campbell@redsox.bsw.com (Larry Campbell) (03/25/91)
In article <LW4ANOH@xds13.ferranti.com> peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) writes: -In article <8135@rsiatl.Dixie.Com> jgd@Dixie.Com (John G. DeArmond) writes: -> Why do you say that? There is some really basic merchandising psychology -> involved here that should be intuitive but if not, is outlined in -> a number of books on the subject. There are three important aspects of -> unlimited money-back warranties. The first is, the no-questions-asked -> removes the dishonesty quotient from the equation. People no longer -> have to lie about the product or worse, destroy it, in order to -> get their money back. Just like at K-mart. You hand them the package and -> the receipt and they hand you money. - -OK, we'll drop the Sears bit... but I have never seen this behaviour from -any merchant that I have done business with. Unless I've got a *recent* -receipt or the merchandise is in "like new" condition, you can't return -it. Period. A bit off the track, perhaps, but I have recently seen behavior just like this. Last August I bought a baby carrier (backpack) at EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports, a major hiking gear retail chain). It worked well, until two weeks ago, when one of the straps that attached the frame to the hip strap tore loose. This was on a Friday, on my way home from work -- I carry my 18-month-old son (on the subway) to and from a day care center near my office every day. Two days later (Sunday), I went to the EMS where I had bought the backpack -- without a receipt; I had long since lost it. I showed them the problem and asked them what they could do about it. The store manager told me that they had a seamstress who came in every Tuesday who could fix it for me. "But I need to carry my son to work tomorrow; could you perhaps give me a loaner until mine is fixed?" I asked; at that, he just said, "Go over to the display and take a new one." No questions asked; I didn't even have a receipt! Not only that, but the new one was a newer model, with attachments for a rain hood that mine didn't have. Guess where I'll be buying all my hiking gear from now on? -- Larry Campbell The Boston Software Works, Inc., 120 Fulton Street campbell@redsox.bsw.com Boston, Massachusetts 02109 (USA)