexchange to offer advice that could be illegal. The answer could perhaps be reworded to explain that #2 is the thing the store will be trying to avoid. – JBentley May 05 '16 at 16:00
  • I certainly don't condone fraud. I've edited my answer with an explanation of what I was talking about. – Ben Miller May 05 '16 at 16:35
  • @JBentley Yes, it's a physical store. I should have the right to bring it back within 14 days because they promise it. – kidded May 05 '16 at 20:08
  • 1
    Option #2 is definitely *not* fraud unless maybe the receipt specifies serial number. – Insane May 05 '16 at 21:45
  • 1
    @Insane: Why would it not fall under price arbitrage? – user541686 May 06 '16 at 00:46
  • 1
    @Mehrdad The article at your link defines this as purchasing "similar-looking merchandise and returning the cheaper item as the expensive one." In this case, we are talking about identical items. We are not talking about tricking the store into accepting a different model. – Ben Miller May 06 '16 at 00:50
  • 1
    @BenMiller: Am I being too pedantic with the wording here? Identical items are definitely similar items, and regardless, no two items are identical if they have serial numbers (irrespective of whether these are on the receipt) so that definitely seems to classify as such either way, no? – user541686 May 06 '16 at 00:52
  • 1
    @Mehrdad Wikipedia isn't exactly a legal document, so I guess trying to parse the wording on it is sort of pointless. :) – Ben Miller May 06 '16 at 00:59
  • @BenMiller: True, but do you have a better source to support that position then? – user541686 May 06 '16 at 01:00
  • chasing differently priced, but similar-looking merchandise and returning the cheaper item as the expensive one. Is hardly what's happening here.. as Ben said, that is for a cheap watch and expensive watch and returning the cheap one with the expensive receipt. (example) – Insane May 06 '16 at 01:13
  • @Insane Of course it is fraud. The details don't matter - what matters is the deception. (1) Assume the shop has a no-return policy. (2) Assume there is no legal right to return the item. (3) You trick the store into returning it anyway, under the false belief that you are returning the item from the first receipt. Also remember, the issue here is not about the pricing, it's about the opened/discarded packaging. #2 enables you to "return" an item that you've already opened (which you have no right to do), and gain a financial benefit from doing so. – JBentley May 06 '16 at 06:52
  • @JBentley Thats your opinion. If it's solely because of 'packaging materials being thrown away' is going and buying some bubble wrap fraud too? – Insane May 06 '16 at 07:07
  • @Insane It's not my opinion, it's the definition of fraud. If you think that buying bubble wrap is a related analogy, then you've completely missed the point. The point is that you're faced with a scenario where you can't return your item to the shop, because you already opened it, and you've found a way to deceive the shop into refunding it anyway. – JBentley May 06 '16 at 09:29
  • 2
    @Insane See also return fraud - "Alternatively, returning goods purchased on sale or from a different store at a lower price with the intention of profiting from the difference.", or (closely related) "Purchasing a working item, and returning a damaged or defective identical item that was already owned.". Again, the point is not the details, it's the deception. If you lie to obtain something, that you wouldn't have ordinarily been able to obtain if you were being honest, then that is by definition fraud. – JBentley May 06 '16 at 09:32
  • @JBentley 1. not a sale 2. not defective 3. I got the point - but the OPs limitations to returning was because he couldn't repackage it 4. of course the details matter 5. hopefully we can get this moved into chat, until then i'm done responding – Insane May 06 '16 at 09:35
  • 3
    @Ben Miller Thank you. I asked them and got the 130€ back. – kidded May 06 '16 at 15:12
  • 2
    1 is a good idea. 2 is fraud, and as someone who worked in retain management, odds are we would have spotted it - this sort of thing is typically checked by loss prevention departments via reports (people who buy, then buy and return). – Joe May 06 '16 at 16:14
  • 1
    I believe that #2 is illegal in most countries as it is fraudulent behavior; you should remove that suggestion from your answer. – TylerH May 06 '16 at 20:22
  • -1 until you remove #2. – user541686 May 07 '16 at 18:42
24

Depending on how you paid for the item, some credit cards have price protection insurance.

There are always minimums (e.g. Must be more than 10% or €150 whichever is greater) and paperwork, and processing time, but it does not involve the retailer agreeing to your request.

Mark Henderson
  • 642
  • 5
  • 13
  • 1
    The OP is from the EU and I don't think that price protection is part of what is offered in Europe. – Marcus D May 07 '16 at 21:50
19

Ultimately this is just bad luck. Prices change, especially for things like computers which become obsolete in a short time. At the end of the day a cutting edge PC is only cutting edge for about 6 months and will be old hat in 2 years, so there is bound to be some point where the price drops. After all, putting things on sale at the end of a season is pretty standard practice in retail.

Ethically your best bet is to go to the store and explain your position, they may offer you a goodwill gesture but they haven't really behaved unreasonably. If I was the store manager I might be tempted to offer you an extended warranty or offer a discount voucher for peripherals as a goodwill gesture but I wouldn't; expect anything with real tangible value.

As mentioned in comments, if you thought it was a fair price when you bought it you haven't really lost anything.

Xen2050
  • 191
  • 5
Chris Johns
  • 391
  • 1
  • 5
4

In the US, you must rely on seller policies and manufacturer guarantees [citation needed]. In Europe, you additionally have certain buyer's rights which are very significant and virtually always preferred over the former.

Since this is in Europe, let us first make a distinction between buying offline at a physical store, and remotely (e.g. online or via telephone).

In the offline case, you have to rely on store policy. If they offer returns, you can try and ask them nicely. Since stores compete with online merchants, it's likely they'll go the extra mile and let you return it or offer the price difference in cash or store credit to make you a happy and loyal offline customer.

On the other hand, if you bought it remotely, there are pretty customer-friendly regulations in place. You're allowed to return such an item bought for any reason within 14 days, paying only the return shipping costs (not for the initial shipping!). That is, minus a usage fee, if (and only if) the item lost value greater than its packaging cost, e.g. if you scratched it, and does not always apply to digital or digitalizable goods, and never to organic or similar goods. Of course, sellers will be glad to refund price differences to avoid returns. That customer-friendly law is also a reason why prices here are generally a bit higher :)

If the item were damaged or faulty at the time of purchase (not later!), they must accept its return (after repairing it up to two times, if they chose so) under general warranty in the EU, regardless if you bought it on- or offline. This topic is a bit complex in itself, with a 0.5 and a 2 year time period of importance, but I won't go into it as it is not applicable to your case.

mafu
  • 325
  • 1
  • 2
  • 11
2

Some retailers like Amazon will give you back the price difference if you are within the return window of the product. I've done this a couple of times and there seems to be no issue about it - they pretty much prefer giving you back a few dollars than having the product returned used.

You should just ask the retailer for the refund of the difference.

Radu Potop
  • 121
  • 1
  • 2