I'm done shopping at Harbor Freight

Corvette Cave · Sep 20, 2015

Yesterday I purchased a Digital Inspection Camera at Harbor Freight in Seattle. Took it home and loaded 4 AA batteries. It "worked" but the screen image was not clear enough to be useful. No big deal...right? Take the batteries out, put it back in in the box and returned it today.
......

20% RESTOCKING FEE?

I only had the thing long enough to see it it would work for me. Is there a restocking fee on everything from Harbor Freight? If I wanted to pay fees for nothing I would book a plane trip.

Very Sleazy and underhanded. Never say never, but I won't be buying from Harbor Freight for a long time.

Capegls · Sep 20, 2015

http://www.harborfreight.com/return-policy

Seems as if something is wrong.

vintovka · Sep 20, 2015

Thats a new one. Know they have been getting strange about returns of late. Maybe lagging sales?

Go online and complain. An email like yours could really hurt them/

Off-Street Parking · Sep 20, 2015

Don't blame Harbor Freight... Blame all of the ***** who "rent" specialty tools like these by purchasing with no intent to keep, and taking advantage of the lenient return policies to return tools after they've used them... ruining things for the rest of us. :rant:

txvwnut · Sep 20, 2015

I think they do that to keep people from "free renting", when I bought my tile saw they told me there would be a 20% restock fee. I said if it's defective out of the box it'll be a cold day in hell before I would pay that. Then I was informed that some people had been buying tools and then returning them after usage giving some bs line about it not what they needed or something. I was told if it truly is a defective item then there would be no restocking fee.

Corvette Cave · Sep 20, 2015

txvwnut said:
I think they do that to keep people from "free renting", when I bought my tile saw they told me there would be a 20% restock fee. I said if it's defective out of the box it'll be a cold day in hell before I would pay that. Then I was informed that some people had been buying tools and then returning them after usage giving some bs line about it not what they needed or something. I was told if it truly is a defective item then there would be no restocking fee.

Yes BUT.
I wasn't told about the restocking fee. It was on the receipt (I bought a lot of stuff and only looked at the total.) I wasn't guilty of free renting. Free renting should be the store's problem not mine. HF has a computer system. I'm sure that they could see that I've never returned anything before today.

Fed up with hidden fees and I'm taking my business somewhere else. The Harbor Freight restocking fee will cost them about $1000 of sales (from me) over the next two years

upgrading · Sep 20, 2015

Capegls said:
http://www.harborfreight.com/return-policy

Seems as if something is wrong.

Here is a more thorough link.
http://www.harborfreight.com/customer-service-return-exchange.html

Wanna Ride · Sep 20, 2015

Hate to say it, but gotta read the fine print on the receipt, or specifically ask the policy before the sale. *****, but no real choice otherwise. Get burned once, and you'll always ask the return policy in the future, like I do now.

Or maybe, just call the store and plead your case, politely to the manager.

Corvette Cave · Sep 20, 2015

Wanna Ride said:
Hate to say it, but gotta read the fine print on the receipt, or specifically ask the policy before the sale. *****, but no real choice otherwise. Get burned once, and you'll always ask the return policy in the future, like I do now.

Or maybe, just call the store and plead your case, politely to the manager.

The clerk had time to try and sell me an extended warranty for the Digital inspection camera and again for the tool box. Just failed to mention the restocking fee. I don't want to read the fine print on everything I sign. I prefer to do business with someone I can trust.

Wanna Ride · Sep 20, 2015

Corvette Cave said:
I prefer to do business with someone I can trust.

Hard fast lesson in life - No one will ever look out for you... like you.

malibu101 · Sep 20, 2015

Corvette Cave said:
Yes BUT.
I wasn't told about the restocking fee. It was on the receipt (I bought a lot of stuff and only looked at the total.) I wasn't guilty of free renting. Free renting should be the store's problem not mine. HF has a computer system. I'm sure that they could see that I've never returned anything before today.

Fed up with hidden fees and I'm taking my business somewhere else. The Harbor Freight restocking fee will cost them about $1000 of sales (from me) over the next two years

Their loss will be your gain.

justtools · Sep 25, 2015

All this over less than 10 bucks? Maybe we should pick a Saturday and all get together and picket the store. That will teach them a lesson.

--- · Sep 25, 2015

Select items will be subject to a 20% re-stocking fee. See an associate for details;

I always ask about the return policy before I pay. It's just a habit. I guess this is one of those select items!

Lotek · Sep 25, 2015

justtools said:
All this over less than 10 bucks? Maybe we should pick a Saturday and all get together and picket the store. That will teach them a lesson.

Saturday doesn't work for me, maybe Sunday morning? If I'm going to have a hangover anyway, may as well have something to ***** about... :beer:

Seriously though, what do you expect from HF electronics? Their bug zappers work pretty well, but aside from that...

Did you try another one? Or just want your money back?

eyeball · Sep 25, 2015

Given the hit and miss quality of HF products, unless they have a working demo model in the store the 20% restocking fee isn't exactly fair to the consumer.

Certified Drunk · Sep 25, 2015

I never took HF warranty with a grain of salt...Lifetime warranty, or till it breaks...life time expired early! lol

MPOWERD · Sep 27, 2015

It is FLAT OUT ILLEGAL for them to charge any restocking fee with that guarantee sitting on their website. You can call the city they reside in and have their license to do business YANKED by giving them the URL to the guarantee online and a receipt where they kept 20% of your refund...

Don't let them get away with it! It doesn't matter how much the total was. 10 bucks or 1000 bucks. Illegal trade practices are illegal trade practices... Email the company and tell them you plan on filing an action against them. Call your city and complain. Also call your state's attorney general and file a compliant as well.

And if you paid by creditcard you can force a chargeback against them by simply calling your CC company and filing a claim and providing the proof of return.

--- · Sep 27, 2015

MPOWERD said:
...You can call the city they reside in and have their license to do business YANKED by giving them the URL to the guarantee online and a receipt where they kept 20% of your refund...

...Email the company and tell them you plan on filing an action against them. Call your city and complain. Also call your state's attorney general and file a compliant as well...

Huh.......overreacting a bit? :wtf:

bobbycos · Sep 27, 2015

--- said:
Huh.......overreacting a bit?

I was getting my picket sign ready

rsanter · Sep 27, 2015

If it was me I would be pissed too.
I would have told them to put batteries in it and see how it works.
When it worked not so clear as you say I would have asked if they felt that was good quality and as expected.
If they said yes I would have asked for the corporate number and tell them I was planning to let them know what they said and that you were taking it that their employees feel it is ok to sell stuff that does not work property and claim it to me good.
And then with that standard you then cannot trust what they consider to be good or not.
Did you ask for the store manager or just deal with the flunky at the counter

And folks, it's not about $10, it's a matter of principal.
If they are not happy with them, Don't shop there!!!!!
and as you have done, warn your friends

Bob

Shadowdog500 · Sep 27, 2015

I bet this new policy will stop a lot of sales...... From the people who buy stuff for one project with no intention of ever keeping it.

To be quite honest, I get annoyed when I watch some guy in line ahead of me returning stuff when it's obvious to everyone in the line that they used it to complete one job and they never had any intention of keeping it. Heck I've seen practically everyone in the line shake their heads in disgust and even say stuff to the others in line when this happens. I see someone doing this almost every second or third time I'm in HF. Two weeks ago I had a guy in line ahead of me return all of the tools he used for a project at one time. He also beat the hell out of them in the two or three days that he "owned" them. Make that "rented them".

I saw them enforce this new policy last week to the guy in line ahead of me, and the cashier said the new policy is a way to stop people from using HF for a free tool rental service. Warranty abuse is fraud , and is a real problem for HF, I'm just wondering if HF could have come up with a different policy to handle this problem.

If you owned a business that sold tools, and had a lot of people buying tools on Friday to do a weekend project and returning the abused tools on Monday after thier project was done "for a full refund", and it was obvious to everyone involved that his customer never had any intention of keeping the tool. What policy would you come up with to keep this from happening?

Chris

Wanna Ride · Sep 27, 2015

Lesson learned. Move on, make different decisions moving forward, and stop bitching.

MPOWERD · Sep 27, 2015

--- said:
Huh.......overreacting a bit?

Not if they are doing it in all their stores nationwide... Then you are talking large sums of money being cheated from customers.

24 Hour Fitness lost a class action suit of only 25.00 refund to each member for over charging but when you factor in the number of members it went into the millions...

Shadowdog500 · Sep 27, 2015

MPOWERD said:
Not if they are doing it in all their stores nationwide... Then you are talking large sums of money being cheated from customers.

24 Hour Fitness lost a class action suit of only 25.00 refund to each member for over charging but when you factor in the number of members it went into the millions...

If thier return policy states that "a 20% re stocking fee may apply" multiple places (which it does), exactly what type of class action suit would you slam them with? :headscrat

.

Return fraud costs business billions of dollars a year. Most businesses either put restocking fees on items to deter the practice, or charge more per item to offset the losses. HF knows that Their extremely low price point is what sells, so they went for the restocking fee.

Years ago Best buy had a problem with stuff like this. If they thought they could prove fraud, they would call the cops and have the person brought up on criminal fraud charges, just like they would do to a shoplifter. I'd love to see some of these people in line ahead of me who continually return stuff they used once and had no intention to buy, walked out in cuffs. Wonder if they could keep tabs on people's return habits for ammunition for the cops. There has to be a way to collect sufficient evidence for the prosecutor since this is a crime.

Chris

Jrican · Sep 27, 2015

Harbor Freight sell junk at a irresistible price, to people who don't car about quality. If you wanted a decent inspection camera get one of the Milwaukee branded ones, or some other comparable brand. Consider anything you get from Harbor Freight to be a consumable.

Gotcha640 · Sep 27, 2015

Where does it say they have to take returns at all? Most other countries I've lived worked and played in, you buy it you own it. If more people and places in the US took that approach, you'd consider your purchases a bit more carefully, and the discount brands would be more clearly aimed at the occasional user. I've been in line a few times with guys doing paying jobs using HF power tools, on their second or third return of the day.

If you want to to a good job you can be proud of, get the tools to do it right. If you want almost good enough, and you understand the risk of saving money, go to HF.

Ponchoguy · Sep 27, 2015

Corvette Cave said:
Yes BUT.
I wasn't told about the restocking fee. It was on the receipt (I bought a lot of stuff and only looked at the total.) I wasn't guilty of free renting. Free renting should be the store's problem not mine. HF has a computer system. I'm sure that they could see that I've never returned anything before today.

Fed up with hidden fees and I'm taking my business somewhere else. The Harbor Freight restocking fee will cost them about $1000 of sales (from me) over the next two years

Buy it on a credit card? Get your card company's dispute department involved. Problem solved.

BDT/NWMN · Sep 27, 2015

I can justify their policy to dampen the free rental crowd.

But if the inspection camera was defective, and You told them so? ?
A replacement camera; tested before it left the store or a full refund would be in order? ?

Not a bad idea to check battery and corded tools before you buy them, or at least before leaving the parking lot... Remember to bring extra batteries and a power inverter when tool shopping... Wonder how I learned that? :sad:

MPOWERD · Sep 27, 2015

Shadowdog500 said:
If thier return policy states that "a 20% re stocking fee may apply" multiple places (which it does), exactly what type of class action suit would you slam them with? .

Return fraud costs business billions of dollars a year. Most businesses either put restocking fees on items to deter the practice, or charge more per item to offset the losses. HF knows that Their extremely low price point is what sells, so they went for the restocking fee.

Years ago Best buy had a problem with stuff like this. If they thought they could prove fraud, they would call the cops and have the person brought up on criminal fraud charges, just like they would do to a shoplifter. I'd love to see some of these people in line ahead of me who continually return stuff they used once and had no intention to buy, walked out in cuffs. Wonder if they could keep tabs on people's return habits for ammunition for the cops. There has to be a way to collect sufficient evidence for the prosecutor since this is a crime.

Chris

http://www.harborfreight.com/return-policy

This is their website showing return policy and the only thing listed for 20% restock are generators...

RETURN POLICY
If for any reason you are not satisfied with any item purchased, you may return the product within 90 days for a full refund or replacement, whichever you prefer. Shipping and handling are non-refundable.

GOT ONLINE RETURNS?
TAKE THEM TO ANY HARBOR FREIGHT STORE! If you purchased an item through harborfreight.com, you can return it to any Harbor Freight store for an exchange or refund within 90 days of your purchase! Just bring the item and a copy of the order invoice and we will gladly exchange or refund the purchase, no questions asked. Buy it online—return it at the store—just one more way Harbor Freight is working to improve your customer experience!

GENERATOR RETURNS Any generator returned for any reason after the 90 day satisfaction guarantee period will be subject to a 20% restocking charge and must be returned freight paid.

All returns require a Return Authorization Number before they can be returned to Harbor Freight Tools. Please contact Customer Service either by calling 1-800-444-3353 or by emailing [email protected]. to receive a Return Authorization Number. Please make sure to provide your name and invoice number and a brief description of the reason(s) for the return.

Shadowdog500 · Sep 27, 2015

MPOWERD said:
http://www.harborfreight.com/return-policy

This is their website showing return policy and the only thing listed for 20% restock are generators...

That must be an old link. Here is the return policy on thier site right now. It not only indicates that a 20% restocking fee, but #7 is my favorite. The manager can now refuse a return for any reason.

Chris

http://t.harborfreight.com/customer...nge.html?utm_referrer=https://www.google.com/

mustangmatt · Sep 28, 2015

This wont stop me from shopping there. Im not a tool renter...

DirtyJersey · Sep 28, 2015

Gotcha640 said:
If you want to to a good job you can be proud of, get the tools to do it right. If you want almost good enough, and you understand the risk of saving money, go to HF.

I can see the right tool making the job easier, but you can do a job right no matter the quality of the tools used.
I've seen guys who half *** a job with top brand tools and guys do great jobs with no name brand tools.
It's a work ethic! Which imo is lacking in today's society.

If the tool is defective, I'm sure they'd swap it for one that works correctly. At least they do that here.

Texting while driving

Gotcha640 · Sep 29, 2015

My point was more to the time spent doing the first part of the job, breaking the tool, leaving the job, go get breakfast, go to HF, replace tool, back to job, do a bit more, break tool, leave job, back to HF, repeat... Whereas the guy who is willing to spend a bit more on quality tools will have finished the job and cleaned up before lunch, left a satisfied customer, been able to charge a bit more, and build a solid reputation.

I'm sure my high quality, slightly higher priced guy uses some HF stuff, but half the stuff he does, he seems to do by looking sternly at the pile of materials and ordering them in to position. I haven't found the magic store yet or I'd swear that was his source.

OldeTimeEtc · Sep 29, 2015

I'll most likely never have a problem with HF since I barely ever buy anything from them. Anything I buy is usually like replacement sanding dsics or belts, tool mats, tarps or some cheap tool I don't care what happens to it.

Things I would never guy from them is almost all machines, "keeper" tools, power tools, air tools and most any electronics.......problem solved

justtools · Sep 29, 2015

I believe HF has a place in the tool world. Even if that it is only to get people to complain about them on public forums.

Corvette Cave · Sep 29, 2015

rsanter said:
If it was me I would be pissed too.
I would have told them to put batteries in it and see how it works.
When it worked not so clear as you say I would have asked if they felt that was good quality and as expected.
If they said yes I would have asked for the corporate number and tell them I was planning to let them know what they said and that you were taking it that their employees feel it is ok to sell stuff that does not work property and claim it to me good.
And then with that standard you then cannot trust what they consider to be good or not.
Did you ask for the store manager or just deal with the flunky at the counter

And folks, it's not about $10, it's a matter of principal.
If they are not happy with them, Don't shop there!!!!!
and as you have done, warn your friends

Bob

Thank you.
It's about avoiding shopping at a store that surprises customers with hidden charges. I just want to do business with a hand shake and not spend my time reading the fine print for every transaction.

iScream · Sep 29, 2015

I would have just asked for a full refund in the form of a store credit.

gtae07 · Sep 30, 2015

When I bought my compactor they told be at time of purchase there would be a 20% restocking fee because a lot of people liked to pull the buy-and-return as a rental. But even at full (with 20% off coupon) it was cheaper than renting, for the amount of time I needed it. I'm going to use it one more time for the patio project and then sell it on Craigslist and get at least a little bit of my money back.

winlinmac · Sep 30, 2015

Rule of thumb, if its NOT in writing, you WIN. It should be Harbor Freight's responsibility to clearly disclose the return policy in and out on the receipt. ITS THE LAW, I smell a class action lawsuit in the making

winlinmac · Sep 30, 2015

Now it makes sense why they used to be long lines on Fridays after work. Disgusting indeed, we used to joke about the return policy and how it easy it was for buyers taking advantage, but it is morally unacceptable and unfair to the folks like us that happen to purchase restocked items. I'm not shopping at Harbor Freight again if they don't revamp the return policies to make them fully transparent and reasonable to the consumer.

Shadowdog500 said:
I bet this new policy will stop a lot of sales...... From the people who buy stuff for one project with no intention of ever keeping it.

To be quite honest, I get annoyed when I watch some guy in line ahead of me returning stuff when it's obvious to everyone in the line that they used it to complete one job and they never had any intention of keeping it. Heck I've seen practically everyone in the line shake their heads in disgust and even say stuff to the others in line when this happens. I see someone doing this almost every second or third time I'm in HF. Two weeks ago I had a guy in line ahead of me return all of the tools he used for a project at one time. He also beat the hell out of them in the two or three days that he "owned" them. Make that "rented them".

I saw them enforce this new policy last week to the guy in line ahead of me, and the cashier said the new policy is a way to stop people from using HF for a free tool rental service. Warranty abuse is fraud , and is a real problem for HF, I'm just wondering if HF could have come up with a different policy to handle this problem.

If you owned a business that sold tools, and had a lot of people buying tools on Friday to do a weekend project and returning the abused tools on Monday after thier project was done "for a full refund", and it was obvious to everyone involved that his customer never had any intention of keeping the tool. What policy would you come up with to keep this from happening?

Chris

I'm done shopping at Harbor Freight

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