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About LinkBacksIt is an opt inOriginally Posted by bertie
It is an opt in
It's not it's an opt out. The default option in the basket is : "I want to insure my basket"
It is most definitely an opt out system, that is why this thread is still running after 146 posts.
Having been away over the weekend when this thread was developing, it has passed under my radar.
Unfortunately it came up in another thread, and whilst I don't see it as a major problem to untick a box, my feeling is I shouldn't have to.
Scan, you've not lost a customer over it, but you have got me wondering if the conception of Scan I have from our previous dealings is one which I was very mistaken about, and as such, whether simply ordering from Scan as the first resort is such an advisable course as I previously expected.
I can understand both points. That being its there to read, you should take some responsibility yourself and READ things before you purchase. Yes it is a long convoluted purpose, but this is how retailers can trick you into getting and purchasing things which you don't really need.
Personally I would like an Opt-In scheme rather than an Opt-Out. Its fairer on the consumer, and doesn't appear to pray on those who don't really check things over and just go go go and buy something they didn't really want.
However it is easy enough to notice IMO.
I also think its a good idea, however I am still uncertain as to how it works, or why its needed. If a graphics card (handy as I am about to order one!) arrives DOA thats covered under normal DOA circumstances surely? Ring up and done. If the card dies or develops a fault within the 28 days isn't that covered under manufacturers warranty? Even up to a year at least. Personally first call would be the retailer see what they say, and if not then the manufacturer (Always keep your receipts somewhere safe!). Yes there are bad manufacturers and nightmare stories about RMAs, not uncommon.
Granted I haven't gone into much fine detail as Saracen, and he raises some valid points on that Master level.
So the idea is good just badly implemented. Scan isn't going to loose me as a customer over this, its just silly. You know where it is and how to get out of it. You are in jail and there is an option to get out of jail free. Do you take it or just sit there moaning that it wasn't a proper choice?
But you shouldn't have to get out of jail if you haven't done anything wrong in the first place.
oh come on now... how can it sound like a good idea then?
Vodka
Thank you for the feedback.I can understand both points. That being its there to read, you should take some responsibility yourself and READ things before you purchase. Yes it is a long convoluted purpose, but this is how retailers can trick you into getting and purchasing things which you don't really need.
Personally I would like an Opt-In scheme rather than an Opt-Out. Its fairer on the consumer, and doesn't appear to pray on those who don't really check things over and just go go go and buy something they didn't really want.
However it is easy enough to notice IMO.
I also think its a good idea, however I am still uncertain as to how it works, or why its needed. If a graphics card (handy as I am about to order one!) arrives DOA thats covered under normal DOA circumstances surely? Ring up and done. If the card dies or develops a fault within the 28 days isn't that covered under manufacturers warranty? Even up to a year at least. Personally first call would be the retailer see what they say, and if not then the manufacturer (Always keep your receipts somewhere safe!). Yes there are bad manufacturers and nightmare stories about RMAs, not uncommon.
Granted I haven't gone into much fine detail as Saracen, and he raises some valid points on that Master level.
So the idea is good just badly implemented. Scan isn't going to loose me as a customer over this, its just silly. You know where it is and how to get out of it. You are in jail and there is an option to get out of jail free. Do you take it or just sit there moaning that it wasn't a proper choice?
We have found that 70 Percent of RMA's occur within the first 28 days.. Most of, which are RMA claims for accidental damage, which is where Scansure comes in.
Scansure protects you against accidental damage at any time within 28 days days, particular against instalation damage. Of course no one intends to damage their components but accidents happen no matter how experienced the builder may be. When explained we have seen an increasing number of Customer's WANTING & ASKING FOR SCANSURE, especially via the sales lines, due to the charge being so low and the protection this service gives you, but is easy to Opt out if it's not for you..
Best Regards
It is a good idea because they take more responsibility on themselves, albeit for a paid service. BUT as we have distance selling regs, and warranties to help the consumer anyway should an item develop a fault this is just an extra paid service.
For the peace of mind would you rather deal with a reputable retailer like Scan who most times get it right, or the manufacturer in which you have to send off your stuff to some dodgy county and hope it gets sorted?
So Scan are asking us to pay for a service which exists anyway, thats why I am unsure as to why its needed.
It's all about accidental damage that isn't covered under normal consumer regulations of warranties.
If you drop and damage a drive for example, this is covered through ScanSure.
Don't get me wrong, I think this is a very good service. I just strongly disagree with Scan about how this has been implemented. As has been said many, many times in this thread: it's opt-out and it applies to your whole order regardless of whether you want it on all items or not.
So you pay insurance on the graphics card you order along with the longer DVI cable you wanted, the monitor and the4GB pen drive you happened to order at the same time. You don't want the insurance on those items? Then you order them separately. Fine for us, we get free shipping. It's a shame for regular customers that don't though. They get gouged one way or another.
Last edited by Funkstar; 01-05-2009 at 12:03 PM.
Stringent (01-05-2009)
Ahh with it now. Need more coffee. I am with everyone on this though by way of implementation, make it opt-in, apply to main components only like Graphics, CPU, RAM, etc. Not cables.
Like I said, its not going to stop me shopping there, just something else to make not of when I go through the checkout.
In all fairness, there are a lot of items that is doesn't apply to at all. I checked. But there are a lot of dubious ones that it does apply to.
And if the order order process adopted the same logic, of waiting for customers to ask for it, or of offering the option and letting people select it if they wanted it, you wouldn't be getting anything like the negative feedback you're getting from some here, including me.
You've already had one post on this forum from someone that said ended up with it because they clicked through in a hurry without noticing it was a default opt-in. I doubt they'll be the last. Though I also have to say, I'd have thought missing it was pretty hard to do. Less hard, perhaps, is that once you're aware of it and think you've opted out is remembering to check in case the opt-out has been forgotten for one of the reasons I mentioned earlier.
You may well have been getting people that want the cover this offers. Even with all my criticism, I said right from the start that providing people understand what they get and what they don't get, then the premiums may well be regarded as a "trivial price" to pay for the peace of mind they offer.
Some people seem to be naturally clumsy, and others just lack in experience or confidence, and this cover may well be a godsend for them. But others aren't interested. I've been working on PCs and PC hardware since 1984, when I spend several weeks at the US HQ and factory of a VERY large computer manufacturer, because almost nobody in the UK knew anything about them and we had big customers (like banks, building societies and government departments) with large contracts to support. Since then, I've spent 25 years building and fixing PCs and in that time, never EVER managed to damage a component installing it.
So while some people may see superb value in this policy, other, like me, don't.
What I really don't understand is that given the extremely negative reaction to the default opt-in on here, from some of us, that "senior management" are determined to stick with it, unless they're relying on customer inertia to say, "oh what the hell, it's not much anyway" to achieve a decent sales volume on it.
It's quite clear that "senior management" are quite prepared to seriously upset some customers, and potential customers, by that decision and other than that inertia argument, I can't see why they'd do it. After all, the argument that it's obvious to see and easy to opt out cuts both ways - it's just as easy to see and opt-in, and doing so would negative the bulk of what negative reaction there has been. So there must be a reason for not doing that, and being prepared to pay the price that results.
Though I suppose there's another possible reason, and it's in those RMA figures you mention. If people are insured against accidental damage, then it removes the negative PR from arguments about damaged goods when you get someone RMA a product claiming it as a fault, or as received damaged. I've certainly seen customers claim some outrageous things were a suppliers fault when it's patently obvious it wasn't, and the customer is trying it on. Maybe that's the justification for not reacting to negative feedback here, and I can quite see how that might be sufficient reason to put up with losing some customers.
But opting out is perhaps easier than you think, Chris. This HAS cost you customers. Not the policy itself, the opt-out decision. And I'm not talking about me, because as you no doubt remember, I've said several times I've never personally ordered from Scan, though I have put quite a few others your way. As it happens, a small order (about £1200) was built ready to go when this policy cropped up. I'm rethinking that, and have already bought some of it locally instead ...... at PC World.No, the customers I know it's cost you are a few that have told me privately that they've switched (or switched back) to other suppliers.
How significant the overall numbers doing that are, I've no idea. But it seems a stretch that ONLY those that have told me they've done it have done it. And among those that have done it, you're not going to see it in the feedback you get from customers because they're no longer customers. For every person that complains about bad service in a restaurant, I'd bet there's a large number that just pay the bill, leave and simply never go back, and the restaurant manager would never know, unless the numbers doing it are very high indeed. Still, even in small numbers, it's going to be affecting the sales and profits at the margins, so unless something else is more than compensating for it, why do it.
Stringent
Scansure is insurance, NOT warranty, the points of which Scansure cover would not be covered through the manufacturers warranty, IE accidental damage.
Yes it is, dropping your drive is accidental and therfore covered.If you drop and damage a drive for example, this is not covered through ScanSure.
Exclusion 4 was amended on 20/04/09 to:
Any deliberate action which invalidates the manufacturer’s warranty.
Best Regards
I wonder if Scan are monitoring orders from "forum" customers that get that free shipping, to see, over time, to see if they start getting a pattern of "split" orders like that? Presumably, every order shipped "free" has a cost incurred by Scan, and it's effectively a discount applied to relevant orders. But if people do start making one order for stuff they want insured, and another for the stuff they don't, instead of making a single large order,the cost Scan incur on what is effectively a split single order just doubled.
That's really a bit of an abuse of the offer, IMHO. It's a bit like some MPs expenses - it might be within the rules, but it's abusing the spirit of the free shipping offer, if not the letter of it.
My bad. That "not" crept in there by mistake. I may have remembered to spell check that post, but i should have proof read it
Edited now.
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