Dispute Amazon - Anyone ever done it?

[SwiftTone]

So I rented a text book from Amazon a few months ago and didn't return it on time. They extended the rental automatically and charged me. Again I didn't return it by the extedned due date. This morning I received an email saying that the book I rented has been automatically purchased by me because I didn't return it.

Here is what it frustrates me; They rented/sold me an obviously used book but they charged me the price of a brand new book. It's about a $40 difference. I tried chatting with an Amazon rep and tried to talk sense into the rep and refunding me the difference between a new and used book and she didn't budge. Her reason is that the rental is already closed and she can't refund me. All she offered is that she can "forward my concerns to the relevant department". which means nothing to me. She also said I can trade in my book or sell it on Amazon, which I feel like I shouldn't have to do.

In the end I said I'll just dispute the charges and she basically told me to go ahead.

Now am I out of my mind for wanting to dispute the internet giant? Will there be any back lash from Amazon in the future? Finally, is my logic sound and fair or am I being unreasonable?

[Kenny]

Good luck with that but it looks like it was your fault. The company clearly has this wording in play when you rent it. They don't care if the book has been used when you decided to keep it for so long. They are going to have to buy a new book to replace that used one you decided to keep for yourself.

[FinStar]

First off, why did you wait so long to return it? Additionally, did you read the fine print associated with not returning the item, even when it was reasonably extended 2x? Sounds like the logic should rest with some accountability IMO.

[SwiftTone]

I agree it's my fault for waiting so long. But they shouldn't charge me the price of a new book when the book they provided was used.

[Kenny]

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@SwiftTone wrote:

I agree it's my fault for waiting so long. But they shouldn't charge me the price of a new book when the book they provided was used.

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Again, it doesn't matter about you to Amazon or any other book lender (sorry for the bluntness) they have to purchase another book to put back into circulation for the one you kept. I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's just unfortunately the truth.

[JenniferinFL]

I wouldn't for something like this that is your fault.

I work in a library. We charge the new price when someone doesn't return a book. We have to, because we have to buy a new book to replace it. Books are only good for so many rentals before they are simply too worn to continue. With the effort put into cataloging an individual item, it makes no sense to start with a used book that will not have the same life expectancy. The biggest cost to a book rental service is the man hours, not the books themselves. We would have thrown a $10 processing fee on top of the price of the book to cover the time and expense of putting the new item back into the catalogue with the appropriate labels.

I'm sure that when Amazon responds to the dispute with the rental agreement you agreed to, you will lose the dispute anyways AND have the drawback of an attempted chargeback on a valid purchase. I wouldn't want to risk it for fear my credit card company wouldn't believe me next time when it really was a valid complaint.

Just my opinion.

[trumpet-205]

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@SwiftTone wrote:

I agree it's my fault for waiting so long. But they shouldn't charge me the price of a new book when the book they provided was used.

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Actually that's how rental business works. If you failed to return it by determined date then you are charged with full MSRP price.

Take Redbox for example, charges are added daily. By day 20/25/30 (the day which you can keep the rented disc, depending on the type of disc), you already paid at or above full MSRP price.

You don't have any grounds to win a chargeback dispute. Merchant provided the advertised service, and I'm sure somewhere on their T&C has a clause of paying brand new full price if you failed to return.

Even library does this all the time. Heck my local library fines $115 on top of late fee for failing to return a book 60 days after due date.

[youdontkillmoney]

Only IF the contract says that Amazon will charge the price of a new book if you violate the contracts (i.e. do not return withina certain time frame) are they in the "right" to do what they did to you. Ethically, whether it is "right" to charge a new price for a used price, it depends since sometimes a used book is just as good as a new or sometimes not. Amazon does not want to look at every single book and give each a unique price, they will just have a blanket policy, charge them all as new as a disincentive for people to not return them on time.

It is like asking is it right that I miss a credit card payment, and my rate goes from 9% to 25% like the credit agreement says. It is right, no, but it is in the contract I signed so face the consequences.

 So you're in the wrong. However, if you want to fight Amazon on it to "get away with being late" you can give a good reason and see what happens, dispute through your credit card company and get the CC to reverse it, etc.

[SwiftTone]

I guess I will just forget about it and eat the cost. Just made me a bit pissy.

[jsucool76]

Say you rented a car...and never returned it to them...they have your CC on file. Sure, the car is a rental, so it's been used, (slightly different, i know, you might get arrested...but we're talking in hypotheticals here...and we're pretending you have one hell of a credit limit),  but do you think they would charge you kelly blue book value, or the MSRP of a new model of said car...

You didn't do what you were supposed to, and they did what they said they would. but I bet next time you rent a book from them, you'll return it.