My XBOX 360 finally died, not the RROD but the video component stopped working. I made the decision to buy an XBOX Arcade ($199) & slap my old hard drive on it, so off I went to Wal-Mart.
The associates in electronics were really awesome, they checked the stock room for me because they had no XBOX Arcades out in the display case. One associate asked if I wanted a warranty on the system ($19.95 on anything under $299) & I declined, went to the car, everything is peaches.
Well, I'm really indecisive, so I sat in the car for about 20 minutes thinking if I should have gotten that damn warranty. I decide that I should have, so I went back in with the console & went to customer service. Here is where it happens;
One of the associates from electronics had worked her way up front, near the customer service desk. When she saw me in line with the console, waiting, her eyes were almost literally this; O_O. So I did what anyone would do when someone was staring at them...I...um...waved.
This must have snapped her back into reality because she used the cart she was pushing to ram into another associate going towards the customer service desk. She rammed another associate with her cart. Rammed. Cart. Why? I know why, because I heard her plain as day saying this to the ran-over employee;
"See the guy in the brown sweatshirt? He was just here. He's going to try & scam you into returning a faulty Xbox!"
So, the ran-over employee then went to the other two associates at the customer service counter, & thank god, more discreetly whispered in their ears about me. However, they both looked up at me with the same expression as the first electronics associate; O_O!! O_O!!!! C'mon guys, didn't they teach you to be discreet?
I was kind of annoyed because now every associate within a cart-mowing radius thinks I'm a scammer, but whatever. I figured I'd clear it up when I got there & said I wanted to put a warranty on the console I just bought.
This is getting long-winded so let me cut to the chase;
I walk up to the counter & before I could even open my mouth, ran-over employee nudged the guy who was going to wait on me out of way, & said;
"I NEED TO MATCH UP THE PRODUCT NUMBERS BEFORE I CAN TAKE THIS AS A RETURN. DO YOU STILL WANT TO RETURN IT OR SHOULD YOU LEAVE?"
....should I leave?! I told her I was in 20 minutes ago...passed up the chance to get a warranty on the console, & I'd like to put the warranty on now, if I could do that here at the desk.
Then she says;
"WELL I STILL NEED TO CHECK THE PRODUCT NUMBER IN CASE YOU SWITCHED THE CONSOLES. IF YOUR LAST CONSOLE DIED, YOU SHOULD REALLY TALK TO SONY* ABOUT THAT. WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR YOU IF THAT'S THE CASE."
Okay...now I'm sort of pissed.
I let her know that a) The box wasn't even opened, so I couldn't have switched the consoles, b) I have no problem with her matching up product numbers & never said I did have a problem with it, & c) Microsoft makes XBOX consoles, not Sony...
She just blinks & opens the box to check the product numbers, & SHOCK/HORROR/DISMAY, they are the same. Now all of a sudden her critical thinking is kicking in, because she asks;
"Oh....did you still want to return it?"
I.....warranty......just...ring me up.....please...
She does. Life continues as it should, world keeps turning, etc etc.
Then I got in the car & look at the receipt.
D'oh.
She charged me $29.99 for the warranty, which is on items $300-499. My item was only $210 with tax.
I feel like I was accused of being a potential scammer, & then I got scammed, LOL.