I work in a discount store. Yesterday, we ended a special event where everything was 15% off. A customer comes to my register with a singular box of popular coffee pods.

Me: “That will be [amount], sir.”

Customer: “No! It’s [lower amount]! I have the ad right here!”

He holds up last week’s flyer for the sale event.

Me: “I’m deeply sorry, sir. That sale ended yesterday.”

Customer: “WHY DID NOBODY TELL ME?”

Me: “I’m sorry?”

Customer: “I was in here yesterday and bought a whole cart of stuff, and not one employee reminded me it was the last day of the sale! I would have just bought the coffee yesterday!”

I picture the flyers we had all over the store with the end date of the sale.

Me: “I’m so sorry about that.”

Customer: “So, how much is it?” 

Me: “[Amount], sir.” 

He paid and sulked out.

We are running a buy-one-get-one-at-50%-off sale. Having worked in many stores with similar promos, this is the only time I’ve encountered this argument.

Customer: “Why can’t I just have one at 50% off?”

Me: “Because our promotion is to buy one at the regular price and get the other at 50%.”

Customer: “But that is just a way of tricking the customers into thinking they got a deal.”

Me: “What?”

Customer: “Your deal isn’t to get one at 50%; it is to get two for 25% off. If I have to buy one at full price, I’m not really saving 50% on the other.”

Me: “Well, I don’t set it, and that is the company’s terms for the promo.”

Customer: “So, I can’t just get one for 50%, then?”

Mathematically speaking, he isn’t wrong. However, no, he did not get just one at 50%, or even two for 25%, or even buy-one-get-one-half-off.

A customer approaches me at the customer service desk, holding an item up.

Customer: “You’re selling this for $49.99, but on the weekend it was $29.99.”

Me: “Yes, it was on sale last week. That sale ended on Monday.”

Customer: “I didn’t feel like buying it then, but I want it now.”

Me: “I’m afraid that sale is over, so you’ll have to pay the retail price.”

Customer: “But I missed the sale. Just give me the sale price.”

Me: “I’m afraid prices are decided by corporate. I can’t lower the price.”

Customer: “Then get me a manager.” 

Me: “I am the manager, ma’am. I cannot lower that price for you.”

Customer: “So, I missed the sale and somehow that’s my fault?”

Me: “Well… yes?”

Customer: “…”

Me: “…”

Customer: “S***.”

She slowly walked to the exit, processing being told no for the first time in her life.

Related:
Sale Fail, Part 11
Sale Fail, Part 10
Sale Fail, Part 9
Sale Fail, Part 8
Sale Fail, Part 7

Some years ago, I read in an ad that a chain of hardware stores was having a sale on an electric drill. It looked really good, so I went over to the local store to buy one.

Once I got there, I looked around but couldn’t see the drill. There was a big sign placed on the floor near some pallets, and it looked like the store was sold out. Since they were still advertising it, though, I picked up the sign and went over to an employee.

Me: “Do you have any more of these drills?”

Employee: “No, they’re all sold out. We have some other ones, though.”

Me: “Sold out already? That was quick.”

Employee: “Yeah, we didn’t get as many as we thought.”

Me: “Okay, but shouldn’t you take these signs down, then? They’re still placed both in the store and outside.”

Employee: “Nah, they can stay up.”

Me: “Oh, so you’re getting more of the drills coming in?”

Employee: “No.”

Me: “But then why are you keeping the signs up?”

The employee just shrugged and proceeded to take the sign back and put it up again. This bothered me. While this store clearly couldn’t be blamed for the online and newspaper ads running despite their local stock being empty, keeping those signs up around the shop was a “lure”. Several different chains had been busted using similar tactics: advertising a product they don’t actually have in stock, hoping to lure customers into the shop, and pushing to sell them something more expensive.

I used my camera phone to take a photo of the employee rehanging the sign — he actually posed for the photo — and sent it to the chain’s corporate office along with a complaint. I also gave the store a negative online review.

A couple of years later, the shop closed down as part of a major relocation. All that time, I never returned there. When I boycott a store, it’s forever.

I’m a software developer. My previous employer would let us occasionally work from home, and some days it would be so sunny and gorgeous that it would be downright depressing to be stuck inside coding (making me almost wish I’d taken a job landscaping). My quick solution to this was to purchase a cheap, basic smaller laptop to take outside to the park or beach and do my coding there.

I settled on the cheapest thing they had — €200. As the salesman was ringing it up, he said:

Salesman: “Would you like to buy a plus warranty for four extra years for €75?”

Me: “Oh, no, that’s not needed. This is just going to be for programming, not for regular use.”

Salesman: “You sure? Because it also covers things like water damage and damage from being dropped, and a small laptop like this can be expensive to repair.”

Me: “I’m fine. This isn’t something I’ll use a lot. And honestly, I’ve bought extended warranties before and ended up never using them.”

Salesman: “I can give you a discount of €50.”

Me: *Eye roll, tongue click* “Okay, fine!”

Salesman: “Great!”

I walked out slightly annoyed at throwing €50 out the window.

Year one through five, the laptop worked great and I found myself using it more than I anticipated.

Then came year six. The touchpad suddenly stopped working. Then, one of the USB slots died. Then, stray lines began appearing on the screen. Then, it would take three hours to boot up or reset the doggone thing. Then, it would randomly freeze while working.

And then, suddenly, I heard a faint POP! come from the motherboard and the system shut off. Permanently.

I remembered I had an extended warranty, but I couldn’t find the document or the receipt (although I still had the box). I was financially strapped and didn’t want to drop another €200 for a new one, so I took the laptop back to the store with my fingers crossed and asked if they could look up my warranty information in the system.

Technician: “You are three weeks shy of it expiring!”

I thought I heard a choir of angels singing as I internally hugged myself. And it just got better from there. The technician summoned a manager over, quietly discussed something with him, and then said:

Technician: “This machine is six years old, and with the problems you are describing, it isn’t going to make sense to repair it only for something else to go wrong. You can pick a new model in its place.”

Manager: “I don’t have any laptops right now that cost €200. The cheapest right now is €350, but we’ll cover the €150 for you.”

The model in question had more advanced hardware and a faster processor than my old one! As he was ringing it up for me:

Manager: “Would you like to buy an extended four-year plus warranty on this for €100?”

Me: “YES!”

Ever since then, I’ve been buying extended warranties on all my electronics. To the salesman who nagged me into buying it, here’s to you!