I went to Best Buy today to try to buy a new iPhone. Does it seem ridiculous to anyone besides me that they wouldn't show me the new one, the iPhone 3G S? They had some $99 iPhone 3Gs on display and the dude tells me they are the same exact thing and I can look at them.
I say, "Oh, then that means you're selling the 3G S for $99? Cool, I'll take one."
"No, the 3G S sells for $299."
"But I thought you said they were the same exact thing. You see here's the problem I want to see the new 3G S, not the old 3G."
"Sir, I can't take them out of the box?"
"why not?"
"They won't let me."
"So you want me to buy a new $300 phone sight unseen? Does that make any sense to you?"
"The 3G is the same exact thing."
"But we just established that they aren't the same exact thing and I don't want to buy a 3G, I want to buy a 3G S."
Then he proceeds to tell me that the $299 phone is the 16 gig 3G S and the 32 gig 3G S is $399. The prices are supposed to be $199 and $299, which I tell him.
"There is no $199 3G S, sir," he tells me.
At which point, I just throw up my hands and let him have it.
"I don't think you know what you're talking about. The well-advertised prices on the new 3G Ss are $199 and $299."
"Sir, I have an 8 gig IPhone myself. I know what I'm talking about."
"Ah, see, there's your problem, you way overpaid for the old technology and are hopelessly far behind on the new. Maybe you can get someone over here who knows what he's doing?"
"Sir, there is nobody else. I'm just telling you how it is."
After he tells me I'd have to sign a contract with AT&T for cell phone service to get the cheapest 3G S at $299, or buy it without the contract for $799, I give him one parting shot and just walk out.
I have a friend who just got a new 16-gig iPhone 3G S for $199 on Wednesday and he never had to sign a contract with AT&T. He got the phone and is using his old cell phone service with it. No contract, I tell him on the way out the door.
Was I out of line or does this guy need to find a new job?
I say, "Oh, then that means you're selling the 3G S for $99? Cool, I'll take one."
"No, the 3G S sells for $299."
"But I thought you said they were the same exact thing. You see here's the problem I want to see the new 3G S, not the old 3G."
"Sir, I can't take them out of the box?"
"why not?"
"They won't let me."
"So you want me to buy a new $300 phone sight unseen? Does that make any sense to you?"
"The 3G is the same exact thing."
"But we just established that they aren't the same exact thing and I don't want to buy a 3G, I want to buy a 3G S."
Then he proceeds to tell me that the $299 phone is the 16 gig 3G S and the 32 gig 3G S is $399. The prices are supposed to be $199 and $299, which I tell him.
"There is no $199 3G S, sir," he tells me.
At which point, I just throw up my hands and let him have it.
"I don't think you know what you're talking about. The well-advertised prices on the new 3G Ss are $199 and $299."
"Sir, I have an 8 gig IPhone myself. I know what I'm talking about."
"Ah, see, there's your problem, you way overpaid for the old technology and are hopelessly far behind on the new. Maybe you can get someone over here who knows what he's doing?"
"Sir, there is nobody else. I'm just telling you how it is."
After he tells me I'd have to sign a contract with AT&T for cell phone service to get the cheapest 3G S at $299, or buy it without the contract for $799, I give him one parting shot and just walk out.
I have a friend who just got a new 16-gig iPhone 3G S for $199 on Wednesday and he never had to sign a contract with AT&T. He got the phone and is using his old cell phone service with it. No contract, I tell him on the way out the door.
Was I out of line or does this guy need to find a new job?