Have you ever bought something new and it didn't work?
By firecracker
@sacmom (14192)
United States
July 15, 2008 12:03am CST
If so, what was it?
I just got a Jabra BT350 bluetooth headset and it isn't working. The darn thing won't charge at all. I have tried using the wall plug as well as the Usb plug that came with it. Other than it flashing red and then green (for less then 1 second) when I plug it in, nothing happens (the red light to show that it is charging will not stay on). And here I was all excited about being able to use it. 
Ironically a similar thing happened with my hUsband's bluetooth headset (a Motorola). So I took it back to one of the Sprint stores and the sales guy plugged it in. I don't know what he did, but the light to show that it was charging came on like it was supposed to. And yes, it is still working now.
So have you ever bought something new and it didn't work? What was it?
Ironically a similar thing happened with my hUsband's bluetooth headset (a Motorola). So I took it back to one of the Sprint stores and the sales guy plugged it in. I don't know what he did, but the light to show that it was charging came on like it was supposed to. And yes, it is still working now.
So have you ever bought something new and it didn't work? What was it?20 people like this
64 responses
@TessWhite (3146)
• United States
15 Jul 08
I don't know much about the bluetooth things. The last thing I bought was called MagicJack. You plug it into your computer, then plug in your phone. You pay 19.95 a year and you have unlimited phone service - even long distance. I was so excited to think of the hundreds I would save on phone service. Until I got the stupid thing. My area code wasn't on their list, so I had to choose another. So everyone local had to call long distance to get me. Dumb. Then it had static, and I'd get disconnected mid call on almost every call. I got so frustrated I mailed it back last week and requested a refund. I hope they get the bugs worked out in the future because not paying a phone company would be great!
4 people like this
@olivemai (4738)
• United States
15 Jul 08
Try Vonage, it does work much better than anything I ever had before! I did not have to buy anything, just pay a monthly fee, and have high speed internet connection! I have heard of people using the internet to make phone calls, but the only experience I hve is through Vonage!
3 people like this
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
16 Jul 08
Hi Tess! Have you tried Skype.
It's free live voice computer to computer
calls. The quality of voice call depends
on the quality of the headset you buy.
You can even call landlines from your computer
but that costs a little extra.
3 people like this
@TessWhite (3146)
• United States
16 Jul 08
No, I haven't tried that. I'll have to look into it. I've heard of it, but never researched it. Thanks for the idea. :)
3 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
15 Jul 08
Yes, just a couple weeks ago too! We bought a new eliptical trainer and when we put the batteries in the part that tells you what exercising your doing, and monitors your heartbeat wouldn't work. We went and bought the electric adapter and it worked fine after that. I didn't realize it ran on batteries when we bought it or I would have gotten the adapter to start with!
4 people like this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
26 Jul 08
Oh, I would not have been a happy camper! We did get the extended service contract so they would have had to come to the house and fix it, but that is not what I want in a brand new machine. It's working great!
2 people like this
@faith210 (11224)
• Philippines
15 Jul 08
Hi sacmom! That is really irritating when it happens. haha..I remember once, I bought this cordless microphone for our DVD and before I paid for it, it was tested and it was really working. However, when I came home, it was not working at all. I just took it back and they replaced it.
Take care and God Bless!
4 people like this
Take care and God Bless!
@underdogtoo (9579)
• Philippines
15 Jul 08
I cannot remember buying anything that didn't work but this is not so unusual at all since I rarely buy things. I am so poor now that I have not bought anything significant at all. I have however in the past, bought many things that didn't work and I never learn. I still bought things that didn't look well-made at all.
4 people like this
LOL Or at least by what I remember when we were kids. Our mom had bought a VCR player and my sister tried to get it to work. But she couldn't and gave up and had our mom return it. 
@yenwie84 (1344)
• Malaysia
15 Jul 08
So far in my memory, I could not recall back anything that I bought but it did not work. But if this happens to me, I will just forget about it if the thing is a cheap one. If the thing is expensive, I will go back to the shop then complain to the person in charge and get back my money or replace it back for me,lol.
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
26 Jul 08
So, what would you consider a cheap item? What do you consider an expensive one?
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
15 Jul 08
Hi sacmom,
I have not tried purchasing anything that didn't work out at first! And if ever I will, I will be doing same thing as you did!
I remember my Sister who bought a refrigerator and didn't work good when she got it home...She called up the place and they sent 2 people to check it and after doing some work, it was working good!
3 people like this
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
26 Jul 08
That's a good policy! Too bad I couldn't try it out before I bought it as 1) it was in a sealed packaged, and 2) I bought it online.
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
15 Jul 08
I got myself a wifi router,and I can't get the thing set up so that it'll work with the instructions that came along with it! they bear no relation to what I'm looking at in the windows setup /Device Manager/....very frustrating!
4 people like this
@okwusman1 (2247)
• Abuja, Nigeria
15 Jul 08
yes, there was a day i bought a cell phone precisely a nokia brand and it did not work, i tried all i could do to make it functional but it failed. what i did was to return it to where i purchased it and another was given to me but i added extra money. the second thing i had issues with was a wrist watch, when i bought it there was no problem but immediately i got home it started misbehaving and later stopped working and unfortunately i purchased it from a trade fair there was no way i could return it and that was how i lost my money.
3 people like this
@okwusman1 (2247)
• Abuja, Nigeria
23 Jul 08
they said the current item was more original than the previous one.
thanks
2 people like this
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
15 Jul 08
Yeah.. I did buy a travel charger when i was in bangkok and when i bring it back to my room, it does not work at all.. There's no light even to indicate that my phone is being charge.. So i went to change it and the next one i got was slightly better.. It charges my phone, but it's never full as it can keep charging and charging and never stops.. lol ^_^
3 people like this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
15 Jul 08
I bought a radio that didn't work, a toaster and a mixer. Then I found out I should pick a box from the end of the shelf because they usually come from near the middle and have sustained less damage. At the store, the items at the back of the shelf are the freshest, especially in the dairy.
Don't you hate it when something like that bluetooth makes a liar out of you?! 
3 people like this
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
25 Jul 08
It's funny, I did that once. I picked a telephone that was further back on the shelf. I don't think it was broken, but it was missing the cradle so I returned it and got another one. Just because it's further back doesn't mean it wasn't messed with, though I do understand what you are saying.
@Jody20 (887)
• Netherlands
15 Jul 08
Yes, i t happened to me two weeks ago. I bought a dvd-recorder i couldn't get to work, i couldn't get a tv signal. So on mondayafternoon i took it back to the store, the saleguy got it working. The sales guy said to me you just had to reset the dvd-recorder, i joked if you told me the was a reset button then i could have fixed it myself. There's no resetbutton he said, you just cut of the electricity, wait a minute or two and plug in again. I said i tried that but it didn't work, it worked now he said. So he packed up the dvd-recorder and i took it back home and it is working fine, the only thing i hate about it is the ventilationnoise it makes, it is really loud.
3 people like this
@dzedekski101 (92)
• United States
15 Jul 08
Sometimes, If you dont make sure that the cable snaps in correctly, or the cable is bent in such a way; Or simply the thing doesnt wanna charge/work. Go to the store, get your moneys worth and replace it. Its no use tamperin with it cuz it voids the warranty.
Replace it, thats in my humble opinion...
4 people like this
@jessieBee (1046)
• Trinidad And Tobago
22 Jul 08
well i don't know much about the bluetooth headset that you bought. but i once bought a iron in a electronic store but when i went home and plugged it in it wasn't working! i went back to the store and told them the iron is of no use to me and i would like to exchange it for a new one. the store manager went on to asking me all sorts of stupid questions. like did i drop the iron on the floor or did i plug it in, in the store to make sure it was working first before i left. my answer to all her question were no. so eventually she called the person who sold it to me and ordered that i get a new one.
i was relieved that the drilling was finally over, i then tested the iron in the store and that one was working so i thanked the manager and left.
@chertsy (3798)
• United States
1 Aug 08
That's my thing, if it requires you to plug something in. Why can't you test it in the store to see if it works before you waste time and gas to take it home to find out it's broken, to take it back to the store for a replacement. I wish stores would do this, that would have saved me so much in gas and my time. I wouldn't mind coming back to shop if they did this with their electrical items.
1 person likes this
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
2 Aug 08
It sure would save a lot of hassle, if we could do that, that's for sure!
@plumwish07 (4057)
• Indonesia
15 Jul 08
i think my experience about this matter was buying usb port, card reader and infra red dongle. it worked very well when i tried it in the store. but when i used it at my home, its just worked twice then suddenly couldn't work anymore. but the weird thing if i brought it back to the store, it seemed no problem in there
the only thing that i did just buy the new one and more carefully to pick it one
the only thing that i did just buy the new one and more carefully to pick it one
@senna9 (1666)
• Netherlands
15 Jul 08
two weeks ago i bought a new desktop a hp pavilion. because our laptop crashed after a year. so we thought to have a good one this time. we wanted to start it up and it says waight before start up, one minute to an hour. so we waited but nothing happened. so i got to the store and then i got a new one.
3 people like this
@lloydbelleza (1227)
• Philippines
15 Jul 08
The new mscbook I bought. It was all brand new but after we brought it home, we realized that the battery was not charging at all.
So I had to go back the other day to the store and they said that they will report it to the main office. I have to wait for three or more days. I hope after it, my macbook is in a good condition.
So I had to go back the other day to the store and they said that they will report it to the main office. I have to wait for three or more days. I hope after it, my macbook is in a good condition.3 people like this
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
25 Jul 08
That sucks that you had to wait. I wonder what kind of return policy they have at that store?
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
15 Jul 08
Yes, just last week I bought a digital photoframe for hubby. When we got it home, the software didn't run on Vista! This was not written on the outside of the package or even in the manual. We found out when we put the CD in and tried to install the software. Bummer.
But we kept the receipt and will take it back for4 a refund.
3 people like this
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
17 Jul 08
Wow, you would think that the OS would have been stated somewhere on the package. That really sucks that you had to go through the trouble just to find out it isn't even compatible. Good thing you kept the receipt!
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
15 Jul 08
yes we have, my mom bought a 21 inches tv 5 days ago. we were so excited to use it that time. while we were watching the volume of the tv suddenly went to 0 so we try to turn it off first. after that, the tv won't turn on lol so we go to the mall on where my mom bought it to have it exchanged. the other one was also the blender. it didn't last for a week so we decided to return it and to have it exchanged again
3 people like this
@magojordan (3252)
• Philippines
15 Jul 08
I remember my mother bought a hands free can opener. She was really impressed on how easy it opens cans. When she brought it home from the store and we actually tested it it didn't work one bit, so we have to use our trust y manual can opener again. She returned it to the store and they said that the problem is only the batteries. So my mother bought new batteries and sure it worked but when we tested it on a bigger can it just stopped.
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
17 Jul 08
So did she try to return it one last time? Or did she just throw the darn thing away?
