How can you get your money back for a Hatchimal? While there’s been no Hatchimals recall as of 1/2/16, consumers do have several options to get money back for a Hatchimal. Shoppers who simply change their minds or don’t like the toys after all will have to follow the retailer’s policy where they bought the toy. However, owners of Hatchimals that were defective on day one have a legal right to get their money back regardless of store policy. Customers who meet with stubborn or difficult retailers in this case can force the issue easily, as we detail below.
Is There a Hatchimals Recall?
As of 1/2/16 there is no recall of Hatchimals. Unlike the hoverboard Christmas debacle of 2016, Hatchimals so far aren’t catching fire and endangering lives and property. Hoverboards posed a safety issue while Hatchimals so far threaten only disappointment. Even without a recall however, shoppers can still get their money back for a Hatchimal in various ways. The sections below detail how to get a refund for the toy in the event it doesn’t live up to expectations or is downright defective. In the consumer’s toolbox are retailer returns policies, legal rights and credit card company options.
Hatchimals: How to Get Your Money Back
The best way to get your money back for a Hatchimal depends on the exact situation. Since there’s been no recall of the furry toys, shoppers who simply don’t like them will have to follow store policies. Some retailers allow refunds and exchanges as much as a year after purchase, while others have a strict no-refunds rule. Further down in this article we’ve listed a few refunds policies from popular retailers.
Store policies aside, anyone who buys a defective product has a legal right to their money back in certain cases. We run through those cases in a later section in this post. In many cases, even the legal right may not be enough, since some retailers can be, shall we say, stubborn? In the case of a defective product and a store that refuses to tender a refund, shoppers still have other weapons they can use to get their money back for a Hatchimal or other non-working product.
- Has there been a Hatchimals recall? There has been no recall of Hatchimals, so that’s not an option to get your money back.
- If the Hatchimal is simply unsatisfying: Consumers who change their minds can get their money back for a Hatchimal depending on the retailer’s returns policy.
- For a damaged Hatchimal: Consumers have a legal right to their money back for products that don’t work from day one.
- If the store refuses to give money back for a defective Hatchimal: Credit cards can offer a means to force a refund in the case of a defective product.
Money Back for Changing Your Mind About a Hatchimal
Can you get your money back for a Hatchimal if you just changed your mind? Let’s say Dad bought a Hatchimal for junior. It performs as the manufacturer has promised, lighting up, breaking out of the shell, talking and walking. But the details are all far cheesier than they looked in the commercial and the child is unimpressed, leaving the toy aside after a lackluster half hour of play. Feeling cheated, Dad decides $59.99 was too much and decides to seek a refund. Is he entitled to one?
Refunds based on displeasure after the fact depend solely on store policy. There’s no law that says a retailer has to give money back just because a shopper decides the product wasn’t as good as it seemed before purchase. The absence of law doesn’t make a store return impossible, since many stores want to maintain good relations with customers. They know it costs them money to burn a bridge over a single product. For that reason, many stores offer grace periods of anywhere from 14 days after purchase to a full year or more. The section below shows some store policies for major sellers of Hatchimals. In the case of a defective product however, store policies don’t matter as much. That’s because the law overrides retailer policy when a product doesn’t work as promised.
Store Policies for Getting Money Back for Hatchimals
Anyone looking to get money back for a Hatchimal that isn’t defective should look to the store’s policy. The main stores that sold Hatchimals are listed below, along with their returns policies. For Hatchimals that arrived damaged or didn’t work right from the start, see the sections below.
- Amazon: Customers can get their money back for Hatchimals from Amazon within 30 days of purchase, even if there’s no defect. If the item isn’t defective shoppers pay the cost of return shipping.
- Walmart: Walmart stores and Walmart.com accept returns of all Hatchimals for 90 days after purchase, according to their returns policy page. Some items bought for the holidays have shorter return windows of January 10th or January 25th, 2017, but Hatchimals don’t appear to carry that shorter return window limitation. To be safe it’s a good idea to act before January 10th with all Walmart Hatchimal returns.
- Target: Target offers a full refund for 90 days after purchase on all products with some exceptions. To be safe it’s a good idea to return Hatchimals to Target as quickly as possible.
- Toys R Us: Toys R Us offers refunds on most items within 90 days of purchase. This includes Hatchimals.
- Shopko: Shopko will give money back for most items within 120 days of purchase, but the item must be in new condition. Electronics carry a shorter 30 day window. It’s not clear whether Hatchimals are considered electronics. It’s also not clear whether Shopko would disqualify a Hatchimal that has broken out of its shell as being in “new condition.”
- Kmart: Kmart has extended its returns policy on all items through the end of January 2017, including Hatchimals.
- Jet.com: Jet has a 30-day returns policy on most items. That appears to include Hatchimals.
Money Back for a Defective Hatchimal
Shoppers have a legal right to get their money back for a defective Hatchimal. As with any product, a purchase is a legal contract between the seller and the buyer. As long as the buyer is being up front about what’s being sold, the buyer must pay the money. However, a product that doesn’t work as promised from day one is defective. In that case the seller has breached the sales contract. When this happens, the buyer has a right to their money back.
Laws on returns of defective products vary by state, but in most cases shoppers have a right to demand their money back for any product that doesn’t work as advertised when first used due to defect or damage. This area of law covers all products and Hatchimals are no exception. In some cases, retailers may refuse to give money back to consumers. In this case shoppers have another way to get satisfaction. See the section below to learn about how credit card companies can help with reluctant retailers.
Before Returning a Defective Hatchimal, Try to Fix It
The video below shows a tip to fix a broken Hatchimal. The information in the video hasn’t been verified by the manufacturer. According to the video’s maker, this trick isn’t in the manual either. The video’s maker says he called the manufacturer and they told him to insert the plastic key in the bottom of the toy and turn it. He claims this action fixed his broken Hatchimal. While the video doesn’t show proof of this, several people commented that it fixed their problem. The video certainly offers something to try before demanding money back for a Hatchimal.
How to Get Money Back for a Hatchimal if the Store Refuses to Cooperate
What about when a Hatchimal is defective, but the retailer refuses to give the buyer’s money back? In that case, shoppers can turn to a credit card company. Disputing a charge on a credit card statement should be the last resort when it comes to getting a refund. Most often, the best way to handle things is to contact the retailer directly and either bring the item to them in person or ship it back to them. In cases where a retailer becomes stubborn in the face of a product that simply doesn’t work, a credit card charge dispute may be the only way to get money back.
Credit card charges can be disputed by account holders within 90 days of purchase. Let’s say Dad bought a Hatchimal on November 1st. On Christmas morning the newly opened toy failed to work at all. Dad brings the toy back to the retailer, but the guy behind the counter says it’s past the store’s 30 day returns window. Is Dad stuck with the broken toy?
Not Stuck
Dad isn’t stuck. He could threaten to sue the store, but both the store and Dad know he probably won’t do that. Instead of just eating the $59.99 purchase cost though, Dad can contact his credit card company and explain the situation.
In the case of a defective product and a retailer who refuses to offer a refund, credit card companies will investigate. If they find the consumer is telling the truth, they can initiate a chargeback. A chargeback takes the money back from the retailer and gives it to the shopper. For this to work, the customer has to have proof that the Hatchimal doesn’t work. Chargebacks can’t be used in a case of customer dissatisfaction.
Are Hatchimals Swearing?
There have been some complaints by parents that their child’s Hatchimal is using foul language. Several videos online purport to show a Hatchimal using a curse word over and over again. In watching this videos it’s difficult to say whether the sounds are curses or just nonsense syllables. That’s not to say things don’t sound very different in person, but the manufacturer insists Hatchimals talk in their own language and do not swear.
There is at least one video on YouTube that shows a Hatchimal flapping its wings with an obvious overdub of a man swearing like a sailor. This video is a fake and is intended as humor only.
Anyone wanting their money back for a Hatchimal because they think it’s swearing will most likely have to rely on store policy. Failing that, the only way to get a refund for this alleged defect would most likely be to prove it in court.