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Bought Disappointing Ear Buds @ SDM: Any Chance of Refund?

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  • Mar 19th, 2009 11:57 pm
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Member
May 10, 2006
433 posts
3 upvotes

Bought Disappointing Ear Buds @ SDM: Any Chance of Refund?

So, I bought a cheap pair of Maxell ear buds at Shopper's Drug Mart this evening. I wasn't expecting much for the amount I paid, but I'm still extremely disappointed. The sound is muddy compared even to my MP3 player pack-in Sony ear buds, and the cord is too short for me to be able to comfortably listen to my MP3 player while it rests in my pants pocket. (Note that it didn't state the length of the cord anywhere on the packaging.)

Do you think I'd be able to return them? They've been momentarily used, of course. But they're clean and the packaging is intact. They look exactly as they did when I purchased them (though the cord bundle may be a tad messier).

On their site, under electronics returns, it states the following:
Returns will only be given if original product is returned in the original sealed box in saleable condition with a receipt and within the 30 day return period from original date of purchase
I kind of presume I'm out of luck, and I don't feel like getting into an argument with a manager over this. I realize SDM isn't the preferred place to shop for headphones, but I was there and they looked decent enough. I had no idea the cord wouldn't even be long enough for me to make use of them, though.
8 replies
Member
Aug 14, 2004
330 posts
188 upvotes
Burnaby
depends on who you get but yeah shouldn't be a problem if it looks somewhat like it did when you bought it
Member
May 10, 2006
433 posts
3 upvotes
"Original sealed box" just makes me think they're likely to refuse me. The only thing I couldn't replace was the sticker that covered the tab that opens the packaging at the back. I tried, but it curled up and stuck to itself. The packaging seals fine without it, though.

The fine print doesn't actually specified "unopened" the way it does for CDs/DVDs/video games. But doesn't sealed kind of mean the same thing? I tend to think that means unused, rather than re-sealable. Though obviously in the case of disc media, they have that policy to prevent you from "renting" and/or copying the product. So maybe they would take the ear buds back.

I know I'm stressing over a minor confrontation and less than $10. But that's $10 I don't have to throw away.
Deal Addict
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Jan 24, 2008
2322 posts
1546 upvotes
You could always try. The worst that will happen is that they will say no.
Sr. Member
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Jun 17, 2006
594 posts
362 upvotes
Calgary
They key word seems to be 'saleable'. They've been in your ears. They may be clean in your eyes, but a this point they are now 'earbuds which have been in somebody Jonathan Bones' ears'. Might depend on the store but I don't think SDM is completely in the wrong here. I wouldn't buy used earbuds.

The Sony Store doesn't accept returns on used earbuds either.
Member
May 10, 2006
433 posts
3 upvotes
I agree with you there. I just don't know what the answer is when it comes to shopping for ear phones, though. You can't know whether it's an acceptable product without trying it, obviously. Now, I never expected the quality of these ear buds to far exceed their price. But I was expecting more than I wound up with, and I've gotten that quality from similar products at similar price points. And then there's the whole cord length issue. If it had mentioned it on the packaging, I would have had a heads up. But it wasn't until I opened the packaging and plugged them in that I realized I couldn't feasibly use the ear buds in the way I needed, anyway.
Newbie
Oct 24, 2008
13 posts
2 upvotes
I successfully returned a pair of earbuds that I'd used, for exactly long enough to find out that the right ear didn't work. No problems there, but they were actually faulty, rather than not-good-enough.
Deal Guru
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Aug 20, 2005
11319 posts
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Nowhere
dmitchred wrote: I successfully returned a pair of earbuds that I'd used, for exactly long enough to find out that the right ear didn't work. No problems there, but they were actually faulty, rather than not-good-enough.
A product returned as defective is not going back on the shelf to be sold as new. It would be returned to the manufacturer. So it is not at all the same thing.
Sr. Member
Sep 16, 2007
850 posts
426 upvotes
Ancaster
Cheap Cat wrote: A product returned as defective is not going back on the shelf to be sold as new. It would be returned to the manufacturer. So it is not at all the same thing.
Not always. Often times the warehouse won't take back products even if it's a legitimate claim/reason so it ends up being a loss for the store.

You'd probably have a better chance of getting somewhere with Maxell themselves rather than SDM.

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