[maniz]

I just had a bizarre disagreement with someone regarding the interpretation of a simple statement. Let me know what you think:

You order an item online and it doesn't ship for a week. You get fed-up and ask to cancel. The manufacturer (who is also the shipper) then tells you there would be a 30% restocking fee for cancellation. It is nonsensical since this isn't a return; the item never shipped, but that is besides the point. This info is just to set the stage so you'd understand the backstory. The issue is with what happens next:

You are talking to someone who is aware of this scenario and agrees the fee makes no sense. You say to him, "I hope they don't ship it today just to charge the fee".

Would that someone you say the above sentence to, be right in interpreting your statement as "yeah go ahead and charge the fee"?

To you, the customer, the above comment is stating the opposite. You disagree with the restocking fee and are simply stating you hope the manufacturer doesn't hurry up and ship it ASAP just to deliberately turn it into a return and justify the fee.

Don't blame me if you've read thus far. I warned you from the start it was bizarre

Share your thoughts on the interpretation of the above comment.

[IllSic_Design]

Originally Posted by maniz

To you, the customer, the above comment is stating the opposite. You disagree with the restocking fee and are simply stating you hope the manufacturer doesn't hurry up and ship it ASAP just to deliberately turn it into a return and justify the fee.

This is how I, and anyone with any common sense/intelligence I would think, would understand it.

[maniz]

Originally Posted by IllSic_Design

This is how I, and anyone with any common sense/intelligence I would think, would understand it.

Thank you. That's why this has been so bizarre to me. I don't know how anyone could misinterpret it as being the opposite.

[Emilime75]

I don't see how that statement would lead someone to think it meant anything other than what was said. It's no longer an opinion, or debate, on whether the fee is fair and/or justified. All it's saying is that I don't want to pay the fee.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by IllSic_Design

This is how I, and anyone with any common sense/intelligence I would think, would understand it.

x2.

Sounds like OP is debating with their spouse. This is the kind of stupid shit I argue about with my wife about but usually it is the opposite, as in she says something that makes sense to her but means the opposite to the rest of the world. I have gotten better at deciphering the code but not always.

[Mingwan]

Originally Posted by maniz

I just had a bizarre disagreement with someone regarding the interpretation of a simple statement. Let me know what you think:

You order an item online and it doesn't ship for a week. You get fed-up and ask to cancel. The manufacturer (who is also the shipper) then tells you there would be a 30% restocking fee for cancellation. It is nonsensical since this isn't a return; the item never shipped, but that is besides the point. This info is just to set the stage so you'd understand the backstory. The issue is with what happens next:

You are talking to someone who is aware of this scenario and agrees the fee makes no sense. You say to him, "I hope they don't ship it today just to charge the fee".

Would that someone you say the above sentence to, be right in interpreting your statement as "yeah go ahead and charge the fee"?

To you, the customer, the above comment is stating the opposite. You disagree with the restocking fee and are simply stating you hope the manufacturer doesn't hurry up and ship it ASAP just to deliberately turn it into a return and justify the fee.

Don't blame me if you've read thus far. I warned you from the start it was bizarre

Share your thoughts on the interpretation of the above comment.

Here are my thoughts:

[maniz]

LoL. My facial expression was quite similar when I read that interpretation (the back-and-forth communication was all over text).

[WingZeroX5]

Originally Posted by maniz

I just had a bizarre disagreement with someone regarding the interpretation of a simple statement. Let me know what you think:

You order an item online and it doesn't ship for a week. You get fed-up and ask to cancel. The manufacturer (who is also the shipper) then tells you there would be a 30% restocking fee for cancellation. It is nonsensical since this isn't a return; the item never shipped, but that is besides the point. This info is just to set the stage so you'd understand the backstory. The issue is with what happens next:

You are talking to someone who is aware of this scenario and agrees the fee makes no sense. You say to him, "I hope they don't ship it today just to charge the fee".

Would that someone you say the above sentence to, be right in interpreting your statement as "yeah go ahead and charge the fee"?

While i agree with most that it's nonsense to charge a fee to something that was never shipped / left the facility, I think that statement alone is designed to take advantage of the customer and milk them for more money.

If that's their policy, to charge a % restocking fee for CANCELLATION, then yes, it is right. If it's restocking fee for returns, then no.

[maniz]

Originally Posted by WingZeroX5

While i agree with most that it's nonsense to charge a fee to something that was never shipped / left the facility, I think that statement alone is designed to take advantage of the customer and milk them for more money.

If that's their policy, to charge a % restocking fee for CANCELLATION, then yes, it is right. If it's restocking fee for returns, then no.

I understand, but as I said the mention of the restocking fee was only to help you guys understand the backstory. My question isn't about whether the charge itself is fair; that's another discussion altogether. It is about the misinterpretation of a sentence that had seemed simple enough to me when I said it.

And I just realized I need to correct a misstatement. I had actually texted the other party, "Please tell them [the manufacturer] they better NOT ship them [the items] today just to charge the fee."

There were several texts prior to this where both myself and the party stated the fee was bogus, so my intent was clear regardless.

The other party took the above quoted sentence to mean I agree with the restocking fee and that the manufacturer should cancel the order and charge me the restocking fee. I was flabbergasted when they mentioned it and re-read my text several times to see how it could be interpreted any other way than what it directly said. I couldn't see how so I thought to ask a neutral group.

Thanks for your thoughts, BTW.

[TomHudson]

The person you’re talking to is an idiot.
His manager would see it your way.

[maniz]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

x2.

Sounds like OP is debating with their spouse. This is the kind of stupid shit I argue about with my wife about but usually it is the opposite, as in she says something that makes sense to her but means the opposite to the rest of the world. I have gotten better at deciphering the code but not always.

LoL. Actually, my wife and I argue about this kind of stuff too, but this is with an unrelated 3rd party. I know my thread is clear as mud but I am careful not to make it too specific.

[WingZeroX5]

if all else fails, let your credit card take care of it lol

[maniz]

Originally Posted by TomHudson

The person you’re talking to is an idiot.
His manager would see it your way.

I knows he means well. He probably read it too quickly and rearranged the punctuation plus skipped some words in his mind to make it say something like, "Tell them they better not ship it today. Charge the fee." I know I've been guilty of that in the past myself, but I always own up to it once I carefully re-read something. This person was adamant despite 4-5 explanations from me and just kept repeating that my approval were pretty clear to him in that sentence and he did not misinterpret anything. That it is essentially my fault.

Oh well. Thanks for sharing.

[PINeely]

The person you're dealing with knew exactly what you meant, they're just trying to muddy it for an extra buck. Call their bluff. Tell them you will report the fee as an unauthorized charge then stop communication. If fee is charged, report it to your CC and let them handle it.

[No one]

It's a very typical cheater's trick to make you lose the line by most obvious nonsense in order to take advantage of your hesitation.

IMHO: (mis-)interpretation is neither excuse nor advantage. Everyone is free to interpret and stand by.

[vinylengraver]

This is how they read it:
"Please tell them [the manufacturer] they better NOT ship them [the items] today. Just do charge the fee."

One dot and one consonant do make a big difference. If you were talking on the phone, I can see how they could misheard it.
If this was via text, it's a different story

[Mike.]

i think a duel is the only way to settle this

[rlmesq]

Ask a lawyer to decide. The one who pays the most is correct.

[No one]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

Sounds like OP is debating with their spouse. This is the kind of stupid shit I argue about with my wife about but usually it is the opposite, as in she says something that makes sense to her but means the opposite to the rest of the world. I have gotten better at deciphering the code but not always.

Is there any chance you got it wrong when she accepted your proposal?

[EJT86]

Although I like the duel idea to settle it I’m inclined to think the best way to settle it is to take it to the streets for a dance off!

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by No one

Is there any chance you got it wrong when she accepted your proposal?

I don’t think so but it was 18 years ago so maybe I misremember.

[1MOREMOD]

Or you could forsee there actions and say insure hope you don't ship it today so they do exactly that and they send your product faster than they otherwise would and you don't return, you tricked them and got what you want.