Returns at Big Stores

Hey All,

Never thought to ask this before…

but has anyone ever know any big stores (e.g the big name department stores, Uniqlo, Eslite Books, the stores of big foreign names like Bulgari or Hugo Boss) accept returns? I kind of doubt it (this isn’t the US), but am curious if there’s any contrary experience.

Mark

[quote=“MarkosC”]Hey All,

Never thought to ask this before…

but has anyone ever know any big stores (e.g the big name department stores, Uniqlo, Eslite Books, the stores of big foreign names like Bulgari or Hugo Boss) accept returns? I kind of doubt it (this isn’t the US), but am curious if there’s any contrary experience.

Mark[/quote]

In Taiwan the law requires that stores accept returns within 7 days of purchase, as long as the item is in resellable condition. Bigger businesses are often better about accepting returns than smaller stores.

Cool, thank you!

its the smaller stores, especially electronic ones, i have problems with.

Yea, they’re supposed to allow returns if its within 7 days… you can try reminding them of that and see if it works. Electronic stores operate on such a razor thin margin that I am surprised they’re even in business.

ya, thats often their excuse. we bought a video camera that was taken back and fixed and came back broken with scratches on the lens and some white powder inside it…my wife argued for hours with them in person and on the phone. eventually the guy just said we were unlucky and there is nothing he will do. this was on that electronic street in Kaohsiung.

Needless to say, i buy a lot via mail order now from Canada when it comes to smaller sized electronics. At least when its sold broken, its replaced. when we buy big things like TVs, i demand we only go to large, well established chain stores…something i am otherwise against doing as i really like supporting family run biz.

Also, for electronics, there is a warranty company that does a lot of the warranties here. I forget the name, its the one that broke our camera and they have MANY complaints for similar reasons online my wife found. if its of interest i will get my wife to write the chinese name of the useless D bags.

If you have a Taiwanese accompany you, he or she can say something like, I’ll have “消保會” mediate for us. This usually works for me. I never return anything without a good reason, though, and always within 7 days of purchase. When dealing with the cellphone companies, I usually call and talk to whoever, then, ask to speak to his manager, and speak my educated Chinese. It never fails. The competition among the cellphone companies is fierce so you can pretty much expect American-like customer service from them.

With electronics, they usually don’t accept returns except the product is a defect at the first place. Therefore, you need to tell them what is wrong with the product. I usually go to "燦坤“ 3C, it’s the yellow 3C chain store you find in pretty much every town in Taiwan, and they take returns if you just say the manuals are badly written and you don’t understand it. They are usually in English as well as Chinese. I’ve heard they don’t have the best deal, but in a small town like mine, I am grateful to even have a "燦坤“.

In the States, you want to trick your opponent into believing you you’ve done a Law degree, here, you want them to think you were a journalist. Of course, this is impossible if you are foreign. So, send your friend to do it.

By law they are supposed to accept returns within 7 days of purchase as long as its in a good condition. If its defective its another thing but a lot of electronics store will give you the runaround like telling you that you that the defective product has to be sent back to the manufacturer for warranty work, etc. and not dealing with that themselves… it sucks.

Yellow 3C sucks and I won’t buy from them at all, and any other electronic stores do not suck any less. You have to throw the book at them sometimes…

Costco and Carre four have a 30 money back policy for any reason. I think Costco gives you a longer time on electronic products.

The previous poster is right about yellow 3C, They gave me a hassle a few times. I use Sun Fair 3C for most things.

Because I’m a computer/electronic hobbyist, I became friends with a local 2nd hand computer shop owner who is one of their big customers. So I have an advocate before buying a product and no problem returning something if it is just not compatible. Really… if you are in the boon docs, you have to ally yourself with someone.

“Yellow 3C sucks and I won’t buy from them at all, and any other electronic stores do not suck any less. You have to throw the book at them sometimes…” :slight_smile: