The Battle of The Brands

Well, battle of the corporations really, but I thought that title sounded too spiffy to pass up. I'm going to relate a story involving 2 huge and well-known corporations. If you can deduce the particulars, good for you.

I was the recipient of a High-Priced, High-End Electronic Unit (HPHEEU...but we'll shorten that to EU for the stupid people, you know who you are......maybe you don't know who you are) as a lovely Christmas gift. This EU has many functions, but is primarily known and used for only one. Which was the intent with which it was purchased for me. (okay, end of hokey legalese language, I swear)

This EU was manufactured by Huge Conglomerate #1 (HC1) and sold by Huge Conglomerate #2 (HC2).

The EU was used sporadically from Christmas time until just a short week ago. So basically, about 2 months. One day, a VCR tape was inserted into EU and jammed. Literally jammed. Not going in, not coming back out. EU shut down and refused to power back up. Now, me being a human begin who has walked this earth for almost 3 decades, I decided to troubleshoot. Nada. Because of the nature of this EU, I was not about to try and extricate the tape and possibly damage the EU or make it unusable for its main purpose. So I decided to contact the customer service number for HC1.

That was my first mistake.

Did I insert the tape normally or was it forced? Sorry ma'am, but I've been using a VCR for pert near 20 years. It was inserted normally. It won't power on...okay, did you check to make sure all the cords and wires were connected properly? Why didn't I think of that?!? Of course I checked, stupid.

Basically, I started out being as polite as I possibly could, but it all went down hill from there.

The receipt was located by the givers of this EU. We discover it was purchased 5 days before HC1's 90 warranty policy. So basically, sorry, we can't help you unless you'd like to pay $XXX and ship the EU back to us. Where we will examine it and get it back to you within 8-12 weeks. Did it matter that the EU was not even used for 30 days after it was purchased? Certainly not. And of course, the service fee could only be paid by money order or cashiers check, and I would be responsible for shipping costs. And insurance if I wanted to be sure the EU actually made it there and back in one piece.

Frustration rising. I decide to place hope over experience and try to contact the place where EU was purchased, HC2. HC2 is not known for its friendliness or excellent customer service. I seriously doubted they would take back the defective machine since it was past the 90 mark for them as well.

Here's the pleasantly surprising happy ending. HC2 is willing to take back the EU provided I have the original receipt (check) the original box and everything that came with EU. (Hehehe...I am such a packrat...I had it all!)

We box up the EU and take it to HC2. When we arrive at customer service and present our issue, the CS workers have already been informed of it. Turns out, the man I talked to on the phone called ahead to let them know I was coming, and to accept the EU. What?!?!? You mean I didn't have to try and explain my problem to 6 different people 10 different times? Excellent!

But wait, there's more......

When we go back into the electronics department, Man from the Phone (MP) is there to help me pick out a replacement EU that matched the features of the one I had. They were sold out of the original EU, and I wouldn't have wanted the same type anyway. MP even carried the new EU back to the customer service desk to help with the exchange. I was in shock I tell you. Pure shock. I walked out of HC2 expecting the Customer Service Gestapo to pull me up and explain that it was all only a test or something.

The best part in all of this? MP tells me that to get credit, HC2 will ship it back to HC1 for service. Which HC1 will do for free. And then EU will be sold as a refurbished unit for about half the original selling price. HC1 really screwed themselves by not just fixing my EU in the first place! Ah...wonderful irony.

Okay, I lied again, as I seem to so often do around here.
EU was a DVD recorder. HC1 was Magnavox and HC2 was Walmart. I think Walmart deserves a little credit here.