Akwarkd situations with e-cigarette.

[theminicig]

Today I ran into a very awkward situation.

To introduce myself, I currently work in support/marketing department of minicigarette.net

This morning I have received an inquiry saying that the atomizer was not functioning well.

We have been sending replacement parts to our customers if they encounter any problem, and of course without needing the customer sending the defective parts back to us.

I kindly asked for his order number to catch his shipping address, and he tells me this:

"I ordered this from a outside company through Ebay. I was told however that all I had to do was contact you and I would be able to get replacement parts."

He should be dealing his problem with whomever he purchased from, but he approaches us simply because we sell the "same looking" packaging.

Are we liable for his problem? The answer is no. However, this creates an awkward situation for us.

What do you guys think?

 

[leaford]

I would suggest offering to sell him a replacement part at a discounted rate. In fact, I would suggest selling extra atomizers and batteries generally.

 

[TropicalBob]

How could anyone hold you responsible for something you didn't sell? That would be like me buying something at Kmart and then fussing with Wal-Mart to make the thing good after it failed, just because the two companies sold the same brand. Kmart is the responsible company in this scenario. Same with your mini-cig.

Judge Judy would rule in your favor. You owe this person nothing but the right to purchase replacement parts from a reputable company, not an eBay seller.

 

[trog100]

i once had a friend with a little shop.. he imported mag light torches.. he had every one they made.. even the gold plates ones.. he wasnt cheap but offered the best replacement service..

his pet hate.. folks who bought the product cheap elsewhere and then expected him to do the shipping and returns for free when the product went wrong.. he simply told them to go back to where they bought the product. from.. technically as a mag light agent he was in the wrong but there was no other answer for him.. in the UK the contract is with the seller.. the seller cant legally wriggle out of this but he tries to by telling the customer to send the product back to the makers..

in the rest of the world things might be different..

trog

 

[bishybob]

I would find out exactly where he bought it from and file a complaint with eBay. People can not include you in their warranties without your permission. Some items have manufacturer warranties that are provided by serial number, but this is not the case.
I like Leaford's suggestion about offering him replacements at a small discount. But otherwise it is not your responsibility and I would refer him back to where he purchased it.

 

[20ADAY]

How can it be your responsibility to replace an item you didnt sell Unless of course you are the manufacturer ?

 

[MNZ]

I agree with everything that has been said so far, the first point of contact for the buyer should be the person they bought the product from.

However they have arrived at your door step, there maybe any number of reasons they have ended up talking with you, no matter whether they are right or the wrong reason the customer is in need of looking after and is probably starting to get a bit annoyed right now and it's the customers money that has ended up in your pocket.

What would I do ?
Two options appear to be the right thing to do
1. replace the items no charge but explain that the customer should deal with the person that sold them the item in the first place and you are only acting on this occasion because you feel your reputation as a manufacturer is being taken for granted and give the customer contact details of another seller that you know is worth dealing with in the future.

2. Explain all the above and offer them a good discount, maybe 50% and free shipping on the replacement, throw in a pack of free carts so they get a good surprise when the package arrives.

This is an opportunity for you to create added value with the end user, anything positive you do right now will be talked about by the customer, it may bring you new business too.

Make sure there is a hand written note in the package that says we are sorry you've had problems and we hope this helps. That is always a good thing to do

 

[belevitt]

Just a warning to all considering ordering from this company. This situation where the manufacturer refuses to stand behind their product is their common operating procedure. The minicigarette.net company sells products that are defective out of the box and fails to stand behind them. I would recommend that everybody avoid this company.

 

[D_Struct]

Just a warning to all considering ordering from this company. This situation where the manufacturer refuses to stand behind their product is their common operating procedure. The minicigarette.net company sells products that are defective out of the box and fails to stand behind them. I would recommend that everybody avoid this company.

Did you purchase directly through them? Or an outside seller?

 

[Vicks Vap-oh-Yeah]

"I ordered this from a outside company through Ebay. I was told however that all I had to do was contact you and I would be able to get replacement parts."

Note the wording here - is this EXACTLY what he said the seller told him? If so, the EBay seller was "deceptive" at best - he's leading the buyer to believe that your company will warranty the product, when all he meant was that you would be able to offer replacements when the semi-consumables fail.

I would recommend to the buyer that he purchase a new atty from your company that you would then be able to fully warranty, I would offer to get it shipped to him asap at the company cost, and I would appologize to him for the situation he finds himself in, assuring him once he's an official customer of your company he will be taken care of.
I would then instruct the buyer to place a dispute with EBay on the original purchase, stating deceptive business practices as the reason for the dispute.

You can't be expected to honor a warranty for a product that has been resold once outside of your control. You have no idea what the seller did to it once you sold it to him....

(can you tell I've worked in CS before?)

 

[Wildsky]

lol I worked for a mens clothing store many years ago - and company policy was we would credit/exchange ANYTHING pretty much - even clothing purchased somewhere else. Very strange policy and we were only ever called on it ONCE (I only worked there for 2 years)

 

[StudioKraft]

"I ordered this from a outside company through Ebay. I was told however that all I had to do was contact you and I would be able to get replacement parts."

I think the operative word in this quote from the customer is "you", as in "I was told to contact you".

Who, exactly, did the Ebay seller tell this person to contact? Did the Ebay seller tell the customer to contact minicigarette.net specifically, or did they tell them to contact "the manufacturer" and the customer ended up at minicigarette.net after trying to find the manufacturer?

The reason that I mention this is because one of my e-commerce customers sells magazine subscriptions and from time to time they are contacted for customer service by subscribers who did not purchase their magazine subscriptions through them. The subscruber simply performed a web search for the magazine in question, ended up on my customer's web site and assumed that they are the magazine publisher.

Another possibility is that the Ebayer was reselling a product purchased from minicigarette.net and referred the buyer to the "supplier".

 

[rsmith76]

I would let him you that you are not affilated with the ebay seller in any way, shape, or form. Maybe the two of you could reach some type of agreement that would satisfy him and make him a regular customer for you. A discounted price on an atomizer, maybe a few carts, or a sample of juice or something. Customer service is your best ally, even if you were'nt first in line at the point of sale. Good luck to you both.

rsmith76

 

[OutWest]

IMHO - is the ebay seller an authorized reseller of yours? If so, then you should honor any warranty claims. If not, then the customer needs to deal with the person they got it from.