Change of Mind Returns. What to do?

Lodb on 03/04/2019 - 09:10
Last edited 03/04/2019 - 18:38 by 1 other user

Not sure where to post this question as there seems to be no general forum for the actual act of shopping online and issues related to it. But the product is part electronic/part household.

The story is, my girlfriend purchased me a gift. She is certainly not an online shopping expert.

Her avenue to search for the gift was on facebook. Which led her to a seller in oz that retailed a bunch of general categories of products you see on ebay (imported from china and then resold).

So i am annoyed she bought an electrical good from this small seller who has a small website and the only shopping feedback is on facebook and the comments suggest the "reviews" are made by relatives or friends, not true shoppers.

I am annoyed that the sellers website does not detail a returns policy and you need to ask them.

I am annoyed the the seller sells this particular item at 30 to 40 percent higher than other more established shops do. Eg 140, sellers price 240.

I am annoyed that after she asked to return the item the seller is saying they can refund but will charge the initial shipping as 20, restocking fee as 40, and reurn shipping as 20. So the refund is 240 - 80= 160 refund.

Currently the item is at our post office and we have not picked it up.

I was thinking along the lines of not picking it up and having it returned to the seller by aus post automatically? Is this viable?

The only potential hood thing about this story is my girlfriend paid via PayPal so i think that entitles us to a few benefits?

Is it possible we can open a dispute or claim?

Anyway i have not dealt with this sort of thing as i buy from the right sellers, so your help is appreciated in this uncharted territory.

Does hearing this story annoy the thrift conscious people on here as much as it annoys me? :)

Thanks for your help

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • bobbified on 03/04/2019 - 09:12
    +137

    The story is, my girlfriend purchased me a gift.

    umm… so how old is your girlfriend?
    You seem to be blaming everyone else, except your girlfriend.

    • ronnknee on 03/04/2019 - 11:08
      +56

      Change of mind returns (ANNOYING OZBARGAINER)

      Fixed the title.

      • [Deactivated] on 04/04/2019 - 00:43

        Troll post. Nothing fixes this

    • nfr on 03/04/2019 - 12:25
      +25

      Why would he blame his gf? She bought him a gift, just be happy. The fact that she lacks OZBargaining aptitude is a bit of a worry, but no one is perfect.

      • Blahness on 03/04/2019 - 14:17
        +5

        “Ozbargaining aptitude”. This should definitely be taught from grade prep I’d say :)

        • ThithLord on 05/04/2019 - 10:03

          If anyone is on Tinder, make sure you outline OzBargaining Aptitude as a must-have on your profile.

    • Dreamcast on 05/04/2019 - 07:34

      Burn and facts in one!

  • deveshwar0 on 03/04/2019 - 09:18
    +117

    Entitled much?
    Help me understand why the seller should be out of pocket for your girlfriend's lack of research prior to placing the order.
    I reckon the seller is being generous by allowing a change of mind refund and has every right to charge you a restocking fee as it has cost them to pick, package and post the item only for it to be sent back.

  • tdrive on 03/04/2019 - 09:24
    +93

    April Fools was 2 days ago…

    Are you serious? GF was happy to pay the price. You get a gift. Be grateful.

  • altomic on 03/04/2019 - 09:30
    +71

    This is not "change of mind". This is buyers remorse.

    • deveshwar0 on 03/04/2019 - 09:39
      +60

      It's actually the buyers boyfriends remorse. She's fine with the purchase.

      • matthewperk on 03/04/2019 - 13:54
        +1

        probably not after hearing the BF outline alt, cheaper purchase options.

        • Seraphin7 on 03/04/2019 - 14:32
          +38

          GF is thinking to herself, "It's only cost me $240 to find out what this dude is really like and get the hell outta here. After returning the item, it'll come down to $80 … now that's a bargain!"

          • minotaurian on 04/04/2019 - 13:24
            +6

            @Seraphin7: I do feel worse for the GF, OP should just take the gift as it is. The GF had positive intentions… Now all she is left with is guilt and bitterness. OP should take a good look at himself in the mirror and ask what is worth it? GFs happiness or $80.

    • skywards on 03/04/2019 - 20:17

      More like post purchase dissonance

  • Hithere on 03/04/2019 - 09:31
    +83

    Does hearing this story annoy the thrift conscious people on here as much as it annoys me?

    Reading your rant annoys me.

    Your girlfriend purchased you a gift and instead of thanking her you think you have to right to complain about where she made the purchase.

    Your girlfriend must have the patience of a saint to put up with your tanty.

    Is it possible we can open a dispute or claim?

    No. The seller is in the right you aren't - move on.

  • elgrande on 03/04/2019 - 09:39
    +49

    Last time OP's girlfriend buys OP a present..

  • thatonethere on 03/04/2019 - 09:42
    +8

    Great first post! Congrats for hanging in since 2016

    • [Deactivated] on 03/04/2019 - 10:03
      +4

      Re-stocking fee is only ~17%, lower than a 20% figure I've seen on ebay. The postage is just a fee that you have to deal with when buying online. If you think you are being rorted, then provide the seller with your own shipping quotes.

      Mark ups on other sellers? Bad luck on your part, but nothing wrong from the business perspective.

      What did you actually get?

      • Munki on 03/04/2019 - 15:01
        +8

        Electric buttplug.

    • andyhui01 on 03/04/2019 - 11:14
      +10

      A business can charge whatever it wants for any product and service to a customer as long as the price is displayed up front with no "hidden fees". ie. If the seller sold something at $100 and added $40 in random fees that were not obvious, it is illegal. If what she paid on the product page was the same as what is charged to her card. Legal and ethical.

      If the website has no written return policy. You would get the minimum ACCC policy which is the repair, replace or refund for major defects and repair for minor defects. Change of mind is not included by default.

      If they prefer to charge 40% more than competitors and just rely on a small number of people willing to pay that price, that is how they choose to operate. It is none of your business.

      You need to grow up to realise that while price is important for people here on OzB. In the real world, there are plenty of people who don't care.

    • tinyorca on 03/04/2019 - 22:51

      "Don't think i didnt express my annoyance when i first found out about it."

      So you're abusive also? I think you need help.

  • Changskies on 03/04/2019 - 09:56
    +18

    Lol quality post. Dude, how old are you?

    • Seraphin7 on 03/04/2019 - 10:17
      +29

      No one has been "ripped off". Your GF purchased a product for more than the cheapest price available. People do this all day, every day for any number of reasons.

    • bobbified on 03/04/2019 - 10:32
      +3

      Don't you guys get annoyed if a friend or family member gets ripped off?

      I don't like it either, but if they've done something stupid, there's no point in getting angry - It'd be better to discuss ways to avoid a repeat. You can't simply go blaming everyone else for your friend/family/partner's stupidity.

    • Wystri Warrick on 03/04/2019 - 10:35
      +3

      I can understand you annoyance, I too don't like these drop shippers and their over inflated prices, especially when a rep posts over inflated prices here as bargains.
      But come on man, she's your girlfriend, I mean she bought you a present because she loves you and wanted to get you something.

    • chewie96 on 03/04/2019 - 23:16

      Your girlfriend was willing to purchase the item for the price she saw. If she felt like she was being ripped off she would've purchased it elsewhere. Clearly in this situation she didn't know the market price/ best value, but you can't blame the seller for this.

      Yes it feels bad to be ripped off, but people learn from experiences. I'm sure your girlfriend will do a little more research as to find out what's a good value in the future.

    • eciuj on 04/04/2019 - 17:30

      Don't you guys get annoyed if a friend or family member gets ripped off?

      My dad bought a memory card for his camera when he was on holidays in another state. I can't recall the specifics but he paid $70 for a card that I could have bought for under $25. Just told him I could have gotten it cheaper and to check with me before buying technology related items.

    • Zachary on 04/04/2019 - 19:10
      -3

      I just don't like it when a family member gets ripped off.

      …wait ur gf is ur own sister….?! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

      • No ONE on 04/04/2019 - 19:50
        +2

        You're watching too much porn.

        • Zachary on 05/04/2019 - 15:54

          Nope, I would get in trouble if I did….

    • No ONE on 04/04/2019 - 19:50

      Do you have iPhone by any chance, or your GF or your family member for that matter?

  • voiletmay on 03/04/2019 - 10:02
    +73

    This is horrible. Heavens, the poor girl needs to be able to buy what she wants, without you judging her choices. You have a very controlling/angry attitude that as a woman, I am finding extremely appalling.

    • yoshi864 on 03/04/2019 - 11:51
      +34

      Hell, even as a man I find this extremely appalling. What poor form.

    • U4333439 on 03/04/2019 - 15:32

      As a mum…

    • BestofOZB on 03/04/2019 - 16:09
      +3

      As the neighbour…

    • Lockdude on 04/04/2019 - 12:55
      +4

      100% agree. If someone buys your a gift, be grateful. You don't have to like it. You don't have to think it was a bargain. In fact, you may not like it, and might think they overpaid. But if you're a decent person, you will be grateful.

  • Fergy1987 on 03/04/2019 - 10:04
    +5

    Get a new girlfriend

    • zonra on 03/04/2019 - 10:09
      +99

      For the current one’s sake

      • Fergy1987 on 03/04/2019 - 10:36
        +3

        I just hope she puts up a rebuttal post :)

        • kiitos on 04/04/2019 - 11:21
          +3

          Is "rebuttal post" a fancy name for the electric buttplug mentioned above?

          • Yummy on 04/04/2019 - 12:24

            @kiitos: Homer: "Hmm buttplug… droolz*

    • milfey on 03/04/2019 - 12:13
      +6

      The girlfriend needs to find a new and appreciative boyfriend.

  • barbarella on 03/04/2019 - 10:05
    +27

    Gratefully accept the gift/parcel and forget about the cost. I'm sure your GF feels terrible now, after trying to please you.

  • plmko on 03/04/2019 - 10:11
    +51

    Wow holy crap. Forcing your GF to return her present because it's more expensive than competitors. There's OzBargain but this is just OzScrooge.

  • zonra on 03/04/2019 - 10:11
    +15

    Does hearing this story annoy the thrift conscious people on here as much as it annoys me? :)

    You bet.
    Actually, I think we may be more annoyed than you are.
    The poor girl.

  • hikaru78 on 03/04/2019 - 10:16
    +15

    my 1 cent.

    Why should they refund the initial shipping??? They shipped it, it cost money to do this why should they wear this cost?
    Return shipping - Paypal covers this.
    Restocking fee - Cover costs for them wasting time.

    You do realise they are under no obligation whatsoever to accept the return at all.

    In regard to charging a higher price, really??? Businesses can charge what they like it is up to your girlfriend to accept some personal responsibility here

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 03/04/2019 - 10:16
    +3

    I am annoyed with my girlfriend

  • Ocker on 03/04/2019 - 10:18

    So the only basis for you wanting to return the item (at no cost to you) is because you reckon you (or your girlfriend) were ripped off on the price? Seriously??

    You could probably save yourself a lot of future grief by getting yourself a smarter girlfriend

    • prisonmike on 03/04/2019 - 10:41
      +4

      Saying all this not going to help you bud :D

    • Baysew on 03/04/2019 - 11:32
      +4

      my girlfriend purchased me a gift

      No im posting only for the fact that a family member has been ripped off

      • BestofOZB on 03/04/2019 - 16:12
        +1

        He treats his girlfriend as family, that is actually nice ⚘

  • CodeXD on 03/04/2019 - 10:19
    +26

    How do I neg a forum post?

    • Some Human on 03/04/2019 - 10:43
      +30

      Was hoping it would be included with ozbargain premium.

      • Kamsi on 03/04/2019 - 16:06

        oh god why I didn't take the offer of becoming oz.. premium :(

  • JimmyF on 03/04/2019 - 10:20

    I am annoyed the the seller sells this particular item at 30 to 40 percent higher

    This isn't the sellers fault. You should be annoyed at your GF for not shopping around.

    Is it possible we can open a dispute or claim?

    For what? Your GF over paying? hahahha not a chance.

    Does hearing this story annoy the thrift conscious people on here as much as it annoys me? :)

    Your post annoys me. Basically your GF over paid in your eyes for an item, now you want the seller to take the item back. hahahaha doesn't work like that.

  • serpserpserp on 03/04/2019 - 10:23
    +5

    (ANNOYED OZBARGAINER)

    So glad you put this in the title.

  • [Deactivated] on 03/04/2019 - 10:31
    +8

    Caveat emptor!

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 03/04/2019 - 10:38
      +4

      What did you actually expect that anyone here would be able to do for you?

      • Repi on 03/04/2019 - 21:20
        +3

        Maybe take the girlfriend of his hands and refund the difference

    • brad1-8tsi on 03/04/2019 - 10:52
      +2

      your terms of warranty would be under the ACC guidelines.

  • [Deactivated] on 03/04/2019 - 10:34
    +11

    I will be annoyed too if I sold an item and the buyer later asked for a return because of he/she found cheaper somewhere else.

    The fact is no one forced your GF to purchase that item and you should be happy and thankfulness to her that she thought about you.

    Sometimes you wins,sometimes you lose.That's life and life is too short so please enjoy it while you can.Learn and live :)

    Just think about the positives surrounding you.

    Yes, the world is beautiful.

    • prisonmike on 03/04/2019 - 10:42
      +7

      You must be really hard to please. Stop being a tighty and accept the gift now.

    • Slugoid on 03/04/2019 - 10:57
      +4

      Yes, but that's with big companies that offer no question returns as a good will and to keep customers.

      If you look up consumer laws, the only time you are "entitled" a refund is if there is something wrong with the products or products was sold that was different to advertised. You are certainly NOT entitled a refund if you just change your mind or because you found somewhere cheaper.

      Moral of the story, your GF should have gone on Ozbargain before buying :D .

  • odb on 03/04/2019 - 10:42
    -7

    Zeggie. I was expecting that someone could shed some light if i could just leave the item at the post office that it would be automatically returned to sender at no cost to me.

    I was hoping there might be an avenue via paypal where i could lose less when returning.

    Basically i was wondering where i could cut my losses.

    • prisonmike on 03/04/2019 - 10:44
      +4

      loose the GF.

      • jelko on 03/04/2019 - 14:19
        +6

        How do you know the girlfriend is loose?

    • hikaru78 on 03/04/2019 - 10:53

      you do realise your not entitled to the return at all?

      paypal should cover the return shipping apart from that you are entitled to absolutely nothing

    • echineon on 03/04/2019 - 14:10

      You can come to the postie and tell them you refuse to accept delivery. You have to inform the seller before doing so. That should return at no cost afaik when I bought from amazon and ebay and turn out I have different choice in mind. You have to accept the restocking fee because it's the cost of doing business. The rest about your attitude and perspective I won't be saying anything. I tell my wife I'll do her shopping and that way we consolidate our savings n cashback n points but that's because we're married. I have no idea about your life to comment otherwise.

      /edit: it's a gift. Tell her thank you first before saying anything mate.

    • Repi on 03/04/2019 - 21:25

      You haven't lost anything, you got a present, unless the Girlfriend paid with your credit card? Is it me or is the World full of strange people

    • josho9 on 04/04/2019 - 21:36

      So you want the taxpayer to bear the cost of your change of mind?

  • try2bhelpful on 03/04/2019 - 10:42
    +52

    This post is pretty astounding.

    Several things:
    a) your girlfriend bought you a present and you, actually, asked what it cost and where she got it from.
    b) you have humiliated her by pointing out she could’ve got this cheaper elsewhere
    c) you compound this all with a post where you whine about restocking fees etc when you aren’t entitled to a change of mind refund in the first place.

    If you girlfriend isn’t forming an exit plan, at the moment, she is a lot more patient than many of us. I doubt she will buy you anything else anytime soon.

    Personally, my man and I don’t do presents; if we want something we purchase it. Also we do our due diligence before purchasing but there is almost always a better price that springs up after purchase.

    • godofpizza on 03/04/2019 - 12:11
      +9

      asked what it cost and where she got it from.
      and then expected her to return it and buy it cheaper somewhere else?

      wow that's harsh…

      i don't think there going to be anymore presents coming your way soon

    • spackbace on 03/04/2019 - 12:55
      +6

      your girlfriend bought you a present and you, actually, asked what it cost and where she got it from

      Yep that exact thought went through my head too. Wtf?!

    • jayniner on 04/04/2019 - 11:10

      Probably doesn't even have a girlfriend!

      • josho9 on 04/04/2019 - 21:36

        Or he has two and he's waiting to decide which one to keep.

  • Some Human on 03/04/2019 - 10:45
    +22

    Maybe your GF will have a change of mind about the relationship.

    • Seraphin7 on 03/04/2019 - 14:53
      +4

      Ironically, the returns policy on the relationship is far more GF friendly.

  • brad1-8tsi on 03/04/2019 - 10:47
    +21

    I'm an OzBargainer.

    My girlfriend is the opposite of an OzBargainer. She does no research and buys the first item she sees that fulfills the need. This is why my casserole dish cost me $15 from K-Mart on special and hers was $278 from a specialist kitchenware shop in Crows Nest that was walking distance from home and open when she needed it.

    You have 2 options.

    1) Learn to live with it in the knowledge that she will buy you some really nice goods and experiences that you would never buy yourself (this is an unbelievably fun upside).

    2) Get another girlfriend.
    I'm quite serious. You will never change her and trying to do so is the path to frustration, resentment and a really crap relationship.

    • Some Human on 03/04/2019 - 10:49
      +8

      I had a partner like this.
      Had.

      • brad1-8tsi on 03/04/2019 - 11:10
        +10

        I had one too. I think I had Stockholm Syndrome.

        This one is a keeper.

        example 1
        Her: "I don't like that jacket you are wearing. It doesn't fit properly and looks worn out. I'll take you shopping."
        At shops she hands me jacket #1 which fits and looks good. I'm not allowed to look at prices. I try 8 other jackets on while she shakes her head. I decide I like jacket #1. She gets out CC and pays the $400. I love that jacket…

        Example 2
        Her: "I want to go to Coachella for my birthday. Are you free in April? It's $3000 each for VIP packages. If I pay for airfares and the Coachella package will you pay for the other accommodation, food & drinks?" I nod and she gets out her CC and we have booked half the trip within 20 minutes.
        BEST HOLIDAY EVER! I would never have done it without her.

        I must annoy the crap out of her at times with my time wasting need to shop around, so it's a 2 way street.

        • crentist on 03/04/2019 - 13:57
          +1

          You ain't ozbargaining enough if you can't craft some reasonable imitation of those examples on the cheap.

          eg 1 new jacket - blutak some old hoodies together
          eg 2 vip music festival - bring a bluetooth speaker to the park, and listen while flipping through a celebrity mag you stole from a doctors office

          • brad1-8tsi on 03/04/2019 - 14:19

            @crentist: For item 2 would need to have a helper throwing dust in my face while smoking a chuffa in their Coachella wear and posting to Instagram
            https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2014314/rs_634x1024-140414170700-Vag_girl.jpg?fit=inside|900:auto&output-quality=90

            • crentist on 03/04/2019 - 14:23
              +10

              @brad1-8tsi: Sorry dude, I'm not opening vag_girl.jpg at work

              • brad1-8tsi on 03/04/2019 - 14:41

                @crentist: noticed that after i posted but there's nothing showing.
                Best not at work or you might spit coffee on your keyboard laughing.

      • crentist on 03/04/2019 - 14:35
        +10

        wtf, you went for an obvious light and easy, mildly sexist joke and managed to stuff it with xenophobic racism

        • khomeini on 03/04/2019 - 17:37

          Depends on the natives…
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTFEZiKItLs

        • [Deactivated] on 03/04/2019 - 18:27
          -4

          Fear of the natives is the true 'xenophobia' as they are completely harmless. You don't get natives invading and destroying foreign habitats…

          • crentist on 03/04/2019 - 20:59

            @[Deactivated]: wait are you talking about natives like aboriginals invaded by white invaders who destroyed their lives and natural habitats and expect them to join in at the bottom of their society, or the more common thing where bogans think its their land now and needing more than a year 10 cert and seeing subtitles on movies is of a sign of asians taking over

            • [Deactivated] on 04/04/2019 - 10:28
              -3

              @crentist: A native born person is someone that hasn't immigrated. There is no way to test directly whether someone is a native. you can only assume that if there is no evidence that a person immigrated to a country then that person must therefore be a native of that country.

              YOu might need some correlations to understand that ;) If you look at light it immigrates to new areas but the darkness is native because it is always fixed in the same position. There is no way to directly test whether something is dark we can only assume it is dark if there is no evidence of light energy present…

              Thus, anyone that is born in Australia is a dark native Australian regardless of who their parents are or what their skin colour is.

              • crentist on 04/04/2019 - 11:46

                @[Deactivated]: Yea great analogy about light. Also if you stir water and oil they don’t mix. But water and salt does mix. Fascinating stuff. And completely irrelevant.

                None of that bears any relevance to destruction of native habitats, your assertion that natives are completely harmless, or your suggestion that natives would be expected to integrate into foreign cultures.

                Because all that stuff either sounds like an overly vague reference to something specific (like the aboriginals getting messed up) or the general paranoia of a xenophobic person who’s watched too much ACA and is now spouting nonsense about new immigrants damaging the purity of their native culture

      • OpenAI on 03/04/2019 - 11:44
        +8

        OMG run for the hills everything needs to be run by OP before it can be brought! Even a nice gift!

    • MeesusEff on 03/04/2019 - 11:06

      My husband was like this, now he leaves me to shop around for the big purchases

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