Returning Your DVD Camcorder

As mentioned in our DVD camcorder article, if you have purchased a DVD camcorder you will soon discover that you can't easily edit the footage. Our advice is to return the camera and demand a refund or exchange.

If you are lucky your supplier will oblige without a fight but it pays to be prepared for resistance.

The most important thing is to have an argument ready — ideally you should have legal grounds for demanding a refund if it comes to debating the law. Whether you have a legal case will depend on the law in your jurisdiction but most developed countries have some form of consumer protection laws so hopefully you can find a specific law which suits your situation.

For example; in New Zealand we have a law which states that goods must be suitable for the intended use, assuming that the intended use is not out of the ordinary. If the product turns out to be unsuitable for this purpose, the vendor must offer a full refund.

Editing footage has become a common activity in home video, in fact there's a good chance that the company which made your camcorder also sells and promotes editing solutions for the home video market. Therefore it should be easy to convince any court that you had the right to think a home video camera should produce editable footage.

One more thing... big companies do take notice of feedback if they get enough of it saying the same thing. If you feel that you have been mucked around by the DVD camcorder situation, contact the manufacturer and complain.