30 day return policy

[phmade]

I recently purchased a TS55 saw for cutting melamine instead of using the TS75 which I already own.  When I talked with the Festool crew in Vegas, they suggested that the TS55 would serve me better.  It turns out that I'm getting the same results with either saw (those results are good, but not perfect).  Although I like the TS55, I can't justify the extra $525 for the same results.

I returned the TS55 to my local dealer from which I purchased and first they tried to charge me a 15% restocking fee which I was eventually able to talk them out of.  Next, they would not accept the solid surface blade that I had purchased for the TS55 - obviously I have no use for this without the saw.  I was very disappointed with both of these requests.  Is this normal Festool policy?  I should mention that both purchases were within the last 14 days and I had the receipt.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Our 30-day guarantee is posted on our website and appears in our catalog and is as follows:

http://www.festoolusa.com/support/guarantee.html

Festool's 30-Day Money Back Guarantee

Buy with confidence. If you are not completely satisfied, return your tool to the selling dealer within 30 days and you will receive a refund of either your purchase price or the lowest retail price at which the same item has been offered since your date of purchase. Freight charges are not refundable.

As you can read, the policy pertains only to tools. However, some dealers may or may not offer a return policy in addition to or above and beyond that offered by Festool. So, some dealers may offer the ability to return accessories, but it would probably to be in new, unused condition with the original packaging for obvious reasons: they want to be able to resell it.

Festool dealers should not ever charge a restocking fee for a tool which is returned under the 30-day guarantee. Nowhere in the policy above to you see anything about a restocking fee.

If you would PM me with the name of the dealer, I will see that our regional account manager speaks with them to make sure they are reminded of our policies.

I would recommend that you give our tech guys a call to speak over the phone. They may be able to offer some advice that can improve your results. My apologies if you were unable to achieve the expected results.

Thanks,
Shane

 

[harry_]

Had the blade been used?

 

[phmade]

Yes, I used the blade to make test cuts in melamine.  I completely understand if the dealer doesn't want to take the blade back because they cannot resell it.  But I'm not sure how I could have tested the performance of the saw without the proper blade.  If that test cost me $75 then I guess I can live with it... I'll just try to sell the blade used and maybe get $40-$50.

 

[NuggyBuggy]

Festool's 30-Day Money Back Guarantee

Buy with confidence. If you are not completely satisfied, return your tool to the selling dealer within 30 days and you will receive a refund of either your purchase price or the lowest retail price at which the same item has been offered since your date of purchase. Freight charges are not refundable.

As you can read, the policy pertains only to tools.

I don't read the guarantee that way at all.  I would read it and understand that I should buy Festool's products with confidence: not just "tools", however that is defined.  If, indeed, the intent of the guarantee was to only cover "tools" (again, however that may be defined), then it seems a specific disclaimer is needed here.  A customer shouldn't have to divine what he can and cannot buy "in confidence".

 

[AlexThePalex]

I don't read the guarantee that way at all.  I would read it and understand that I should buy Festool's products with confidence: not just "tools", however that is defined.  If, indeed, the intent of the guarantee was to only cover "tools" (again, however that may be defined), then it seems a specific disclaimer is needed here.  A customer shouldn't have to divine what he can and cannot buy "in confidence".

That's funny, I'm not even a native English speaker and I understood perfectly well the guarantee only counts for tools and not just any Festool product.

As for the used blade, it's perfectly normal you can't return used goods that aren't in "as new" shape. The OP should have tried to make up his mind about the TS55 with the standard blade installed. A new Festool blade is razorsharp and will give you excellent results, even with melamine.

But it sure is outrageous a dealer tries to extort a 15% return fee out of you.

 

[mouppe]

I sympathize with the OP here. Whilst Alex is strictly correct about the "tool-only" refund, the refund slogan and logo are "Festool's 30-Day Money Back Guarantee" and the devil is in the details.

I can understand how somebody would look at the headline, buy a Festool product in good faith, and then be miffed if there was not a refund.

Richard.

 

[phmade]

Alex, I do understand that a dealer wouldn't want to take back a used product that they aren't compensated for.  I assume Festool compensates dealers for the tools that are returned. 

I can certainly live with losing the $20 or so dollars (after I sell the blade used) but I was told by a Festool employee that the best setup for cutting melamine was the TS55 with a solid surface blade.  That's the reason I purchased that setup.  I already own thousands of dollars worth of Festool tools and I plan on buying more - I just wasn't getting any better results with the TS55 than I get with the TS75 that I already own.... 

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I returned the TS55 to my local dealer from which I purchased and first they tried to charge me a 15% restocking fee which I was eventually able to talk them out of.  Next, they would not accept the solid surface blade that I had purchased for the TS55 - obviously I have no use for this without the saw.  I was very disappointed with both of these requests.  Is this normal Festool policy?  I should mention that both purchases were within the last 14 days and I had the receipt.

Is there a good reason you used this blade to cut some melamine?

 

[Brice Burrell]

I returned the TS55 to my local dealer from which I purchased and first they tried to charge me a 15% restocking fee which I was eventually able to talk them out of.  Next, they would not accept the solid surface blade that I had purchased for the TS55 - obviously I have no use for this without the saw.  I was very disappointed with both of these requests.  Is this normal Festool policy?  I should mention that both purchases were within the last 14 days and I had the receipt.

Is there a good reason you used this blade to cut some melamine?

Darcy, it helps to read all the posts [tongue], it this case the op explained why in the post just before yours.

I can certainly live with losing the $20 or so dollars (after I sell the blade used) but I was told by a Festool employee that the best setup for cutting melamine was the TS55 with a solid surface blade.  That's the reason I purchased that setup.  I already own thousands of dollars worth of Festool tools and I plan on buying more - I just wasn't getting any better results with the TS55 than I get with the TS75 that I already own....