what should I do?

[vince2paul]

Few months ago, I accidentally dropped my digital camera on the floor and when I brought it to the service centre, the staff said the warranty didn’t cover this (as it’s my fault) and that the lens had to be replaced, it cost ard $165, would take ard 3-4 weeks as they had to order it from Japan. Since I didn’t have money at that time, so I brought it back home and just kept it.

Last Monday, I brought it back, I just told the staff (different person) that something wrong with the lens and he asked my warranty card, didn’t even ask what happened to the camera. He issued me the receipt and told me that it would take 7-10 days. However, it only took 3 days and I didn’t need to pay for anything. Everything happened so fast that I didn’t even know what to do, except thanking God.

Part of me saying that it’s the answer to my prayer (yes, I did pray that miracle would happen and I get my digicam service on time, especially since my mum will get confirmation next month), while I also felt a little guilty. But I really can’t afford such a huge amount of money for the repair as I’m still a student.

What should I do?

 

[LSK]

If you were one of the women I was sponsoring in my 12 Step group I would suggest that the reason she is feeling a little guilty is because she is - a little guilty. Then I would ask her to tell ME what she thinks she should do - without strings attached like ‘but I cannot afford it’ - to relieve her of the guilt. The final stage would be "can you do this without harming yourself or others?’, i.e. could she pay the cost of repairing the camera right away or will she need to put money aside until she has the amount and then take it to the camera shop with an explanation.

It sounds like a long and tortuous road to walk but my experience has been we either are Catholic Christians or we aren’t…and the spiritual life is not a theory, we have to live it.

But what do I know? Ask your priest…

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Well, Vince, it is entirely possible that the first sales person was wrong! That being the case, the second sales person would be correct in getting your camera fixed under warranty. You dropped it–unless you INTENDED to drop it it wasn’t your fault, was it? Think about it–what WOULD the warranty cover if it disallowed falls etc.? Almost nothing. Accidents happen and that’s why you HAVE warranties to begin with, right?

 

[jmcrae]

I say you’re in the clear.

I once accidentally threw my hard drive in the trash and pooched an expensive computer. They replaced it for free, on warranty, not because they had to under the terms of the warranty, but because they wanted to keep me as a customer.

You are a lot more likely to buy from them again if you have pleasant experiences of good service - they know perfectly well (even if you don’t) that you could just buy a brand new camera from the company down the street for less than they have to charge you for the repair.

 

[Scottgun]

First off, is it certain that it is not covered under warranty or does the staff have discretionary authority to grant leeway? For instance, when I worked with a credit card company, the written policy was $28 late fee which was automatically added on by computer. What was not written was the fact that I could at my discretion waive any late fee I wanted for any reason, or even no reason (within limits), which I did frequently.

So I would assume in good faith that the second time you brought it in the staff were operating within their discretionary powers by letting be covered under warranty, even if you did get a different answer than the first time.

Scott

 

[Animadversor]

Warranties exclude coverage for accidental damage as a rule, and it is most likely that your camera’s warranty does, too. Look it up to be sure. Assuming that it does have that exclusion, you are guilty of two sins: deception, in that when you went back the second time you deliberately withheld information about how the camera was damaged so as to lead the staff to believe it had a covered defect; and theft, in that you wrongfully obtained possession of something that you had no right to. And you know that not being able to afford something is no excuse for just taking it! As for the staff having discretion to cover the repair, perhaps so, but it would be wrong to mislead them in order to induce them to exercise that discretion in your favor. I’m sorry to be so stern, but you deserve the unvarnished truth, at least as far as I can see it. I think you should go back to the camera store and 'fess up and make arrangements to pay them what you owe.

 

[Animadversor]

Well, Vince, it is entirely possible that the first sales person was wrong! That being the case, the second sales person would be correct in getting your camera fixed under warranty. You dropped it–unless you INTENDED to drop it it wasn’t your fault, was it? Think about it–what WOULD the warranty cover if it disallowed falls etc.? Almost nothing. Accidents happen and that’s why you HAVE warranties to begin with, right?

No, that’s not why we have warranties. We have warranties to cover defects in the manufacture of the product, not to indemnify us should unforeseen events such as theft, a fall, a flood, etc., damage the product. For that we have insurance.

 

[Scottgun]

Warranties exclude coverage for accidental damage as a rule, and it is most likely that your camera’s warranty does, too. Look it up to be sure. Assuming that it does have that exclusion, you are guilty of two sins: deception, in that when you went back the second time you deliberately withheld information about how the camera was damaged so as to lead the staff to believe it had a covered defect; and theft, in that you wrongfully obtained possession of something that you had no right to. And you know that not being able to afford something is no excuse for just taking it! As for the staff having discretion to cover the repair, perhaps so, but it would be wrong to mislead them in order to induce them to exercise that discretion in your favor. I’m sorry to be so stern, but you deserve the unvarnished truth, at least as far as I can see it. I think you should go back to the camera store and 'fess up and make arrangements to pay them what you owe.

Not necessarily. It depends on what happened the second time which the poster only sketched. If he went in and said, “something wrong with the lens”. That is a true statement. It only might be the staff’s job to ask if it came like that or did he drop it, at which point he would have to go into truthful detail.

 

[vince2paul]

Look it up to be sure. Assuming that it does have that exclusion, you are guilty of two sins: deception, in that when you went back the second time you deliberately withheld information about how the camera was damaged so as to lead the staff to believe it had a covered defect; and theft, in that you wrongfully obtained possession of something that you had no right to.

I don’t deliberately withheld the information, I just told him “something wrong with the lens, how much will it cost to replace it?” the person just took the camera, asked for the warranty card, checked with the store whether it still valid as I didn’t have the receipt of the camera with me, he told me it was still valid. He didn’t even ask me what happened to the camera, and he told me that he would call me if there’s extra cost. I was expecting them to tell me that the lens was broken and that it’s not covered by the warranty. But I was surprised to receive a call informing me that it’s ready for collection.

 

[Animadversor]

Come now, gentlemen. The first time he went in he either told the staff what had happened—he dropped the camera—or else they saw for themselves that he had dropped it and he acknowledged the fact. The second time he went in, he gave a much vaguer explanation, withholding information—the fact that the camera was dropped—that he knew was relevant.

 

[geezerbob]

I am appalled at some of what has been posted in this thread. The truth is the truth. Period. If a partial truth is told and it proves to be misleading, does that make it any less dishonest than telling an outright lie? I doubt that God will judge truth based on some of the arguments posted here.

For the original poster, imagine that you were standing before God, as you shall someday, and He asked about this incident, then decide what you should do.

 

[Scottgun]

Come now, gentlemen. The first time he went in he either told the staff waht had happened—he dropped the camera—or else they saw for themselves that he had dropped it and he acknowledged the fact. The second time he went in, he gave a much vaguer explanation, withholding information—the fact that the camera was dropped—that he knew was relevant.

No. It’s the staff’s job to determine what’s what. Not his job to make sure they are doing their job right. He can ask his priest about this for confirmation.

 

[Scottgun]

I am appalled at some of what has been posted in this thread. The truth is the truth. Period. If a partial truth is told and it proves to be misleading, does that make it any less dishonest than telling an outright lie? I doubt that God will judge truth based on some of the arguments posted here.

For the original poster, imagine that you were standing before God, as you shall someday, and He asked about this incident, then decide what you should do.

No. Because you are assuming that the store is strictly forbidden from granting it under warranty even if he did drop it. It ain’t the poster’s job to figure that out. It’s the staff’s. Report us to the mods if you think we are really leading someone astray.

 

[Animadversor]

No. It’s the staff’s job to determine what’s what. Not his job to make sure they are doing their job right. He can ask his priest about this for confirmation.

True, that’s the staff’s job. But it’s his job not to deceive the staff, which I believe he has done, despite his protestations. As for asking his priest, well, this would be a good question, quite seriously, to submit to the Cardinal Penetentiary Major.

 

[dulcissima]

Few months ago, I accidentally dropped my digital camera on the floor and when I brought it to the service centre, the staff said the warranty didn’t cover this (as it’s my fault) and that the lens had to be replaced, it cost ard $165, would take ard 3-4 weeks as they had to order it from Japan. Since I didn’t have money at that time, so I brought it back home and just kept it.

Last Monday, I brought it back, I just told the staff (different person) that something wrong with the lens and he asked my warranty card, didn’t even ask what happened to the camera. He issued me the receipt and told me that it would take 7-10 days. However, it only took 3 days and I didn’t need to pay for anything. Everything happened so fast that I didn’t even know what to do, except thanking God.

Part of me saying that it’s the answer to my prayer (yes, I did pray that miracle would happen and I get my digicam service on time, especially since my mum will get confirmation next month), while I also felt a little guilty. But I really can’t afford such a huge amount of money for the repair as I’m still a student.

What should I do?

Did you purchase an extended warranty? Usually a manufacturers warranty doesn’t cover damage caused by the end user but it is not uncommon for extended warranties to provide this additional coverage. I am guessing by the way that your transaction was handled so quickly that it might have been due to it being covered under an extended warranty.

It is possible that the first clerk gave you information on what would be covered under the manufacturers warranty and the second clerk might have been giving you information based upon an extended warranty.

 

[Animadversor]

No. Because you are assuming that the store is strictly forbidden from granting it under warranty. It ain’t the poster’s job to figure that out. It’s the staff’s. Report us to the mods if you think we are really leading someone astray.

geezerbob doesn’t seem to be assuming that the store has no discretion in this matter, but rather saying, as I did, that they ought not to be induced through deception to exercise that discretion in the purchaser’s favor. As for me, I do think that you are misleading the original questioner, but in good conscience and not deliberately so. I think, though, that it would be better not to suggest that one is “appalled” by the other readers’ answers when they are trying in good faith to help a brother.

 

[jmcrae]

True, that’s the staff’s job. But it’s his job not to deceive the staff, which I believe he has done, despite his protestations. As for asking his priest, well, this would be a good question, quite seriously, to submit to the Cardinal Penetentiary Major.

Oh, come on. The minute they took the cover off, they would have realized that the camera had been dropped, and that it was not a manufacturer’s defect.

They knew what had happened to the camera, and they covered it under the warranty. As they have every right to do, if they so please, for reasons of customer loyalty or even just because they happen to be feeling generous that day.

There is no need to be overscrupulous about this sort of thing - no one could have been “deceived” in this incident.

 

[Scottgun]

True, that’s the staff’s job. But it’s his job not to deceive the staff, which I believe he has done, despite his protestations. As for asking his priest, well, this would be a good question, quite seriously, to submit to the Cardinal Penetentiary Major.

No. The staff isn’t deceived if they don’t ask because it does not matter to them one way or the other. Going back to my crdit card example, sometimes I would get the sense that the guy was going to give me a story about why he was late. I would stop him before he got started and just tell him don’t worry about it, the late fee is already removed. One can reasonably assume that this staffer didn’t want to know more about the circumstances of the camera’s disrepair because what he said was enough for him. If he did he would ask more.

 

[vince2paul]

True, that’s the staff’s job. But it’s his job not to deceive the staff, which I believe he has done, despite his protestations.

First of all, the staff would have known that it’s not defect, the fact that the lens couldn’t be closed properly, it was sticking out and scratches all over.

 

[vince2paul]

Going back to my credit card example, sometimes I would get the sense that he was going to give me a story about why he was late. I would stop him before he got started and just tell him don’t worry about it, the late fee is already removed. One can reasonably assume that this staffer didn’t want to know more about the circumstances of the camera’s disrepair. If he did he would ask more.

For some reason, you remind me of story of Prodigal son, the fact that the father doesn’t let the son to finish the sentence.