Customers wanting items replaced w/o receipt?

[batroark]

I have recently had 2 different customers give me their products without their receipt to send back to HO to get replaced.
1. My first customer I met at a local harvest festival and she told me she had a pair of scissors that she had had for just less than 5 years and they was becoming dull. I looked up the warranty for her right then and told her that she could get those replaced if she had her receipt. She told me she had moved several times, but would look. She had commented that she would be interested in coming to a show, and I told her where and when one would be. At that date she drove to that ladies house told her that she had talked to me about the scissors, she could not stay for the party, but here was her address and phone number if I had any questions....no receipt. I called her the next day after the party, and she said she never could find the receipt. I ask who the host or consultant was and she rattled off some names but wasn't completely for sure. I called HO and they couldn't find anything about the names she rattled off.
2. My second cutomer was ordering for another party Catalog Show) of mine and she has the med. scoop that has went bonkers on her. The host told me about the situation, and I told her to find her recipt and see if the warranty is still valid for it to be sent back to HO to get replaced. When I went to the host's work to pick up the money for the Catalog Show the secretary gave me a check for the show and the med. scoop....no receipt.

Can somebody give me some input on what should be done since I don't know if the warranty is valid or not on these two products. Both ladies live about 30 miles away from me, and I am just unsure of how to hadle this. Any help would be appreciated. I have been in this business for about a year, but never had people just throw their old products at me expecting me to get them replaced.

Angela Roark
Ind. Future Director
Corning, AR

 

[powelljj]

I actually had a similar situation in September with the scissors - my host's sister had a pair on which the spring had broken. She said she had had them for less than a year, but didn't have a receipt or the host/consultant names. I contacted HO and they said they would replace the scissors, but the new pair would only have a 30 day guarantee, since she had no receipt. The customer was happy to have them replaced and understood the limited warranty issue.

About the scoop - I would ask the customer if she thought it was still within the warranty period and, if so, contact HO and see what can be done. They may replace them with a limited warranty, too. Otherwise, you can tell the host or customer that without a receipt, there is little you can do, but suggest they call customer service and check themselves. I have heard that HO is very accomodating to customers, so she may get a replacement if she calls herself.

Let us know how is goes.

 

[DebbieJ]

It's tough when they don't have receipts. You can try calling the HO and see if they will help. Or give the customers the 888# and tell them to call themselves.

If the HO can't/won't help, then I would offer to replace the item for free if they host a show. They're both inexpensive enough to make it worth it (after you order it with the host's discount, of course).