But when Matthew opened up the graphics card — a $690 component — he discovered that the plastic casing had been drilled and filled with a putty-like substance to give it weight. “It was a bit of a shock really,” he said. “It all looked pretty formal until I took it off and took a second look.” The real shock came, however, when Matthew’s father tried to get a refund. “It was absurd,” Francois said. “It’s just a piece of plastic, so I doubt there’s any danger to their employees. And secondly… they’ve now destroyed the evidence.” Legault repeatedly explained that he had received and returned “a complete fake” and attached photos to prove it. But “this affects the quality of service they provide.” “They don’t have the time or the resources to deal with every customer complaint, every inquiry, every problem,” Gordon said. “They want this done and they want to move on to something else.”
‘Slap in the face’
“They’re basically saying we’re trying to cheat them,” Francois said. “We’ve never had a pattern of returning things or anything like that.” “That’s a little slap in the face,” Francois said. “They’re basically shutting it down and saying there’s nothing more to discuss. And unfortunately, I beg to differ.” After Go Public made inquiries, the company refunded Francois and apologized for taking nearly five months to resolve the “unfortunate incident.” But last year, growth was slower — up 22 percent from 2020 — and growth for this year is expected to be slower again, according to industry experts. Online retailers generally lose an average of 21 percent of the original value of a returned item — when shipping, handling and restocking costs are factored in — according to a US-based study by Pitney Bowes earlier this year. Go Public asked what percentage of orders were returned last year, but Bousouffa wrote that the company does not release that data “due to commercial sensitivity.”
More returns “available”
Allan Papernick of St. Davids, Ont., ordered a $280 Citizen watch last April. But it was hard to read the black hands on his black face, so he sent it back. “If I cheated them, then let them send me this item,” he said. “Getting rid of it is a strange business practice, to say the least.” He threatened to sue for $10,000 and received a full refund the next day.
Advice from a customer experience expert
He spent about $700 to order RAM for his computer last April, but says his package was opened and half the order was missing. “Now they say they will charge me more [order]because in their view, they have sent two,” Tabbert said.
Make an unboxing video
“The problem is, it doesn’t work,” Gordon said. “You just end up with a really angry customer who feels they’ve been taken advantage of, misled or misled.” He says anyone worried they can’t get a refund if there are problems with an online order should do an unboxing video. Have someone take their phone and film them opening a package. “If it’s exactly what they ordered, fine, they can delete the video,” Gordon said. “If it is, in fact, something that has been replaced or is fake or fraudulent, then it’s right there on the video. There’s no doubt about it.” As for Matthew Legault, the high school graduate is happy to have his computer up and running — he uses it to play games with friends and learn how to write computer code. “This whole experience really motivated me to shop local again,” Francois said.
Submit your story ideas
Go Public is an investigative news segment on CBC-TV, radio and online. We tell your stories, shine a light on wrongdoing and hold the powers that be accountable. If you have a story in the public interest or if you are confidential with information, please contact [email protected] with your name, contact information and a brief summary. All emails are confidential until you decide to go public. Follow along @CBCGoPublic on Twitter. Read more stories by Go Public.
