Sunday, February 10, 2008

Shopping-Just a Bitch about Shopping

If I could get away with it, I would never buy another thing in a local store-for the rest of my life! This includes grocery stores. Every time I shop, I end up having to bring one or more items back because they rang up wrong! Today I went to Joann's for the first time in weeks. I let those recent 50% off coupons languish in my purse. But I needed one thing (which I never found) and ended up buying a bunch of stamps and some storage stuff on clearance.

Now I knew these items had been on clearance for a while, so I wait until it's at a minimum of 60% off. 30% does nothing for me and 40% I can get with my weekly coupon. Sometimes, they even have 50% off scrap stuff as a sale (but rarely stamps, so I wait until they are getting rid of the old styles and needing the space for new). Today I found 12.99 stamps for 2.97. Hampton Arts collage type. Some Hero Art phrase threesies for 1.97-normally 9.99. My bill if correct would have been about 60 bucks. Great Deals, right?

Every single one of my stamps rang up wrong! I saw them ringing up screwy and brought it to the attention of the cashier. She said they had a computer crash earlier and that the monitor was only showing the previous markdowns or just "sale price". So what was wrong with her looking at that big red label marked 2.97? I have to think she could see it as it was right next to the UPC she scanned. I asked again and she said it rang up appropriately. She checked the screen as I told her the correct prices.

I get home and look at my receipt and of course, it's all f***ed up! So I have to drive 15 miles back to the damn store tomorrow (and a storm coming so who knows if I will get out) to get this fixed. They never apologize other than saying -we were busy or some other crap.

We have an item pricing law in this state. If you are overcharged what the price sticker says (or if it's on sale and they ignore it) you get up to 100% of the price correction up to 5.00 per item. So if I am charged 3.00 instead of 2.50, they have to pay me the difference plus 10 times the screw up. So the screw up was 50 cents and that times 10 is 5.00. This is per item! But Joann's refuses to acknowledge the law. The manager will say they know nothing about it. But every person doing business in my state gets the paperwork explaining it. We also must have every item priced except a few which are exempted, such as individual nails at Lowe's or pencils by the item-that sort of thing. Micheal's is no different and I have actually had them tell me an item I purchased from them wasn't from them-and I have the receipt!

Target is another great one for screw ups but at least they admit and pay the bounty. I bought groceries yesterday and was charged by the pound for melon and it was supposed to be per melon. I would rather do the self serve checkouts (altho they should give me a discount as I am not being paid to stand and gossip with my buddies) because I know right away if something is wrong. I also know what paper bags mean (I hope those damned plastic ones go the way of the dodo) and know they are pretending not to hear me when I ask for them.

The best place I have shopped recently other than my favorite stamp store was Chico's. Excellent service and I will gladly shop again. But right after, I went to Coldwater Creek (I needed something suitable for Jury Duty) and what a bunch of f***ing snobs. I asked that some fabric materials not be included in the selections she would show me and she turned her nose up at me! I took my Platinum American Express elsewhere! I also stopped back at Chico's and told them what horrible mall neighbors they had and they laughed. Must be an old story to them.

No wonder internet shopping is becoming such a big thing. I don't have to guess at the prices, I see them in my cart before I pay. No smoke laden sales people (and the ones with alcohol? Or those weird ear holes? good lord). Delivery to my door is grand especially if it's heavy and awkward. And no one to criticize what my purchase it (I don't need a review of my choice of products, especially if it doesnt agree with your choice of diet). A pox on you-I see Amazon is now selling groceries in bulk! See ya!

1 comment:

Bitch of The West said...

K-Mart is famous for this type of service too. That's why I no longer go there. They are really poor when it comes to customer service, and for some reason are always blaming th computer system.