Declining a return for no apparent reason

I purchased a laptop from HomeChoice. When the laptop was collected (02 December 2025), I realised that it was not what I had been looking for. The following day, I repackaged it neatly in the original packaging and returned it to the HomeChoice store at Mams Mall (03 December 2025).

To my surprise, the store manager, Amanda, refused to accept the return, stating that the laptop could not be taken back because the box had been opened. This was confusing, as it is impossible to inspect the product to confirm it meets expectations without opening the packaging.

We returned to the store again today with my husband to seek further assistance, but the supervisor, Tumi, also refused the return, claiming the laptop was “unsealed”. The laptop is completely unused, undamaged, and fully repackaged; however, we were still denied a return based solely on the packaging being opened.

What was most disappointing is that the supervisor did not even have easy access to the store’s return policy. We had to guide him to where the policy could be found online and explain what it stated, but despite this, he maintained his refusal.

This experience has been frustrating and unprofessional. Customers should be allowed to return unused, undamaged products within the return period, even if the packaging has been opened for inspection. I expected better service and clearer knowledge of store policies from management staff.