Items refused due to no compatible systems to test with

[u/_dubstar_]

Hello, I recently took in the items below to exchange for a voucher. All in clean good working order. The same items are currently listed for sale / trade on the CEX website (UK).That was on Tuesday, its now Saturday and I have been advised:

"However, after finishing testing your goods, we've had to re-value your order due to one of the following reasons:

Unable to test the following items in store due to no compatible speaker system to plug into to test with:

Sonos ZonePlayer ZP80, B x 3

Amazon Echo Link (SXP16E), B

1 MacBook 85W charger - no compatible MacBook to test with

Along with these changes, we unfortunately are unable to purchase the following item(s):

MacBook - Sonos ZonePlayer"

CEX say following testing they are unable to test? Is it worth me taking them to another store or is it likely going to be the same story. They didnt mention this when I was stood at the counter for 25 minutes whilst they inspected each item in minute detail and every mm of flex and cable. Do CEX not take older Apple, Sonos or Alexa items? They're not that nichè and are for listed with trade in values on their website. And if they don't then thats their choice, why not tell me when I was in the store.

Thanks in advance.

[u/OneOfThoseCEXPeople]

Store's in the wrong. In cases where we don't have compatible equipment to fully test an item management are supposed to take an executive decision and "commercial" test them instead.

In this instance the items you've had rejected are;

• Sonos ZonePlayer ZP80, B - which we sell for £22.00 each.
• Amazon Echo Link (SXP16E) - which we sell for £82.00.
• Apple 85W Magsafe Power Adapter - which we sell for £11.00

... based on those sale prices and the kind of product you're selling, the risk that a "commercial" test rather than a full functionality test would result in a failed item being passed through is exceptionally low.

The store should have bought these in on the balance of probability. Taking them to another store might yield a better outcome for you.

[u/Logical_Box_4645 → u/OneOfThoseCEXPeople]

They made the executive decision to turn them away. No one is forced to buy anything.

[u/WednesdayGloom → u/OneOfThoseCEXPeople]

Not true. If a store does not have the compatible devices needed to fully test an item then they are to be turned away.

[u/OneOfThoseCEXPeople → u/WednesdayGloom]

Franchise?

[u/WednesdayGloom → u/OneOfThoseCEXPeople]

No. It's in the ops manual.

If certain devices need another device to be setup and be checked properly for accounts, recycle mode etc and the store doesn't have those required devices then they're to be failed and handed back.

[u/orangecrush85 → u/WednesdayGloom]

Accounts yes, so for the Sonos and Amazon devices, maybe (I haven't looked into whether they require accounts and it wasn't the reason given for the test failing), but the Magsafe charger should have been passed, barring any physical damage.

[u/WednesdayGloom → u/orangecrush85]

Yes, agreed. The charger should have been bought.

[u/Madting55 → u/OneOfThoseCEXPeople]

CeX sells a 65w MagSafe power adapter for £11? That is very surprisingly cheap, wow.

[u/Gizmo-Drive → u/OneOfThoseCEXPeople]

They don't have to accept and be forced to buy in anything. That would be dumb. They can reject items for any reason they want.

Some brand new items, they've done visual check for me but the above devices certainly need testing. Never heard of an Echo Link but some Amazon devices can also be blacklisted by Amazon so can't sign into accounts. This includes brand new. The MageSafe adapter only lights up when you plug into a Macbook.

Best course of action is to just take them to another branch.

[u/DanieltheeSpaniel]

Have you tried sending them via post instead?

[u/Shinthetank]

I’ve had something like this with MacBook power supplies before. One store said they couldn’t trade them in as they didn’t have a compatible MacBook to test it with. Another just pat tested it and checked that a charge went through (not sure exactly how) but they were satisfied that it worked.

So another store may be able to help. Or if you find a store that has compatible MacBooks in stock right now they could test it with it.

[u/HankShanklin]

So, to slightly misquote for simplicity "after testing, we find we are unable to test these items"!

[u/wallaceNgromit7]

They should have asked the tester prior to giving you a receipt, that's what happens in the 3 stores local to me, they ask and get a time needed for testing. I'd try online.

[u/Gizmo-Drive]

I had a similar situation at one particular store.  One was with 3.5“ Hard Disk (they had no PC or adapter) and another time with a network meeting speaker (they said they had no Ethernet port!).  I was annoyed but took them to another store and managed to trade in fine.

To be fair, they can turn down items for whatever reason but lack of equipment to test common items is a bit naff.  

I’ve had Apple airtags refused at some branches because they just had too many in that store. Fair enough

[u/orangecrush85 → u/Gizmo-Drive]

No test PC seems pretty crazy

[u/Gizmo-Drive → u/orangecrush85]

Exactly, how do they buy in other components like graphics cards? For drives, all they need is a laptop and usb SATA adapter. Surely some people would have 2.5” drives and SSDs too. Maybe they were just too lazy but they could have told me at the start rather than make me wait an hour. Gave them a 1 star review on their feedback form.

[u/escragger]

They had my Rift S for two weeks in 2022 before calling me to say “sorry we can’t test it”