Returns
”Most Returned Gadgets Actually Work Fine, Only About 1% Are Broken
According to the consulting firm Accenture, most consumers are idiots and return gadgets not because they're broken, but because they thought they were broken. The overall return rate seems to be hovering around 11% to 20%, with a full 68% of those being returned because they don't "meet customers' expectations for some reason." Another 27% of returns are due to buyer's remorse, which leaves only 5% to malfunctions. Even if you're taking the higher number, that 20% out of all gadgets get returned, 5% out of that would mean only 1% out of all gadget purchases are broken at purchase. Those chances aren't horrible, but they're not spectacular either. [PCWorld via Inquirer]
unconfirmed
Apple Stores Voiding Warranty on Hacked iPhones?
We're unsure if this is a policy or a one-time incident, but Jason O'Grady from ZDNet is reporting that an Apple store refused to service a hacked and unlocked (for T-Mobile) iPhone, saying the warranty was voided and blacklisting "the phone against future service, or return." More »
gaming
Xbox 360 Failure Rate: 30%, Says Retailers
We always knew the Xbox 360 failure rate was high, but the only time Microsoft's put any sort of solid numbers on the thing it was always somewhere around 5%. Retailers, on the other hand, have just reported a failure rate of somewhere over 30%. That's pretty ridonkulous. It's a good thing Microsoft support is usually pretty good about taking them back, so you don't have to go all Picard and shout about how many lights there are over the phone. More »
home entertainment
PS3 Greymarket Watch: Scalpers Dumping PS3s Back To Stores
Despite the PS3 costing more than the Wii—and having less units available—it seems Sony's console is easier to find than the Wii. So much so that people are swapping PS3s for Wii straight up. And the scalpers who can't trade for a Wii or flip their PS3s for more than a 10% or 20% profit? They're returning the consoles to the stores they bought them from. More »
announcements
Costco Return Policy: Changing for the Stricter
According to an exclusive by our delightfully jaded friends at The Consumerist, if you have some old Costco merchandise that you've been meaning to return, do it before Jan 1. More »
top
Half Of All Gadgets Returned To Stores Actually Work
Even the most technologically inclined amongst us encounter products so overly bedecked with buttons and features that we can't imagine how normal people could possibly use them, and it turns out we're right and they actually can't: More »
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