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Got new MBP, buyers remorse.

R

rness024

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 4, 2009
7
0
So, I got a new refurbished unibody MBP, and it's perfect. But I think I changed my mind and want a desktop now.

My options are to return it for a 10% restock fee or sell it on craigslist or ebay. is it difficult to unload a essentially brand new MBP on craigslist?

I'm pretty much feeling like a moron here, but I really feel like I thought about this, but I just don't see myself wanting to haul the MBP around, and most of my computer usage is not mobile.
 
Definitely not. Personal experience, you'll find it way easier to unload an Apple product than a Windows product and not because one is better than the other, it's because people want an Apple product for a cheaper price so craigslist is an AWESOME place in trying to unload. Also, Apple products have an amazing resale value where a year after, you can get decent money back.

Also if you're nice/friendly, Apple will waive the restocking fee. Purchased a few iPod's/accessories for iPod's returned a few of them and was never charged once.
 
Sir,

Here is my personal thought on this. You have played right into their hands. Restocking fee....really? I mean what company is so cheap that they punish you if you don't like the product?

I have been buying electronics for years and not once have I had a company penalize me for returning a product no matter what the reason.

The reason for the restocking fee is the discourage you from returning the product. They're saying that it costs them to repackage it all, so you should pay for that for not knowing what you want, but this simply isn't true.

You have a right as a consumer to change your mind. You have the right to decide the product isn't for you. It's Mapples cost of doing business to eat that cost to make you happy.

With that said...I would call Mapple, and explain you've changed your mind, and that you would like to return the product without a restock fee. Explain that not only do you think it's ridiculous to charge that fee, but that you're looking at getting a desktop instead.

If they insist on charging you the fee, then politely tell them that you will not be buying anything from them again as you like to have the confidence as a customer that you're not going to be penalized for changing your mind.

Go ahead and buy your desktop anyway if you want some other time, but make sure they know as a company that this is crap. Basically make them seem like they can make 10% of the cost and lose a customer, or they can wave the cost and keep you a happy warrior in the Mapple army :D
 
crazylegsmurphy said:
Sir,

Here is my personal thought on this. You have played right into their hands. Restocking fee....really? I mean what company is so cheap that they punish you if you don't like the product?

I have been buying electronics for years and not once have I had a company penalize me for returning a product no matter what the reason.

The reason for the restocking fee is the discourage you from returning the product. They're saying that it costs them to repackage it all, so you should pay for that for not knowing what you want, but this simply isn't true.

You have a right as a consumer to change your mind. You have the right to decide the product isn't for you. It's Mapples cost of doing business to eat that cost to make you happy.

With that said...I would call Mapple, and explain you've changed your mind, and that you would like to return the product without a restock fee. Explain that not only do you think it's ridiculous to charge that fee, but that you're looking at getting a desktop instead.

If they insist on charging you the fee, then politely tell them that you will not be buying anything from them again as you like to have the confidence as a customer that you're not going to be penalized for changing your mind.

Go ahead and buy your desktop anyway if you want some other time, but make sure they know as a company that this is crap. Basically make them seem like they can make 10% of the cost and lose a customer, or they can wave the cost and keep you a happy warrior in the Mapple army :D
Click to expand...

LMAO "Mapple Army", love that! Just don't be hostile about it and you'll be fine. Simply put, just say you tried the MBP for a while and you feel it doesn't meet your needs and feel you would be better suited with a desktop instead. Boom, guarantee you they won't charge you the restocking fee. Not to sound like a fan boy or anything but there's no need to criticize how Apple operates, you just make the situation worse. Apple isn't out to make enemies, they're more concerned in making promoters. Whatever makes you happy, makes Apple happy bottom line.
 
Apple isn't out to make enemies, they're more concerned in making promoters. Whatever makes you happy, makes Apple happy bottom line.
Click to expand...

Perhaps, and I'm not saying they don't accommodate, but nickle and dimeing like that drives me nuts. I would never pay the restocking fee or take a loss on Craigslist for a new machine.

The restocking fee simply shouldn't be there in the first place. The reason is exactly what you see in the OP...this poor dude is stressing out because he's not happy but feels trapped. You have to assume there are many people out there who don't like dealing with stuff like this and will either keep the product, feel bad about it, or pay the fee.

Not a cool choice by Mapple.
 
I actually think restocking fees are understandable, especially for computers. After you open up the product and begin to use it, the company can't resell it as new - they now have to sell it discounted as a refurb model. If you look on the Apple refurb site, those models are discounted at 10% off and higher.

The 10% restocking fee accounts for that loss. If they didn't charge the fee and a lot of people decided to return their used products, they'd lose a lot of money because of the customer's indecisiveness.

I don't think of the fee as punishing the consumer. As was mentioned before, it's there to discourage people from returning used merchandise.
 
I understand if the OP feels that way but you really shouldn't. I've dealt with companies and stores that charge you a restocking fee (Canadian Tire being one of them) and they will charge you no matter what. I don't know why everybody thinks Apple is out to screw you. Sure they have some practices which is pretty stupid (working for AppleCare there are some things that just pisses me off), but be kind, explain the situation and usually you'll come off on top. It's a 10% RESTOCKING FEE, Apple isn't going to care if they charge you or not!
 
iLog.Genius said:
Definitely not. Personal experience, you'll find it way easier to unload an Apple product than a Windows product and not because one is better than the other, it's because people want an Apple product for a cheaper price so craigslist is an AWESOME place in trying to unload. Also, Apple products have an amazing resale value where a year after, you can get decent money back.

Also if you're nice/friendly, Apple will waive the restocking fee. Purchased a few iPod's/accessories for iPod's returned a few of them and was never charged once.
Click to expand...

Hes right its very easy to unload apple products people really want them but genaraly cant afford them so wben they get a chance to get o e cheaper they hop on it
 
winninganthem said:
I actually think restocking fees are understandable, especially for computers. After you open up the product and begin to use it, the company can't resell it as new - they now have to sell it discounted as a refurb model. If you look on the Apple refurb site, those models are discounted at 10% off and higher.

The 10% restocking fee accounts for that loss. If they didn't charge the fee and a lot of people decided to return their used products, they'd lose a lot of money because of the customer's indecisiveness.

I don't think of the fee as punishing the consumer. As was mentioned before, it's there to discourage people from returning used merchandise.
Click to expand...

So? Why does Mapple in one breath boast they're there to make you the most happiest customer in the world, then turn around and charge you if you're not.

The cost of doing business is that you understand there is a percentage of people who will change their mind. The cost is understanding that it's better to have the customer feel confident they can make that purchase and return it, than feeling like they're now being penalized.

In my opinion if one person returns a product and is pissed off because they had to pay a 10% restocking fee, then decides to never buy a product from that company again, it's a much higher loss than eating that cost.

If that person goes on a forum and says, "They want to charge me 10% to take it back!" and 200 people read that....if say 5% of those people don't buy a computer based on not feeling confident they can change their mind if it doesn't work out, then that is a much bigger loss in my opinion.
 
Hah, I love how we're arguing over RESTOCKING FEES! I don't think it's there to get the consumer, Apple isn't the only one implementing it, others are too. To the OP, no matter what we say, Apple isn't reading these boards. Go back, be kind and explain why you're making the return and see what they say from there. There's a good chance you won't be charged.
 
rness024 said:
So, I got a new refurbished unibody MBP, and it's perfect. But I think I changed my mind and want a desktop now.

My options are to return it for a 10% restock fee or sell it on craigslist or ebay. is it difficult to unload a essentially brand new MBP on craigslist?

I'm pretty much feeling like a moron here, but I really feel like I thought about this, but I just don't see myself wanting to haul the MBP around, and most of my computer usage is not mobile.
Click to expand...

Return to the store with your receipt and computer packed back in the box. When you walk in, talk to the concierge about your situation and how you would prefer to have a desktop over a laptop. Ask to speak to a manager about the situation. 9.9 times out of 10, the fee will be waived and you'll walk out of the store with the computer that you truly want.
 
This has happened to me 2 years ago. At the time I purchased a refurbished macbook from Apple.com and then the next day I found a better deal elsewhere. So I called Apple and explained my situation. They were very helpful and promptly waived the restocking fee, as long as I didn't open the box.
 
They make you a happy customer, not a happy returner.
Click to expand...

"Yo Steve, this kid says he wants to return his laptop!"

"I think you should make him an offer he can't refuse!"

"Ok Son, you listen, and you listen good. You made that purchase, now you're gonna like it."

"But Sir, it's not working for me, I'm sorry!"

"You're gonna be sorry alright, we can't afford to have you wishy washy people bring stuff back you don't like, this isn't Denny's son, you can't send your eggs back if they're too runny!"

"wha..."

SLAP

"you like your new Mac right?"

"We...."

SLAP

"you like it right......"

"Yes sir, I love my new Mac, it's the best thing I have ever owned, I can't believe I wanted to bring it back as I realize now that I was mistaken. I am sorry for wasting your time."

"Steve thanks you for your continued loyalty and support"
 
Just call Apple and tell them you'd like to return it for a higher-priced model, they'll waive the restocking fee. There won't even be an argument. I returned a refurb to buy something else and they didn't even mention the restocking fee.
 
I'm not mentioning names but one person doesn't grasp the whole idea of restocking fees. I used to work at a major electronics store and the one thing that royally annoyed me as a salesperson were customers with an agenda depending on the season.

In January, people came in and bought very expensive big screen TV's just to watch the Superbowl, then after the big game the TV gets returned ruining the salespersons commission that he worked hard for.

Summer weddings produced "unwanted" customers. They would come in and buy a camcorder, video the wedding then come back a day before the last day of the return period and return the whole camera package, less the video tapes of course. :rolleyes: The excuse was, "we didn't like how it took pictures" but they refused to look at a different camera.

Computers bring in the worst customers. Students on a deadline needing a computer to write a term paper, they just buy the computer and return it right after they get what they needed. I remember when Dell released the M1330 notebook, people had placed orders for it and Dell took forever to deliver so in the interim people were buying notebook just to use while waiting for Dell's orders to show up. RUDE!

Our store didn't have a restocking fee and they should have. It's not to discourage people from returning products it's to discourage "renters" from buying who never had an intent to keep in the first place. It's also to protect the store from loss since they have to reduce the price for open stock sale.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5H11 Safari/525.20)

Pretty much every retailer in the US has a restocking fee for laptops. Apple's 10% is generous, most stores are 15%. It's to prevent people from "renting" the computer. Most times, if you exchange it for another product they'll waive the fee. I got it waived twice when exchanging.
 
Ahhh, I see...

So what you're saying is that there should be a restocking fee because of a few extreme examples!

Sorry, I don't buy it. You're not going to convince me that the majority of people are going to use the company as their own personal library. Some probably do this, and that sucks, but most normal people don't.

The problem isn't the restocking fee, it's the commission you loose. Do you personally really care if someone returns a big screen TV...I seriously doubt it, but you would if you showed up at work and found your commission gone.

Apple doesn't work on commission apparently so it shouldn't matter. Making sure the customer feels flexibility in the purchase builds confidence in the company. When you start to charge people for changing their minds, you're basically making it harder for them to return the product (or get it in the first place).

Your examples show that...when you don't have restocking fees then the customer feels confident to make a purchase. Some jerks will abuse the system, but what you failed to show is how many people took home a big screen TV or camcorder with the intention of bringing it back, but didn't because they liked it.

You don't talk about how many customers legitimately bought stuff thinking, "Well if I don't like it, I can bring it back" and never did because it worked for them. If Mapple is doing as well as everyone says, then a few returned computers is a small cost to absorb to make customers feel better about spending money.
 
10% restocking fee is low. Most electronics you'll typically see a 15% restocking fee. 15% is the par for the course. Oddly enough, I just paid one last week on a phone (bought from retailer) that I didn't even open because it wasn't the color I thought it would be. It sucks and is tough **** for me but that's how things work, I realize.

In the case of Apple it's obvious why they have to charge a restocking fee -- in order to be resell your computer they will have to sell your at as refurbished. They're obviously the money losers in that deal.

If you buy a more expensive computer then, knowing Apple, I'm almost certain they won't even charge any fee at all.
 
crazylegsmurphy said:
Ahhh, I see...

So what you're saying is that there should be a restocking fee because of a few extreme examples!

Sorry, I don't buy it. You're not going to convince me that the majority of people are going to use the company as their own personal library. Some probably do this, and that sucks, but most normal people don't.

The problem isn't the restocking fee, it's the commission you loose. Do you personally really care if someone returns a big screen TV...I seriously doubt it, but you would if you showed up at work and found your commission gone.

Apple doesn't work on commission apparently so it shouldn't matter. Making sure the customer feels flexibility in the purchase builds confidence in the company. When you start to charge people for changing their minds, you're basically making it harder for them to return the product (or get it in the first place).

Your examples show that...when you don't have restocking fees then the customer feels confident to make a purchase. Some jerks will abuse the system, but what you failed to show is how many people took home a big screen TV or camcorder with the intention of bringing it back, but didn't because they liked it.

You don't talk about how many customers legitimately bought stuff thinking, "Well if I don't like it, I can bring it back" and never did because it worked for them. If Mapple is doing as well as everyone says, then a few returned computers is a small cost to absorb to make customers feel better about spending money.
Click to expand...

Well, you're choosing to be blindsided. You don't have to buy it, I wasn't selling it to you, I might have to charge you a restocking fee. ;) I'm telling of facts from working in this environment for over 10 years. Also, no customer should be upset about it as you are unless they had an agenda.
 
HLdan said:
Well, you're choosing to be blindsided. You don't have to buy it, I wasn't selling it to you, I might have to charge you a restocking fee. ;) I'm telling of facts from working in this environment for over 10 years. Also, no customer should be upset about it as you are unless they had an agenda.
Click to expand...

Really? So you're saying I bought my MBP 17" as my first real Mapple product...I'm taking a huge chance on this company as I have been a PC user since the Tandy 1000 came out....but yet I should be happy to pay the 10% restocking fee if it's just not the computer for me?

That's $230.00 unless my math is off.

That's not small potatoes sir! You're right, I don't have to buy it, and that is my point. You're proving my point by having to used that cliche argument of, "Well you don't have to buy it if you don't like it!"

Why should that even be an argument?

If I like the computer, then awesome for everyone...if I don't, then it would seem much better in my eyes to have Mapple say, "It's cool man, we're sorry it wasn't what you needed, maybe something else would work better for you, but if not, we're sorry to see you go."

You don't think I might say, "Hmmm, you know this other stupid company is giving me issues, maybe I'll go back to Mapple because they're cool about stuff and I know that I can shop with confidence knowing if it's not working for me, I'm not spending money for nothing."
 
HLdan said:
What the heck is the "mapple"? Is this some store in canada?
Click to expand...

Mapple-Lisa.png
 
crazylegsmurphy said:
Really? So you're saying I bought my MBP 17" as my first real Mapple product...I'm taking a huge chance on this company as I have been a PC user since the Tandy 1000 came out....but yet I should be happy to pay the 10% restocking fee if it's just not the computer for me?

That's $230.00 unless my math is off.

That's not small potatoes sir! You're right, I don't have to buy it, and that is my point. You're proving my point by having to used that cliche argument of, "Well you don't have to buy it if you don't like it!"

Why should that even be an argument?

If I like the computer, then awesome for everyone...if I don't, then it would seem much better in my eyes to have Mapple say, "It's cool man, we're sorry it wasn't what you needed, maybe something else would work better for you, but if not, we're sorry to see you go."

You don't think I might say, "Hmmm, you know this other stupid company is giving me issues, maybe I'll go back to Mapple because they're cool about stuff and I know that I can shop with confidence knowing if it's not working for me, I'm not spending money for nothing."
Click to expand...

You're talking as if you're the only person who's bought a Macintosh. My first Mac was bought from CompUSA, it was a PowerMac G3 I bought in year 1999. CompUSA always had a restocking fee but I didn't think anything of it, I knew what I wanted and my only reason for needing to return it would be in case of a defect then I would just need an exchange.
I never said as a customer you are required to LIKE the fact there's a restocking fee in place, I'm saying there's no reason to be upset about it if customers didn't have an agenda.

Remember, you have to be a smart shopper as well. It's the customers responsibility to check something out fully before they buy, you can't blame the store for not doing your homework. Please spare me the line of "It's not the same in the store as it is after you get it home" . Most car companies only allow for a test drive, most of them don't sell it to you with a return policy at all.

crazylegsmurphy said:
Mapple-Lisa.png
Click to expand...

I don't watch the Simpsons. Got burned out with it after a couple of seasons. After over 20 years it's the same junk and the kids never grow up. Retarded show.
 
crazylegsmurphy said:
Ahhh, I see...
So what you're saying is that there should be a restocking fee because of a few extreme examples!
Click to expand...

they aren't so extreme. If you remember way back when, most retail stores never had a restocking fee. But due to all the abuse, retail stores had no other choice but to implement a restocking fee.

I could already see a few indepedent filmmakers taking advantage of apple if they didn't have a restocking fee. Why buy a macpro when you could shoot your movie, "rent" a macpro, edit your movie in 14 days(plenty of time) and be done with it? I know I would if I could. or hell why stop there? I could also "rent" a high end sony/canon HD camera and do the same thing.

the OP might have a legitimate excuse why he wants to return it. But why didn't he/she think of his/her needs PRIOR to forking over the money for a MBP?

MBPs aren't cheap and I know if I am going to shell out 2k for anything, I am going to do my research and I am not going to blindly buy something I don't need.

common sense!

now if apple isn't delivering the product they advertise, then yes. It is wrong for apple to penalize you for that. But unless apple stores make their costumers take a lie detector test, how in the world can they know who is a renter and who has a legitimate claim for wanting to return it?

crazylegsmurphy said:
Really? So you're saying I bought my MBP 17" as my first real Mapple product...I'm taking a huge chance on this company as I have been a PC user since the Tandy 1000 came out....but yet I should be happy to pay the 10% restocking fee if it's just not the computer for me?
Click to expand...

do your research and you'll know if the MBP 17" is for you before spending your money. Are you the type of person to blindly buy things to test them out? if so, you are another reason why most retail stores implemented a restocking fee. So quit your complaining :)
 
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