Last time, I was frustrated by Costco Concierge's decision to give me brain surgery when all I came to the hospital with was a broken leg. Since then, more adventures have ensued!
(I should mention that Costco Concierge is a separate company than Costco though, obviously, they are tightly connected. I don't understand the exact relationship.)
About a month after they sent my repaired laptop back to me, the exact same hinge broke in the exact same way. So I reached out again.
I was very very very tempted not too. I considered fixing it myself or paying someone local but, in the end, I decided to give them another chance. So once again I took photos of the break and sent it in to them. Here's one:
As per usual, they asked me to call for an update. I am convinced part of their business plan is to never respond in email in case anything they write can be used by the consumer to get what they (the consumer) wants.
So I called and they said they wouldn't fix it because, get this, it was the thing they fixed and therefore that hinge was no longer under warranty.
Take a second to think about the implications of this. So long as a warranty-fulfilling repairer says they fixed something, if it doesn't work anymore, it's no longer their responsibility. That ain't great for the consumer.
So I pushed back and the phone jockey said she'd talk to management and get back to me. Once again they asked me to call and asked me to call but this time I did not. So, finally, they called me. And, luckily, they called when no one was home and so I have audio. Check it out:
If you know me, you know that outrage does not come easily to me. I have spent more outrage on Costco Concierge already this year than I usually spend on all sources put together in a couple years.
Anyway, I wasn't having it. And I was not calling back.
What you see below is the email I sent them. I'm quite proud of it and I encourage you to steal from it if you ever have to deal with Costco Concierge:
Hi, a couple notes about your latest message.
1) We have not established whether the broken hinge is a
manufacturer's defect or caused by a manufacturer's defect which leads
to the hinge breaking. However, this does not matter, as explained
below.
2) Your repair lasted roughly a month. As I understand 15 U.S. Code
§ 2304 (the Federal minimum standards for warranties), you need to fix
it again. Check it out:
if the product (or a component part
thereof) contains a defect or malfunction after a reasonable number of
attempts by the warrantor to remedy defects or malfunctions in such
product, such warrantor must permit the consumer to elect either a
refund for, or replacement without charge of, such product or part (as
the case may be)
In other words, legally speaking, it does not matter whether this broken hinge is the manufacturer's fault or just a bad repair. It's still covered (legally) by my Costco warranty.
Now, I don't know if the federal commission in charge of warranties
has defined what "a reasonable number of attempts" to fix a laptop
hinge is, but if you think it's one, fine. I have a recording of you
saying you will not repair it any more.
3) Which brings us to the Costco warranty which, in accordance with
the federal law quoted above, says that "Costco reserves the right to
fulfill the second-year warranty obligation through, at Costco's
choosing, repair, replacement, or a refund up to the purchase price."
4) I am perfectly happy accepting a replacement or refund in lieu
of a repair (which, again, you have already waived the opportunity to
redo). I would prefer a refund as I would love to purchase my next
computer from someone other than Costco, but I will also accept a
replacement as that is what the warranty (which is, after all, a
contract between me and Costco) allows.
Thank you for getting me that replacement or refund as soon as possible.
I felt very lawyerly writing this. And I can't help but wonder if they felt lawyered. Because, three days later, they agreed to let me return my laptop.
Of course, even this had to be weird:
Unfortunately, we are unable to proceed with repairs;
please accept our most sincere apologies. To minimize your time without
your computer, we'd like to offer you an alternative warranty option.
If you reply "I agree",
I'll send a return advisory email to your local Costco warehouse
managers advising them that we weren't able to resolve your issue. You
would need to bring the computer, ac adapter, and power cord to the
Returns counter. Simply provide them with your return authorization
number and they'll help you get a replacement unit to fulfill Costco’s
second year warranty.
Please note, returns are at the discretion of the warehouse and Costco Concierge cannot provide any further assistance.
By replying “I agree”
to this email, you agree that your current unit has no physical damage
and was not misused in any way. I'll send a confirmation email once you
agree and the return advisory has been sent.
(Highlighting in original.)
"I agree" seems to mean to very different things here, one of which is obvious nonsense. So when I wrote back, I said that "I agree to replacement/refund being handled by a warehouse." I guess that was satisfactory.
But that's not the end of the story!
So I print off the email they send (just in case the Costco folks have no idea what I'm talking about—this was a good idea, by the way) and take in the old machine. Now, as I read the federal law quoted above, I should have the option (my choice) of a refund or a replacement. But the Costco warranty says Costco gets to decide. I don't know if, by purchasing something from a store, you're entering into an implicit contract with them overriding federal law (it's not like I signed anything), but I didn't really want to make a stink. I just need a laptop!
Anyway, they use my email to find the email Concierge sent them—and I get myself a copy of this as well. I'm not going to post the whole thing, but, I agree or no I agree, it says right on it there's a hinge issue.
This is what I think is most interesting and worth sharing:
This is fine, I guess? Of course, Costco doesn't tell you when you go into their warehouse that you will be getting something "new, improved, [but] less expensive," but I would probably have been fine with that. Probably. I knew that I was likely entitled a full refund, but I was also done fighting. And it's easier for me to argue over email than in person.
They sent one guy over to the "current line-up" to see what would make a good option in exchange.
Unfortunately for Costco, there was only one laptop "new, improved, [but] less expensive" and it was sold out. The next one up was a hundred bucks more than I had paid but it was almost identical—same stats, save a hair more RAM, and it can bend backwards and become tabletlike. He asked if I would be okay with that? I said sure. An exchange that's slightly better and costs more means I come out ahead, right? So I go back to customer service where . . . they want to charge me a hundred dollars?
You said this was an exchange.
No, it's an upgrade.
You said you'd get me an exchange. This is an upgrade. I didn't ask to pay more.
But here's the fun thing: not only would they not give me a refund, but they had already put the Concierge-authorized money—the full refund from my original machine—onto a giftcard. But I'm not allowed to hold that giftcard, let alone take it from the store with me, let alone change it in for cash so I can buy from someone else. I get a computer now or I'm just screwed. (This conversation, alas, went unrecorded.)
You said exchange.
So she offered to cut the hundred bucks down to fifty and I said yes. Maybe I could have haggled down to no additional cost or maybe I would have just made them mad—who can say? But one way to think about it is I had had a new computer for a year and a half for fifty dollars and then I got a new computer. That seems okay, right?
I don't know if I did right to accept paying them $50. Feel free to tell me your opinion.
On the bright side, I now have a receipt saying I bought a new computer this week. So, for two years from now, Costco Concierge is back on the hook.
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