"somebody's" playn games......

[HumboldtLogger]

Subject: Open Box Items
NewEgg.com's definition: "Open box items have been opened and touched and/or returned" "they may or may not include accessories, documentation or retail packaging" "open box products are warranted for only 30 days" "if you purchase an open box product, you will receive an OEM barebone item, meaning you will only receive the item itself. Accessories are not included with open box products, even if the missing accessory is required for the item to function properly"
EXCUSE ME??? WTF does "opened and touched" mean??
Techfor less.com's definition: "Open box items are in original manufacturers condition, are fully functional, include accessories and carry manufacturer warranty" (same warranty that a new item would have)
How can one company selling a brand X doohickey have only a 30 day warranty, and the same item at another company have a 1 year parts and labor warranty?

[Steve R Jones]

Which part are you having trouble understanding?

Aren't those two well spelled out definitions as each of the two completely different stores define "open box."

What would you call a doohicky that was sent to someone hundreds of miles away - they opened the item - installed it - FRIED it - pretended like it didn't work and then sent it back

[HumboldtLogger]

NewEgg lists their desktops stating the item comes with a 1 year parts and labor warranty, does not state the item is a barebones desktop and then in the warranty details states the item comes with only a 30 day warranty. isn't that just a little more than misleading? Is it open to interpretation?
Tech for Less shows the same desktop system, in the description it says it is in original manufacturers condition, which would mean it hasn't been turned on, hasn't had software installed, comes with all accessories and a 1 year parts and labor warranty, this last part is stated in the item specs. and in the "FAQ" section, in other words it is consistent throughout.
To answer your last comment, obviously the customer SHOULD NOT receive a refund or credit of any kind, and certainly a store should not resell the item unless it is categorized as a non-functional or salvage product.

[tgrt]

I would agree with you that selling a product in an apparently used state with missing accessories is misleading if not underhanded. The ubiquitous usage of open box would lead reasonable people to believe it was a restocked return, but that everything else considered it's a fully functioning with everything intact.

[HumboldtLogger]

TGRT: Thank You for your reply to my thread. Yes indeed, this subject is more than just a little bit of a gray area. Your choice of wording is impressive, i can never find the self-control to be so tactile!! The definition of an open box item is a very murky one indeed. I've discovered that the completeness of the different desktop systems offered by Tech for less varies quite a bit. For example on some systems specs. the software that came with the systems is not mentioned. You have to go to the manufacturers web site where every items IS displayed and then compare that with the reseller store's specs. At face value, it would be easy to assume that an open box desktop is just that, it was opened by the original customer, but it was NOT turned on, the software was NOT installed and the PC certainly was not put in operation. I'd like to know how NewEgg arbitrarily classes all of their open box desktops as being OEM barebone items, certainly they couldn't have all started out that way? Are they saying that none of these systems were retail units? An OEM item does not come with any "accessories", documentation or retail packaging......Hmmmmm. For that matter what is an accessory? Software? keyboards and mice? power cords? speakers? Again not a clear area is it?
And like I said, how is it that one store has the same system as another store, yet one lists a full 1 year parts and labor warranty and the other lists only a 30 day warranty?

[Steve R Jones]

The two stores are NOT related to one another.

The two stores have different definitions of what white box means "TO THEM."

If these were two Best Buy stores in the same city I could understand your confusion.

The untouched/never been used/Eleven more months of warranty sounds like the better deal to me...What do you think?

[frostbitetwice]

Originally Posted by Steve R Jones

The untouched/never been used/Eleven more months of warranty sounds like the better deal to me...What do you think?

I would never give up the warranty to get the open box price...

[HumboldtLogger]

Steve Jones, I never said I was confused. I said that somebody's playn games.
The 1 year parts + labor warranty on techforless desktops are from the manufacturer, (all of HP desktop's,I didn't check other brands).Even though NewEgg says it's open box desktops are barebone items, they don't say what condition they are in, unless you read between the lines, ie. assume the condition is used based on the 30 day warranty. In that case, newegg's prices are way too high for used oem barebone desktop pc's.

[tgrt]

Mr. Jones doesn't understand that reasonable people are going to be surprised when they find out the vast difference between the stores' definitions of open box. He doesn't take into account that not everyone might discover the rouse.

Granted it's up to the consumer to make sure they're informed. However, we all know someone that isn't particularly Internet savvy and is just trying to get something done -- perhaps to buy a birthday gift for their grandkid. The Internet is intimidating to many people and we take for granted just how different every site is, because we're used to certain conventions.

I personally don't think it's okay to hide things like that in small text. It's underhanded pure and simple. Some people might be of the impression that if they're too stupid to read the small print than they deserve to get ripped off. I am not in that category and I don't think HumboldtLogger is either which is why this thread exists.

P.S. Thanks HumboldtLogger for the kind words earlier.

[Steve R Jones]

I was reading and going by HumboldtLogger's legible/easy to read/nicely stated definitions....I personnaly understand all the words written since English is my native language.

I see some noteable differences between the two different sites. If I was comparing two different products, I would expect a large differeence in prices between the two stores...If not, I would go with the store with better warranty and such.

In a perfect world, I'd guess it be nice if there were a standard definition of for the phrase "Open Box." In that perfect world - the phrase "Best Pizza in Town" would also mean - the Best Pizza in Town by MY Standards cause God knows - no two pizzas taste the same. Who's goiong to protect Grandma from this???? (ghost buster isn't the correct answer)