Giving Them A Shrinking Feeling

(I am remodeling my home and have spent about $3000 at this particular big-box home improvement store. I go to buy some expensive electrical wire and some new saw blades, among other things. There is a sign over the blades that says, “Carbide Blades: Buy one, get one free,” so I decide to get two. As I’m being checked out, I see that the blades aren’t ringing up at the sale price.)

Me: “Excuse me, but those are supposed to be buy one, get one free.”

Young Associate: “Hmm, they’re not ringing up that way. Let me get a manager.”

(An older manager approaches.)

Manager: “These are ringing up properly.”

Me: “I’m sorry but they’re not. There was a sign over them that said carbide blades are buy one, get one free, and these are carbide blades.”

Manager: *clearly not believing me* “Oh, yeah? Let’s go look, then.”

(We walk over to the sign.)

Me: “You see? It says so right there.”

Manager: “Uh, well… the sale is only on the blades that are pictured on the sign.”

Me: “It doesn’t say that anywhere. It just says carbide blades.”

Manager: *raising his voice* “I don’t care what it doesn’t say. It’s only on those pictured blades!”

Me: “I’d like to speak to a store manager, please.”

(Ultimately, the store manager gives me the discounted price on the blades, and the manager completes my checkout, grumbling the whole time.)

Manager: “People like you are what causes shrinkage…”

Me: “Yeah, OK, whatever. Has nothing to do with your inaccurate signage or anything…”

(I leave the store. About halfway home, I start to think about the total price of my purchases, and how it seemed much lower than I expected. I check the receipt, and realize that my electrical wire isn’t on it. I return to the store with the wire, and the manager is still in the checkout area.)

Me: “Yeah, hi, remember me? I’m the one who causes shrinkage? You forgot to charge me for this $75 dollar wire.”

Manager: *gapes at me*

Me: “I’d like to pay for it now, please.”

(He didn’t say a thing through the transaction.)