…for a brand new unit (Edge 810) I returned upon receipt since it arrived with a dead pixel?

They (garmin.com – bought directly) seem to think so – am I being too picky here (refurb units are “as new” as far as I know) or is it a matter of principle that I’m not getting a “brand new” item after paying for one?

WWYD?

(Am fully aware of how much of a “first world problem” this is…)

I’d be pretty pee’d off. Especially as a lot of places do a cheaper re-furb’d unit.

Distance selling-refund??

how did you notice a dead pixel? mines normally covered in mud

refurb is new

Refurb may be “as new” in terms of condition.

But it’s not the same in terms of Price.

You paid for new. But you’ve got something that would have been cheaper than what you paid.

Don’t know about Garmin, but with Apple (for example) refurbished stuff is significantly cheaper, so if that is what you wanted, you would have bought it and paid less.

how did you notice a dead pixel?

When I took the brand new item out of the packet and switched it on?

refurb is new

How so? Surely “new” is new?

If it’s been returned as faulty and they’ve not questioned that, simply ask for a full refund.

simply ask for a full refund.

Replacement is already on its way! (And I specifically asked/confirmed when arranging replacement that it would a new item not a refurb). It’s only when I got the email notifying me it had been despatched that I noticed “GPS Unit, Edge 810,Intl,Refurbished” in the details.

What if the refurbed one was simply returned for a dead pixel on delivery?

Refurbed are other units that people have sent in as faulty that they have fixed prior to your return.
If the item had been used for a period of time then outer casing would be replaced to appear as new.

Either way not new. If you had say three months use out of yours before returning I would say accept the refurb as you would be getting like for like with the bonus of looking brand new.
But not if the fault was apparent straight out of the box, you should get a Spanker or a refund .

Are you saying you found a dead pixel on a new Edge 810 and they want to replace with a refurbished Edge 810?

If that is the case I would not accept. Refurb may be as new but it is often the case companies sell refurb units at a reduced cost. I would go like for like replacement or refund. I wonder if accepting a refurbished item has any consequnces down the line? consumer rights etc.

Thanks guys – at least there’s a few people who feel the same way.

Of course the annoying thing is that I bought it on the 30% off code (so in a way I blame STW 😉 ) so would be unlikely to get a brand new one (like the original) for anything like as cheap. Boo hoo me, eh? 🙂

Iirc the issue is about acceptance of the goods in distance selling terms. If you receive goods, accept them as usable (I.e. use them on a ride etc) and then discover a fault then you probably have to live with a reconditioned replacement. However as you you noticed the fault immediately they should either refund or replace with another new unit. Basically quote some distance selling stuff at them 🙂 I guess the problem is if you can get the item elsewhere at a good price if Garmin will only refund.

Of course the annoying thing is that I bought it on the 30% off code

That being the case, you probably actually paid less than the price of a refurbed unit ?

It’s not really ideal, but if the refurbed unit looks brand new, and you are happy with it, you may as well save yourself the hassle and keep it.

Otherwise you can insist on a refund, then end up paying full price somewhere else to replace it.

They are within their rights to repair or replace. If they had repaired your faulty item it would then technically be refurbished, no?
If you can identify anything about it that makes it not as new when it arrives I’d say you have an argument, otherwise they have given you what they are required to IMO.

They gave me a refurb one in replacement for my ages old smashed to bits 800.

I’d be annoyed if it was a brand new one I’d returned.

I think it’s standard practice fir them. I had a forerunner die after a couple of months and they replaced it with a refurb one.

Yep, agreed, if I’d used it in any way shape or form I’d be accepting of a refurb, but it was brand new. Think nealglover’s got my probable intentions pretty much summarised TBH…

refurb is new

No its not. It can mean many* things chief of which is refurbished.

Get a refund and go elsewhere. Wierd customer service skills- the seller simply returns it to their supplier for a full credit at their end- not that its your concern.

*They’ll say it was returned/unwanted refund but it could easy be customer found fault but shop couldn’t replicate fault on its return so simply sells it as refurb.

I don’t understand.

If you’d sent your unit back and they’d repaired it by replacing the screen and sent it back to you then you’d have been happy and they’d have fulfilled their obligations both morally and legally.

Surely them sending a different unit that has had the same treatment is no different to that?

OP returned a brand new unit- surely he should expect to receive back a brand new replacement or a higher model and discount.

His money bought a brand new unit otherwise you’d go on ebay and should for refurbs.

but if they’d repaired the actual unit he returned then that would have been ok?

It’s only when I got the email notifying me it had been despatched that I noticed “GPS Unit, Edge 810,Intl,Refurbished

Depends on how you want to interpret the above message, they may have replaced the screen on your ‘New’ returned unit with a ‘New’ screen hence the description ‘refurbished’ as they have had to open the unit to replace parts but to all intents you are getting a ‘New’ unit back.

If they had not put the description ‘Refurbished’ on the message would you be any the wiser when you do receive the replacement unit?

I have had a refurbished 1st Gen Ipod nano and the more recent 5th Gen Nano, couldn’t tell either of them from a new one.
Bear in mind that a refurbished unit should have been fully tested so should be 100% good, whereas new production units may only get 1 in 100 or more tested so some defective units(ie:your original one)will always slip through the net.

If I returned a new unit I’d expect a new replacement, not a repaired one.

If a month or so old then maybe a refurb would be acceptable.

If I returned a new unit I’d expect a new replacement, not a repaired one.

Do you apply the same principle to, say, a bicycle fork or dropper post that has a fault on delivery?

Retailers always have the option to repair rather than replace.

I can’t see it makes any difference to the OP whether they get their own unit back repaired or an identical repaired unit?

My experience is that the refrub/repaired Garmins are indistinguishable from new.

I wouldn’t accept less than a brand new, sealed box replacement or refund.

wwaswas – seriously?

he bought a BRAND NEW UNIT from garmin direct, its faulty, so should be given a BRAND NEW UNIT as a replacement not something thats been fixed

its not as if he bought a refurbed one from the off, if i’d have bought it from evans/wiggle they would have sent me a brand new unit as a replacement not a refurbed one, i wouldnt be happy and id be chasing it up

the only way i could see it as fair is if the unit is a year old or so, then i take back the above statement, but if hes only had it a few weeks or so, or literally just unboxed it and noticed it then im sorry but no chance is that right

There’s and interesting bit about the Garmin Refurb proccess here (near the bottom) http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/04/scenes-garmin-headquarters.html

fair enough.

I’d accept my own unit back repaired, just like I would a car I bought or a suspension fork that had a problem. I would be unable to distinguish between my own GPS repaired and an identical repaired unit other than by serial number check so it’s irrelevant to me whether I get my own back or another one.

Few others feel the same way, it seems.

I guess we’re all different.

I know, I thought I as in alternative universe of one then.

I go to (insert any retailer)- item faulty ‘sir would like you like a refund or a replacement’?

The replacement isn’t ‘look sir its another CD by George Michael that has been opened and returned- its that ok’?

I’ve had refurbed replacement units (eTrex) from Garmin in the past and they came in exactly the same packaging and there was no way I could tell them from new.
That said I’ve also bought “white box” refurb Garmin car GPS.

The replacement isn’t ‘look sir its another CD by George Michael that has been opened and returned- its that ok’?

but that’s not it at all is it.

It’s getting a new fork with a duff seal and the shop deciding to replace the seal rather than just binning the fork and giving you another one?

Bad analogy.

Here sir is another repaired fork.

Is more like it.

I’d definitely buy a refurbed Garmin with full guarantee- It’d be discounted.

I wonder how many people on here have bought a ‘New’ car not realising that a large proportion of them have had some rectification work done at the dealers prior to going on sale.

Quite often they will get some cosmetic damage between leaving the factory and turning up at the dealer forecourt and will undergo some level of SMART repair hence ‘refurbishment’ so not quite new?

If I returned a new unit I’d expect a new replacement, not a repaired one

As above if you purchased a new car then a day later noticed a chip in the screen would you return it and expect a complete new car ? or be happy with a new screen to be fitted?

Not trying to wind anybody up just trying to point out some realities of what actual happens with retail goods.

If that happened the garage could argue you created it.

Its different for cars. Could you say the same about trousers? Hi, I’ve not worn these yet but one of the studs is missing. ‘no problem sir, here is another pair that were returned/repaired earlier’.

Back to cars- its reasonable to expect (on cars) to give the manufacturer/dealer chances to put the item right. I think in main its because of the value of the item and the (huge) loss that the dealer would incur if they had to replace cars within the warranty period (3yrs) – imagine the cost?

Here sir is another repaired fork.

Is more like it.

which, unless you’d written down the serial no. or they told you what had happened you’d have no idea whether it was your one being returned to you repaired or another.

The point is that they are indistinguishable from each other and you’re getting an ‘as new’ product.

[edit] anyway, before this descends into pages of the usual stw ‘ah but what about’ – I’m out.

Sir here we have a brand new item, to you £500,
And here we have a second hand item that was returned to us broken that we repaired using canabolised parts from other second hand items also returned broken, also £500, which would you prefer.

I know where my money would go.

I have had a refurbished 1st Gen Ipod nano and the more recent 5th Gen Nano, B\couldn’t tell either of them from a new one[/b].

Apart from they discount they gave you because you didn’t get a NEW one ?

That’s the issue.

He paid for NEW. And if that’s what he paid for, that’s what he should get.

Not trying to wind anybody up just trying to point out some realities of what actual happens with retail goods.

No.

You’ve pointed out that what happens with Cars. (sometimes, and actually quite rarely)

Cars are an entirely different thing to small electricals.

There is a whole different market for Refurbished electrical goods.

And it is distinct from the market for New electrical goods, in that the goods are substantially cheaper.

Again, he has paid the premium for New. Not Refurbished.

Why should he not get what he paid for ?

Don’t bother trying to reason- this is STW, home of cyclic-arguments

If I returned a new unit I’d expect a new replacement, not a repaired one.

If a month or so old then maybe a refurb would be acceptable.

+1

But in my experieance the refurb units come in a sealed box and you wouldn’t be able to spot it was a refurb.
What it does mean in a lot of cases though, is a much faster turn around (days as opposed to weeks).

Anecdotal but I bought a refurbed Garmin 500 from Wiggle and after 6 months the battery would only hold charge for 20 minutes. Enough to put me off refurbs anyway.