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".)

 

[Cruzan80]

And I give it 5-10 posts before it devolves into people blaming the general company for the return policy (Costco/REI/etc),

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".)

Called it! Post #9...

 

[four.cycle]

So?
It's GarageJournal.
You were expecting something else?

 

[Wamsutta]

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.

I don't think so. I think those sets are missing a socket or a wrench because somebody stole the missing piece.

You gotta be the dumbest person on earth to steal something from Harbor Freight.

 

[four.cycle]

I think those sets are missing a socket or a wrench because somebody stole the missing piece.

Exactly.
I processed "warranty returns" from retail stores for almost two decades, for two different employers.
One in particular I remember clearly was GAW (General Automotive Warehouse) which was the primary supplier for "Al's Auto Supply", a local chain of auto parts stores.
I was sent there to write up all their "warranty" stuff. We were selling them about 20 different product lines, one of which was "Cobra Wire and Cable" out of New Jersey.
There were probably 50 or 60 sets of "defective" spark plug wire sets - all marked "missing wire".
At least 30 General Motors Delco starter solenoids marked "Missing parts"
Customers buy the item, take it home steal the pieces they need to do the fix, and then take the rest back for a refund.

There is nothing new under the sun.

 

[danski0224]

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.

Big Orange used to sell individual sockets, then that went away and they sold sets.

Both had "lifetime warranties".

Yes, the policy was to break open a set to replace the damaged socket or other part. The vendor probably got fucked with the policy and likely had to eat it (the wholesale cost of the set)

I don't know what they do NOW, but when I worked there, that was the policy.

And yes, someone could have stolen the part.

 

[Hakeem]

Fwiw the last time I returned something they opened it up and counted all the items. This was for an unopened item, which I pointed out, and they commented “we have to do this for all returns”. So it seems like they’re making an attempt to prevent used/incomplete items from making it back to the shelf.

 

[Hakeem]

Customers buy the item, take it home steal the pieces they need to do the fix, and then take the rest back for a refund.

I’ll confess: in my younger, less scrupulous days, I’ve done this a few times. It was always because of some part went missing or broke, and there was no way to get a replacement. If they made replacement parts available for purchase, I would have done that instead.

Nowadays, I’d probably just come on here and whine about poor customer support

 

[four.cycle]

^ I've seen all kinds of crazy stuff. We pulled all the reman starters off the shelf in the warehouse one morning and opened up each stapled-shut box.
One out of a dozen of the Ford starters (3124, 3131) were used. Dirty. Greasy. We popped the dust cover caps off the backs to find they were all full of gunk.
When their delivery truck showed up the following Friday, we asked the driver about it.
"Oh! Those Ford starters? They just hang them from a hook bang on them with a big hammer, hit them with 12 volts, and if they spin, they go into a box and are sold."
Our rebuilder (Automotive Utility Co., Fresno, CA) was selling us used starters.

On the counter one day at the 38th Street store, Brenda came into the office and said "There's a guy here who wants to return some bearings and I think you should take a look at this," so I went out and opened the boxes.
Both boxes had brand new Timken bearings in them - inner and outer front wheel bearings.
We didn't sell Timken.
We sold L&S (Oklahoma City, OK)
I said "Yeah okay, give him a refund."
Timken was only sold at the retail level on that day in this city by one parts store chain: National Auto Parts, our closest competitor, who closed two hours before we did.

Given the opportunity, retail customers will abuse the hell out of any "warranty" or return policy. It is most certainly not exclusive to Harbor Freight.
Be sure to open up every single box and inspect that set of spark plugs you're buying at O'Reilly's. I've dumped out boxes full of used plugs. (Or any other part, for that matter.)

If Harbor Freight wants to deal with the monster they've created, that's their problem. I have no dog in this fight.
It took them a long, long time, but REI finally figured it out. (NO, you cannot return your $1400 Hilleberg tent after you've slept in it for a year.)

 

[zendriver]

Buying a live tree from Costco and returning for refund after New Years day is just wrong, but buying a pressure washer from HF and returning for refund after use, is OK?

Our local store has a corner near checkout loaded with generators, saws etc. - even pressure washers. sold as "open box". One would think HF does not really want to run a rental business, instead just have customers buy and keep their purchases.

Since nearly every product has some type of carton seal, hard to believe they try to pass used items as new.

 

[atikovi]

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.

Wasn't that what Best Buy customers were doing with big screen TV's before a superbowl?

 

[dchawk81]

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.

Jesus wouldn't know the first thing about automotive tools. He drove a reliable Honda.



But if you wanna know about carpentry...he's great with dovetails.