I bought something from a Best Buy vending machine, and it didn't go so well.

As an aside that I'm probably going to get down voted for...<p>I've always seen store returns as an ethical issue. If at the time of purchase I have full information about the product, I see it as unethical to change my mind a few days latter simply because of buyers remorse. One of the examples given in the article mentions the author returned a playstation after playing it for a few days. I don't see how this is a reasonable return, and it cost the store money all because the buyer was fickle.<p>The main story from the article is a bit different, as the user bought the case expecting X and got Y. I have no problem with returns of this nature. A reasonably informed consumer would not expect there to be two products from the same company, with the same name just only sold at different locations.<p>I'd probably call up AMEX and cancel the charge.

The vending machine saves money on staffing at the expense of the customer being able to examine or ask questions about what they're purchasing. It would make sense actually to have an even better return policy than the brick and mortar stores to make up for this. Best Buy wants to have their cake and eat it too.

So they're merely 'Best Buy' branded. If I buy something from your company I expect to return it to any of your outlets, including if I've purchased online.<p>That's why I love Collect+ so much. <a href="http://www.collectplus.co.uk/merchants" rel="nofollow">http://www.collectplus.co.uk/merchants</a>

Best Buy is just a test center for Amazon - a lot of people come in just to see and touch stuff before buying it from Amazon. I saw a guy checking a headphones in BB and immediately buying it from Amazon on the spot from his phone.

Best Buy's policy makes sense.<p>I think they are trying to avoid the probably very common scenario where you forget your headphones for a trip, nothing to worry about, just buy a pair from the Express machine, return them as soon as you are back home.

It's not really Best Buy's fault if a company makes two different products with the same name.

Are there no consumer protection laws in your country or state? Or small claims courts?<p>(This is the odd thing I find in reports from the U.S. ... usually there are some such laws, and I have friends who claim to have used them successfully, but journalists never talk about them.)

I would never spend $80 on something from a vending machine! For tha amount of money, you really need to be able to properly see and even touch the thing your buying. <i>Caveat emptor</i>

Can't return? Don't care. Cancel payment with credit card processor. Problem solved.

Well at least he's got a platform to probably get a refund, as for the rest of the world who doesn't write for Time...

This article tries to pin the culprit here as a Best Buy vending machine problem. His problem is at most a vending machine problem, and really just his own mistake. Why would you buy something from a vending machine that is inside a package you can't see inside?<p>He lampoons Best Buy over a personal mistake.

Speaking of Best Buy, I didn't read the article due to Time's instant full-pager for Citibank. WTF kind of experience is that?