December 3, 2005

• December? HA!

  It's 89° here at 2:30 p.m. 

  What do you wanna bet we hit 92°, minimum?

  Hard to feel Christmassy when it could easily be June.
  

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  Well, it's done, and life being what it is, it took much longer than anticipated.

  Last night after leaving the First Anniversary Home Celebration I stopped in at the new Lowe's on Eastchase, vaguely thinking they might possibly have some bottom-freezer models I'd not been able to see yet.  Nope.  Same ones.  However, what they did have was marketing materials for a "free dishwasher" promotion on Maytag bottom-mount refrigerators!  It's in the form of a rebate, but that's fine.  The dishwasher I want is a Maytag, so when I told Don about it he agreed....do it.  Let's just get the Maytag refrigerator we've seen all over the place, and the dishwasher.

  So this morning I set off back there to make the arrangements.  Could have gone to the one nearest home, but hey....it didn't have the promotion displayed, and the salesperson (whom I talked to twice) never mentioned it, so it seemed only fair to give my business to the store which had done its job, marketingwise.

  First, the appliance guy was on break, so the cabinet man tried to help.  Didn't have a clue what he was doing...I could have told him writing down the item number wouldn't do any good, for instance, but hey - that's how he'll learn, by having to go back and get the model number, since I was ordering it in black.  Naturally it has to be special ordered, so won't be here for about ten days.  I've waited this long, I can wait a little longer, so that was disappointing but acceptable.

  Fortunately the appliance salesman showed up after a bit, who kindly told his fellow he'd messed up, but thanks anyway.  Installation can't be sold on the same ticket, you see.

  Anyway, he took over and got it all done, then sent me up to the front to pay.  When I got there I gave the girl my phone number, she pulled up the invoices and gave me the total, which was rather less than I'd expected, what with tax and installation fee and extended warranties, but figured they should know.  Asked about the rebate form, which hadn't printed out as had been promised, so was taken to the service desk so this could be investigated.  It was while waiting there that I skimmed the long receipt to see the itemization, which showed the refrigerator's price was $300 less than it should have been. 

  Been sold the wrong dang refrigerator. 

  Headed back to the appliance area, where first they dithered around trying to figure out how such a mistake had been made before finally agreeing it had, in fact, been made, and what had been entered into the computer was the smaller size, not the 22 cu. ft. model.  Changed it in the computer, apologized profusely, and walked me up front to find a manager so I could shell out the additional dollars.

  Since I'd written a check, this was a nuisance.  Things kept going wrong, but finally I was advised  the additional balance was $378.

  No, I responded firmly, it can't be that much.  It should be $300 plus 8.25% tax.  That's $50 too high.  The manager looked harassed as he went back to his computer.  At last he deduced what the problem was and I was able to pay and be on my way, a good hour and a half after I'd entered the store.

  Why can't anything ever be easy, huh?

  However, the dishwasher should be here end of next week (I'm hoping for Friday), and the refrigerator the following week!     Thanks, Mom and Dad. 

  • 3:58 pm
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