I see that in retail a lot. People make the trip and we don’t have what they want and complain because they drove from so far away.
Often I have driven farther to get to work than the customer did to come shop.
If the item is worth the trip then make the trip and pay the cost associated. If not then don’t. That is part of the cost/benefit analysis. Even for online ordering. Is it worth paying shipping or should I look for an item locally.
If it is truly a rare item then suck it up and make the trip.
People like finding what they actually want instead of driving to a store, spending time looking for an item, just to find out they don't have what you want or anything that might work. I can't think of the last time I seriously went shopping for something specific in a store. I need x item or something equally as good. The company makes them so I drive to the store and they don't have it. The alternatives, if there are alternatives, are garbage. I'm sorry online shopping is ruining brick and mortars, but most brick and mortars offer a poor selection of items. So now I've had to drive around a city with poor traffic just to be disappointed and return empty handed. I could go to their website and buy it if they have one, but I really wanted to look at the item. The only time I really go to brick and mortars to buy something is if I need something real quick.
For example, if I want an electronic item I could drive to best buy. Unless you want an appliance, a phone, or a TV, their selection is pretty shit. Even the items I mentioned can be a shitty selection. Go to their web store and I can buy just about anything.
That was why I stopped shopping at Borders (the now defunct bookstore). They didn’t have books in stock and made it hard to order books. I kept looking for books only to be disappointed. When I asked the help desk they’d say it wasn’t in stock, but maybe they could order it online, though I couldn’t use my gift cards to buy it. After this and other issues, I went to Barnes & Noble. They had one book on the shelf and let me order the other one with no issues. The physical B&N store I used to go to has unfortunately closed, but I can still order off their website as well as off unrelated sites like Abe Books and Thrift Books.
Also, rest in peace the Waldenbooks at the Salem Mall (closed and torn down), Cap‘N Books Treasure Chest (a bakery and ice cream parlor turned secondhand store here in Trotwood, now an apartment building), and the Half-Price Books near the Dayton Mall (moved closer to Cincinnati). I spent many happy moments there. 🫡
Our stores offer in store purchases, buy online pick up in store, and online purchases shipped.
We can also do special orders in store if something is not in our store. I can do that right from my handheld device.
If someone calls to check availability I can look and let them know if it is in stock or not. If it is in stock I can place the item on hold for them to ensure they can purchase the item.
You can rely on incorrect inventory data to populate websites to tell you whether something is in stock or not or you can call and verify with an actual person who can have eyes on a product and maybe set one on hold for you.
How would that help? You still need to walk to the store and then carry everything back. I have a grocery store within a half mile of my place and can't walk to it simply because I don't want to carry a weeks worth of groceries back.
You wouldn't get a week's worth of groceries at once, you'd just get what you need for the next couple of days. In walkable cities where markets/grocery shops are very accessible it's easy to just grab a few things when you're coming home from work or meeting up with someone.
Ok, I think i like my version better. How does that even work when is pouring rain outside too? Or -30 C? Or 45C? The only way I could imagine that working is you never buy heavy liquids, it's a temperate climate all year and you cook fresh every night instead of meal prepping. I can easily imagine needing 35 pounds of groceries to meal prep for a family of 4.
I recommend looking into how things like that function in places like the Netherlands and Japan. The climate isn't temperate all year and most people in those countries do not drive but find it very easy to grocery shop.
If you have a family of four you probably aren't the only person carrying groceries.
I myself do not own a car and I manage to grocery shop. The temperature where I live was -30c yesterday. I don't buy groceries every single day, and I meal prep, and since my city is only somewhat walkable and not as much as it could be, it isn't as easy to grab groceries every couple of days, but it could be. Despite that, people without cars manage. We would manage better if that kind of infrastructure was improved. But I live in the US and everyone is allergic to the idea of driving less.
It's odd to me that they wouldn't take 3 minutes of their time to call the store and check if they have the item in stock before committing to such a long ride.
I guess not every person is blessed with logical thinking.
Why the hell should anyone have to deal with some grouchy or in many cases, downright stupid, employee to find something on the phone when it takes literally seconds and a few clicks to find AND PURCHASE the same item on-line?
I had one when I was a holiday cashier who complained that she drove all the way here and we didn't have what she wanted, but the other store that she drove from did. The other other store in question is about 15 minutes away. She was there an hour earlier.
On issue with websites is it is not eyes on a specific item. At this time of year we are a whole year from our last inventory. We have a ton of people shopping. There is theft. Inventory is not always 100%. It might show on our website that something is in stock but the web is pulling from our inventory system so it can be off.
Always better especially on important or hard to find items to call. We can verify inventory with eyes on an item and put a customers name on it to ensure it will be there after that “long” 20 minute drive.
At my store we do. We have the departments numbered. I have 12 departments I sell in. When the receptionist takes a call they dial that department. We have anywhere from 4 to 8 sales associates working. Anyone who covers a department can pick up a call. If they dial for archery for instance it will ring through to everyone who can sell in archery. We answer calls. It pays for us to do so. If you call our store you will get through to an expert in that department.
The occasional individual with "but I do" does not disprove a word I said.
Also: "no one" and "never" are not meant to be interpreted as literal. Do people not understand that?
Do people believe that I have teleported to every retail outfit and stood all day every day to see if even one person ever picks up the phone?
Conversely are we to believe that an exception does not prove the rule, or that every business, and city, and country, and culture, are the same?
I've never understood why people jump into a debate over personal experience and or personal opinion. Just accept that not everyone's is the same. Thanks.
(Edit: Oh. The 'other person' came to mind, was also you; saying the same thing more than once. Congrats on having worked at a sporting goods store in which someone always picked up the phone. Congrats, on your laudable work habits. How that disproves what I have experienced, eludes me.)
How are people this bad at gas calculations? I see it all the time and it makes me unreasonably upset. Unless they are driving a tank or are coming from 2 states away there is no way it would cost anything like that.
I wasn't even looking at that part, but yeah. The only way I'd be spending that much on gas is if I was driving something like 600 miles round trip to do that.
I'm not sure how far a tank would need to go, but I'm sure someone on the War Thunder forums has that answer if you ask.
I mean it’s not that wild, though they would still have to be coming from far. I’m assuming this is in Canada based on Guelph, a single tank of gas here can easily cost $70 CAD (obviously vehicle dependent) or more. If this person is driving like 200-250km each way (which is admittedly kinda crazy) that’s a tank.
I’m not saying this person isn’t totally full of shit, they could be coming from around the corner and, either way, asking the seller to reimburse your gas is insane, I’m just saying that part specifically isn’t thaaaaaat ludicrous.
Reminds me of the time my roommates and I had a party during college. We were obviously all on a budget and asked everyone to pitch for drinks. This one friend showed up and I asked him to pitch in. He said no since he had to pay for gas money to get there.... yea, we are no longer friends.
yeah i had a guy who was interested in a halloween animatronic i was selling, and he wanted to meet halfway because he was planning on going to the city we were meeting in anyways. and then he asks if i can take any money off because he has to drive so far. buddy i thought you just said you were planning on going anyways?
I don't know why anyone would care at all about how much it costs you to drive to me. Maybe it works on some, but honestly, your logistical issues were never my concern.
Yea I had a guy that offered on my snow tires full price (listed at $300) minus the cost of gas and the cost to dismount/remount them. So free basically.
I’m not sorry for reporting that type of low ball offer from a low brow man. If you can own a car, you can buy snow tires, full price, from a shop, all day long.
I had an expensive dress listed on eBay. Someone sent me a ridiculously low offer on it, with a message saying it was too big for them and that they needed to pay to have it altered, so they wanted a discount. I declined.
If only there was a way to send items to someone, like packing the item into a box, give it to a carrier and their logistics will deal with it. At a low price.
I swear, people like this have the same energy as that old joke which says, “A strange thing happened to me the other day. This guy walks up to me and asks for twenty dollars for a cup of coffee. I tell him, ‘Coffee’s only a dime!’ and he tells me, ‘I’m a big tipper!’”
Average price of gas today is about $2.90. $70 worth of gas at that price is a bit over 24 gallons. If your car averages 25 miles per gallon, that works out to 600 miles of range.
What I really want to know is: who is going to drive 600 miles to buy a MegaMan figure?
Unless you're driving many hundreds of miles, NO WAY IN HELL that costs $70 "for gas". So, yeah, DEFINITELY a choosy beggar trying to "beg" for a discount when gas round trip is probably a few bucks at most.
Expecting a seller to cover the complete cost of your gas (which almost certainly isn’t $70) because you want to buy a figurine deserves this sort of response.
I want it but I have to take a 900 dollar plane ride. So if you could just give me the item plus 750 we'll be even.
This seems too good to be true OP, be careful.
Don't shortchange yourself.
Ask for full plane fare, overnight hotel stay, and per diem.
Gotta eat, too.
> I want it but I have to take a 900 dollar plane ride. So if you could just give me the item plus 750 we'll be even.
I see that in retail a lot. People make the trip and we don’t have what they want and complain because they drove from so far away.
Often I have driven farther to get to work than the customer did to come shop.
If the item is worth the trip then make the trip and pay the cost associated. If not then don’t. That is part of the cost/benefit analysis. Even for online ordering. Is it worth paying shipping or should I look for an item locally.
If it is truly a rare item then suck it up and make the trip.
This is why Amazon does so well. People don't like having to travel to shop.
People like finding what they actually want instead of driving to a store, spending time looking for an item, just to find out they don't have what you want or anything that might work. I can't think of the last time I seriously went shopping for something specific in a store. I need x item or something equally as good. The company makes them so I drive to the store and they don't have it. The alternatives, if there are alternatives, are garbage. I'm sorry online shopping is ruining brick and mortars, but most brick and mortars offer a poor selection of items. So now I've had to drive around a city with poor traffic just to be disappointed and return empty handed. I could go to their website and buy it if they have one, but I really wanted to look at the item. The only time I really go to brick and mortars to buy something is if I need something real quick.
For example, if I want an electronic item I could drive to best buy. Unless you want an appliance, a phone, or a TV, their selection is pretty shit. Even the items I mentioned can be a shitty selection. Go to their web store and I can buy just about anything.
That was why I stopped shopping at Borders (the now defunct bookstore). They didn’t have books in stock and made it hard to order books. I kept looking for books only to be disappointed. When I asked the help desk they’d say it wasn’t in stock, but maybe they could order it online, though I couldn’t use my gift cards to buy it. After this and other issues, I went to Barnes & Noble. They had one book on the shelf and let me order the other one with no issues. The physical B&N store I used to go to has unfortunately closed, but I can still order off their website as well as off unrelated sites like Abe Books and Thrift Books.
Also, rest in peace the Waldenbooks at the Salem Mall (closed and torn down), Cap‘N Books Treasure Chest (a bakery and ice cream parlor turned secondhand store here in Trotwood, now an apartment building), and the Half-Price Books near the Dayton Mall (moved closer to Cincinnati). I spent many happy moments there. 🫡
Preach. I basically don't go to any physical stores unless I'm getting food anymore. Tired of coming home with nothing.
That’s just sad to me.
Well it's not a good thing.
Our stores offer in store purchases, buy online pick up in store, and online purchases shipped.
We can also do special orders in store if something is not in our store. I can do that right from my handheld device.
If someone calls to check availability I can look and let them know if it is in stock or not. If it is in stock I can place the item on hold for them to ensure they can purchase the item.
I like buying in store in person.
I swear you people need to learn how to make phone calls
Talk to a person???? Are you mad?
You can rely on incorrect inventory data to populate websites to tell you whether something is in stock or not or you can call and verify with an actual person who can have eyes on a product and maybe set one on hold for you.
For that you need to talk to a person.
Which is why we need more walkable cities and towns
How would that help? You still need to walk to the store and then carry everything back. I have a grocery store within a half mile of my place and can't walk to it simply because I don't want to carry a weeks worth of groceries back.
You wouldn't get a week's worth of groceries at once, you'd just get what you need for the next couple of days. In walkable cities where markets/grocery shops are very accessible it's easy to just grab a few things when you're coming home from work or meeting up with someone.
Ok, I think i like my version better. How does that even work when is pouring rain outside too? Or -30 C? Or 45C? The only way I could imagine that working is you never buy heavy liquids, it's a temperate climate all year and you cook fresh every night instead of meal prepping. I can easily imagine needing 35 pounds of groceries to meal prep for a family of 4.
I recommend looking into how things like that function in places like the Netherlands and Japan. The climate isn't temperate all year and most people in those countries do not drive but find it very easy to grocery shop.
If you have a family of four you probably aren't the only person carrying groceries.
I myself do not own a car and I manage to grocery shop. The temperature where I live was -30c yesterday. I don't buy groceries every single day, and I meal prep, and since my city is only somewhat walkable and not as much as it could be, it isn't as easy to grab groceries every couple of days, but it could be. Despite that, people without cars manage. We would manage better if that kind of infrastructure was improved. But I live in the US and everyone is allergic to the idea of driving less.
get an old lady trolley they're great
We call them 'granny carts' and can confirm, they're great.
It's odd to me that they wouldn't take 3 minutes of their time to call the store and check if they have the item in stock before committing to such a long ride.
I guess not every person is blessed with logical thinking.
Why the hell should anyone have to deal with some grouchy or in many cases, downright stupid, employee to find something on the phone when it takes literally seconds and a few clicks to find AND PURCHASE the same item on-line?
I had one when I was a holiday cashier who complained that she drove all the way here and we didn't have what she wanted, but the other store that she drove from did. The other other store in question is about 15 minutes away. She was there an hour earlier.
When I worked retail I would often wonder if these people had never heard of a phone.
I even told some of them we would gladly tell them if something was in stock if they called. They often didn’t like my “tone”
I can't remember the last time anyone picked up a phone if I tried to phone a store.
Some stores now show (online) what is in (each store/shelves) stock, though, which is very helpful.
That's why we have have phones and the internet.
On issue with websites is it is not eyes on a specific item. At this time of year we are a whole year from our last inventory. We have a ton of people shopping. There is theft. Inventory is not always 100%. It might show on our website that something is in stock but the web is pulling from our inventory system so it can be off.
Always better especially on important or hard to find items to call. We can verify inventory with eyes on an item and put a customers name on it to ensure it will be there after that “long” 20 minute drive.
No one picks up the phone in a store. I mean that was a problem with some co workers back when I worked retail which is a looooooong time ago.
At my store we do. We have the departments numbered. I have 12 departments I sell in. When the receptionist takes a call they dial that department. We have anywhere from 4 to 8 sales associates working. Anyone who covers a department can pick up a call. If they dial for archery for instance it will ring through to everyone who can sell in archery. We answer calls. It pays for us to do so. If you call our store you will get through to an expert in that department.
Do people believe that their exception disproves someone else's experience? We don't all live in the same countries, let alone cities.
> everyone who can sell in archery
Not the type of store most people call, or that CBs ask for things from. Glad someone can quickly get hold of an archery expert...somewhere, though.
> If you call our store you will get through to an expert in that department.
“No one picks up the phone”.
We do.
It does not mean we are the norm but it is not absolute that no stores answer phones.
The last store I worked at we answered calls and my current store we answer phones.
Please see my reply to the other person.
The occasional individual with "but I do" does not disprove a word I said.
Also: "no one" and "never" are not meant to be interpreted as literal. Do people not understand that?
Do people believe that I have teleported to every retail outfit and stood all day every day to see if even one person ever picks up the phone?
Conversely are we to believe that an exception does not prove the rule, or that every business, and city, and country, and culture, are the same?
I've never understood why people jump into a debate over personal experience and or personal opinion. Just accept that not everyone's is the same. Thanks.
(Edit: Oh. The 'other person' came to mind, was also you; saying the same thing more than once. Congrats on having worked at a sporting goods store in which someone always picked up the phone. Congrats, on your laudable work habits. How that disproves what I have experienced, eludes me.)
Locally? You mean like instant shipping?
How are people this bad at gas calculations? I see it all the time and it makes me unreasonably upset. Unless they are driving a tank or are coming from 2 states away there is no way it would cost anything like that.
Leaky gas tank about to explode = 3mi/gl
I wasn't even looking at that part, but yeah. The only way I'd be spending that much on gas is if I was driving something like 600 miles round trip to do that.
I'm not sure how far a tank would need to go, but I'm sure someone on the War Thunder forums has that answer if you ask.
And don't be surprised that this broke ass person comes in a F250 that has never seen a single toolset. And only mall parking lots.
I mean it’s not that wild, though they would still have to be coming from far. I’m assuming this is in Canada based on Guelph, a single tank of gas here can easily cost $70 CAD (obviously vehicle dependent) or more. If this person is driving like 200-250km each way (which is admittedly kinda crazy) that’s a tank.
I’m not saying this person isn’t totally full of shit, they could be coming from around the corner and, either way, asking the seller to reimburse your gas is insane, I’m just saying that part specifically isn’t thaaaaaat ludicrous.
Reminds me of the time my roommates and I had a party during college. We were obviously all on a budget and asked everyone to pitch for drinks. This one friend showed up and I asked him to pitch in. He said no since he had to pay for gas money to get there.... yea, we are no longer friends.
If he can't afford the gas to get it, he can't afford to get the figurine. Pretty simple.
If they lowball that much I don’t even respond. It’s a complete waste of energy and it leads only to frustration.
I don't either but I am in the mood to mess with people
Loved the Austin powers meme response. LOL
Wow, do stores reimburse gas? I've gotta look into this gas reimbursement program!
great, now the secret is out.
yeah i had a guy who was interested in a halloween animatronic i was selling, and he wanted to meet halfway because he was planning on going to the city we were meeting in anyways. and then he asks if i can take any money off because he has to drive so far. buddy i thought you just said you were planning on going anyways?
Somehow he must believe your gasoline and time to drive to a place outside your own city, were free.
Bro, you want it this bad, come get it for the price it sold for. If youre whining about the gas expense, then you dont want it that badly.
I don't know why anyone would care at all about how much it costs you to drive to me. Maybe it works on some, but honestly, your logistical issues were never my concern.
“Sorry, I’m giving it to someone else for free- they are coming from twice as far, so it’s only fair.”
I know right? I fucking hate that shit when they try to whine the price down because they live “so far away” or whatever.
I would’ve said that price was for locals only and since you’re from out of town I’m going to have to charge extra.
Low balling troll logic melts my brain sometimes
I just report a deliberate low offer and move on
Dr Evil for the win. NO!!!
Yea I had a guy that offered on my snow tires full price (listed at $300) minus the cost of gas and the cost to dismount/remount them. So free basically.
I’m not sorry for reporting that type of low ball offer from a low brow man. If you can own a car, you can buy snow tires, full price, from a shop, all day long.
Does CB believe that you are to blame for their expenses?
I had an expensive dress listed on eBay. Someone sent me a ridiculously low offer on it, with a message saying it was too big for them and that they needed to pay to have it altered, so they wanted a discount. I declined.
How is that the sellers problem? lol
If only there was a way to send items to someone, like packing the item into a box, give it to a carrier and their logistics will deal with it. At a low price.
I even put in the add that'd I'd be willing to ship
I swear, people like this have the same energy as that old joke which says, “A strange thing happened to me the other day. This guy walks up to me and asks for twenty dollars for a cup of coffee. I tell him, ‘Coffee’s only a dime!’ and he tells me, ‘I’m a big tipper!’”
The amount of entitled people that expect price drops for their travel lately is astounding. I just leave the chat now.
I love that you used that gif because I reference it a lot!!!
Tell him you'll deliver it to him - for $220
You should have said. "How do I know you don't drive an EV and are trying to scam me?"
Hey Safeway, I had to burn like 8 bucks in gas to get here; why don’t you make it fair and knock 40% off these zucchini and razor blades?
The buyer's logic is such that when they drive to the grocer they expect a discount for the cost of gas.
Average price of gas today is about $2.90. $70 worth of gas at that price is a bit over 24 gallons. If your car averages 25 miles per gallon, that works out to 600 miles of range.
What I really want to know is: who is going to drive 600 miles to buy a MegaMan figure?
lol
It doesn't really scream like a chooising beggar to me. Just sounds more like someone who tried haggling. (Well more like a low ball offer)
A choosing beggar is alot more picky.
Unless you're driving many hundreds of miles, NO WAY IN HELL that costs $70 "for gas". So, yeah, DEFINITELY a choosy beggar trying to "beg" for a discount when gas round trip is probably a few bucks at most.
Asking for 50 percent off asking price because of gas is barely passing the bar for haggling.
So its just a low ball offer. Which is still a bit more different than a choosing beggar.
It’s a spectrum, not a switch.
I do agree with you. Haggling is not a choosing beggar.
Wait...d-art? Megawatts? Dafaq? Where?
Bro...I want...fuck. where are you located?
Ontario lol
How dare them politely barter on fb marketplace, aren’t they aware that figurining is a serious hobby?
Good thing you sent back a snarky meme instead of just politely declining
Expecting a seller to cover the complete cost of your gas (which almost certainly isn’t $70) because you want to buy a figurine deserves this sort of response.
Do you drive to Walmart and then ask for a $20 discount from your cashier because you had to drive there?
Fuck off.
I’m going to be the nitpicky ass.
It’s not a barter, it’s haggling.
People trying to negotiate on price over marketplace is completely normal, not a choosing beggar….
You Should have offered to ship it.
Yeah it's in the ad saying I'd be willing to ship
I feel like if he wanted to ship it that would've been a option in the first place. They are probably using FB marketplace to avoid shipping.