Joined Oct 2004
L4: Apprentice
Forum Thread
Got a refund on a product I didnt return. what to do?
January 11, 2012 at
07:16 AM
in
Tech & Electronics
(2)
Ill keep this short. I purchased a rather expensive product recently. I had some problems with my order but the vendor worked everything out and I have the product installed in my home.
I checked my email this morning and I have an email from them saying that they received my return and are processing a refund. I looked at my credit card statement and the refund has already processed.
I didnt return the product but I got a refund. So basically I got a free product. Im wondering what is the worst thing that could happen with this? Can they come back a month from now and say they've caught the mistake and charge me again?
Moral police need not opine.
I checked my email this morning and I have an email from them saying that they received my return and are processing a refund. I looked at my credit card statement and the refund has already processed.
I didnt return the product but I got a refund. So basically I got a free product. Im wondering what is the worst thing that could happen with this? Can they come back a month from now and say they've caught the mistake and charge me again?

Moral police need not opine.
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Here's an example. Last month I ordered 2 sets of tools from Sears for myself for xmas. They sent one tool in one box and one tool in another box. The problem was that they sent me two of the same tool. When I called them, they said they were out of stock on the other tool and to keep the duplicate tool they sent. Then they issued me a refund for the one that didn't come. Cool. Now I can regift the duplicate to my dad and not have to pay for a gift. Double cool. Then when i went to the dump, i opened the door to throw away the box the tool was shipped in and all the packing peanuts spilled out, but there at the bottom of the box was the second tool I ordered. Did I call them? You're damn right i did. I called them and told me that they shipped me 3 tools and I had only paid for one. Did they care? It was $5. They told me not to worry about it and didn't charge me.
tl;dr version:
bought 2 tools
they refunded me one and told me to keep the tool
found the other one and they told me to keep it without reversing the refund.
I'm not trying to say I'm a perfect human being, but I couldn't let something like what happened to the OP live on my conscious. I once ordered something from Amazon and had an issue with the delivery. Amazon refunded me in advance (as a courtesy) and told me that if it turned up I should contact them and they would recharge me. I did end up receiving the item and contacted Amazon, who then charged my card again. Due to the circumstances of the problem, I could have very well pretended that I never received the item and just kept the refund. I didn't feel right doing that, though.
But naturally, I feel people in general would be more forgiving a free $1 bag of fries versus a $900, let's say, TV.
But if you're my friend/family etc, I could not in good conscience screw you over even if it was for a $1. I guess I value people, but not businesses. But then again if it's a small business I might call or go back to them. Again, it's all very subjective on the cost, the place, the circumstance.
I'm just twisted when it comes to morals I guess, what's worse is it doesn't bother me to admit it..
But if you're my friend/family etc, I could not in good conscience screw you over even if it was for a $1. I guess I value people, but not businesses. But then again if it's a small business I might call or go back to them. Again, it's all very subjective on the cost, the place, the circumstance.
I'm just twisted when it comes to morals I guess, what's worse is it doesn't bother me to admit it..
But if you're my friend/family etc, I could not in good conscience screw you over even if it was for a $1. I guess I value people, but not businesses. But then again if it's a small business I might call or go back to them. Again, it's all very subjective on the cost, the place, the circumstance.
I'm just twisted when it comes to morals I guess, what's worse is it doesn't bother me to admit it..
But if you're my friend/family etc, I could not in good conscience screw you over even if it was for a $1. I guess I value people, but not businesses. But then again if it's a small business I might call or go back to them. Again, it's all very subjective on the cost, the place, the circumstance.
I'm just twisted when it comes to morals I guess, what's worse is it doesn't bother me to admit it..
But seriously, the difference there is they aren't providing the service but are still charging me.
Oh and FYI.....the salaries to pay those people is already built in to the price of the product you purchase.
Ok so in this case shouldn't you be calling Verizon a dishonest company since the over charged you and didn't tell you about it? If you weren't watching your bill you would have paid it and continued on with your life without ever knowing about it.
I dont understand why it is considered ok for a company to do it, but dishonest when a consumer does.
I dont understand why it is considered ok for a company to do it, but dishonest when a consumer does.
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Verizon was incorrectly charging me sales and goverment taxes and verizon surcharges for California eventhough we have lived in Missouri for 3 years. It was a familly share with 2 lines and my line was correctly charged for Missouri while my wifes was paying california taxes. It was only a difference of $5 a month but as a courtesy they would reimburse me for 3 months. A total of $15 they have yet to fix it and even deduct that. It was their mistake they switched only one line not both over but would not refund us for 3 years of overpayment. This despite the bills going to our Missouri address.They made it seem like they were doing us a favor for a mistake we made and we still havnt received that $15 deduction.
I purchased some toys as gifts from toysrus.com and for some reason their system declined the order and said my creditcard had issues. So i called the order in and no mention of a shipping charge was made. I then noticed on the order confirmation I had been incorrectly charged shipping on an item which was supposed to be free shipping over $49. I called in to ask why i was charged the shipping only to have it made out that it was obviously my fault that the were certain exceptions to the free shipping policy and obviously i was incapable of reading. Eventhough i was correctly charged no shipping when i tried to do it through their website.
If i hadnt ended up in a long drawn out conversation a 2nd time with them on the phone what are the chances that Toysrus would have said oh we charged you shipping we werent supposed to charge heres your shipping fee back and heres an extra $40 for the time we wasted of yours.
So its my responsibility when a company messes up in my favor to write them a check for the difference and its my responsibility to tell them when i have overpaid.
I wasted my time finding where the people had moved to and got them to come get it. I was tempted to just keep the damn thing had it been more than a friggen table I probably wouldnt have made the effort.
If you cant even send the correct item to the correct address you deserve to go out of business.
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