Not Taking Stock Of The Situation

(I am shopping in a store where you pay for your items at a register in the back, then go up front to get the merchandise from the stockroom. I purchase a clock radio after asking the sales clerk to verify that they have the product in the stockroom. After handing over my receipt, and waiting for at least ten minutes, this is what follows:)

Stocker: “I’m sorry, but I can’t find this radio in the back.”

Me: “Your salesperson said you had two in stock.”

Stocker: “Let me go check again. Be right back…”

(He goes back to the stockroom for at least another ten minutes and then returns.)

Stocker: “Nope, we are out of stock.”

Me: “This is why I asked the clerk if you had any in stock. I guess I will just take a refund.”

(Note: the total sale on the receipt is $19.82.)

Stocker: “Fine.”

(He does the return and counts back the money. It comes to about $17.00.)

Me: “The total was $19.82.”

Stocker: “Yes, there’s a 10% restocking fee.”

Me: “What do you mean ‘restocking fee?'”

Stocker: “When you return an item, there is a 10% restocking fee for the return.”

Me: “But I didn’t return it. You didn’t even have it!”

Stocker: “This is a return. Store policy says there is a 10%—”

Me: “Get your manager.”

(A very young assistant manager joins us at the desk.)

Assistant Manager: “Can I help you?”

Stocker: “She doesn’t want to pay the restocking fee on her return.”

Me: “I want a refund for an item I paid for in the back, but you don’t have it in the stockroom. Your associate is charging me a 10% restocking fee.”

Assistant Manager: “Well, ma’am, there is a 10% restocking fee.”

Me: “I don’t think you understand. I am not returning the clock radio. I paid for it back there, but you didn’t actually have any in stock. I only want my money back for an item you don’t have.”

Assistant Manager: *very snotty* “No, ma’am, YOU don’t understand. There is a 10% fee for our inconvenience when you return an item.”

Me: “I DID NOT RETURN THIS ITEM. YOU DO NOT EVEN HAVE IT.”

(This goes on for about five minutes until I insist they call the store director at his home on his day off. The assistant doesn’t explain to him the real story, only that I don’t want to pay the return charge. I insist she give me the phone.)

Store Director: “Ma’am, store policy—”

Me: “Look, here’s the story. I bought the clock in the back, your computer said you had two in the stockroom, but when I got to the counter, the stockboy said there were none in the back. I want a return on an item I paid for that you did not have.”

Store Director: “Ah, okay. Give the phone to [Assistant Manager].”

(I hand the phone to the assistant manager. I can hear the store director yelling at her through the phone. The assistant manager eventually hangs up and turns to me.)

Assistant Manager: “So, your total was $19.82. Here you go!” *slaps the money into my hand, gives me a dirty look, and walks away*

(I never went back there. Not surprisingly, this company went out of business only a couple of months later.)