Returns - is the customer due a full refund?
Hi, I have been selling 3D printers which I have been getting direct from the manufacturers and its all been great, However it appears a customer has had issues… I have worked with them on the problem but they are now asking for a full refund… Is my reply acceptable…?? heres the timline
- 02 Dec 2020 - received purchased printer.
- Aug 2021 - contacted me saying the printer stopped working in June 2021.
- All August - Both myself and the customer worked with the printers customer service to resolve the problem resulting in a new motherboard being posted out to the customer.
- 8 Nov - received an email from customer saying the motherboard hasn’t worked and they want a full refund (this is now 11 months after purchasing the printer)
I have asked them to return the printer to me and Ill assess if its due a refund (not necessary a full one as they used it for 6 months and could have broke it!) or send a new one out…
After all this time can she claim a full refund?
0 replies
Seller_7VbclcPFFRTnc
Isn’t there a manufacturer warranty ?
Seller_R8DtxVZVzt7pr
Well I asked the customer to return the Printer to me so I can assess the issue and refund appropriately. The way i understand it, its after the 6 months so i dont have to give a full refund (deduct an amount for fair use…) Well i received it today (after I had to pay for postage!) The printer is wrecked. Its dirty, theres spilt resin all over it, the rear panel (access to electronics) is held on by 1 screw. The worse bit is that the z -axis (the rail that the buildplate moves up and down) is so loose, nothing will print. This wasnt discussed at all. I feel its been used for 8 months then thrown in a corner of the room… from another room!
I have read a lot about consumers rights on return, but what about retailers. I feel like they shouldn’t get any refund for the state of it. Where do i stand?
Seller_tRuvBEHDedp4q
Although the consumer has a lot of rights they do have to look after any goods. They cannot rely on any warranty where they have not taken care of the goods.
If you feel that the customer has not looked after the printer (spilling resin over it, losing screws. etc) I would be inclined to refuse any refund. In the meantime take a lot of pictures as proof and also keep the printer in its current state for the foreseeable future. The customer will have to issue court proceedings through the small claims court if they want to proceed with any claim when you can then argue a defence and prove that it was not looked after.
Of course - if this was a sale on Amazon the customer could go through an AtoZ claim where Amazon could initiate any refund. That may have to be a risk you want to take and then argue the case with Amazon depending on value of the item. Only you can make that decision.
Seller_xUKHc5xSYJmI4
Looking at the information how the order is being returned shows me the customer has not taken reasonable care whilst the product is in their possession. The 30 days returns period has expired so warranty claims are normally dealt with by the manufacturer if one was provided. The manufacturer would check whether the order qualifies a claim other the warranty subject to there being a warranty that has been registered.
Sounds to me like the customer may have attempted to fix the issue and could have invalidated any warranty. To determine this looking at the screws on the product.
Also question about refunds, according to Amazon returns policy the product has to be returned unused and in its original packaging with tags etc. The 30 day period of return has exceeded on this occasion. The product has diminished in value and maybe partly you fault sending a motherboard to a customer who would then opening the printer up to replace the board?
Seller_R8DtxVZVzt7pr
Hi BM5,
The manufacture (and therefore me as a resaler) offer technical helpline and free parts for the first 12 months. Apparently the customer used this before contacting me. When they did get in touch i contacted the manufacture and sent out a Motherboard, this is part of the warranty. However the state i got the printer sent back was very bad. Part of it was broke (nothing to do with the electronics) and out of a total of 12 screws holding the base together, there were only 3 present. The rest are missing.
