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Guarantees and Return Policies

Most people are optimistic by nature and expect that they will have a good buying experience, and that the products they buy will work properly and suit their needs. And most of the time, this is in fact the case. Unfortunately, if you buy enough products you will occasionally have problems that necessitate the return of a product for exchange, refund or warranty service.

This is the point where many customers get a nasty surprise. They find out that they had made assumptions that turn out not to be the case: they can't return an item they thought they could, or there is an exorbitant charge for doing so, or they don't have the warranty coverage they thought they had.

In this section I take a look at some of the more important features offered to customers by manufacturers and vendors to protect them after the sale. This includes a look at guarantees, a discussion of product return policies and issues, and important information about restocking fees.

Note: Also see the section on issues related to support, and the section on warranties.

Next: Guarantees and Return Periods

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