Okay, I'm a picture nut. Anyone who knows me, knows this. Anyone who sees me, sees a camera attached to my face 95% of the time. I have my gorgeous, beloved Rebel that is my go-to camera. Its pictures are always amazing and sometimes actually breathtaking. In a fire, I'd grab the kids and then my Rebel. (Tom is a big boy; he can handle himself. Hopefully he'll grab the cat. I digress.) There are times, though, when it is cumbersome to lug it and all its lenses around with me. There are other times that I'm not expecting a photo op and voila! the kids are doing something adorable and amazing in the middle of Target while my Rebel is safely home on the kitchen table. So, for those times, a purse camera is essential to me.
I've had a tiny purse camera for a few years now. I've decided the pictures are just so-so. Madam's hair always comes out a strange shade and it seems to throw off the color balance of any shots that include her. I decided it was time for a newer model. One of the dads at Jack's preschool was raving about his Canon G9 and I decided I had to have it. I checked out the reviews, scouted out the best price and picked one up at Best Buy. It was a little bigger than I wanted which I found out when the sales guy pulled it out of the box and couldn't find a case for it but I decided to go with it anyway.
After using it for a few days, I decided it wasn't worth the price. I'm a snob b/c of my XTi but the image quality just wasn't there and this camera was expensive for a P&S. So, I decided to take it back. No big deal b/c it didn't have that "15% restocking fee" tape all over the box like the Rebel and other items I've purchased from BB in the past. Oooooh, how wrong I was.
Nat and I took it back to Best Buy last Saturday morning. I plopped it on the counter with a cheery hello and told the woman I wanted to return it. She huffed, raised her eyebrow and told me that I'd be charged a 15% restocking fee. Trying to keep my smile bright and my tone even, I pointed out that it didn't say so on the box and the gentleman who sold it to me didn't say that either. She sneered and pointed out that it said so on the back of the receipt. I laughed and said, "Geez, who reads the back of the receipt?" With her shoulders wriggling and her chin wagging, she goes, "RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE."
*****Let's just pause here for a moment b/c I can feel my blood pressure rising all over again.***
Okay, I'm good.
Thank God I don't have the hereditary aneurysm that killed my father and grandfather because it would have exploded right then and there. Natalie started crying before I even said a word b/c she can sense a change in my mood like animals can smell rain coming. I said, "DID YOU JUST CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE???" with eyes bulging and veins ready to pop. OMG, I have never raised a hand in violence and didn't even want to hurt the man who murdered my brother but seriously, I wanted to jump over the counter and beat the snot right out of that C-U-Next-Tuesday. She gives me a look -- you know that look, it's universal on arrogant bitches -- and says, "I didn't call you irresponsible." Okay, now she's splitting hairs and getting technical. Yeah, the Jesuits would agree that she didn't actually call me that but I doubt she has spent a minute of her life learning logic and reasoning so she did fucking call me irresponsible. At this point, Natalie was screaming in terror and I thought I was going to pass out, that's how mad I was. I grabbed the camera and stormed over to the manager who was about 15. Told her the story and got a sympathetic shrug like, "yeah, she's a bitch and that's just the way it goes." She told me to call 888/BEST-BUY which I did from the parking lot. The consumer relations representative promised to refund the 15% charge via a gift card after I returned the camera. Here's the kicker -- Tommy Boy took the camera back the next day and the clerk at the returns desk gave him all the money back, no questions asked. ARGH!!!! (Needless to say, it was not the same woman who manned the desk on the previous day.)
Now, here is my main point of contention with this open box policy -- if it's only communicated on the receipt, how are customers supposed to know??? Because once I have the receipt in my hand, the product is mine and I'm going to be subject to the penalty on any product that they don't bother to seal with the tape that states the policy. Am I supposed to ask for a blank receipt before making purchases to ensure that their returns policy won't penalize me? OMG, I can't believe I am still so pissed about the whole thing. It's not that the opinion of some ignorant minimum wage sales clerk matters to me. She has no idea whether I'm responsible or not and I'm sure she doesn't care. It's the way she was in general. She was itching for a fight and did everything she could to incite me. I still want to punch her. So, yeah, I'm done with Best Buy. Their loss.
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