It all started when I went to buy the DVD set of the television series, "Heroes."
I didn't want to pay a lot for it, so I went to the All-Mart store in East Hamchester Township.
This place used to be affectionately called, "The Ghetto All-Mart."
I know why.
I went to the electronics department to pick up the DVDs. The show is popular, and there was only one set left on the rack.
The package said, "HD DVD," and I asked an employee, who we'll call "Tweedledee," if the DVD would play in a regular DVD player.
She replied, "EYup."
I said, "Excuse me?"
She said, "EYup."
I said, "Right. . . Ok. . . are you sure this will play in a regular DVD player? These are HD DVDs."
"EYup," she said again. "I could ast someone else who knows about this stuff." (She said it that way, so that's how I spelled it.)
I replied, "That would be great."
So, Tweedledee disappears, then reappears with her partner in the Electronics Department, Tweedledum.
He looks at the HD DVD, turns it over and over, and darn near sniffs the DVD set before saying, "Yeah, it'll play."
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Eyup."
I know you're going to be shocked when you read this next line, but - it didn't work in any of the regular DVD players I have at home.
Who knew?
So, I called All-Mart, to talk to a manager. I asked for a manger that I could talk to about a problem I had with an item from the electronics department.
Before I could speak again, I was put on hold.
After about five minutes of listening to some guy with long hair sing about the pain of his lost love, a familiar voice answered the phone.
It was my old pal, Tweedledum, who'd given me the incorrect information in the first place.
I informed him that the HD DVDs would NOT play in a regular player.
He said, "Really?"
With all the patience I could muster, I said, "No, they don't."
"Oh," he said.
I asked him if they had any regular copies of the television series DVD. He put me on hold, and I was back to listening to the singer's love woes.
When he returned to the line five minutes later, Tweedledum said, "Is that DVD out yet?"
At this point, I'm considering taking a hostage at the All-Mart.
Calmly, I told him, "Yes, it is out. I just purchased the wrong format of the television series from your store today."
"Well," he said, indignant, "We don't even have a spot for it, so I'm not sure how you could've gotten it here."
He was right. He'd got me. I didn't purchase them from that store. I know I had a receipt, and a All-Mart bag, and that I'd talked to him while I was at the store, but is all that really proof that I was actually there?
YES!!!!!!!!!!
Now, Tweedledum is on my last nerve. Again, I told him I had indeed purchased the television series from that store, and that I had even purchased it that day.
He said, "Well, we don't have any other copies."
For some reason, I thought that I could ask this man if he could call the other All-Mart store, and see if they have any copies.
Again, I know you're going to be shocked when I say this - but he said he couldn't do it.
He didn't have the number to the other All-Mart store. He did, however, suggest I check the phonebook.
I thanked him and told him he'd been helpful.
You know, helpful like that person that tells you that you sound like hell when you have cold?
Yes, that helpful.
I hate All-Mart.
Any similarities to a really large discount store that's currently trying to take over the world that just happens to have a store in West Manchester Township is . . .just too bad.
Can't agree with you more. In an other scenario, I was at a grocery store and my bill was $4.56. I gave the cashier a $5 bill. Instead of typing in $5, he must have hit exact amount, then didn't know how much change to give me. I politely told him 44 cents. He counted out 4 dimes and 4 pennies...what happened to one quarter, one dime, one nickel and four pennies? Don't they teach that anymore?
I can so totally see this happening. I hate All-Mart too.