Why 95% of technology products are returned

I run into a lot of technical people that just don't understand Noobie's business plan. But that's mostly because they are technical and technical people tend to think it's absurd to pay anyone to teach them how to use technology. I always have to ask these people if they fix their own plumbing problems, wire their own electricity or replace their own water heater. Usually this gets my point across.

I recently read an article in my local newspaper that I may just need to keep tucked in my back pocket for the people that still don't believe me that there is a market for helping non-technical people (ie., noobies). The article was written by Christopher Lawton of the Wall Street Journal and it covers the growing problem with customers returning technology products to the store where they were purchased.

According to the article, "The U.S. electronics industry last year spent about $13.8 billion to rebox, restock and resell returned products." Here's the kicker. Only 5 percent of these returns were due to defective products. In fact, returning the product because it was defective wasn't even in the top three reasons for the returns. Instead, reasons such as "it's too confusing to use" or "it didn't meet my expectations" were cited.

I think this article proves that there is a tremendous desire for consumers to want to embrace technology but it is often followed by a major letdown when the consumer can't figure out how to use what they bought. This is precisely why I started Noobie, Inc. just over two years ago. So next time, you're struggling to figure out that new technology gadget you just bought, why not give Noobie a call? We might save you a trip through that long customer service line back at the store.