Chat support refuses to issue RMA. Purchased camera on eBay and is still under warranty.

[PGalore]

My camera is still under warranty and was purchased from Arlo authorized seller. However, chat support refuses to issue a RMA because I bought it on eBay. 

The chat support has been atrocious and they just keep leaving chat.  Let's talk about professionalism!

Can someone help?

[jguerdat]

eBay is NOT an authorized sellers. Arlo, Amazon, BestBuy, etc. are the only official ones. Others can claim it but that doesn't make it so. Your only choice is to go back to the original eBay seller and try to get satisfaction.

[StephenB]

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@jguerdat wrote:

eBay is NOT an authorized sellers. 

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FWIW, ebay isn't the seller anyway, they just provide the platform.

There are lots of stores that sell on ebay, and at least one claims to be an authorized reseller (buydig).

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@jguerdat wrote:

Arlo, Amazon, BestBuy, etc. are the only official ones. 

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The question here is who is in the , etc.  Unfortunately, Arlo doesn't provide a list.

[PGalore]

In Australia official authorized stores such as BestBuy have eBay store. Like I said in my original post, I know for a fact that my seller is an authorized seller. I just bought the camera from their eBay store.

I know the seller is authorized because I recently got one of my faulty cameras replaced and that camera was purchased from the same seller on eBay. It’s like Arlo is making every possible excuse to refuse issuing RMA now.

As for going back to the seller, I already asked via eBay message but the chances are they will tell me to deal with Arlo directly. Different sellers have different policies. When I had a faulty solar panel replaced, Arlo told me to contact the seller (another authorized one) directly and the seller replaced it but when I had the faulty camera replaced not long ago, Arlo issued RMA instead of the seller (the same eBay authorized seller).

I’ll have to take this to small courts.

[Edinburgh_lad1]

You don't have to take it to small court, so please don't overreact.

You need to check consumer laws in Australia. In the UK, the purchase agreement is with the seller, so they have an obligation to either repair or replace the product. Arlo like other companies will sometimes probably replace products in sone cases, because it's more convenient for them to do it that way, but in the first place you should always approach the seller. If you're stuck, you can always raise a case with eBay under their guarantees.

Sometimes, however, producers provide extensions to standard warranties. So, in such cases (in the UK), the seller's responsibility to either repair or replace the product ends after 1 year, and then the manufacturer is responsible for any repairs or replacements, until that extended (i.e. beyond standard) warranty ends.

So, while I sympathise with you being in a difficult situation, I'd advise to check what your rights are before you start criticising Arlo for not doing something that they may not have been obliged to do. It's easy to jump into conclusions, but since there are lots of factors involved, you need to be careful before you start proclaiming judgements.

[PGalore]

@Edinburgh_lad1 s

I'm fully aware of Australian Consumer Protection Law. If it was out of warranty, I wouldn't even try getting a replacement.    My purchase was a little over a year, so escalating the issue with eBay and PayPal are out of the question.    I've already reached out to Arlo who refused to issue RMA because their authorized seller was selling the cameras on eBay, despite a fact that last month they replaced one of the cameras I purchased from the same seller on eBay.    Like I said in my last post, some authorized sellers can replace a faulty item without getting Arlo involved (Arlo will tell you to contact the seller) while others need Arlo to issue RMA and deal directly with Arlo. I have experience with both methods as recently as last month.  I have contacted the seller but the chances are they can't offer replacement because if they can, Arlo would have advised me to send the faulty camera back to them instead of issuing RMA the last time.    

[StephenB]

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@PGalore wrote:
In Australia official authorized stores such as BestBuy have eBay store. Like I said in my original post, I know for a fact that my seller is an authorized seller. I just bought the camera from their eBay store.

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Maybe @JamesC can help sort out the support issue.

I agree that many stores are doing business on the eBay platform, so the fact that you purchased on eBay doesn't mean that you didn't purchase from an authorized retailer.

Similarly, Amazon itself might be an authorized reseller, but a store selling on Amazon's platform might not be.

[dcfox1]

@PGalore  What is the name of the seller on Ebay?

[PGalore]

@dcfox1 

wireless1

[michaelkenward]

Probably this lot:

Australia's No.1 Online Computer Store | Wireless 1
https://www.wireless1.com.au/

One thing to consider, from what I have read in various places Australia has better consumer protection than most of Europe and far superior to anything offered in the USA. So it may be down to trying to contact a local Arlo agent. If the usual Arlo chat channels are set up for customers in the USA, they won't have a clue about foreigners and their scripts will reflect that.

Perhaps the supplier can point you to a local support contact.

[PGalore]

@ michaelkenward

There’s no local support for Australian customers unfortunately. We reach the same chat support and call centers as the US and other English speaking customers. I’ll try giving them a call before going to the small claims court.

[PGalore · Accepted solution]

Update:  finally got around to call customer service and my RMA was instantly approved, although they don't have a replacement in stock and it's pending. Do not waste your time with chat support; 5 different chat support gave me the same BS, repeating that I purchased from a non-authorized seller even after I mentioned the seller's name.   

I had also been in communication with the seller before I called Arlo and they said I could return the faulty camera to them since Arlo chat support was refusing to acknowledge the seller. It would just take longer to process without RMA if I went through the seller but probably be quicker than waiting for Arlo to receive a replacement stock.