Florida man buys hard drive, ends up with box of old batteries
posted October 19th 2005 2:00AM
So we can't vouch for the validity of this story, but according to intrepid reader "Paul," a Florida-area Staples sold him a box that was supposed to contain a new Maxtor 300GB hard drive, and was instead filled with two D batteries and a "rusty yellow battery pack." "Paul" speculates that either a foreign factory worker has some sticky fingers, or that a Staples employee is pulling some shady warehouse shenanigans (retail employee theft? we've never heard of such a thing!). No word on Paul's success or lack thereof in writing data to his new "hard drive(s)," but you can follow the "Read" link for a pic of this supposed bait-and-switch, and please let us know in the comments if you've ever bought one product and found another inside the box.
I once bought a Dell PC, but when I opened the box, the only thing inside was a piece of crap (hahaha get it??)
Bought a Palm IIIxe, I know this is old, and there was a Palm IIIe in the box. No good. CompUSA returned it, charged me for a IIIe and gave me a IIIxe for my troubles.
It is also possible that a customer bought it, swapped out the contents, then returned it for a refund. If they have access to a shrink-wrapper it is trivial to return an item as new. Some people will even pull this scam on non shrink-wrapped items because the weight of the box suggests that the original item is there and the store clerk may not check the contents.
I know that Staples and CompUSA both repackage returned materials in some cases, and restock them. Sounds like someone working there wanted to have some fun screwing with the customers.
I got a copy of Cyberball for the Sega Genesis one Christmas, many years ago. Opened it up to find a wooden block and a some cloth, but no game. Alas, that was a horrible memory.
Sounds more like a slow news day than anything else :)
Seen it haappen where a bag of flour was found instead of a subwoofer
In 2000, I was buying 24 Duron's from this California company on Pricewatch, back when you could pencil unlock them, and they sent me a box with two empty 12-cpu plastic trays. After some hassle, I finally got them to send me the actual CPUs. Needless to say, I never did business with this company again. In 2003, long after the whole debacle was old news, they sent me another empty box out of the blue with no explanation. I called them up and they claimed to have no record of any shipments to me.
This is why you should always order with your credit card, so you can call your credit card company and get a refund if you don't get what you ordered.
Remember: "In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king."
Some folks I knew in college (some 10 years ago) used to buy hard drives from Wal-Mart, put their old HD's back in the box, and return them to the store. Wal-Mart was pretty ignorant about computer techology in those days, and no one ever checked the boxes . . . man, it was nice to get 500 megs instead of 200! whew! what space!
#2 described it perfectly. Happens *a lot* more than people realize.
Years ago I bought a CD copy of Nirvana's Bleach album, and it looked like the real thing, right down to the print on the disc. But they had somehow accidentally put the contents of some really shitty disco pop music on the disc.
Also, somewhat related, I once bought a cubicle mirror from ThinkGeek for like $8 and instead I got a $150 MP3 player watch in the mail. I've been meaning to eBay that sucker for a while now. Doubt I'll get what they actually try to charge for a piece of shit like that, though.
One time, I dated a girl that was pretty and nice on the outside (packaging) but turned out she was empty on the inside... Is that the same?
ROFL!, that exact same thing happened to me when i bought my Raedon 9600.
i had a guy return an open box DVD player to my best buy. He opened up the box to show that the dvd player was really just a brick taped to a board. It was pretty funny :)
I ordered an HP 5555 iPaq from Amazon and received what appeared to be a sealed box, but upon opening the box I first noticed there was no manuals or CDs, and no powerbrick or cradle. Then I discovered with horror that the iPaq that was in the box wasn't an iPaq! It was a very dirty and heavily used looking cheap generic PDA, one that you might find at staples or office depot for under $50. Then I noticed that the side of the box was cleverly sliced open and glued back together. It was done in such a way to avoid breaking the sticker seal on the box. My first call was to my local police department which offered to take pictures of it and make a report but didn't think I would have any problems with Amazon. I was very skeptical and thought I'd have to put up a fight for a replacement as I was very worried they wouldn't believe me. I contacted Amazon customer service and they were extremely helpful. They apologized, immediately arranged a pickup, and sent out a real 5555 to me.
Anyone hear about the guy who bought a PC from Best Buy to only find bricks in it when he opened it up at home? It was recently a topic on digg, I think.
I bought a DVD from Best Buy about 5 years ago and inside was a blank CDR. When i took it back to the store they thought I was pulling a scam and said no to the return then I went back home and grabbed the "shrink wrap" that had the stickers and Best Buy UPC on it from the DVD in question. After grabbing another copy of the same DVD off the shelf it was determined that while the original copies had the normal wrap we're use to this copy had that cheap wrap you can get at Office Depot. In fact I even noticed the same wrap job on another one of the same DVD and when I urged the manager to open that copy inside was a CDR and I finally got an exchange.
Since then I never leave the store without opening my DVDs (unless its one of those new cases with security stickers all over the box... I hate those).
Anyone hear about the guy who bought a PC from Best Buy to only find bricks in it when he opened it up at home? It was recently a topic on digg, I think.
this stuff is hysterical. i would be seriously pissed if it actually happened to me, but man is it funny to read.
It's idiots like those that push stores make returns difficult normal people. Ugh.
Funny that people mention Staples and CompUSA (both places I used to work at). At Staples some dude apparently returned a 200GB hard drive and put his old 2GB drive in there. Funny thing is that even the factory wrap around the drive its self was sealed (though you could tell it was opened and resealed a bit shorter/tighter with heat shrink... Amazing how people get their hands on heat shrink materials and pull this stuff off.
Stupid employees...
Happened to me at Circuit City.
I was all excited to open my new HP 1945 Pocket PC. I was very dissapointed in HP when I saw what appeared to be everything wrapped in bubble wrap. After unwrapping the bubble wrap I just sat there for about 3 minutes staring at a set of Jumper Cables. It was sort of like when you think you're drinking Coke, but it's actually 7-up. I was so confused. And then panic struck as I wondered if I just spent 400 dollars on jumper cables. I examined the seal and it was very well cut and glued.
Fortunately the manager who accepted my return didn't ask any questions at all and was very apologetic. Although when he gave me my new pocket pc he made sure to cut the seal himself.
Judging from this thread this seems like its a popular scam.
A very simple solution would be to weigh "unopened" returns and compare to a stored value in the computer.
Thats not to uncomon. Stealing in storage areas from big manufactores is a everyday event...
Back when 28.8 modems were all the rage a friend bought a horribly expensive US Robotics modem from a local store. Efter spending som time with it he decided to call me for help.
I spend around two hours sending it any AT-command I could think of but the lights just flashed randomly. Finaly I unhooked the thing and it was strangely lightweight...next day the store confirmed my discovery: they had sold my friend a demo-version which only function was to flash the lights in a random fashion.
...as with many other stories here in the thread I have since taken to lifting any equipment to see if there is actually anyting inside besides fancy lights :-)
Thats not to uncomon. Stealing in storage areas from big manufactores is a everyday event...
In fact it happend to me once. I got a cellular dummy instead of the real phone.
People try to pull this stuff off often enough at Target stores, as well. I work as a cashier and sometimes at the Guest Service Desk at a Target store. Our policy is that we are to look through EVERY BOX that comes back as a return, even with the lower priced items. But, we get Team Members who are either stupid or just don't give a damn. I always open every box returned to me (sometimes I even open boxes at checkout to make sure), and I haven't ever seen someone try something. I have had my Assets Protection Team Lead once show me a 256 MB card in a 1 GB package, and he asked me which was bigger, 256 MB or 1 GB. And another time, a guest almost purchased a box for an expensive video camera that had nothing more than a rock inside. We have kept that box and the rock for training purposes.
In fact it happend to me once. I got a cellular dummy instead of the real phone.
Years ago when I was shopping at Costco, I overheard a conversation between two employees regarding the discovery of an open high end sony computer box with a cheap babyseat still in the wrap sitting in the corner of the store. Apparently some quick hands and over the counter packaging tape netted someone a $3k computer and was only charged for a $50 baby car seat. I'm not sure how often this happens at big box stores like this, but probably a lot considering how easy it is and the only real deterent is making sure employees walk the store as often as possible.
On a side note, I'm guilty of purchasing a $200 dollar surround sound system from walmart, and then when I found out that it didn't have component video capabilities, wound up buying a $500 dollar model from compusa. When I opened the more expensive one, I realized that they were virtually identical except for one digit in the model numbers, and the connectors on the back. So I did what any college student would do: I packed up the cheap one in the expensive one's box and returned it. I even had the stones to bitch my way out of paying a restock fee. I figure in life everyone get's one of these kind of things, so I considered myself suave and lucky and have never attempted to repeat the caper.
once i purchesed a dvd wen i got home i opened it do discover a weird translucent disc that apeard to have ben writen to or atleast an atempted to write to it had been made. it all the holografic watermarks and every thing though the disk wouldent play. i returned it and got a replacment with out any promlems. though now i wish i had kept the sucker bcus it was a pridy cool looking disc. sort of what i imagen disc will look like 4 or 5 gens from now
Inkjet cartridges, worth more than its weight in gold. I once bought some extras for the office and finally opened one of them up 1/2 a year later. The packaging was glued shut like it should have been. But the plastic wrap was gone and there sat inside, a used inkjet cartridge, void of its nectar. I was way past the return-by date, but I spoke to the manager who gave in and let me make an exchange. This time I opened it up at the store to check first.
Wow, I've never done anything that bad.. but I did do one kind-of similar thing..
I was in college, and bought a spiffy Toshiba VCR. I saved the packaging, receipt, everything. ~95 days after purchase, the thing just plain died. It totally wouldnt even power on. Since it had a 90 day warranty, neither the store nor the manufacturer would repair or replace the product.
So, I went out and bought a new one. Then, took my old one and returned it with the new receipt. Haven't felt guilty about it one iota.
Just like your attempt to write?
I can tell you how this happens. I know a guy that did this kind of thing. He would buy electronics, take them out, weight it and put in an equivalent weight back in and shrink warp it back up and return it to the store. He always paid in cash and knew someone working at the store.
No one cared because they were all paid minimum wage.
I'm sure this stuff still goes on, and since it was never opened they just put it back on the shelf. Which is why I think it should be policy to open and inpect all returns even if the item is sealed.
At GameStop when people bring back PC games and say that it didn't work on their computer. I could
easily rip apart the holes in their stories and know they just puchased the game for the CD key. Unfortunatly I'm forced to uphold the BotD (Benefit of the Doubt) method of accepting returns . So it isn't always the employees fault. The customer is sometimes right ^_^
The first DVD Writer that I bought at a cost of 300 was from Dixons in the UK. But when I got the box home I found a DVD Rom drive in the box instead, it took 5 returns to the shop and lots of shouting and them accusing me of switching it before they finally replaced it. Dodgy staff member to blame......
Most places now days, do open things up. Also, if employees were trained properly, this would not happen. Just knowing what the product should look like would do wonders. Most people dont have access to a shrink wrap machine, but with the right household items, you can make it look pretty good, but not perfect. Are people that cheap to put a bunch of batteries in there. Then the customer who buys it looks like he pulled the switch. what a bummer.
@ JohnnyCashAK: What you did is called 'stealing'. You may think it's a cute story, but the rest of us end up paying higher prices, and store return policies get more restrictive, in order to make up for the lost revenue caused by people like you. Your mom must be so proud.
I've experienced this a few times.
This is a while back, but we had just had some empty boxes of the Nintendo DS in so that we could put them around the store before the official launch (this is back in February). One of the merchandisers thought it'd be a good idea to stick some leaflets in there to make the thing seem like it had weight. Cue poor sucker. Was quite funny hearing about him bring it back, open it up, and show that it was filled with leaflets!
I have to admit, though, that I would rarely check the contents of items I took back from customers. I even got caught by my manager for telling a customer to re-seal the box if she wanted to bring it back to us...
Glad to be out of that place.
I worked for Best Buy for about a year, and one of the things they warned us about was people pulling this kind of scam. They gave us some specific stories about employees checking to verify the contents of a returned item, and finding some bricks where a PS2 should be, and that kind of stuff.
Sounds like "Paul" is too quick to blame "foreigners" for his misfortune. Dare I say "typical southerner"? Of course not! I know better than to make such sweeping generalizations. Poor "Paul" though, he lacks the mental capapcity to realize that some customer (read: thief) swapped out the contents of the original box and returned it shrinkwrapped. I've worked in retail for the last 10 years and I've seen this happen a few times. If an employee stole it he wouldn't go through the trouble of shrink wrapping it. It'd be easier to throw the empty box in the compactor or some trash can in the warehouse or even rip it apart and flush it down the toilet. Inside job? I think not.
I bought a Tungsten T5 on eBay, for about 400 euros. I opened it, and found 200 euros in cash under the manuals. I was about to contact the seller to tell him, but then I noticed that the handheld had been used (it had someone's profile saved on it), and on the website it said "brand new, unsealed". I double checked the seal, and I realized that it had been opened. Well, I guess I don't need to tell you what I did with those 200 euros...
@Asher: If I were a career criminal and not a successful law student with a 15 year background of community service, your anal retentive retort might have some validty. Considering this is the one illegal thing I have ever done in my life, both my parents are quite pleased with me, thank you. Owning up to one's sins is divine, and putting it in a cute way is my nature. Self righteousness is however annoying and distasteful. I only regret the immaturity of my youthful actions most likely did not cost you one cent. Unfortunately no one can put a price on arrogance and hypocrisy.
I hate to admit this but I purchased a P910i on Ebay from a power 3000k rating seller. A week after purchase I received a box which effectively had a bag of sand in it. I spent the next few days wondering if this had really happened to me. I got my money back but have a large Ebay scar on my left butt-cheek.
Virgin records in Burbank, Ca was notorious for switching AOL disks for DVD's and CD's. We returned to the counter to get a replacement and was told "oh yeah, that happens frequently".
The roof collapsed during heavy rains a few months ago and the store did not rebuild.
I bought a Maxtor drive last year which was labeled as 80 GB. The label didn't look manipulated at all but all I was only detecting 40 GB. A diagnosting tool confirmed it was 40 GB, as so did the software model name check (the model was also different from the label) the seller (a serious and well known store) could not believe it and was thankful I reported. I'll never buy a Maxtor again probably.
This is quite common unfortunately. I bought some printer cartriges at best buy and when i got home discovered that someone had carefully opened the packages and put their used cartriges inside. When I got back to the store, of course, they didn't give me a refund or exchange, but told me to go back to the manufacturer. According to the manufacturer shady customers buy products, stuff things like their old cartriges inside of the boxes, and after carefully sealing so that it looks unopened, return them.
This just further cements my loyalty to Newegg. I find it increasingly difficult for brick-n-mortar stores to make me want to shop at them. The prices are higher, the customer service is always miserable, the return policies are terrible, and you have to drive to hell's half acre just to get to them.
My aunt bought a VCR from a street vendor in NYC a few years back and when she got home all she found inside the box was a few pieces of granite and newspaper. We called it her brand new Fred Flintstone VCR and give her hell about it to this day.