This article and its answers is directed to our Dealers and any DIY customers. This article does not apply to retail customers where one of our dealers is doing the job for you.
What happens when I order the wrong security screen from Starline Security? What if I’ve ordered them and I discover I’ve made a mistake with the size, shape, type or colour? Can I return the screen to Starline Security for any type of credit?
The short answer to this question is no, you can’t send a product back to us for credit. Unfortunately security screens can’t be wrapped back up in a box and returned to us, primarily because they can’t be resold to someone else as a new product. There are several reasons for this, and we are going to talk through each of them in this article.
Custom Made Screens
Firstly, every security screen that comes from Starline Security is custom made to the exact specifications you ordered them at in our online Ordering Portal. We tailor our products to match whatever details are given to us when you create your order through our 100% online portal. From there, we manufacture to these specifications – from the sizes to the colours to the lock heights you have entered. Every item is customised to match your needs, which makes it impossible to resell those same products to a different customer.
Labour Costs
Furthermore, there is a large labour cost that would come from re-making the products even if they were returned to us. The act of pulling it apart, storing it, and putting it back together would account for a huge portion of the total cost of the product, so at Starline Security, we see little value in attempting to do this.
Freight Expenses
One of the biggest reasons we don’t take back screens has to do with freight expenses and logistics. As a wholesale business selling and distributing our products to dealers all around Australia, we subsidise the outbound freight cost to our dealers by a significant amount. But we are not prepared to do the same for return freight charges.
Ugly Freight. Security screens and doors are custom made to large and different sizes. In the freight industry, unusual and larger sized items are called “ugly freight”. This isn’t to say that the products are visually displeasing, only that their unique sizings means they don’t fit neatly within regular pallets. This further increases the logistical costs.
New vs Second-hand Products
However, even if we could get around the previous reasons why we can’t accept returns this reason is the final nail in this issue’s coffin.
Starline Security doesn’t take back screens which have been incorrectly ordered because we cannot sell second-hand goods as new. We consider all our products to be second-hand as soon as we deliver them to one of our qualified dealers. Any scuffs, scratches or other damage that may potentially occur at a dealers premises through loading, unloading, attempting to install and then returning that screen to the dealers premises renders that screen second hand. Add onto that any damage that may occur on the return freight journey and we can’t resell that product as a “new” screen to another dealer now can we? Would you be happy if your new screen we supplied to you was made up from parts pulled apart from other dealers’ mistakes? Yes/No? I don’t think so.
We hope this article has cleared up any questions surrounding dealers or DIY customers returning products for credit that don’t comply with your home’s requirements. Or to put it rather bluntly, when you’ve stuffed up your order you can’t send it back for credit. Sorry. Starline Security will always strive to make the best products that match the details provided to us by you via our online Ordering Portal.
Our friendly team is always excited to talk about any questions regarding our security screens and their installation. Give us a call on 07 3272 2974.
