Were They Being Nice To Me Or Was It Cheaper To Just Give Me My Money Back?

May 06, 2017 2 Replies

I'm pretty sure I know the answer. ;-)



I wanted a new set of rims for my trailer. A web search led me to Walmart who carries rims "sold and shipped" by ecustomhitch. $53 (free shipping) for a pair of 15" white steel rims, like this:



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The rims arrived with some paint chipped off in a few spots around the bead area. The bare spots would have been visible when the tires were mounted.



I already knew that I could return them directly to Walmart, but I decided to send an email to ecustomhitch just so they knew that their packing method allowed the rims to contact each other during shipping and knock the paint loose. I told them that I would be returning the rims.



The first email from ecustomhitch offered me apologies and a unspecified "partial refund" if I wanted to keep the rims. I thanked them for the offer and politely declined. A few hours later they sent me another email saying that they would be crediting my card for the full amount and that I could keep the rims as "spares". Shortly afterwards, I got an email from Walmart telling me that a credit had been applied to my card.



I'm sure it would have cost ecustomhitch more than it was worth to deal with the return and the rims. It was a nice try on the "partial refund" though. I'll give 'em that. ;-)


Depending on how much paint was chipped, the partial refund may be a good deal. A $5 can or rustoleum would be a good enough fix in most cases. But a 100% refund is better yet.

Yeah, but I had some Rust Cap left so I scrubbed the old wheels and painted them for the 3rd (and last) time. That was done before I had any of the refund offers. Free and no mounting charges. I should have just done that in the first place.

The Rust Cap works for a while (a couple of years) but it's like painting with molasses. A guy told me today that he can sandblast and powder coat the old rims for $50, so that's what I'll do next time. Start fresh and see how long they last.

The new rims are going on Craigslist, after I dab a little Wite-Out on them ;-)

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