You're not royalty - just because you paid $$$

That's absolutely correct. Be in Sales if you are ready to deal with any type of customer. Those are the ones paying your bills. Easy. Lack of competition and representing a highly demanded brand may help temporarily but in the end only good customer service will determine how successful a business is.

Its surprising how often people threaten to call the cops Dusta.

People always say that the respect people who work in retail, but when things dont go their way they carry on like pork chops and forget about respect.

More often than not, the service you receive for warranty claims is more a reflection on the wholesaler than the shop selling it to you.
I had one supplier that was simply a case of a phone call and maybe a picture after the fact, they would confirm replacement on the day while the customer was there watching the call being made, get it shipped the same day and tell you to return the faulty one in the packaging that the replacement one come in or simply bin it.

Others want you to purchase a replacement, give that to the customer and then send back the old one for a credit.
Others want the gear back for inspection and then maybe replacement and usually the time blows out to weeks.

Often the dip**** that handles warranty has no idea how the product works and whether or not there is a legitimate claim and others simply stonewall and play the hardline to the retailer that it is not warranty, even when it obviously is, and the retailer is left to pay for replacement and live with it because the wholesaler says that they are the only supplier and do as they say or we won't supply you.

That is the reason why some people have problems with a retail shop and others don't, it just reflects how big a dickhead the wholesaler is for that particular product.

Some shops will simply absorb replacement losses like this and some have a big enough purchase power with the wholesaler to make them come to the party.

This all gets harder and harder as customers push margins because of online pricing.
So in the end ya gets what you asked for, shops selling for online prices and as much hassle with warranty as an online store.

For me now, it's simply get things at the best price and assume that there is no warranty and get it fixed myself.
Quicker and less stressful.
If a shop then surprises me with good warranty after providing a good selling price, then they have me as a customer for life.

Actually my experience is claiming warranty is largely dependent on the shop. Larger shops (Myer/K-mart/Bunnings etc) just check your receipt and refund. Smaller shops have to call suppliers, get RMA numbers, send away to verify the fault bla bla.

Today I returned coffee grinder to Myer 2 weeks shy of 2 yr warranty period ending. Got given a new one immediately.

Three weeks ago I took router/modem in to small specialist computer store under warranty, still waiting for it to be returned. Incredibly frustrating.

Side note, my professional Pioneer DJ headphones disintegrated after a year. I called them a year later chasing parts and they offered to provide a new set of headphone from free! Now that is bloody good customer service! Now these were relatively expensive pro gear so I guess because I spent $$$, they did treat me like royalty :)

http://www.ziankites.com.au/pages/terms-conditions-1

This add come up while surfing around here.
The page linked is a great example of a seller or manufacturer trying to dodge responsibility with a load of hogwash crap that is only tempered by the compulsory addition of some text that has been screwed around as much as legally possible that say otherwise.

This is an Australian website and they bloody well know the laws, but still continue to try and bully the end user out of warranty with a bunch of legalise.

Enough so that having seen this I would not in any way wish to deal with them knowing that warranty is for sure going to be an argument.

Myer, K-mart and others mentioned above provide their own warranty and as a large organisation are under heavy scrutiny from watchdog organisations.
They will already have enough black marks against them that any further matters bought against them will cost them dearly in fines, so they all implement warranty action that looks like they care to their customers, but in reality it is cheaper for them to do so.

Some smaller shops that have not been taken to the cleaners for breaking consumer law yet, still try and get away with anything they can.
But three legit claims against them will see them in hot water........

maybe not so simples..........

check out this link some interesting stuff in there

www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees/consumer-guarantees

I find this part particularly interesting, I have been down this road before.......

The retailer can’t refuse to help you by sending you to the manufacturer or importer.