How can Logictech sell referb Harmony remotes when they don't ask that the defective one be sent back :eek::confused:???

I had a problem with my Harmony remote when the screen just started having thin lines running from the top to bottom of the screen and the title was lower than it's supposed to be. It's covering the battery icon and time display. Logitech sent me this:
Thank you for your recent inquiry about your Harmony Universal Remote.

We do not require you to return the original remote. remote was shipped to this address:

Where are these referb remotes coming form and who is doing the referbing? :confused::

I've heard that when they send you a new remote, they block the serial number of the old one, which can no longer be updated with the software.

Which refurbs are you talking about, anyway?

What makes you assume they are sending you a refurb?

If they are not asking end users to ship back defective remotes the only other place a refurb could come (if they are actually send you a refurbished unit) from is dealers like BestBuy who get them returned to store locations.

I just got off the phone with Logitech asking how much they sell refurbished remotes for, and they told me that they don't sell them, nor does Logitech even refurbish remotes. They said that you can find refurbished remotes on Amazon, ebay, etc. but that it must be some 3rd party that is doing the refurbishing. They also said that the refurbished remotes aren't supposed to be under warranty any longer. So the real riddle is this...How are all these refurbished remotes ending up online, who is doing the refurbishing, and how in the world are they getting their hands on this many remotes to even fix?!

that is a good point that the referb could be remotes returned to the store but who is checking that they are working? People on here have said they bought referb remotes so who is warranting them? Now i wonder just how much it cost them to make one of these if they can send replacements with out returns. I guess it's the new throw away mentality, LCD and Plasma TVs are throw away, keyboards & mice. I guess it cost less to replace them than pay techs to repair team. TV repair shops can't really be found anymore and stuff cost so little now why bother fixing anything.

It costs them less to just ship you a replacement. The product probably costs them $10 to make so a replacement costs them $10+shipping vs. $25 an hour X a building full of technicians. After you add up 2 hours labor, shipping & parts your getting really close to $100.00.

Interesting. I bought a refurb Harmony remote on Woot! 2 years ago that was no good. It was an 880 IIRC. I returned it to Woot right away. As I recall from the discussion thread many, if not most, were returned because of this.

Woot Refurb 880 thread from July 2007 (http://www.woot.com/Forums/ViewPost.aspx?PostID=1450299)

Perhaps this was a lesson for Logitech?

Ended up getting a 670 new at Amazon and like the design better to boot.

I got my replacment remote today and it's a refurb. It even came in a plan brown box with the words Harmony refurb right on the box. It said on the paper in side
logitech inc
c/o new breed logistics
8640 nail road
suite 100
olive branch, ms 38654

1 remote control harmony 880 refurb

I got my replacment remote today and it's a refurb. It even came in a plan brown box with the words Harmony refurb right on the box. It said on the paper in side
logitech inc
c/o new breed logistics
8640 nail road
suite 100
olive branch, ms 38654

1 remote control harmony 880 refurb

I wonder if these are remotes that didnt pass Quality Control the first time around and then got sent back for repair or reprogramming.

At least they replaced it for you.

Hooked it up and did programing/Firm wear upgrade and everything is fine. Haven't pressed all the buttons but the one i have are OK and so is the screen

I wonder if these are remotes that didnt pass Quality Control the first time around and then got sent back for repair or reprogramming. ...
Could it be that the Logitech Tech performs a mental triage while on the phone with the customer? Based on the symptom described, the Tech decides whether to require return of the defective one. Shattered screen, no return. Premature battery failure while under warranty? Either ship new battery and trash the old one. (OK, recycle not trash. :) ) OR return remote and ship new replacement.

I think that because one post says no return was required does not mean that is the absolute policy.

Anything is possible. Your theory sounds pretty good.

What? Are you saying that one persons forum post doesnt = gospel? :)

My remote still works it was just the screen screwup which I'm sure could be easily fixed if they wanted the defective remote back. The plan brown box says on the bottom refurbished by logitech and to now everything they had to replace under warranty has been in a retail box. No one else on here has ever had to have a Harmony remote replaced under warranty? what happened to them?

I have had a few customers and friends get warranty replacements from Logitech and the only rule seems to be that there are no rules. I have seen replacements of white-box units and brand new retail boxes. I have seen Logitech send a prepaid return label to get back a defective 550 but then tell another person to not bother sending back his 688 (a top model at the time) and they'll just send a new one. It's interesting...