Received dead on arrival TicWatch S2 from Mobvoi, return via NZ Post ruins value. Cheaper way to return?

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Baboon

386 posts

Ultimate Geek

#251653 4-Jul-2019 23:24

So yesterday I received a TicWatch S2 direct from Mobvoi that clearly had not been tested before being boxed and shipped, as it did not turn on, would not charge (they included a second free charger as part of a deal, so I believe it _is_ the watch itself that is defective), and results in 'USB device not recognized' errors in Windows.

For my trouble, I get to pay over $50 to return it via NZ Post with the offer of up to USD $20 (just under NZD $30) reimbursement for shipping. I guess that's not _awful_, but I'm still displeased I should pay _anything_ for the result of seemingly nonexistent per-unit testing.

Are there any small parcel tracked services that might be cheaper than NZ Post for returning this defective watch to Hong Kong?

Also: any other experience with Mobvoi quality control? Am I very unlucky or what?

TIA.

"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us."

- Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)

surfisup1000

5288 posts

Uber Geek

#2270206 5-Jul-2019 00:17

Amazon offered to pay my full return shipping on a defective item. So , I returned it ($60 i think), but, then only paid half the return shipping. Probably I could have complained, but but quibbling over $30 wasn't really worth the effort for me.

This is just the risk one takes when you buy stuff from overseas. You are lucky they paid something toward return shipping.

Baboon

386 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2270208 5-Jul-2019 00:29

I appreciate I'm not getting totally ripped off, or anything like that :-)

I'm just tired of medium to even large (or in your case - super large!) companies not taking full responsibility for profoundly defective products reported day one (in my case only two hours after delivery). Especially when _they're_ the ones with access to bulk discounts with postal and courier services. I bet you Mobvoi can pay USD $20 or less to return my watch via DHL. But I can't get that kind of low rate. Not even close, heh.

What pushed me over the edge to vent about it is Mobvoi sending me multiple requests to fill a customer satisfaction survey since this mess began yesterday. You want a satisfied customer, Mobvoi? Deliver a working product/take full responsibility when you fail to do so.

"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us."

- Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)

surfisup1000

5288 posts

Uber Geek

#2270209 5-Jul-2019 00:34

Baboon: I appreciate I'm not getting totally ripped off, or anything like that :-)

I'm just tired of medium to even large (or in your case - super large!) companies not taking full responsibility for profoundly defective products reported day one (in my case only two hours after delivery). Especially when _they're_ the ones with access to bulk discounts with postal and courier services. I bet you Mobvoi can pay USD $20 or less to return my watch via DHL. But I can't get that kind of low rate. Not even close, heh.

What pushed me over the edge to vent about it is Mobvoi sending me multiple requests to fill a customer satisfaction survey since this mess began yesterday. You want a satisfied customer, Mobvoi? Deliver a working product/take full responsibility when you fail to do so.

Yep, it sucks -- ideally, the unwritten rule should be free shipping on defective returns. After all, it isn't the customers fault. Although, I guess some people might abuse such a system too.

I was surprised I couldn't get lower shipping on my amazon return -- amazon shipped it to me for $11, but cost me $60 to ship it back through NZ post. No preferential rates for me!

Baboon

386 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2270211 5-Jul-2019 01:00

Yep, even when I spent a number of months doing a TradeMe unwanted tech 'garage sale' I got discounted rates on sending merely dozens of packages per week. But rock on up to the counter of NZ Post or a courier with a single parcel, and you're sometimes asked to pay more than the total cost of the product plus shipping, to return it. I'm fine with rolling the dice on sites like Ebay and AliExpress. But as I say, I expect more from a legit medium to large company.

As for abuse of a returns system, well I've already had to supply video evidence to Mobvoi just to get the warranty return process authorised. I don't think this is about avoiding abuse, anyway. Or not completely so. It strikes me as cost cutting to trim the product price by just a wee bit more to _look_ like better value. Save a few dollars by not doing the most basic per-unit testing, save a few more by passing some of the return process costs on to customers, save even more by making it take another month round trip at least to get a replacement so some customers just throw up their hands and move on without getting any value back on their purchase of a defective product...

And that last one does happen. I've witnessed multiple clients take a hit in situations like this, just to avoid the hassle and wait without a working solution and associated frustration. Seems silly I know, but some people top out their frustration levels with stuff like returns way too early, heh.

"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us."

- Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)

Handle9

11273 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2270212 5-Jul-2019 01:06

You keep saying medium to large company like it's ok for a small company not to look after it's customers.

Incidentally I don't think Mobvoi is a particularly big company - they are a start-up and to hit their price points they will have to run things pretty lean.

Baboon

386 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2270213 5-Jul-2019 01:15

Well, they don't meet my definition of small company :-)

And I think every company, no matter the size, ought to do right by their customers. I just appreciate that when it comes to buying internationally at the low margins many small companies (like many of the ones selling on AliExpress, for example) work within selling cheap tech across the world, my expectations of after sales service and support are necessarily different than those I have for a local small company, or larger international company (especially those that have significant market share within a product category, as Mobvoi do with Wear OS watches).

Mobvoi simply is not small or razor-thin margin enough to earn a pass in my book.

"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us."

- Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)