Old man moment
I find that as I grow older, I grow more ornery, and I’m less likely to put up with bullshit. Especially at a place like Best Buy, a store I avoid for several reasons. First — and you may call me an ass for this (I’ve certainly been called one before) — I refuse to be treated like a criminal when I’m leaving, forced to show a receipt and prove that I paid for my purchases. The solution to shoplifting is not to treat your honest customers like shoplifters.
Second, I don’t want a fucking Rewards card. Really, I don’t. I don’t care if they’re free.
I don’t want the extended goddamn warranty on my DVD player, please stop asking me over and over and looking at me like I’m a fool when I decline.
And I most certainly do not want to subscribe to some fucking magazine while I’m standing in line at a box store.
I want to pick out the item I’d like, pay for it without a barrage of questions, and exit the store without being accosted like a common thief.
Like I said, I’m getting more ornery in my old age.
Despite my dislike of the place, I found myself in Best Buy earlier this week for the first time in a couple of years. My intentions were to get a webcam, so I could set up a page where people could thrill to the view of eggs sitting in an incubator for 21 days. More on that in a bit.
I looked and looked, having a hard time making a choice. Finally, though, I settled on one that looked to be decent. The box didn’t give me enough information to know whether or not I could rig it up to do what I wanted — take a snapshot every 30-60 seconds, for uploading to a site — so I went looking for someone who might be able to answer some questions. I never found one, because they were busy, which worked out to my benefit.
After about five minutes, I started to realize how stupid it would be to spend $100 on a camera I would use once, so I put it back on the shelf. I would have left then, and there wouldn’t be this entry, but a co-worker had asked me to snag a Taylor Swift CD for him. I walked over to the music section, found the CD, and carried it to the checkout.
Where there were seven people waiting in line, because Best Buy couldn’t be bothered to open a second one.
Finally, it was my turn. The checker scanned the CD, ran my card through the reader, and started to put the CD into a blue plastic bag.
I am not a fan of the plastic bags. Not because I’m an eco-nut; far from it. I hate the bags because there are so MANY of them. If you go to the grocery store, they put like one item to a bag. Same at Lowe’s, Home Depot, and almost anywhere else. If they really loaded them down, so you had two bags to deal with instead of seven or eight, I probably wouldn’t have much problem with them.
“I don’t need a bag, thanks,” I said to the checker, resigning myself to the idea of having to wave my receipt at the guy manning the exit.
He started to hand the CD to me, then pulled back.
“Sir, we can’t let you leave the store with any merchandise that’s not in a bag.”
“Are you serious?” I asked. I was a little shocked by what he’d done. Every store I’ve ever been in just handed over my purchase if I didn’t want a bag.
“Yes, sir.”
It could probably successfully be argued that I was already mildly annoyed over (a) being in Best Buy, (b) not getting what I came for, and (c) standing in line for a purchase that wasn’t even for me. Now, here stood some kid telling me I had to take a bag, and it just flew all over me.
“Then give me my money back,” I said.
This time he was the one who looked surprised.
“Fo’ real?”
“Yes, for real.”
“You have to go to customer service to do that,” he said. He stuck the CD into a bag and handed it to me.
Touche, Mr. Checker. Touche.
I took the bag over to customer service and got my refund.
For the record: I don’t want to make Best Buy change the way they do business. I just don’t want to give them my money, because of the way they do business.
My co-worker said he completely understood why I came back without the CD, and that he would’ve done the same thing.
So, after all my talk about building incubators and setting up eggcams, I did neither. I bought the stuff at Lowe’s to build an incubator, then realized I didn’t really have the spare time and took it all back.
I bought an incubator — Hova-bator 1588 Genesis model, with automatic egg turner — and started 30 eggs setting last night. The incubator is supposed to be pretty idiot proof, but I don’t know if it’s to the level of my idiocy.
I reckon we’ll know something in a week or so, when I break out the candler (which I did build).
Accomplishments over the last week:
- Built and painted a medicine cabinet out of wood from the house, including an original kitchen cabinet door with the original hardware (pics here)
- Retilled and planted the garden, except for the tomatoes and peppers, which need to grow a little more
- Built a candler for checking eggs
- Dug holes and set ten fence posts, to increase the chicken yard by more than 100%
- Worked at leveling the ground that’s still humped up from having the water trench dug
- Cleaned the chick brooder and replaced the bedding, built a playpen in the yard for the new chicks
- Numerous trips to Lowe’s and the co-op
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: there’s always something to do when you live in the country.
Probably a dumb question, but why do the eggs need to be turned?
It’s good to know I’m not the only one who HETS Breast Buy, and my sister’s SO works for them in Memphis!
You forgot to mention the “music” playing at manic levels while you’re in the store trying to make $$ decisions. Irritating.
I too have issues with plastic bags. If I go to the grocer, they automatically start putting items in plastice even as I’m asking for paper. AND they ALWAYS have to double bag, which I thing begs the question, why don’t they make the plastic bags stronger in the first place??? Because my friends know that I usually take plastic bags with me when I’m out walking/shopping, they bought for me from Body Works (on sale,yet) a colorfull cloth bag to reuse and wash.
Most of loacl vendors know me and know this habit and why, but, at large outlets I get a lot of scurtiny. I let them “check” and make fools of themseleves and go to ‘Customer Service’ and demand the “Manager” and politely make a production of my issue, and ‘explain’ how it ‘calls undue attention’ to me and makes the people behind me wait longer AND I remind–usually–a young male how eco-friendly I’m trying to be and how plastic bags are being phaise out in many places anyway. I also mention that I am a “FREEGAN” and will be checking their dumpsters to see if I can salvage anydthing. They always seem a little “taken aback.”
Also, I wondered are you keeping track of which chicken laid which eggs?
LUVRE,
Sammi
I totally agree with all of your objections to Best Buy. Customer Service at that store is more like customer harassment. It really is no wonder that this chain is having major problems.
I hope you can get some pictures of the results of the candling. I wanna see!
Love the medicine cabinet.
Fred,
It must be the southern Best Buys - in WI - when you have only one or two items, they ask if you want a bag. I always decline for the same reason. I love their Rewards card. I recently got $60 bucks in Best Buy coupons for buying my 42″ LCD HD TV for the same price everyone else had it in town and on the web. Since I bought something else I wanted with the coupons (and I would have spent the money anyway), I say my TV was $60 cheaper.
I also dig the fact that you can buy online and pick it up at the store. I have the time to review the different products and research the on the brand’s website before I decide. Once I decide, I purchase and go pick it up and they even give you a special parking spot right next to the front door. I just picked up my new wireless printer (with a $120 instant rebate from HP). I’m digging my printer.
I do wish they’d turn down the music though.
The plastic bag thing is indeed ridiculous. Up here in the frozen north (Calgary Alberta, actually),we use cloth bags for just about everything (if we remember to take them), and a lot of places are now charging for plastic bags. We still end up with a bunch - but to be told you can’t leave the store without a bag is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Well, in the top 3 anyway!
And what I’d like to know is where you get the time/energy to do all that stuff through the week when you also work??? Old man my ass…..
I don’t get anybody’s “rewards” cards. As far as I’m concerned if they can give you the world with one they can give it to you without one too. I primarily loathe passing out personal information in that manner.
Our local Best Buy stores (I’m in Oklahoma City) don’t generally check your merchandise on the way out. They reserve the right to but normally they just tip their hat and say “thanks” as you are on your way out.
I am with you though on the magazine subscriptions! Jeez!!
Oh, and I used to sell maintenance agreements so I know the scam that they are
Interestingly I went in a local dairy store the other day to get a gallon of milk (and nothing else). The checker asked me if I wanted a sack! I said “no” and walked out without one.
That had never happened before. But, yeah, I didn’t really need one! I would have likely just tossed it when I got home anyway.
Fred, I too hate Best Buy and I live in the state that invented BB. I never shop there if I don’t have to. My resolve was made even more firm when they fired their whole accounting department (Of which my best friend worked), outsourced to India, brought the new India workers to the corporate offices here, and had the now “laid off” peolpe train them. Gah!
Here is a little something you might not know about your local small town stores. If you find a price in one of your big box stores (SEE BEST BUY) that is a special or sale price your small local store might match it or give you a better price if you bring the flyer in. I just bought a washer, dryer and fridge for my new house. The best price was at Sears and I called my local Mom and Pop store and they matched the price and even delivered for free. I don’t want to give my business to Sears or Best Buy. It’s a win win.
The Mom and Pop shop thanked me for giving them the opportunity! Just an FYI.
Leslie, the eggs are turned so that the embryos don’t stick to the shell. When a hen is setting, the hen turns them herself
Maybe it’s also where you live. I’m in NYC, in a particular neighborhood where everyone’s green-conscious and a lot of people bring their own cloth bags for groceries. Also, retail stores like Barnes and Noble actually ask if you want a bag for your things.
How exciting! Now you are growing your own chicks!
I agree with the bag thing. How stupid is that? If they are concerned with theft(which I am assuming is what they are concerned about) you have your receipt and if you are that determined to steal at BB I guess take in your own little bags, you’re good to go! You BOUGHT it, cuz it is in the bag.
Good lord.
Hi Fred,
Why don’t you let the chickens hatch the eggs?
Bea
Ditto. Curious minds….
I had the same question. You have the hens, why buy an incubator?
I don’t like any of the big box stores, except sometimes for Costco, which (thank God!) never
plays the loud and obnoxious music that drives me away from even going into many stores.
Here on the West Coast, even in a relatively conservative area such as this one, every store I
go into asks if you want a bag, or not. And if not, that’s just fine — they beam at you, because
it’s easier for them. If there are any doubts as to whether or not you paid for your merchandise,
you do have the receipt to show, which is usually tucked into the book, or into something you’ve bought.
Most grocery stores here offer fairly durable cloth or durable plastic bags with handles, at a very
reasonable cost. Our plastic Trader Joe’s bags (at 99 cents each) have been used many,many times both
at the market and also at farmers’ markets, the library, almost everywhere. They have more years left
in them too.
I’ve read that some cities are trying to discourage stores from supplying those thin one-use bags
by requiring stores to charge customers 20 cents per bag. That seems a lot just to keep a few carrots
separate from a bunch of parsley.
I’m turning into a cranky old lady at 41, too!!! I hear you!
My last incident happened a few years ago at a Walgreens. I dropped off a roll of film and was so excited to get my photos that i opted for one-hour processing. I came back later and their machine had gone down so they asked me to come back the next day. When I did, they told me that they had to send the film to a store in Tulsa (2 hours away) and the bad weather (ice storm) was slowing down the process (there is another Walgreens store just across town?). Needless to say, SIX days later, I finally got my photos. When I took the photos to the counter to pay, the jackhole behind the counter tried to charge me the 1-hour price (double the other price). I pointed out that it took them 6 days to get my photos and he says that because it was weather-related, an act of God, that it wasn’t Walgreens fault and I still had to pay one-hour price. I said, “No way” and asked for a manager. He said he was the manager that day. I said I wasn’t paying for the photos, so he took my photos out, handed me my negatives, and then threw my photos in the trash behind the counter. I left the store with my negs and went immediately to the internet and wrote up a big angry e-mail. Needless to say, the jackhole was in the wrong and Walgreens people called me TWICE to apologize, but still. Has regular common sense gone out the window these days?
Fred,
My husband calls it “Worst Buy”
Kitty