I'll try to make this as clear and quick as possible out of the gate.
I'm in the market for a new fridge; my current one still works , but it's over 20 yrs old and showing signs of age.
I've been comparing different models online etc., no hurry, planned to not make a purchase for at least a couple of weeks.
I have a credit card from a certain big box store that offers 18 months same as cash no interest, and planned to make my purchase there.
Anyways, yesterday, at lunch time, I walked into a said big box chain store for my first 'hands on' look at what I've been seeing online.
This was not my local store, (I'm a mobile service tech), store is about 35 miles from my home.
I'm not a person who can afford to get anything extravagant; single dad with 2 kids still at home.
To get what we need, I'm figuring on paying 850-1000 bucks. So I see this one fridge, on sale for $898, regularly $1299. Must of came right out of the crate, I think, the handles weren't on it yet.
I open the door to look inside, and there is a tag/sticker on the inside that says 'open box item', no missing items, no damage, full warranty, etc....$549.
I call over a floor person who confirms "Yes, that's the real price."
He doesn't know the history of it, and goes to find someone who might.
Appliance mgr. for the day comes over, says she thinks it went straight from the warehouse to a home, only to find out it either wouldnt fit thru the door, or in the designated space.
She says delivery and set up comes free.
Then she sees the price and starts.... "I can't believe that price.....wow".....and then, "that can't be right, that's got to be a mistake", etc....
The Open Box Tag has the correct SKU# and model# of the fridge its stuck on; and I had already been told that was the only model in the store.
She confirms all the above, I tell her I want it.
This is where the fun begins.
She tries punching in numbers to start the sale, but something isn't right. It keeps coming up with error codes.
She calls the asst. store mgr...he tries some more with the same results. He says he can't complete the sale.
He then starts telling me that there must be some mistake, that the tag must have been created for a different fridge, that it couldn't possibly been that price, that someone removed it from another fridge and put it on this one, etc, etc...and I can't have it.
He starts getting puffy when I remind him that there are NO other units in that store and the SKU# and model #'s match the unit; he gives the girl a real dirty look I guess for her telling me these things.
More double talk and obvious BS...not gonna sell it to me. Points to the date on the open box tag-3/23/14, and says no way would it have "sat in store for almost two months at that price."
An obvious exaggeration, which makes me question everything else he's been saying.
He then keeps holding the tag pointing at the date right up within a foot of my face for a good 10 seconds or so while I tell him I don't care when the tag was generated or how long it sat. (A very rude gesture IMO, took some effort from me not to snatch it out of his hand).
The handles were not installed which made it hard to open, and not very attractive. Open Box price tag was on the inside.
He says that it's an "urban myth" that a retailer has to sell an item at the tagged price even if it's a mistake.
Askes if I would like help with anything else...
As I was walking out, I decide to ask someone in another department if the head store manager was available. He is, but as it happens "attitude guy" ends up going to get him.
Great..
Anyways, Manager introduces himself, walks back to appliances with me, calmly overrides the error codes, and lets me buy the fridge. Attitude boy is not happy.
Wish I could have taken possession of it then and there, but didn't have the vehicle for it.
Hoping it wont get "tampered with" before I can get it.
I guess my question in hindsight is, did I push it too far?
There very well could have been something wrong with the tag, and someone did make a mistake.
I would feel bad if someone (the girl, or the 'tag person') lost their job because I had to save a few bucks.
I'm in the market for a new fridge; my current one still works , but it's over 20 yrs old and showing signs of age.
I've been comparing different models online etc., no hurry, planned to not make a purchase for at least a couple of weeks.
I have a credit card from a certain big box store that offers 18 months same as cash no interest, and planned to make my purchase there.
Anyways, yesterday, at lunch time, I walked into a said big box chain store for my first 'hands on' look at what I've been seeing online.
This was not my local store, (I'm a mobile service tech), store is about 35 miles from my home.
I'm not a person who can afford to get anything extravagant; single dad with 2 kids still at home.
To get what we need, I'm figuring on paying 850-1000 bucks. So I see this one fridge, on sale for $898, regularly $1299. Must of came right out of the crate, I think, the handles weren't on it yet.
I open the door to look inside, and there is a tag/sticker on the inside that says 'open box item', no missing items, no damage, full warranty, etc....$549.
I call over a floor person who confirms "Yes, that's the real price."
He doesn't know the history of it, and goes to find someone who might.
Appliance mgr. for the day comes over, says she thinks it went straight from the warehouse to a home, only to find out it either wouldnt fit thru the door, or in the designated space.
She says delivery and set up comes free.
Then she sees the price and starts.... "I can't believe that price.....wow".....and then, "that can't be right, that's got to be a mistake", etc....
The Open Box Tag has the correct SKU# and model# of the fridge its stuck on; and I had already been told that was the only model in the store.
She confirms all the above, I tell her I want it.
This is where the fun begins.
She tries punching in numbers to start the sale, but something isn't right. It keeps coming up with error codes.
She calls the asst. store mgr...he tries some more with the same results. He says he can't complete the sale.
He then starts telling me that there must be some mistake, that the tag must have been created for a different fridge, that it couldn't possibly been that price, that someone removed it from another fridge and put it on this one, etc, etc...and I can't have it.
He starts getting puffy when I remind him that there are NO other units in that store and the SKU# and model #'s match the unit; he gives the girl a real dirty look I guess for her telling me these things.
More double talk and obvious BS...not gonna sell it to me. Points to the date on the open box tag-3/23/14, and says no way would it have "sat in store for almost two months at that price."
An obvious exaggeration, which makes me question everything else he's been saying.
He then keeps holding the tag pointing at the date right up within a foot of my face for a good 10 seconds or so while I tell him I don't care when the tag was generated or how long it sat. (A very rude gesture IMO, took some effort from me not to snatch it out of his hand).
The handles were not installed which made it hard to open, and not very attractive. Open Box price tag was on the inside.
He says that it's an "urban myth" that a retailer has to sell an item at the tagged price even if it's a mistake.
Askes if I would like help with anything else...
As I was walking out, I decide to ask someone in another department if the head store manager was available. He is, but as it happens "attitude guy" ends up going to get him.
Great..
Anyways, Manager introduces himself, walks back to appliances with me, calmly overrides the error codes, and lets me buy the fridge. Attitude boy is not happy.
Wish I could have taken possession of it then and there, but didn't have the vehicle for it.
Hoping it wont get "tampered with" before I can get it.
I guess my question in hindsight is, did I push it too far?
There very well could have been something wrong with the tag, and someone did make a mistake.
I would feel bad if someone (the girl, or the 'tag person') lost their job because I had to save a few bucks.
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