Thursday, July 17, 2008

Huh? Wha. . .?

Our photos from Greece arrived yesterday. Between my husband and me, we took almost 800 photos of our trip to Greece. I had downloaded them all, done some cropping--you know, getting rid of that awkward head that popped into the photo at the last minute--and then uploaded the best of the best (from both of our photo sets) to Kodak Gallery. I can't say enough nice things about this website and its service. I have stored many galleries of photos there, sent emails to family members and friends, and shared our vacation over the years. I have also taken to ordering the ones I want reproduced in living Kodak color, at very reasonable prices.

That's what arrived yesterday. So, today, I thought I'd head over to a nearby craft store and buy some small photo albums to store them in.

Once filled, the new albums would take their places along with the existing array of albums, each color indicating a different trip.




I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a hand-made sign in the store. Woo hooo--a sweet little sale. So, I picked up 6 new albums, two of each color and headed for the check-out counter.


Now the fun began.

First, the young sales clerk rang them up at $1 each, for $6 (actually $6.36 when you add in our state sales tax). I had purchased two other items, so when I looked at the bill, I puzzled a bit--then said--the sign says these are on sale. Oh, she said--the $1 is the sale price. I frowned, and said--no, the sale price is 40% off. Yes, she said (brightly), the $1 is 40% off the regular price. Hmmmm--I said--OK, I will pay, but I will go back and check the sign.

So I did. AHA! I was right. So, I took the sign down (yup, I did) and walked back to the check out counter, waited in line until my turn, and then showed her the sign.




Oh, she said, I think that means they are NOW $ 1. No, I persisted (believe me, by now I was PERSISTING). I said--the sign clearly says WAS $1, now $0.60. So, she called in the manager and asked her to check the ticket price. The manager came back and said--the ticket price is $1.99, so the sale is $1.



No, I said--40% off $1.99 does not make $1. Look--I pointed out--the tag on the one album. It says $1.99 value, A.C. M**re price $1.



The manager sighed and said--well, that's the old price. Huh? Wha. . .? Then she said to the clerk--go ahead and ring them up for her at $0.60 an album. Oh yeah, right--that's the sale price. YOUR OWN SIGN SAYS SO.

So, the clerk said--this is going to get complicated. Going to??? I thought. So she asked for my name, my address--which I gave. I had already decided I was NOT going to give my SS # nor my first born. Then she rang out $6.36, gave that to me, and then she rang up 6 albums at $.060 each. In other words, she couldn't just refund me the difference. She had to cancel the first sale, refund me, then ring a new sale at the CORRECT price.

Well, I'll tell you--it may have been a measly $2.40 (plus sales tax, of course) but I got the albums at the advertised price.

Of course, had I not been such a pain, the store would have had an advertised sale price that they would NOT have been giving to their customers. Huh? Wha. . .?

14 comments:

Anvilcloud said...

At least you got it sorted. I had an experience recently that didn't get sorted.

NCmountainwoman said...

Oh, this makes my blood boil! I can just hear the manager saying in her condescending voice to "go ahead and ring them up for her" as if she were doing you a great favor.

I'm with you...it has little to do with the money saved. Right is right.

Ginnie said...

Wow, I should take you shopping with me. I'm always intimidated by store clerks...but 60 cents per album was a real steal.

Anonymous said...

I'm afraid that my irritation would have caused me to be mean at the end. I probably would have called the manager back over and said to them both, "Okay, now that you have actually honored your advertised price I'm returning these because you people were so rude to me. Give me back my $2.40." :)

Or at least that's the scenario that would have played out in my head all the way home. :)

JeanMac said...

It's incredible how they "function" - good for you.

Beverly said...

Shakes head. I am amazed at the ineptness (Is that a word?) of the clerks in stores and others these days. Could it be our educational system who had to make sure that everyone's self esteem was intact while passing the illiterates on? I worked as an educator in first grade. I just cannot imagine how it was in higher grades as these children moved on.

I don't think it's going to get any better either.

I'm glad you stuck to your guns. I would have too.

Mary C said...

All along as I am reading this I am thinking, "Where did they go to school?" Even the manager, can she not read? If they weren't at the .60 sale price, then why didn't they take the sign down? Good grief! I agree with Beverly - how inept.

troutbirder said...

Very much looking forward to you pictures from Greece. Its been fifteen years for me

Climenheise said...

Lois is so proud of you! Your saga is worthy of her as well. Me? I would have paid whatever they asked (if I wanted the things in the fist place) and left. Then complain later. I am now a true Canadian -- polite, give no offence, complain about it afterwards!

Tossing Pebbles in the Stream said...

They could use you in the military procurement office, where they have long forgotten, "a penny saved is a penny earned."

Beverly said...

By the way they act, you would have thought it was THEIR money!!! Go figure.

nina at Nature Remains. said...

As much as you may wonder if your time was well spent, in my book, it was!
A sign is a sign--regardless of what the product is marked--and it's their responsibility to promote sales accurately.
Even with their reluctant refund, I'd be hesitant to shop there again.
And i'm crusty enough to let them know it.

Susan Gets Native said...

*Standing up at my PC and applauding!*

What a bunch of BOOBS! I'm proud of you grabbing the CLEARLY STATED SIGN and showing them! But you were obviously dealing with illiterate morons/snotty dufuses.

Texas Travelers said...

A person after my own heart.

Hooray for you!

I bought a (Hot Water Heater) at Lowes on my "Lowes Credit Card" recently. Expensive, one year, no interest (3 days only). Also purchased on the same ticket were some assorted hoses, connections and sundry items. You know what's coming next. One of the expensive hoses had the wrong connector. I returned it and asked for an exchange on the same no interest ticket. To make a really long story short, we had to cancel the old purchase, and re-ring the entire ticket. All was well. No. Apparently not. When I got home, the phone rang and a real live person on the other end of the line wanted to know why I was buying 2 water heaters for my home at no interest, etc. etc. etc.

It would have been simplier to hang the $25 hose in my workshop and paid cash for the replacement.

Sorry for the long rant, but I wanted you to know that I understand. Right is right. Good for you.

Troy