Friday 19 May 2017

Warranty Woes

Okay, so as I mentioned a few weeks ago, I had a problem with Wanda’s radio. In so far as the left channel of the whole stereo was not working at all.

I contacted the people who sold me this radio (which was a replacement for the original radio that was in Wanda). 

I had to replace the original radio and pay for it myself due to the fact that the power button was damaged and I didn’t think they would accept a physically broken power button as a warranty claim. 

The people who sold the replacement radio to me, referred me to the manufacturer of the radio and wished me luck; washing their hands of it.

The manufacturer of the radio was decent to deal with, in so far as all they required was for me talk to their tech support to ensure that the radio was actually broken.

After that I was to ship the radio to them, my cost. Fine, (grumble, grumble) I know the drill. 

I was about to call them up and ask the status of my warranty claim, when I got a call from my mailbox store.

The people at the mailbox store said that I had a package and that there was a COD charge. I had to pay right then or “refuse” the package. 

Grumbling again, and not sure what I was paying for, I paid for it over the phone. 

Since I am heading out today after work for my trip in Banff, I went by the mailbox store yesterday after work, as planned.

That was when I saw that it was my warranty replacement radio, so that was a happy sight.
   

The way the manufacturer had filled out the paperwork, however, resulted in the COD charge from UPS.

How? Well, the manufacturer stated that the value of the item was $93.56. At the border the Canadian Federal Government insists on their GST to be collected (of course).

The GST on the radio was $4.68. 

UPS can and will handle the customs paperwork for you, but will charge you for that service. They will charge you a customs fee for any packages with a declared value over $19.00 (remember that kiddos). 

So, I was slapped with a $30.20 “Customs/Brokerage” fee. 

Since this fee was for a service performed in Canada, naturally there was a GST charge on that. So, I was charged $1.51 GST on the Brokerage Fee.

This brings our sum total up to $36.39! For a radio replaced for free under the manufacturer’s warranty!

I choose to look at the positive and take note that I did get a brand new radio and not my old one fixed up. That is a positive, and that they did honour their warranty, so, that makes two positives.

It is just frustrating that I literally had to pay for this coming and going . . . ah well, I am off to Banff this weekend, and that is yet another positive. 

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

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