Harbor freight return policy

[whateg01]

GF bought an electric pressure washer from HF. Really only has a single use in mind and won't need it again after that but it's the quickest, best way to do what needs done. She mentioned it to the hf salesperson and was told, you can bring stuff back that you used once, just have to pay the restocking fee.

I'm sure a lot of people bring stuff back that's only been used once and just tell the store they never used it. Here's my beef with that. They'll put it back on the shelf and somebody else buys it thinking it's never been out of the store then gets it home to find out different.

Has anybody else ever had a store associate tell them that?

 

[Cruzan80]

My understanding is if the box is open, there is a restocking fee. And it is "supposed" to be sold as used, which is where the justification for the fee comes from (makes the store "whole" after they sell it at a discount). Whether or not that happens, IDK.

And yes, I have gotten home and found used parts before in a seemingly unopened box (not a pressure washer). Not always just the salespeople saying they can return stuff, but also unethical people returning stuff.

And I give it 5-10 posts before it devolves into people blaming the general company for the return policy (Costco/REI/etc), and maybe 10-15 before someone tries to claim Craftsman's warranty is what sunk Sears...

 

[zendriver]

No, but that seem dishonest for a sales rep to say something like that, it seems doubtful HF really wants to sell used merchandise as new. One would have to be a really dumb person to not know they purchased a used item Personally I’d flip out.

Dishonest to buy anything for “one use” and return for any refund imo.

 

[signcrafter]

My HF has a ton of open box or clearance items that I assume are all returns of some sort. Some of them are missing a wrench or socket so I assume those are sets they opened to warranty a tool and then sell the rest of the set for a discount. But I was there today and there was generators, air tools, electric tools, and all sorts of stuff that are obviously opened and being sold for discounts.

I bought the 800 pound transmission jack last year after going back and forth between it and the 2000 pound one. Figured it would be good enough for how little I will use it. It worked decent but after using it and looking at the 2000 pound one again I asked them if I was able to return it and purchase the bigger one. Fully honest that I used it once and they said ya no problem if I was buying an upgraded version. I paid full price for both of them, neither were on sale when I needed it. I was in there a week or two later and saw my jack that I had put back in the box in the discount area at the store. I don't remember how much it was discounted.

 

[whateg01]

My HF has a ton of open box or clearance items that I assume are all returns of some sort. Some of them are missing a wrench or socket so I assume those are sets they opened to warranty a tool and then sell the rest of the set for a discount. But I was there today and there was generators, air tools, electric tools, and all sorts of stuff that are obviously opened and being sold for discounts.

I bought the 800 pound transmission jack last year after going back and forth between it and the 2000 pound one. Figured it would be good enough for how little I will use it. It worked decent but after using it and looking at the 2000 pound one again I asked them if I was able to return it and purchase the bigger one. Fully honest that I used it once and they said ya no problem if I was buying an upgraded version. I paid full price for both of them, neither were on sale when I needed it. I was in there a week or two later and saw my jack that I had put back in the box in the discount area at the store. I don't remember how much it was discounted.

That makes me feel a little better about it. I guess if that's what they are doing, it's similar to the Amazon warehouse deals.

 

[rsanter]

That policy was created for the people that buy tools , use them once and then they say “I want my money back, it did not work as expected”
they will warranty you a new one, or you pay a restocking fee

 

[four.cycle]

THIS is why I do not leave the store, OR pay for the item, until I remove it from the package and examine it (whether it's tools at Harbor Freight or spark plugs at O'Reilly's or some widget from ACE Hardware.)
THIS is the reason I do not own an ICON ratchet. I don't care if Jesus himself came down from Heaven and told me it was the best thing ever - if I cannot hold it in my hand prior to purchase, I am not buying it.
I JUST ran into this on a "flexible pick up tool" from O'Reilly's - I had to take the first two back to get a decent copy - customers or employees had damaged one, and ran the battery dead on the other.
ALWAYS open the box before paying. People take used stuff back for refunds all the time.

I don't do a lot of talking with any of the staff at HF except for the one girl up there who seems to know what she's doing, and I cannot imagine her saying something like that - it's an invitation for abuse.

 

[whateg01]

I know why it was created. Just didn't know it was an actual policy. There's even people here who have said they use a tool one time then return it as "unused"

 

[four.cycle]

^ I am certain that their profit margin allows them to do this without sending the beancounters into a frenzy, but ultimately it will start costing them money.
REI and LL Bean finally figured out that ultra-liberal return policies result in epic levels of abuse.
(FTR: locally, REI was known in these parts as "Return Every Item".)