ongoing walmart crisis...

seriously folks. I can't even begin to tell you how aggravated I am with this store.

Son received a V-Smile unit for Christmas- its an incredible learning tool for him, and bankrupting me in batteries. for some silly reason the VTech folks didn't think an AC plug would be handy for this thing. Of course, its conveniently sold separately. This is not a problem, as it turns out, if you need one, they are available at most stores that sell the VSmiles.

Son's birthday is tomorrow. (yea I know, try to "last minute lecture" me, but I've been snowed in all week!) I figured the perfect gift would be this AC plug. He's been griping about batteries for the thing for days.

ok- I pop online, and check walmart. (why? because thats where the unit came from, and they boast selling ALL accessories!) cool. $9.98 . Now, the site says its available online, but this is WALMART we're talking about. I'm not about to assume they have something I need in the store itself.

Off to the phone.
this was my exchange:

"SPORTING GOODS!" (yelled into my ear. no- walmart how can i help you)
hi , i need to talk to someone either in electronics or the kids dept please.
HELLOOO ?? SPORTING GOODS !
ya, I got that... is this walmart?
SPORTING GOODS!can i help you!
I need to speak with someone who can tell me if you have a VSmile AC adapter plug in the store please..
OH. THIS IS SPORTING GOODS!
YEA i GOT THAT PART. think you can transfer me to kids or electronics??

At which point I was transferred to men's wear, then home and office, at which point I was put on hold until a recording asked me for my access code.

WHA?

ok. I call back again, and ask to speak directly to a manager. They have rank, they have authority over the other morons, which should make them smarter, right??

"can I help you?"
God i hope so because I'm pretty sure I've talked to everyone else there, and they can't figure out the phones, let alone what I'm asking about. I need a v smile ac adapter plug. do you have one in the store?
oh gosh ma'am , sorry about that.. let me find out for you.

hold..... hold..... hold...

ma'am- we do have them, they are in the aisle with the vsmile units , in the toys department, or you can also get a universal adapter in electronics.

THANK YOU!

Now, I'm thinking, hey, maybe today walmart WILL be easy, one stop shopping. I can do the gifts, then zip over and get the few groceries I need. Hmm.

Off we go ,all the way across town to the walmart.

to the toy department. .. to the Vsmile units.

YOU have GOT to be KIDDING??!!
the space in front of me is almost blank. there is a huge variety of TWO game cartridges ( one Son has, the other under his age level) and a plug adapter- for a CAR.

The other blank hooks bravely state they are holding other games, and of course, there are TWO hooks that state they hold AC adapter plugs. Empty hooks.

ok.
off to electronics, where the lovely helpful soul who looked like she hated the place as much as I do, tells me that the adapters are sold by the game units.

DUH- the hooks are empty, I called an hour ago and was told they are here.

oh. well we have these univrsal plugs that would fit it...

I almost fell over. they wanted an extra $10 for the universal.I explained again, I CALLED, and was TOLD that the vsmile adapter was HERE, IN the STORE. they sell for $9.98. why would I buy THAT thing for $20, and not know if it'll actually WORK?

uuummm uuuhhh... let me call someone from the toy dept, to meet you over there. maybe they have them in the back.

you do that.

back to toys.

wait
wait
wait
wait...

there is no page on the loudspeaker. there is no sign of life whatsoever in the toy dept.
I go looking for one of those stupid buttons- the ones that auto page a handy staff to your aid in the department of the button... NO buttons.

So we wait.
I go back to electronics, to ask the woman if she paged someone or not, and she totally ignored me. Looked right at me, and when I started to ask her about it, she rolled her eyes and walked away.

Tell me you wouldn't be completely irate by this, and I'll tell you you're lying through your teeth.

back to toys, where I park outside the aisle and start paging someone myself. very loudly " ASSISTANCE TO TOYS PLEASE? CUSTOMER NEEDS ASSISTANCE IN TOYS"

I did this a total of about 6 times, in roughly 10 minutes. I literally heard myself echo through the store. My daughter was completely stunned, but wisely decided this was not the time to ask mommy what this was all about.

finally an 'assistant' appears. I explain to her the issue at hand . She checks her handy scanner and tells me, no, there are NOT any in stock, but there are SIX on order to be delivered sometime next week. " is there something else I can help you with?"

oh i doubt it very much..

so much for the manager being of smarter rank.

Sorry, not spending a red cent in here today folks.

went to Kmart- where I know chances were slim of finding this adapter, but fond a very busy , yet happy and helpful staff member willing to turn the place upside down to find one for me, then suggested radio shack.

so my adventure of "walmart one stop shopping" yet again turned into a nightmare of morons, a trip to kmart, radio shack, and the food store.

At radio shack, I was well greeted, and they did not have the adapter, BUT he did offer the universal, told me he did not want to sell it to me without knowing if it would work though. I told him, it has the different jacks in it, if none of them fit, I can bring it back right?
Oh of course! if this one won't work for you , bring it back, and bring the game unit too, we'll make sure you get the right one..

And do you know what , ladies and gents? the one I bought at Radio Shack was $11.95.

So roughly every reason I hate walmart was exposed all in one trip today....

really.... can you blame me?