Thrift Store Policy

This page is meant to be the verbose collection of all Thrift Store policies. Please look at the current transclusive structure in the markup. Policies do not actually live on this page. They should have their own pages.

Approval

• Body that set the policy(s) on [lists.freegeek_meeting_Minutes Date Adopted].

General Conduct Guidelines

The Free Geek Community Technology Center is a community organization that survives on volunteer and member service hours. Without these individuals, the program will not function. Many different people from many different backgrounds are participating. For everyone to get along and for the experience to be rewarding for all involved, everyone needs to respect each other.

The following behaviors are considered unacceptable and will result in your dismissal from the program:

• Taking parts and/or equipment that you have not earned through your service hours. This constitutes stealing and will not be tolerated.
• Entering hours into your account that you have not worked.
• Threatening, or otherwise verbally or physically intimidating staff, volunteers, members or anyone else.
• Use of racist, sexist and/or homophobic language.

Discount Policy

Staff/Volunteers

Free Geek offers a twenty percent (20%) discount on all purchases made in the Free Geek Thrift Store to current, paid workers and to volunteers who have logged at least three hours in the past thirty (30) days.

Volunteer hours must have been logged in the database at the time of the purchase. Discounts cannot be combined or applied retroactively.

People's Coop

A People's Food Coop members is entitled to a 20% discount when s/he presents his or her membership card.

A Better Cycle

There are 6 workers from ABC currently eligible for a 20% discount in the store. They all have been issued cards to present at the time of sale. Their names are recorded on talon at file:///usr/local/store/ABC-employees

KBOO

Historically, current kboo members received a "friend" discount. This was changed to a coupon run in their newsletter. This newsletter is now discontinued, so this discount is but a fond memory. However, KBOO staff (engineers) are still given a discount on purchases they make in the service of KBOO.

Grant Recipients

Currently, there is a general idea that grant recipients who find something in the store that we cannot grant them (e.g. big LCD monitors, or a quantity of monitors/laptops), they may purchase them with a 20% discount. Current procedure is for the representative of the organization to be brought over by their grant shepherd. The sale is made out to the organization, and the friend discount is manually turned on.

Return Policy

• Items sold "As-Is" will be labeled as such on the sales receipt. As-Is items cannot be exchanged or returned for any reason.

• Most items in the store are returnable for a period of 14 calendar days from the date of purchase for in-store credit. In order to return an item, you must present your receipt at the time of return. The item must have original stickers attached, and must be returned in the same condition as originally sold. We do not offer refunds for any reason. In some circumstances, we do provide in-store credit, which is valid for a period of one year from the date of issue. We cannot provide duplicate copies of store credits; if you lose a store credit, you are out of luck.
• LCD monitors may be returned for a period of 30 calendar days from the date of purchase for in-store credit.

System Warranties

We have a few flavors of warranties for the systems we sell.

Things have gotten necessarily complex, and this is meant to be a place to clearly define the terms and conditions for all the systems we sell.

Restocking Fee

Warrantied computers sold in the Free Geek Thrift Store are subject to the terms and conditions detailed in the document titled Warranty and Tech Support Sheet found on this page: Store Docs.

Systems that are returned for reasons that fall outside of this warranty may be subject to a 20% restocking fee according to the discretion of Free Geek staff. This fee will be taken off of the amount of credit given for an exchanged system. For example, if a $200 system was returned and subject to this fee the actual credit given would be $160. Guidelines for when the restocking fee applies:

• System is returned for aesthetic reasons - including but not limited to: dissatisfaction with the color, size, weight, general outward appearance of the computer.

• System is returned because it has a quality that was already know to the customer - including but not limited to: the hardware installed, hardware failures. For example, a laptop may be sold that has a 30 minute battery life. The customer decides after purchasing it that this is too little.

• The issue is repairable (including fixable by reinstalling the Ubuntu operating system) .

• Issues arising under other operating systems not supported by Tech Support e.g. Windows, or stemming form their installation. In the case of Apple PPC systems sold without an operating system, this includes machines returned because the owner was unable to locate or install an operating system.

• The customer simply changes his/her mind.

This list is meant as a guide for Tech Support and Thrift Store staff. Each area reserves the right to charge a 20% restocking fee at their discretion, and for reasons which are not listed here, but will be explained to the customer at time of exchange.

Tech Support

           Free Geek Tech Support Open Hours: TUESDAY thru SATURDAY 12:00 - 5:45
           Phone Number:                      (503) 232-9350 (option 6)
           E-mail                             support@freegeek.org 

Coverage Policy

• We provide free technical support on systems during the stipulated warranty period, provided that the original operating system (Xubuntu 12.04 or Ubuntu 10.04*) is still installed; and no major changes to the hardware have been made, Store bought systems are warrantied for 6 months (this does not apply to servers, non-Intel Macs, XBMC and Gaming Rigs - all of which are not covered by Tech Support).
• After the original warranty period has elapsed, items will be supported on a pay-as-you-go basis for $10 an issue for 1 year - replacement hardware costs are extra. We can only help solve your tech support issues if the original operating system that came with your machine is still installed. Any systems which fall outside of the times listed above beyond this will be dealt with only at our discretion.
• We reserve the right to refuse to work on a system.
• Software support extends only to the original software installed on the machine during the supported lifetime as determined by the upstream distribution (Ubuntu). Once this has reached its end of life, an upgrade will be necessary to continue receiving support. We can not guarantee the correct operation of this on machines outside the warranty period.
• We can not extend support to software you have installed outside of the official channels i.e. the Ubuntu Software Center. We will make our best efforts for software installed via the software center but can not provide instruction on its use.
• Ubuntu 10.04 is no longer officially supported. As a result, we will not provide tech support on computers running this version. Until further notice we will provide a free in-shop upgrade to the latest Free Geek issued, long term support release (Xubuntu 12.04)
• Free Geek reserves the right to deny support to customers who abuse the tech support privileges

• Free Geek tech support is available from Noon to 5.45 PM, Tuesday through Saturday.
• To receive tech support, be sure your computer is covered by our policy above, and do one of the following:
  • Call the number listed above. If your call is not answered (you've called outside of Tech Support hours, or the technicians are busy helping other customers) please leave a message with your name, phone number, and a short description of your problem.
  • Send an email to support@freegeek.org Be sure to include contact information and a short description of the problems you’re experiencing.
  • Stop in! We’d be happy to help you in person during Tech Support's open hours. You can also drop off your system at the Front Desk during Free Geek's open hours (Tuesday through Saturday, 10-6), provided that it is covered by our Tech Support policy.
  • We can not provide tech support outside of Free Geek except by phone or email.

Holds Policy

Sorry, but no. We don't take partial payment for anything. We take cash, and Mastercard and Visa with a $5 minimum. We do not accept checks. In general we do not make exceptions to this rule. In some extreme cases an individual staff member or volunteer may decide to set something aside while a customer runs to get cash from the bank. In this case, the item will be placed in the designated area for holds, with a note regarding who will be coming back for it and when. If the customer does not return for the item within the time frame they originally noted (e.g. one hour) it will be placed back on the shelf for sale.

Stream Fishing

Free Geek allows limited stream fishing when it supports greater reuse of donated materials. Different departments/areas are free to set their own policies for what/how items are to be sold, if at all. If paid staff authorizes an item "from the back" to be sold, he or she may only do so by bringing the item to the Thrift Store with a Stream-Fishing Form (available at the Donor Desk), complete with staff signature, the name of the purchaser, date and time, and proposed length of time the item should be put on hold. Items may not be available for immediate purchase and Store staff may impose alternate arrangements for storage or pickup. Volunteers forfeit their 20% discount when they stream fish and all items will be priced by Store staff.

Paid staff will direct the purchaser to enter the store through the front door to purchase the item(s). No person may fill a stream-fishing form for an item that he/she intends to purchase. Final sale prices and terms must be approved by a manager or supervisor.