I bought the Pro-optic 8x42 and had to send it back because it was out of collimation and had a broken eye cup. My first impression was negative because of that - and it made me suspicious when it turned out that the serial number was number 1.
Not only did I have to pay for shipping to me (around $15) but I had to pay for shipping to return it.
They should have checked the bins before they shipped it because there was no shipping damage when it was shipped to me.
I tried to leave a comment about this on their site but it appears it was refused.
When you drive to a local store to buy something and later return it, is it normal to expect them to reimburse you for gas/time too?
And if a dealer opened the box to check the item prior to shipping and could not repackage them "as new" would you not think they sold you a used item? FYI, many countries/states/localities have laws that prohibit sale of open packages as "new" goods.
It seems unfair to hold a online or mailorder store to a different standard than your local retailers. And just because some retailers choose to offer VERY LIBERAL return policies does not mean those that do not deserve to criticized.
Not to say that sending you a broken binocular is OK, but unless they state differently in their sales/return policies, shipping cost reimbursement should assumed to be discretionary.
In Japan, dealers are only required to replace/exchange/refund defective new goods within 10 business days of purchase. After that, you deal with the manufacture for service/repair under its warranty.
You are quite right to feel cheated & you are quite right to post about it here, where the bad publicity might cost Adorama some sales. As a result of your post, I for one will think twice about buying anything from them.