Bought it at Radio Shack? Exchange it at Radio Shack!

[Talonetc]

Sometimes third party retail partners are a real pain for corporate stores. Places like Radio Shack and Best Buy sell our products, but they are separate companies. Should RS and BB make it clearer that when you buy from them you have to deal with them? Probably. BUT, a consumer is ultimately responsible for the choices that they make.

Background: Had a customer who purchased a phone at Radio Shack. A few days in they realize that it's defective and come to us at the corporate store to deal with it. I give it a shot, but can't get it fixed.

CS = Customer
Me = Yours truly

Me: I've done what I can for it but I just can't get it fixed. I'd recommend you bring this back to Radio Shack and have them exchange it for you.
CS: Why can't you just exchange it?
Me: Because you didn't purchase it form us, you purchased it from Radio Shack.
CS: But this is [carrier].
Me: Yes, but you chose not to buy directly from [carrier]. You wanted it for cheaper so you got it from Radio Shack.
CS: You're all [carrier] aren't you?
Me: No, Radio Shack is a third party retailer. When you purchased the device from them you became a Radio Shack customer.
CS: They didn't tell me that.
Me: It was in the Radio Shack Terms & Conditions that you had to sign in order to buy the phone. Did you read those?
CS: No they just told me to sign so I signed.
Me: That's something you're going to have to take up with them, unfortunately there isn't anything I can do for you.
CS: This isn't very good customer service.
Me: This is why we encourage people to buy directly from us - so we can help you if something like this happens. As it stands you chose to purchase elsewhere.
CS: But it's all [carrier].
Me: No, it's not. If I buy a Samsung TV from Costco I can't go to Best Buy to have them exchange it if something is wrong.
CS: Fine. Thank you.

What's the lesson here? READ BEFORE YOU SIGN!

[Magpie]

Actually depending on what it is, you're better off if you don't read. Reading means that you understood it. If you ask the person what you're signing, then you're agreeing to whatever they told you - you aren't necessarily expected to have understood all the fine details.

Of course, I have been far too trained into "never sign anything until you've read and understood all of it", and I don't even have my seal yet.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Me: It was in the Radio Shack Terms & Conditions that you had to sign in order to buy the phone. Did you read those?
CS: No they just told me to sign so I signed.


What's the lesson here? READ BEFORE YOU SIGN!

There was a university study done a few years ago where students were made a really good offer and told all they would need to do get it is sign a short contract. The contract gave the person extending the offer pretty much absolute power over the student and the rights to make that person do all kinds of crazy (but legal) stuff.

The majority of students signed the contract without even reading it or knowing what they were agreeing too.

I weep for some people, I really do. I know legalese is a pain to read and often boring, but it's important to understand EVERYTHING you are agreeing to.

[casey13]

I've read contracts, but sometimes what can you do about them? Sometimes I am lucky and I have a legal team provided by the university to threaten the landlords not to do something illegal. Other times, I don't. Although sometimes it would save people the hassle of looking like idiots.

[EricKei]

Well, I suspect that, if something like this were to come up in Court, the Judge would have every right to pull a Judge Judy on the Signer, screaming at them for lacking the wisdom to read what they signed ...If it's a legal and valid document, signing means that you DO understand it.

[underemployeed]

Well, I suspect that, if something like this were to come up in Court, the Judge would have every right to pull a Judge Judy on the Signer, screaming at them for lacking the wisdom to read what they signed ...If it's a legal and valid document, signing means that you DO understand it.

Well you see he was a very important business man and didn't have the time to read it. and the amount he was saving would be wasted if he paid a lawyer to look it over for him.

[Greenday]

Actually depending on what it is, you're better off if you don't read. Reading means that you understood it. If you ask the person what you're signing, then you're agreeing to whatever they told you - you aren't necessarily expected to have understood all the fine details.

Of course, I have been far too trained into "never sign anything until you've read and understood all of it", and I don't even have my seal yet.

You'd be surprised at some of the legal stuff we sign without thinking twice about it. Like medical stuff. Sure, it has the usual stuff about risks and side effects. But for any medical procedure, it'd also have something in there about using stuff from your surgery for further research.

But yea, if you sign a contract, whether or not you actually read it, you must abide by that contract.

[Magpie]

Bear in mind that the not reading it only applies if you get someone to tell you what you're signing. And I suspect it doesn't apply to the ones where it specifies that your signature is above a line saying that signing mean you've read and understood it.

[Velfarre2001]

Actually depending on what it is, you're better off if you don't read. Reading means that you understood it. If you ask the person what you're signing, then you're agreeing to whatever they told you - you aren't necessarily expected to have understood all the fine details.

Of course, I have been far too trained into "never sign anything until you've read and understood all of it", and I don't even have my seal yet.

So, it is better to defend yourself by saying you didn't understand what you were signing, so much so it is better not to understand what you are putting your name to?

That..... kinda throws me....

[Magpie]

That was pretty much my response. But then again, I'm coming from an engineering background, not a law one.

It might have been implemented because of people who were unable to read, but I don't even know the law in full, let alone its history. All I know is that if you don't know what you're signing, you'd better not sign it. It only applies (AFAIK) if you've been told what it is you're agreeing to. Basically it makes it a lot less profitable for people to push a customer into signing an agreement without reading it, because then the customer is liable for what they were TOLD they signed, rather than what they actually signed.

[Andara Bledin]

Yeah, but then it comes down to a "he said, she said" situation, and the corporation is going to have more money and resources to throw into a claim than Joe Average.

^-.-^

[Hyndis]

Yeah, but then it comes down to a "he said, she said" situation, and the corporation is going to have more money and resources to throw into a claim than Joe Average.

^-.-^

Also if your name is signed on a contract that is a massive burden of proof you need to overcome.

Just do not sign something until you have read it. Ever.

Yes, I will stop and read the entire contract before I sign it. It often times shocks the person at the counter that I am going to read the entire thing. I'll of course step out of line off to the side while I read it, but I am going to read the entire thing.

If I do not agree to the contract, and sometimes there's enough in there where I don't agree to it, then I decline and refuse to sign.

After all, why are you agreeing to sign a contract without even reading the contract you are making a legally binding agreement to by signing it?