# BN changed their return policy on all Nooks



## love2read (Nov 23, 2008)

After reading so many reviews of the Nook Color, I went ahead and bought one a few days ago. I was intending to try it out for the Christmas holidays knowing that chances of falling in love and keeping it were high but thinking that if I just couldn't get used to the weight, short battery life and LCD screen that would consider returning.

While in the store talking to the BN employee they said that the return policy on Nooks have changed. They will not except returns with money back for any reason. If the device is defective they will exchange it but returns are no longer possible.

I bought it anyways and love it but just thought others might want to know about the change.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I think that they always charged a re-stocking fee for returns.  Now I guess they are making it even harder to return, except for a credit.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

love2read said:


> After reading so many reviews of the Nook Color, I went ahead and bought one a few days ago. I was intending to try it out for the Christmas holidays knowing that chances of falling in love and keeping it were high but thinking that if I just couldn't get used to the weight, short battery life and LCD screen that would consider returning.
> 
> While in the store talking to the BN employee they said that the return policy on Nooks have changed. They will not except returns with money back for any reason. If the device is defective they will exchange it but returns are no longer possible.
> 
> I bought it anyways and love it but just thought others might want to know about the change.


Congratulations on your NookColor purchase. I hope you love it.  I'm surprised to hear that they have a no money back policy on Nooks. I wonder if the sales associate was mistaken about their policy. If she wasn't then that makes me feel more loyal to Amazon.


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## lynninva (Feb 7, 2009)

I just bought a Nook Color as a Christmas gift for my 85 yo father. He spends most of the day reading, so I am a little concerned about the back-lit screen and battery life.  But overall this seems to be the best choice for him for an e-reader that supports library books.

I read the return policy on-line the other day.  For a regular purchase, the return time was two weeks. For a gift, it was 30 days; but then you could only be refunded with store credit, not the original tender type. I couldn't tell if they would accept a return once you opened it. 

I opted to purchase it as a gift from Best Buy. Their holiday return policy allows for returns until late January, and they don't charge a restocking fee for this item.  This gives him the option to exchange it for the Sony if the backlighting is a problem.


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## love2read (Nov 23, 2008)

The store employee said once it was opened there are no returns even if I hate it. If it is defective they will replace it but no returns on open Nooks for any reason. I'm glad I'm loving it.


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## KindleGirl (Nov 11, 2008)

I think that new policy may cause them to lose some customers, especially right before Christmas since many may be gifts. If you are not sure you will like it, people will be afraid to try it...at least I would be. If you have nothing, or not much, to lose then people are willing to give it a chance but without that I think some people won't even bother.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

KindleGirl said:


> I think that new policy may cause them to lose some customers, especially right before Christmas since many may be gifts. If you are not sure you will like it, people will be afraid to try it...at least I would be. If you have nothing, or not much, to lose then people are willing to give it a chance but without that I think some people won't even bother.


I know it will keep me from buying one as a gift. My son who is in college had asked me for an ereader for Christmas. When my daughter who also is in college, asked for an ereader, I automatically thought she should get a Kindle. She has a Kindle now and loves it. WHen my son asked for an ereader, I thought that the Nook Color might be more to his liking and was thinking about getting one for him for CHristmas. Now that I know that if he doesn't like it he can't return it for a cash refund, I will NOT be buying one for him


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

According to their website, they still have a 14-day return policy for the Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/help/cds2.asp?PID=8121&cds2Pid=8121#nook



> You can return nook within 14 days of receipt. Either call 1-800-THE-BOOK (843-2665) for a return authorization, or return it to a Barnes & Noble store.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

history_lover said:


> According to their website, they still have a 14-day return policy for the Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/help/cds2.asp?PID=8121&cds2Pid=8121#nook


Well that makes more sense. I wonder if the sales associate that Loves2read talked to was just misinformed.


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## kindlegrl81 (Jan 19, 2010)

I would hope the salesman was mistaken; if not it is a really stupid move by B&N.  

With the K3 being as popular as it is I would think they would be trying their hardest to get the Nooks into people's hands, not put into place policies that turn customers away.


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## lynninva (Feb 7, 2009)

history_lover said:


> According to their website, they still have a 14-day return policy for the Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/help/cds2.asp?PID=8121&cds2Pid=8121#nook
> 
> 
> 
> > You can return nook within 14 days of receipt. Either call 1-800-THE-BOOK (843-2665) for a return authorization, or return it to a Barnes & Noble store.


I think the actual policy is misleading. It has this statement at the very top of the page with the return policy:

""It's easy to return an item if you're not satisfied.

We will issue a refund to your original form of payment for items returned within 14 days.

Items must be returned in their original condition; shrink-wrapped products must be unopened."


Then below that there are separate links for:
Returning Items Bought from Barnes & Noble.com
Returning Items Bought in Barnes & Noble Bookstores
Returning nook

The way I read this, the conditions listed at the top apply to all returns, and then each section has the instructions on how you can return an item that meets those conditions. Since the Nook box is shrink-wrapped, I did not want to take the chance that it could not be returned once the box was opened.


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## love2read (Nov 23, 2008)

That's what I was told. The Nook Color is shrink wrapped and as soon as I took the wrap off it was no longer eligible to be returned. The sales person made sure I understood the new policy before she took my money.

Maybe it's just in the store near me but she said it was the new update policy regarding Nooks.

I hope she was wrong but she sounded very sure and said she was supposed to tell everyone that bought a Nook in the store.


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Wow, if that really is their policy (no returns on opened shrink-wrapped items), I wish them luck staying in the ereader business.  I can understand such a policy on DVD's or CD's, but with complex, expensive electronics?  Not in this day & age.  That kind of inflexibility really makes people think twice about buying from you.

--Maria


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## Cardinal (Feb 24, 2010)

Above the policy lynninva has quoted there is a link: › We make Holiday Returns Easy - Click here for more information.

This is what that link says about Nooks:
NOOK Refunds

Any NOOK purchased from November 15 to December 31, opened or unopened, will be honored for exchange or refund through January 31, 2011.

For NOOK refunds, either call 1-800-THE-BOOK (843-2665) for a return authorization, or return it to a Barnes & Noble store.

Please note: If you do not call for a return authorization number and send the NOOK to the wrong return center, no refund will be provided and your NOOK will not be returned to you.


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## lynninva (Feb 7, 2009)

That is odd - I was specifically looking for the holiday returns policy & could not find any info on a different policy at that time.  I tried checking out the various links they had for returns information.    

I wonder if they posted that recently?  Maybe for people that have questions now that Christmas has come? If so, they aren't too smart.  I would have bought the Nook for my dad from B&N if this policy was clearly spelled out earlier in the month.


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