The Notion to Blog

This is the third post about my 2nd favourite computer store, Incredible Connection.  Previously I posted on how expensive certain hardware was: portable hardrives and a wireless router being double the price elsewhere.

This weekend I made use of their “Trade-in and Upgrade” special whereby you bring in old hardware (no matter how old or whether its in working condition) and you get a discount on the something similar on promotion.  Its actually a genius idea:  They get to sell old stock, and using the trade-in hardware, give it to charity.  (or so they tell us).

So we took my wife’s old, but trusty Nokia 5300 phone to Incredible Connection (call it Store A for now) , as the trade in for a BlackBerry Curve, getting R900 discount.  The geeky-but-wanna-be-cool salesperson at Store A said there were non left in stock.  Clearly the offer was a very popular.  I asked if he could check which branches had in stock, preferably Store B,, the next most convenient store.  They had 4 in stock. Fantastic!  While he was on the phone to Store B I asked him if he could tell them to keep one, as I would be there in 30 minutes.

• “No!”
• “What? “
• “No sir, they say they can’t keep stock on promotional items”

So we rush to Store B  anyway, because what are the chances that 4 would be sold in the next half hour? So we go to the pretty girl at the cell phone counter. Herewith the dialogue that ensued:

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Me: Hi, I want to trade-in this Nokia for the BlackBerry Curve.

Pretty girl: Um…. no sir, I have none in stock.

Me: But we’ve just come over from Store A telling us you have 4 in stock, 2 black ones and 2 white ones to be exact.

Pretty girl: (Moment of pause) Actually I do have one, but I’m keeping it for a lady that’s coming in tomorrow.

Me: (Immediately irritated). No no no no.  When we phoned this store a moment ago, we were told that you don’t keep units for customers.

Pretty girl: Okay, let me go and check the stock room.

(She’s gone for 5 minutes and then comes back and logs on the computer to check stock).

Pretty girl: So we have a returned unit that’s been opened, but its white.

Me: (Irritated)  I think you’re lying.

Pretty girl: No sir, I’m not

Me: Okay, we might as well take it.

(Pretty girl goes off to get the white BlackBerry)

(Enter shy salesperson boy, who sees I’m standing around)

Shy boy: Hi,  you been helped yet?

Me: Yes, we’re just waiting for the lady to bring a previously returned BlackBerry.  We’re going to trade in this Nokia 5800.

Shy boy: (His eyes light up):  That’s a nice phone.  I tell you what, I have a sealed black one in stock that I’ve been holding for a gentleman that said he forgot his credit card and I’ve been waiting 3 hours for him.  I have  this old Siemens C35 phone, I’ll give you R100 for yours and then you can trade in this one as a trade in.

Me: (Grinning from ear to ear I say to my wife).  I’m not sure what happened now, but we’ll take it.

(Shy boy, goes off and quickly returns with a sealed, black Blackberry)

(Pretty girls returns with the white black berry)

Pretty girl: Here’s the phone sir.

Me: It’s fine we have a sealed one. (Thinking to myself. You lying cow)

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So after being told initially they have none in stock, they actually had 2, possibly 3 in stock.

That my friends, is more evidence that behind the facade of a seemingly very slick store, are sly staff that don’t have the general public’s interest at heart.  Clearly at Store B, there are no ethics among some of their staff.