This Is Not A New Problem

(I work in an entertainment store that sells new and used movies, books, CDs, and video games. Our used products have the word “USED” printed on the price tag, and we mark them with a green sticker that also has the word printed on it. I am working the books service desk today. A woman comes to my service desk with our only copy of ‘Fifty Shades Freed’ by E. L. James.)

Woman: “What’s the price of this?”

Me: “It’s $8.99, ma’am,”

Woman: “No, I mean the used price.”

Me: “I’m sorry, that’s not a used copy; that’s new.”

Woman: “Are you f****** kidding me? This isn’t new! Look at it! Its pages are bent, and the cover is scratched.”

Me: “Ma’am, it doesn’t say used on the price tag, and there isn’t a green used sticker on it. The book is new, and it’s $8.99.”

Woman: “That’s a load of crap! How can you sell this as new?! Don’t you have some way of protecting them so they don’t look like they’ve already been read?”

Me: “I don’t exactly have the time to shrink wrap hundreds of new books.”

Woman: “I demand you give this to me at the used price,”

Me: “I’m sorry, I can’t do that. The tag says it’s new, and it’s marked as new in our system. If you really want it, you’ll have to purchase it as is, or find it somewhere else.”

Woman: “This is complete bull-s***!”

(She throws the book on the ground and stomps away.)

Me: *as I pick up the book* “You know, that doesn’t exactly make it any newer!”