SUX: Staples Returns Policy on Electronics

I don't know if it's just me, but it's been a couple of years or so that electronics have been breaking much faster than they used to. I still remember how shocked I was that my (otherwise wonderful) iRiver Clix 2 died one day for no discernible reason. It was the first time ever than a piece of electronic equipment I bought (that was not a computer component) died on me.

After that first shock, it's been massive. And lately, things have been getting completely out of hand. I've hat to return so many defective items, I should always buy 1.5 of them to cover my bee-hind. Like right now: I bought a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, different manufacturers, and both of them were defective. The mouse stopped working entirely after working perfectly for a while. The keyboard simply started degrading - keys stopped working. First F5, then the Alt key.

The bad thing about this development is that the gadgets themselves were excellent. They keyboard (a Microsoft Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard) is outstanding: it is flat, it has excellent tactile feedback, it is light-weight, and it uses standard AAA batteries. It's a charm! The mouse, too, pleases me much. A Kensington Bluetooth mouse with trackball - easy to use, very reliable, and accurate.

I bought the mouse over at Amazon. When it broke, I filled out a form online, they gave me a return code, and I was done dealing with the problem by UPS-ing them the broken thing. They even sent me the new mouse before the old one arrived, which I found both very trusting and very helpful.

Unfortunately, I have to compare that with the place where I bought the keyboard. Staples. I went into the store with the original receipt and told a very friendly checker what was wrong and what I wanted: the keyboard was broken, and I needed a replacement. She asked whether I had a replacement plan, and I said that I didn't. She then proceeded on saying that I had had the keyboard for too long and that I couldn't return it any more. I said that I didn't want to return it, that I wanted it fixed.

Next thing you know, she told me I should get in touch with the manufacturer and see if they offer a warranty. I said that I didn't really want to deal with the manufacturer about a repair on an item I had bought a month before, and she got the manager in.

The manager, another extremely friendly and helpful lady, explained that this was Staples policy: I could get a replacement plan, or if I declined it, then I could return the item within 14 days. I explained that I didn't want to return the item, but that I wanted a repair on a defective product, and the manager said that Staples doesn't do that any more.

She did though offer to give me the replacement plan as if I had bought it originally. For $9.99 I would get a new keyboard. I liked the keyboard, the price was certainly right, so I agreed.

On a lark, I asked whether, if this keyboard (I am typing on it right now) broke, whether it would be replaced now that I had a replacement plan. No, she explained, the plan covers only one replacement. If the item breaks, I would have to buy a new one, or get a new replacement policy.

I am sitting there and realizing I am dealing with a chain that offers a two-week warranty on the electronics it sells. Basically, this chain has a huge incentive to sell crap: the more crap it sells that breaks, the more it makes in replacement plans, etc.

Sure, you could say that doesn't make sense: after all, $9.99 is an outstanding price on equipment that works. Well, that's true - but I am unlikely to go to the store and just get the replacement. I will probably go and buy all the other office equipment I need at that point. Besides, this is contrasted to other places (like Amazon) that offer much, much longer warranty periods.

Hmmm... If I were Staples, I would certainly rethink that policy. I am certainly not going to buy electronics from them any more.