Department store chain Belk has changed its return policy for Dyson products after a Tennessee customer complained that the retailer would not accept the return of an unopened $600 hair dryer.
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The policy change followed a report by Nashville television station WSMV about Franklin resident Lesa Monaco, who purchased a Dyson hair dryer from a Belk store in February as a birthday gift for her daughter.
“My daughter’s hair dryer broke and she had a Dyson and so I thought I’ve got a great idea for her birthday,” she said. “
Monaco later decided to return the product, reportedly after experiencing ‘buyer’s remorse,’ but store employees told her the item was not eligible for return despite remaining unopened.
“We took it back to the store with a receipt and they would not accept it back.”
According to WSMV, Monaco said she could not find any clear warning in the store stating that Dyson products were excluded from standard return policies. The station reported that Belk listed the restriction only in small print online at the time of the purchase.
Although there is no Tennessee state law that prohibits this return policy, the outlet contacted Belk anyway. And they responded.
Belk Updated Its Return Policy, And Gave Lesa Monaco Her Refund
After WSMV contacted the company, Belk revised its policy and now allows returns on Dyson products under their “standard 30-day return policy.” The retailer updated its online “Returns & Refunds” page to reflect the change.
They also allowed Monaco to refund her Dyson product.
Belk’s current return policy states that the company accepts most returns within 30 days of purchase as long as items remain in original, saleable condition with tags attached. The policy also lists several exceptions, including final-sale merchandise, certain luxury items and select marketplace products.
The retailer did not publicly explain why it originally excluded Dyson products from returns.
However, many retailers place restrictions on high-value electronics and personal-care devices because of concerns involving fraud, product tampering and resale limitations.