Damaged Item, Refunded but warned never again
I recently purchased a Denon turntable under the Standard plan to replace my modern unit which was passed on to a friend just getting into vinyl. This table was listed as tested for full funtionality by the seller, not a "junk", "for parts", "untested, so good luck to you" -type auction.
Upon arrival I saw a fairly large gash in the box and immediately had a bad feeling. Removing the (admittedly extensive) packaging showed a gap between the two expanding foam pieces where something very hard had struck the corner of the front metal bezel and veneered wood underneath, causing significant damage. I contacted support and made a refund claim. About two weeks later I was awarded a full refund (including shipping fees), however they also noted this verdict was "an exception" and that a refund for a similar situation would not be honored in the future. When I asked why that was, I got a regurgitated message with no explanation other than a vague list of excluded item categories. The message stated:
"Regarding your inquiry about our plans coverage, please kindly understand that if an item is listed with any of the indicated tags or categories, we would not be able to compensate since the quality or condition of the item cannot be guaranteed. This would also apply to items listed with terms such as Retro items (レトロ品) or Vintage items (ビンテージ品). Therefore, in order to make sure that the item will be eligible for compensation in case of damage during shipping, we strongly recommend that you confirm the item description in detail."
Mind you, "retro" nor "vintage" were mentioned anywhere in the listing, and I am making a refund claim not for mechanical fault/failure, but for a significant amount of damage inccured due to poor shipping. I understand they don't guarantee functionality - I wouldn't expect them to as a simple proxy. I won't waste my time trying to get more of an explanation from support, but be aware, the standard protection plan seems quite loose in what it will and won't cover, and you might be left in the lurch if something goes awry with shipping, especially when purchasing something they can deem as "retro" or "vintage".