Well, I live and learn I suppose.
I am (or was?) a big fan of Defender - they have good products, good prices and generally good customer service. However, as it turns out - they don't take returns on electronics. Perhaps this was a common knowledge - but it is certainly new to me.
Last week I bought Garmin Colorado 400C from Defender. Curiously, right before making a purchase I considered buying from another retailer (who I usually use for my photography and diving gear and such). They had it for $10 less (and they certainly take returns, no questions asked). I figured, though, that I'd rather give my money to Defender - $10 is not much to pay extra and they usually did right by me, so what the heck.
It also somewhat disappointed me that the best they could come up with during customer service call is that "they have a Wall st. lawyer in the family that owns Defender and he wrote their return policy" so it must be correct. I am sure it is legally airtight, but this isn't what store policy should be about - and in any case a "lawyer in the family" defense is not something I personally like during a routine customer service call.
Well, I suppose I have no one to blame but myself. Still, caveat emptor. If you purchase an electronic device (such as GPS) from Defender, open a box (mind you, it is not a wrapped or sealed box either) and then decide to send it back - they don't want it. Not even with a restocking fee. No way, no how. It is yours forever (unless may be manufacturer will take it). This is pretty darn unusual for an electronic retailer return policy. This is not entirely obvious from their return policy either (though now that I know where they stand I agree that this is what their policy means - that lawyer certainly did a good job for them).
I am not going to say that I will never buy anything from Defender again - but I am most certainly going to buy my electronics elsewhere. Their loss, frankly, considering how much I spend on that stuff.
I am (or was?) a big fan of Defender - they have good products, good prices and generally good customer service. However, as it turns out - they don't take returns on electronics. Perhaps this was a common knowledge - but it is certainly new to me.
Last week I bought Garmin Colorado 400C from Defender. Curiously, right before making a purchase I considered buying from another retailer (who I usually use for my photography and diving gear and such). They had it for $10 less (and they certainly take returns, no questions asked). I figured, though, that I'd rather give my money to Defender - $10 is not much to pay extra and they usually did right by me, so what the heck.
It also somewhat disappointed me that the best they could come up with during customer service call is that "they have a Wall st. lawyer in the family that owns Defender and he wrote their return policy" so it must be correct. I am sure it is legally airtight, but this isn't what store policy should be about - and in any case a "lawyer in the family" defense is not something I personally like during a routine customer service call.
Well, I suppose I have no one to blame but myself. Still, caveat emptor. If you purchase an electronic device (such as GPS) from Defender, open a box (mind you, it is not a wrapped or sealed box either) and then decide to send it back - they don't want it. Not even with a restocking fee. No way, no how. It is yours forever (unless may be manufacturer will take it). This is pretty darn unusual for an electronic retailer return policy. This is not entirely obvious from their return policy either (though now that I know where they stand I agree that this is what their policy means - that lawyer certainly did a good job for them).
I am not going to say that I will never buy anything from Defender again - but I am most certainly going to buy my electronics elsewhere. Their loss, frankly, considering how much I spend on that stuff.