Head, Meet Desk

Last night I needed to go buy toothbrushes. Somehow, a person in my family broke two in two days.

I'm not sure how that happens. Maybe I don't want to know, eh?

When I was on my way to the drugstore, as typically happens in my house, I received several texts.

Buy me a toothbrush too. And get my sister one as well. OH, and I need AAA batteries for my calculator at school. And tray cleaner for the Invisalign.

When I stood in the toothbrush aisle at the drugstore, I saw that many of the toothbrushes were on sale. Good, because those things are super spendy. And, yes, I know that I can get toothbrushes from the dentist, but we have toothbrushes upstairs and downstairs, in purses and lockers and at work - and for whatever reason, we didn't have extras. Plus - we change toothbrushes A LOT more frequently than every 6 months.

So. I'm standing in DENTAL HYGIENE row, and I see that many of the Oral-B toothbrushes are not only on sale, but there is a special offer. Spend $10 on any Oral B products and receive a $5 gift card at checkout.

I knew I'd be spending at least $10 - hey, 4 toothbrushes aren't cheap - and so I selected 4 Oral B toothbrushes. Why not get $5 back - I can always use $5. I grabbed batteries - buy 1, get 1 free! - and the tray cleaner and went up to the register, where I checked out. Grabbing my receipt, I looked for the $5 Extrabucks.

No dice.

I asked the clerk, who looked puzzled. Here is the conversation as it unfolded:

Me: I bought 4 Oral B toothbrushes, and should have gotten a $5 gift card. It was well more than $10.

Him: Well, I see on your receipt that you did a buy one, get one - that's why.

Me: No, that's batteries. See the toothbrushes? Two are Oral B 3D white advantage and 2 are Oral B Crest.

Him: Well, that's why. Not all four are Oral B.

Me: No, all four are Oral B. See on the receipt, where it says ORAL B?

Him: Oh, I see. You didn't spend $10. See, $3+$3+$3+$3 isn't over $10. You have to spend over $10. That's how it works.

At this point in time I looked at him. I mean, really looked. He was about 20, so clearly old enough to have graduated school. I'm not a fan of new math, but even I can add, and I'm pretty sure that those numbers added together > $10. I decided to walk back and grab the ticket that was on each and every display of toothbrushes - maybe, and it's entirely possible - I'd misunderstood. I found the display, saw that I was right, and came back to the register. I pointed out the words that showed that I was due $10, and he replied

but you didn't spend $10. Each of those was $3.

 Hello? I spent $3.79 x 2 + $3.49 x 2= $14.56, which in MY WORLD $14.56 > $10. Let's get a manager.

Who came to the register and didn't believe me, and asked to see the products I'd bought. Here's what I showed her:

At which point she says to me:

Well, I see the problem. You have two here that aren't Oral B products. Also - You didn't spend $10.

REALLY? In that image, up there, are the words ORAL B difficult to see? In what galaxy is $14.56 < $10? So she pulled the sale flyer, because the fact that two of the toothbrushes came with free Crest was totally throwing her. I was beginning to feel like I was in the Twilight Zone, or on Candid Camera - and wondered why this was so painful. I began to doubt myself. Maybe I really *didn't* know math. Maybe, just maybe, I was WRONG.

Finally, she just ended up giving it to me.

But I could tell she still didn't believe me.

And I almost gave up - because it was only $5. But I wonder - how many people do give up?

And $5 is still $5. It's (almost) admission to the movies.

When I came home, I told this story to my two youngest - ages 8 and 10- and I rounded the numbers (I told them that I bought two that together totaled $7 and two that were $4 each) and THEY GOT IT RIGHT AWAY.

 

Comments

[Kristen]

Too funny if it didn't actually happen. I totally would have done the same thing as you, and have in other circumstances, and then ended up feeling like something was wrong with *me* for asking for what was offered and "bothering" the clerk and manager. How exactly does that happen?

[Annika]

On the plus side, your kids can do math!

[Beth]

Wow.

[Mary @ A Simple Twist of Faith]

Just plain crazy, but I agree with Annika.

[Becki King]

I could not have been that polite in the face of such stubborn and persistent stupidity.

[Sylvia]

Holy crap. My brain exploded. There's a serious shortage of intelligence in the world these days.

[Wendy]

Ok, even my 8 year old got it. That's sad.

[Amy]

Maybe they had the same math teacher as the girl in this clip

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Qhm7-LEBznk&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DQhm7-LEBznk

[Brandy]

Good grief. Just..... good grief.

[Kay]

I would have said, "It says Oral B on all of the toothbrushes". That would have bugged me, she should have explained her stupidness.

[likeablegirl]

Oh great googely-moogely! I would have had to ask "So if these aren't Oral B toothbrushes, what brand are they?" just for the opportunity to make a private guess at how long it would take them to answer me and see if I was right. Or to be special witness to the golden 'Uh-Oh-Ahhh! Now I get it!' moment as it happened.

Every child in my house that knows $15>$10 would get an extra cookie when I got home.

[Shelly]

Wow!

[lisa]

situation sounds so familiar, but I'm usually in a cell phone store.

[Niko]

Welcome to CVS! I used to love them, but rarely grace their stores anymore because of the horrible customer service!!!

[Amie]

You know I am beginning think many companies count on us getting frustrated and giving up. I spent 30 min online chatting w Verizon wireless tonight. At least four times I stated in writing that I needed to make changes that would lower the monthly bill. Near the end of our conversation, the bill was $42 higher per month than I am currently paying!!!!!! I just cancelled all the changes , stuck w original plan, and proceeded to hit my head on the wall in frustration.

[Sonja]

There are SO MANY people out there looking for work that you would think they could hire people who can actually ADD, for goodness sakes! Things like that make me crazy! On the other hand, I love that at some stores (that may or may not be Kohl's) they will give you a discount even if you forgot your stupid coupon. And I love, love, love that JCP has done away with all the ridiculous sales in favor of straight forward pricing that is reasonable. More stores should learn from them. Target all the way, I say.

[kyooty]

I'd definitely send this link to the main office of the store you were in.