Stupidstore Thinks I'm Stupid

I want to warn you all about a little scam I call, "Let's offer our customers gas at a discount and then raise all our prices."

Stupidstore. Shudder.

Yes. I went there today. Perhaps that's where the stupid part starts, I admit, but I had shopping to do for camping and just daily life, so off I went. I went prepared. I had a list. I had read their flyer and knew what was on sale.

The store was COVERED in signs letting me know I was going to SAVE BIG on gas today!! The more I bought, the bigger my savings were going to be at their gas pump today!! I proceeded into the store to my first purchase from their newspaper advertisement of 30% off sunscreen. And it wasn't on sale. Then went to pick up my diaper wipes that were advertised as free when I got their club pack of diapers.....and it was only the 'supreme' club pack that had that deal, not the ones I buy, yet WERE PICTURED in the flyer. Do you think I could find anyone to ask them about this? Of course not.

As I proceeded throughout the store, and down my list, I discovered that the vast majority of things I typically purchase in their store had been marked up. Way up. Like, whole grain bread I bought last Friday at $2.48 was now $3.79. I could see the previous sticker underneath. It was rampant in the store. Those employees must have been up all night changing all the prices.

Then I went to get the juice that was advertised in their flyer at 2 for $1. Not on sale in the store. Oh, really?

Cereal. Box I bought last week at $4.99 was now mark at $6.99. Didn't get any.

The granola bars on for $1.49? (Hey, we're going camping.) None of the slightly better variety that were shown in their flyer were there.

Save up to 50% on camping and sporting goods? There was not ONE thing in there with a larger discount than 33%. And I was in the store on the very first day.

I hate being duped. I HATE supporting a store that thinks I'm an idiot and will fall for their tricks. But I wasn't finished. I still had to get through the checkout.

Subconsciously, I must have been wanting to seek my revenge, and so I dropped a case of pop at the checkout. Yes, I'm a klutz. But I'm also a Mahoney so I managed to drop the pop in such a way as to cause one of those said pops nestled inside the case to explode and start spirting generic sprite all over the floor, the checkout next to us, the shopping cart and of course, all over me. As I'm standing there, holding a possessed box of soda, the checkout girl actually asks me, "Is it leaking?" I'm not sure what gave it away. The noise the case was making? The sticky pop spewing out the cracks? Me saying,"AHHH. It's spraying everywhere?"

I begged her for help. A garbage can? Some paper towels? Page someone? ANYTHING! Please don't just stand there looking at me holding an animated case of pop.

She finally paged someone to come help. That was great. Some fourteen year old BOY came and stood there looking at me, still holding the case of pop with liquid squirting out. He finally said, "Oh. Is it leaking?" Which led me to believe that it must be a phrase taught in Stupidstore Employee Training. He came around to my side of the counter and tried to take the case. I suggested he get a garbage can or something, but he just took the case and started walking away. And as pop is streaming out the sides and all along the floor, he says, "OH!!! It's really leaking."

And honest, I am not making this up, I had to tell the cashier that she should call someone to clean up the pop that was all over the floor so the 90 year old lady behind me wouldn't slip and fall. "Oh, really? The floor's wet? Is it sticky?"

Very long pause.

I did not swear at her. Or under my breath. Honest.

"Yes...the floor is sticky. And wet. The pop spilled all over the floor. Pop is wet and sticky." (Ok, that part I just said in my head, but, I WISH I had the guts to say it out loud.)

In the end, the 90 year old lady paid for her groceries standing in a puddle of no name sprite, with me bagging my groceries and watching her, waiting to dive and catch her if she started to go down. The 14 year old BOY eventually came and handed a new case of pop to the cashier, who promptly gave it to the 90 year old lady. The elderly lady didn't even try to explain it to the cashier. She just rolled her eyes and handed the case to me.

So, all in all, I guess Stupidstore is out $1.48 because of me.

Who's laughing now...huh?