I hit a nearby Apple Store after work yesterday to pick up a pair of iPod Nanos. I’m using them as giveaway incentives for a couple of surveys we run at my magazine. While I was at the counter, a strange transaction took place nearby.
I had missed the early stages of it while I was shopping (I found a neat future purchase), and it reached “I want to speak to your manager” level by the time I was checking out.
The gentleman next to me was in his mid-30s, wearing a t-shirt, athletic shorts, and flip-flops. He asked the store manager, “What’s the problem with returning this? I didn’t open it.” and pointed at the box on the counter.
The manager replied, “The box is still sealed, so that’s fine, sir. The problem is that we stopped selling this version of the iPod in early 2005.” At this point, I looked over. It was a 40gb iPod Photo, which would’ve dated it late 2004/early 2005.
“So?”
“So, if you bought it from Apple, that means it’s been sitting in that package for two years. If we accepted it as a return, what are we supposed to do with it? We can’t resell something that’s been obsolete for two years.”
“Why is that my problem?”
“Because you don’t have a receipt and you’re asking us for $499 credit for something with no value.” I forgot how much those were selling for. The biggest iPod nowadays costs $150 less than that, with twice the capacity, video, and longer battery life.
“I’m going to take this up with your corporate office.”
“Do you want their number?”
He stormed out, flip-flops slapping at his heels.
Can I return my undergraduate degree?
My parents kept me and Boaz in line as kids by telling us that they got us from gypsies who lived down in the woods: “And we kept the receipt!”
Since Dad’s from Roumania, we had to take this threat seriously.
Oh god, I just got terrible, terrible flashbacks from my days as a retail manager. Good for the Apple manager! What a scammer.