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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

A 30 second Phone Call Can Save Gas Money

Yesterday right after swim class, my older son (OS) stopped talking in the middle of a sentence. He was absolutely fixated on something with a small smile on his face. His brother caught his gaze and turned to stare himself. I couldn't figure out what was so fabulous that my children were captivated. Then I saw it. It was a Little Mermaid swim tote. OS broke his gaze to ask me in a small quiet voice if he might get one like it. I can always tell when OS really wants something because instead of loud whining or begging, he quietly and calmly will ask for something.

I have to say that two of the many things I dislike about the Disney Princesses are the pink and the frills. This bag however was, dare I say it, tasteful. It was a pretty shade of green and not frilly. It was just a little mesh bag that could hold a swim suit and a small towel. A beach towel would be pushing it. There was a picture of Ariel on the front of it.

I went home and did a Google search for it. I finally found it on the Disney store site. They had other swim totes in stock, but clicking on the Ariel bag kept generating an error. This reminded me of when I was desperate for a large cloth Eprit bag which was the hot item bookbag when I was in 5th grade. My mom took me to pick one out, and I treasured it. In fact, if I hadn't worn a hole in the bottom of it, I would still use it despite the fact that it would now be 22 years old and probably no longer cool. With this memory in mind and the knowledge that OS wanted this bag so much, I actually called the Disney toll free number. I was told that this bag was so popular that they were completely sold out. What?! I didn't think this has happened with a non-video game kids items since Cabbage Patch Kids.

I called several Disney stores and they too were completely sold out. Everyone had the Sleeping Beauty, Fairies and Disney Princess bags. Apparently those were duds. One store, an hour away from me, told me that they had two Ariel bags left. I asked if they could hold one for me, and the saleclerk said it was no problem. I gave her my name. and said I would pick it up this afternoon so less than 24 hours later. I'm sure you can guess where this story is going. I briefly considered calling the store and asking them to ship it to me, but OS was so excited for it, and I had an errand in that direction anyway (albeit still 45 minutes away). So have you guessed it? I drove all the way there and learned that they had sold the bag they had reserved for me. Nice. Now I had two disappointed kids and a half tank of consumed gas...not to mention the lost time. Both boys picked out the "duds" which every store including the one right by our house had. And no, they didn't offer me any sort of discount or anything. I already sent an email.

A. Elliot's Lesson Learned: Before heading out to pick up a reserved item, call to confirm that it's really there.

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posted by Alex Elliot @ 9:22 PM   6 comments
6 Comments:

  • At 6/19/2008 6:23 AM, Anonymous CableGirl said…

    Oh wow, I'd be so pissed! Sure, you could call ahead to make sure that they haven't sold your reserved item, but isn't that the point of reserving it in the first place!?!?! ack!

     

  • At 6/19/2008 7:27 AM, Blogger Whirlwind said…

    Wow, I would be pissed. To waste all that gas AND time just to pick something up when you had it reserved in the first place? Glad you already sent a letter.

     

  • At 6/19/2008 9:02 AM, Blogger Count Mockula said…

    That sucks! Reserved means reserved!!

     

  • At 6/19/2008 10:42 AM, Blogger Jen of A2eatwrite said…

    Nothing like good customer service. What a bummer!

     

  • At 6/19/2008 4:37 PM, Blogger Goofball said…

    oh no! how sad. did they come up with a decent explanation? If they thought you wouldn't show up they should not have made the reservation


    btw: doing some errands at 45 away blows my mind :p. I'd risk crossing the border.

     

  • At 6/19/2008 10:12 PM, Blogger Suzanne said…

    So, being a good Auntie, I trekked over the Disney Store on 5th Ave to see if they had any bags. When I arrived along with throngs of tourists, I discovered that the store in NYC is "special." They don't carry any items that "regular" stores sell. Sigh. If I had just called first... although the store was on my home from a meeting, so it was not a huge deal. :) I did pick up an Ariel t-shirt for OS.

     
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Name:Alex Elliot
Home:MA, United States
About Me:Professional Mom of two cats, a dog, an ant farm, and oh yeah...two boys: a 6 year old and a 3 year old. Also found in my house is my husband who is known on this blog as The Big Giraffe.
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