Never doing business with MIDWAY USA again

[infoe]

bought a pair of H&k USPC .40 XS BIG DOT sights from them and decided to sell the gun. I removed the sights, so i could get an EXCHANGE for a pair of xs big dot sights for my glock 19 and I knew i would pay a difference for them.

Called and spoke to dave, and made sure it was ok to return the sights without the box, he put me on hold got it approved by his manager to return the sights since i was exchanging them. Here's where I made my mistake. Dave asked me if I wanted to go ahead and buy the new pair so I didnt have to wait as long and when the old pair of sights got in the credit would be applied to the card. I said sure. (I called back two hours later because I thought wait a minute let me just be sure I get the credit first just in case, they said it was too late to cancel the order because it was already out in the truck)

So they receive the sights, and notify me that the sights were coming back that the return was unacceptable (???) I spoke to Amanda at MidwayUSA who spoke to her returns department and they informed her that the sights were broken (STEEL SIGHTS BROKEN??) they definately were not. The best they could do was offer me a Midway credit (gift card) She told me to refuse the package and they would investigate it one more time, at which point I rose all hell, stating that I had been approved for the return and thats the only reason i bought the new sights. I refused the package and called AMEX, put a claim on the first transaction.

Got a call again from amanda, saying yes we can not accept the return this time neglecting the midway gift card mention (which is not acceptable).

I told her don't bother sending me back the sights because I put a claim on amex, she said ok well you should know if you do that we will send you to collections...right like I give a flying ....

Sorry for the rant, they do act professionally and are not rude, so in turn neither was I. Business is business however, and I will never do it with them again.

 

[Rugerlvr]

So you tried to return a used product for a complete credit?

Are these they?

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=720414&t=11082005

Meaning you had to drift them onto the gun, and drift them off, and lo and behold they didn't feel like taking them back after all that abuse?

Ooooookaaaaay....

 

[infoe]

If they APPROVE the exchange on the phone and send me out a new set...and tell me they will CREDIT me for the H&k set when they come in...and then they tell me after no we will not credit them for you...they have me by the balls..

if they were'nt going to accept my return they should have said no from the beginning, and secondly not send me out a new pair charging my card, expecting my first charge to be credited...

The return policy does not state UNUSED or still sealed in the package.

 

[Brian Williams]

Simple question, How long did you use the sights before you returned them?

 

[Fergy35]

In my line of work, a product that is going to be returned must be in like new and re-sellable (is that even a word?) condition. Anything less and the manufacturer will not issue our customers a refund. Even in like new condition, there is often a restocking fee ranging from 15% to 45%.

Now with that being said, Dave and whom ever he spoke to should not have approved anything (if they knew all of the information) that the company was not going to follow through on.

Perhaps they did not fully understand that the sights had been installed (now a used product and definitely not new) and they did not include the original box etc. Maybe there are marks in the finish (and if they were installed, I imagine there would be), which makes them not new for resale.

I guess I wasn't there and don't know all of the information. Sounds like a tough situation (possibly on both sides).

 

[glennser]

I don't know?

I'm sorry but I definitely would not like to get a set of sights, especially tritium that had been installed and then removed, without a box, what exactly are Midway going to do them?
I guess the guy made a mistake saying he would take them back but I feel you have a bit of a cheek expecting a full refund? Be honest, did they look new when you sent them back?
glennser

 

[Vonderek]

Did you tell customer service that you had already installed the sights and were removing them or just that you wanted to return them without the box? If you had to drift them in to install and uninstall when Midway got them back it probably was evident that they were receiving back a used product. Sorry about your situation. I have always had great experiences with Midway.

 

[rcmodel]

It seems to me they didn't understand you had installed them, tossed the package, then had to drive them back off to return them.

It's just possible you did damage a tritium vial during the removal, and they were broken because they no longer glowed in the dark by the time they got to Midway.

Besides, what are they supposed to do with a set of used sights, with no package?

Seems entirely unreasonable to expect a full refund, or even ask for one in the first place.

rcmodel

 

[infoe]

I had the sights on less than 15 days...(they received them back within 15 days) which is what their return policy says...

to fergy, I was quite careful in taking them off...was the finish on the side of the sight 100%? probably not a 100% but they new the sight was installed...they probably can't sell it as new again, but they can definately get credit for it from xs sights (manufacturer)

which i spoke to (xs sights) and apologized to me for what's going on, because all midway has to do is ship them to xs for credit back to them.

They also were made very clear that there was no box..I ASKED for an exchange knowing it was just outlandish to ask for a full return with no box...their return policy says (you can return without a box) but in any case i figured an exchange for a pair of sights for glock 19 plus extra money from me would make the deal simple.

 

[kwelz]

Sorry but I think you are being very unreasonable. No company that I know of is going to accept a return on a Used product for credit. Unboxed, sure. But already mounted on a gun and used? No way.

Yes they will send you to collections, yes they are in the right, and yes it will trash your credit. Also by attempting to file a chargeback with AMEX I am pretty sure you are breaking your agreement with your card company since you are disputing a valid charge.

 

[SCKimberFan]

Let me see...Used sights, no box...and you want a full credit?


Sorry, if it were my store, you never would have received an ok to return them. I think a store credit is being generous.

 

[ny32182]

Sounds like they didn't understand that the sights were actually used, just were "without a box". I don't know a company in the world that would take back a used, non-defective product and offer a full NIB refund for it... if they agreed to that in the first place I would assume they were not fully understanding the situation.

 

[infoe]

so ny32182, that makes it my problem?

So if they agree to the return and then deny it, It's my problem whether the community thinks they misunderstood the situation or not.
Now the sights for the glock are installed and if i were to return those, those would be used and not acceptable for return.

 

[XDKingslayer]

So basically you bought a new car, drove it across country, put a dent in the quarter panel, took it back to the dealership to trade it in on a different new car and you're mad they didn't give you the same amount you paid for the first car?

 

[Stump Water]

The return policy does not state UNUSED or still sealed in the package.

Directly from Midway's Return Merchandise Form:

We will accept defective, unwanted, unaltered products within 90 days from purchase for a refund, credit or an exchange.

Once the sights were installed they are no longer "unaltered".

 

[rbernie]

If they APPROVE the exchange on the phone and send me out a new set...and tell me they will CREDIT me for the H&k set when they come in...and then they tell me after no we will not credit them for you...

Clearly, the phone conversation missed the clue that the sights you were returning were blemished from being USED. I understand that would frustrate you, but let's not overstate the obvious; their definition of 'return' and yours did not coincide.

More fundamentally, why on earth would you expect that a discount mail order vendor would have any interest in trafficing in used parts for your benefit?

 

[Kingcreek]

I've had great service from Midway in the past. I've read nothing here that would discourage me from doing business with them again. new is new and used is not. sorry, no sympathy this time.

 

[infoe]

Mre fundamentally, why on earth would you expect that a discount mail order vendor would have any interest in trafficing in used parts for your benefit?

Trafficing? are you serious? a one time purchase with a one time exchange is trafficing? get real...your first part of the post was constructive but the rest were you just trying to be funny?

 

[ny32182]

It may not have even occured to them to ask if they were used or not. Like I said, this is not a situation in which any company would offer a full refund. They may have just presumed (evidently, incorrectly) that if you wanted a refund the sights were at least unused. If anything, I'd say they were being generous by offering to do that with no box. When they get them back and see that they are used, well, there is the problem.

To summarize I imagine they were not agreeing to what you thought they were and vice versa. Looks like a little too much assumption on both sides of the conversation.

Normally, once the product is taken out of the box it is used. Certainly once it is mounted on your gun, that is the case and it is no longer valued as a new product.

 

[infoe]

American Express will do the right thing for you as a long standing customer.

I would'nt have taken it to that measure unless I felt i was being cheated...even if I uninstalled the second set that they sent to me in the interim they would most probably deem those unacceptable for a return.

If they would have told me no to the return in the first place, then I would'nt have ordered the second set from them and probably just have sold them used at a loss.

 

[j_charles]

I don't know a company in the world that would take back a used, non-defective product and offer a full NIB refund for it

R.E.I. does. I got a pair of shoes from them online, walked around in them for several days, decided they didn't fit me right, they took them back for a full refund no questions asked. Slightly off topic, I know, but I'm just saying... some will.

As to OP's concern: Even if it was perhaps a bit of a stretch to ask for a full refund (depends on what the official policy is), the point is they said they would do it, and the comany should honor their word. I would be annoyed too. Maybe the CS guy on the other end is a doofus who shouldn't be answering questions from customers, but that means they should train him to know what he's talking about, after honoring "their" commitment to the customer.

 

[hankdatank1362]

I think you should call them back up, apologize for any misunderstanding, and take the store credit (if it's still available). Consider yourself lucky. You were trying to get one over on Midway, and they didn't let it happen, so now you're mad. :banghead:

Is it also possible that maybe, just maybe, that CS rep was led to believe that the sights were in better condition than they actually were?

The simple fact that no one told you to go pound sand speaks volumes about the company.

 

[Titus]

R.E.I. does.

Cabela's and others I have used would too.

I told her don't bother sending me back the sights because I put a claim on amex, she said ok well you should know if you do that we will send you to collections

This part would annoy me a little bit!

 

[ge0624me]

that sux dude, i'd be pissed also, i mean if they said on the phone mind you, with mngt/approval, they would accept them back, well by golly!!! they should of took them back, not good, cs relations....oh yeah almost forgot, there shipping rates at midway are ridiculas anyways, whats with the automatic $3.00 special handling chg anyways?

 

[geojap]

Your expecting to get full refund credit for those sights once they were installed is really stretching it. I believe that your attitude is totally unwarranted and unjustified.

I have ordered several dozen products from MidwayUSA, probably around $5000 total. I never ever had anything less than perfect service from them. Their customer service people are just about the nicest you will find anywhere. I have returned several items but they were either completely unused and brand new, or the one time I returned a broken Burris scope, which they took the return without hesitation.