Quick rant...

[toolbert]

This happened yesterday. Supposedly someone I had talked to ended up buying a PDA from our store the day before. So last night he calls back in saying that the device was damaged by the packaging . He claimed that there was a hairline fracture on the screen and that he wanted to be compensated for it being damaged inside the packaging. That threw up some red flags since the packaging is pretty tight and it wouldn't just ruin a screen easily. So, he starts barking that he wants palm to not fix it, but give him a 2 year warranty on the model and some type of discount on any accessory that he wants to purchase from our store. Of course the big bosses at Palm just laughed at this request. After much argument on his side and our side, my bosses agreed that he had to return the device to the store and that we'd just exchange it (like one of my employees had suggested earlier to him before he blew up). Low and behold when the device is brought in it obviously has a scratch that goes from the side of the device to the screen that has been made by a razor. Its so blatently his fault, but because the people above me agreed to do the return, we can't refuse it. Luckily he didn't get anything more than a replacement unit or I'd of been pissed off. I just knew he was trying to scam us, but because they don't want bad customer relations, I have to give into this guy that obviously damaged his own property and tried to get something for free. I don't know what gets into some people

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Devil's Advocate here, but today's packaging is grotesquely overkill. I have seen people damn near lof off fingers trying to cut into the packages. So I can understand the frustration of buying something and then having it get damaged in the Photon Torpedeo explosion it takes to weaken the packaging enough for the Enterprise's phasers to cut open.

The flip side of this however is the guy was acting like an entitlement whore for trying to get the rest of the stuff he wanted for his mistake.

Were it me, I'd have brought the item in, asked for a return (getting Palm involved if I needed to) and then had the store open it for me.

M

I swear the front armor for the M1 Abhrams is easer to get through

[Kilamon]

Devil's Advocate here, but today's packaging is grotesquely overkill. I have seen people damn near lof off fingers trying to cut into the packages. So I can understand the frustration of buying something and then having it get damaged in the Photon Torpedeo explosion it takes to weaken the packaging enough for the Enterprise's phasers to cut open.

I direct your attention to the Oyster Awards. These are the awards for the products with packaging that is so difficult that they really do require the phasers to open.

[Kara]

I get things like that all the time.

SC: How come you can't replace it?
ME: Because you said there's a crack in the screen.
SC: But it was like that when I received it, so you should replace it.
ME: Well, I see you've had that device for 6 months, and you never called in to report that it was damaged when you got it.
SC: Yeah, but, I didn't think it was that bad, so I thought I would save you the trouble of sending me another one.
ME (How very thoughtful of you!): But if you had, it would have been replaced as damaged upon delivery. However, you're now well beyond the point where that is applicable.
SC: This is bullsh*t! I can't believe you people don't stand behind your products! And here I decide not to bother anyone and not to call in and complain, cause that's not what I do! And this is what I get for it!

Yeah, sure. You dropped it yesterday and it broke. Tough luck, buddy. And I don't think such a nice, considerate person would be screaming at me right now.

[lordlundar]

So I can understand the frustration of buying something and then having it get damaged in the Photon Torpedeo explosion it takes to weaken the packaging enough for the Enterprise's phasers to cut open.

I swear the front armor for the M1 Abhrams is easer to get through

Owwiee..

Note to self, laughing while drinking cold grape pop HURTS!

But you make a point Mongo. The packaging for PDA's these days are so tough you could drop them off a 20 foot building and it would survive.

[Shironu-Akaineko]

So I can understand the frustration of buying something and then having it get damaged in the Photon Torpedeo explosion it takes to weaken the packaging enough for the Enterprise's phasers to cut open.

I'm using this next time I buy electronics. I'm so using this. It made my day.

[Ackee]

scissors

I always have a pair of scissors for those pesky difficult to liberate goods... and i use it too

[MadMike]

Every time I get a new DVD, my son and I joke about how we'd better "call a locksmith" so we can get the damn thing opened. Or we say that if we tried to blast it open with a nuclear warhead or similar ridiculously overkill device, the DVD would be vaporized, but the packaging itself wouldn't have a scratch on it.

[blas]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has huffed and puffed and tried to blow the packaging off.....

[KuzcoLlama]

I have a strange knack for getting dvd packaging off fast. Many a time I have to rip the dvd out of my frustrated roomie's hand so that I could take care of it X-D. Not that I'm good at it, I see the evil packaging.

I really hate those plastic encasings though. Though I must say, when I get angry enough, one snip with the scissors then "ARRRRGH" while ripping it apart does the trick. And no blood, somehow...I'm deft with my fingers like that.

[XCashier]

I always have a pair of scissors for those pesky difficult to liberate goods... and i use it too

I broke a pair of scissors on one of those bubble-packages. No lie.

[Imogene]

I must say, it's gotten to the level of ridiculous when, for any lay person, you absolutely HAVE to own a pair of automatic scissors to open the plastic on most things. Bonus points if you have to buy those scissors, and they're wrapped in the damn plastic.

[Ackee]

okay

I broke a pair of scissors on one of those bubble-packages. No lie.

I suggest you shout loudly(arghhhh) and carry a BIG pair of scissors and use it too.

[captainvegetable02]

Amazingly enough, people still manage to open packages in the store and steal things (which is why the packaging is so tough in the first place, to help deter theft).

[Mr B Rabbit]

I have to give into this guy that obviously damaged his own property and tried to get something for free. I don't know what gets into some people

I used to work for Dell as a field technician (sorry). Now Dell do a warranty extra called Complete Care, what this means is that no matter what happens to your computer for the first three support calls you make, it will be repaired, not replaced, but repaired if at all possible. This includes throwing it out a window. A quick list of some of the fixes I had to do:

- Removing an axe from the casing of a laptop and replacing all of the internals except the processor and hard drive, as well as the casing. Customer's comment was that 'the machine crashed and he lost his temper'.

- Replacing the casing, screen, keyboard and motherboard on a machine after having to pry it apart with a crowbar because the customer had bought it for their kid. Their two year old kid. Their two year old kid who'd thought pouring a bottle of glue over the computer would be fun.

- Resetting the trip switch for a room.

- Having to retrieve the hard drive from a laptop that had obviously been run over.

- Having to put together a laptop that the customer had taken apart to 'see how it worked' with only five out of thirty-six screws.

And my favourite:
- At a military base, where we eventually just replaced it after I argued with the control centre for a while. Replacing a laptop which had been the subject of a 'controlled explosion' after being left unnattended in its bag.