Some people subscribe to the belief that, "if you have to ask the price, then you can't afford it." Others are embarrassed to mention when they have been overcharged and prefer to meekly absorb the cost with grace. Of course, there are also the lucky few who simply don't care about the cost, because money is no object.
The above-mentioned shoppers are every retailer's dream, and quietly offset a small fraction of the unrestrained hemorrhaging in this tenuous economy.
I am not one of these shoppers.
This afternoon, as I walked through University Village, I happened upon a huge window display at Pottery Barn Kids, advertising that Star Wars bedding was ON SALE!! When you have a 5-yr old Star Wars addict living under your roof, windows like this propel you through the door against your better judgment.
The display was in a small room, off the main aisleway, consisting of a wall lined with retail items carefully arranged by size and pattern, and small placards listing the prices. The display bed was covered in Star Wars characters, drawing appreciative and covetous stares from every boy in the store, including some with greying temples. What Star Wars aficionado could possibly resist an entire room filled with artwork, pillow shams, duvets, chairs and books devoted to destroying the Empire??
After careful consideration, I decided that a pillow sham (May the Force Be With You) and a twin duvet was the way to go. The duvet only featured C3PO and R2D2, but was the only one I could see, so I headed to the check-out counter. According to the price list above, I assumed the duvet was $69 and the sham $24, so with tax, I expected the total to be around $100. Instead, the total was about $190.
I will admit that my immediate thought was, WHOA, that's A LOT of money for a Star Wars-themed bed for a FIVE year old who will probably ask to switch to a Pokemon bed in about a month.
My second thought was that I must be lame to have misread the price list, and though I could/should reject this extravagance, I simply couldn't resist the anticipation of his facial expression when he opened the box. I've learned from MasterCard that that moment is priceless.
I paid, then immediately headed to the display to confirm the price, and discovered that I was right, they were wrong, and brought the placard back to the counter for confrontation time.
The clerk informed me that the duvet I purchased came in AFTER the signage was made, and that it wasn't on sale, though it was displayed with the rest of the Star Wars sale merchandise. Yes, the rest of the items were discounted just not THAT one. He then patiently turned the duvet I purchased over to point out the price sticker, which was $149, an EIGHTY dollar difference, more than twice as much as the price listed on the placard. He looked at me with those patronizing eyes, which would have driven someone with more pride and a weaker constitution right out of the store. I asked him which duvet was $69, (which I might add, is NOT CHUMP CHANGE) and he showed me a thin duvet the texture of a sheet, covered with all the characters from the original Star Wars movie.
What's a mamma to do? Tell him to exchange them immediately, that's what. Again, I was met with that slightly patronizing attitude, albeit with an apology regarding the misleading signage (I wonder how many suckers they lured in this week??). Halfway through this second transaction, he did he ask me whether I preferred the original duvet, which I truly did not, because he would "of course" honor the deceptive price list.
I left with a bad taste in my mouth, wondering how long it would take for them to change the signage, if ever. It also made me consider the fact that I only noticed because the price discrepancy was so high, and question how closely I should look at my receipts in the future.
Ironically, I was at University Village to pick up items I had inadvertently left yesterday, because I didn't check my bags. I had been shopping at Fireworks for gifts, and because I had them wrap most of the items, I didn't hesitate when they handed me two big bags on my way out the door. It was only this afternoon, as I was searching for one of the items, unwrapping every gift-wrapped box in the process, that I realized I was missing A LOT. I called the store and was informed that they had a large bag of wrapped boxes they had forgotten to give me. Since the wedding was TONIGHT, I had to rush over to get the bag (right at the end of a UW football game, which which is just another long story!).
As a final note, one of the small items I purchased at Fireworks was a mechanical pencil that looks like a yellow, #2 school pencil. It was supposed to be with the above-mentioned bag, but was missing, so I get to make a THIRD trip to U-village this week, where it is waiting for me. If you calculate the cost involved with THREE trips to U-village.....
Note to self: It's time to win the lottery.
Pottery Barn's got awesome cute stuff but gawd, they are expensive and the staff are big snobs. I once made the mistake of asking if the "floor model" of the doll stroller was any cheaper (It was $49.99 new!) and she looked at me, and said contemptuously, "No."
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