Before you buy anything from Pricebreak.com learn from my mistake and first read their return policy for DEFECTIVE products: You may be astounded to learn that they will charge you a very steep “return fee” PLUS you pay all shipping costs... for returning a defective product!

Even thought the product was defective out of the box and returned to Pricebreak immediately, Pricebreak.com demands I pay them $54.59 as a “return fee” for sending back a defective $309 Garmin GPS device I bought off their website. Worse than that: It has been almost 2 ½ months since I returned the product and I still have received no refund at all, just a lot of stalling tactics and chicanery.

Here are the facts:

I placed order PKB6333005E on Dec. 9, 2009 for a Garmin Nuvi 885T GPS. The total cost (incl. tax and shipping) was $309.99. I paid by Visa check card.

The product arrived Dec. 18th, a Friday.

Busy, I waited to open the package until the evening of Monday, Dec. 21st Within 60 minutes the screen had frozen several times requiring the unit to be turned off and then turned back on to resume operation. The Garmin also shut itself off without warning, requiring a manual re-start to continue. In short: it didn’t work.

Now the chronology of events to date:

12-21-09:
A) I opened the package, charged the unit and tested it, finding it to be defective.
B) I called PriceBreak.com Customer Service that evening (Dec. 21st) and was instructed to send the Garmin back by UPS with the Return Merchandise Authorization number I was given by Customer Service (the RMA number turns out to simply be the order number with RMA added to the front of the order number).

12-22-09:
I sent the unit back to PriceBreak.com the next day as instructed, at my cost (approx $10.00)

01-10-10:
I emailed PriceBreak.com asking about my refund, but got no response.

02-06-10:
I again emailed Pricebreak.com, demanding a response and promising to start filing complaints if I did not hear from them.

02-07-10:
I received an email that appeared to be a refund receipt for the Garmin unit. The refund notice contained a line item charge made against the total for $54.50 in “Return Fees”. It is in fact an invoice they seem to expect me to pay, apparently before they “refund” my original payment..

02-10-10:
A) I emailed Pricebreak.com and notified them that I was unwilling to accept a $54.50 chargeback in addition to my out-of-pocket shipping costs in order to return a defective product within 2 business days of receiving it.

B) “Arthur Gwynne” of PriceBreak.com responded to my email with one of his own back to me email stating that PriceBreak.com has a policy of charging some 20% of product cost in “Return Fees” for returning a defective product as noted in FAQ section of their website.

C) I responded to Mr. Gwynne by email stating that was not acceptable and demanded a full refund.

3-1-10:
As of today, PriceBreak.com has not refunded ANY of my money. They seem intent on stealing all $309.99.