The wife decided that we need an "extra small refrigerator/freezer for the basement. Being too busy this week, she asked me to go to Sears and see about buying a new one. The requirements were simple: Price under $400... 14-18 cu feet .... 3 shelves.
Got to Sears, and there was a 18 cu ft ref/freezer, 3 shelves, and priced at $390. On top of the fridge was sign saying: Free Delivery!
I asked about the "free delivery as advetised on the sign atop THAT refridgerator, and was told that it "only applied to items priced over $399.
So, I requested that she sell me it for $400, so I could save the $65 delivery fee. she said she could do that, since they did it for customers all of the time.
Got the Sales Rep to "ring it up. Then she started pushing for the "extended waranty", which I told her I didn't want. She proceeded to tell me all of the reasons I had to have it "for only$119" for extra 3 years....which started the day of delivery! I asked her is she would put the start date of the warranty effective to day after the Mfg Warranty expired. She said she couldn't do that! So, I asked her how much the "real 2 1/2 year Extended Warranty" would cost me. Of course, it doesn't work like that. I told her it didn't matter, because, as I said....I didn't want it!
As she begrudingly "rang up the sale'...and while waiting for a Mgr to come over to "autorize the transaction", she said I'd need to "fill out some paperwork" to mail in for THE REBATE APPLICATION.
When I asked" What Rebate".....I was advised it was for the "Free Delivery"!
I advised her that "I DON'T DO REBATES because they are a hassle, and get rejected so many times due to "incomplete paperwork, etc" that people get fed up and give up on them.
About that time the Mgr showed up....she had me so P.O.ed...that I told her to just cancel the transaction because I was fed up with their "little bait and switch game"!
Came home and relayed info to Kim. She'll probably go to Lowes and buy the fridge!
I don't blame you and you're just like me..or I am just like you..or we are like each other in this sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteI would have told them to stick it too.
ReplyDeleteGood for you!!!
ReplyDeleteIt never ceases to amaze me, Dave; merchants continue to pull the kind of nonsense you wrote about with the expectation that consumers are underinformed fools. With the economy as it is now, you'd think businesses would do more to keep customers coming back, happy with merchandise and service.
Sears treated me badly in the past, too, so my money goes elsewhere now.
Stick to yer guns!!!
UPDATE on this story: Kim went out to Lowe's next day and bought a bigger refidge/freezer for $390 with (no hassle) free delivery. It was delivered on Friday afternoon as promised. They called about 15 minutes of delivery (which was about 2 hours earlier than expected)
ReplyDeleteGreat outcome to the story!!!
ReplyDeleteGood for Lowe's!!!