Friday, July 10, 2009

How much is $3.19 worth to you?

I was at the Bloomington Walmart the other day, picking up some last minute gifts for Liz. I found what I was looking for, a "secret diary", voice activated, plays music and it was only $19.97, (remember this price). So I buy it, get my receipt and notice that I was charged $22.97 for this secret diary. I told the cashier and she politely suggested that I spend half my life in the customer service line (you know how that goes). It's finally my turn to be helped and lo and behold I get a 16 year old, and no offense to anyone but I think I smelt pot. Anyway, I tell him of my predicament and he informs me that a price checker needs to be called to verify my information. I think to myself, if you wanted a price checker I could have done that ten minutes ago, after all the customer is always right, right?
Anyway, another year passes by and the "price checker" arrives, or should I say the spawn of satan entered the room. She very rudely asked what the problem was, smirked as to say, oh right, as if this lowly customer knows what he's talking about. She grabbed the secret diary and begrudgingly headed for the toy section to prove that I was wrong.
Verily, verily another year passed and she arrived back at the customer service desk. Without making eye contact she quickly placed the diary down on the counter with a price tag attached and proclaimed, "this is the price.' and then she walked off, still not making eye contact. I leaned over to check what the price was and was shocked to read, $22.97. How could this be! I know what price I saw, buy maybe, must maybe I read it wrong. So I grabbed the diary and headed back to the toy section and sure enough there was a $22.97 price tag underneath the secret diary. But wait, I thought as I pulled on my Sherlock Holmes hat and reached inside my trench coat for the trusty magnifying glass, there is foul play here. Quickly checking around me to make sure no one was watching, I carefully peeled back the plastic that covers the price tags and saw what I had already supposed, a new tag had been placed over the old tag! Ha, I laughed to myself, they were too lazy to even discard the evidence! Sloppy criminals!! Sure enough, behind the new $22.97 price tag, which was dated with todays date, was the old price tag of $19.97.
I could have been happy with this and just let it go but something inside of me cried, No! This is not right! Forget about the money, this isn't even about money anymore, this is about honesty and I had been unjustly dealt with. No, there would be no letting go today.
I headed back to customer service, waited in line again, placed the secret diary proudly down on the counter with both price tags and explained that the prices had been swapped since I first got the toy. He then, in a straight face, told me that the $19.97 price tag was for a different secret diary. Instead of smash his face in with the diary I instead restated his stupidity and asked, "so there's a different secret diary?", in which he shook his head in the affirmative.
So back I went to the toy section to check on this new information and guess what? There was only one secret diary.
I quickly stormed up and down the aisles looking for the nearest employee. I found her and as luck would have it, she was the department manager. After explaining the situation she admitted that it was her fault and I would only be charged for the original price of $19.97. She told me her name and sent me back to customer service, where I waited in line again, purposefully waited for the other employee to help me out, she looked older and wiser. Explained my issue, of course she couldn't take my word for it, so she had to call the manager to confirm my story (as if I could make this up!). The story was confirmed, I was refunded $3.19, when the spawn of satan, excuse me, "price checker" saw this she muttered, "gosh, how cheap do you want it!"
Was it worth it? Absolutely it was.

8 comments:

Saddie said...

Awesome! Love it!

katie said...

Way to go!! Most people would have given up! I love when honesty pays off!

Unknown said...

I am proud of you! You are amazing.

Amy J said...

You are a true wal mart warrior!

Tink said...

What a nightmare. I'm glad it was you and not me. I would have given up at the register!

*rOcKiN rIcHiNs* said...

I hate Wal-mart and everything it stands for and I super hate that I still have to shop there-but that story rocks my socks!!! Great job-I love that you did that!

Cindy said...

I don't know you. I am a bog stalker - not really but I have no idea why I even read your blog but then I realized - My sister is Amy Schern Johnson. Amy tends to have more spunk than anyone I know. After reading/stalking your blog and reading your walmart experience all I can say is YOU ROCK and I know why you are Amy's friend. You are awsome and I hope you did something for yourself with that seriously hard earned change.

Ellie and Taylor said...

Thats crazy. I would have been so mad at how they treated you. sorry. at least you got your money back.