Future Shop, Staples and Wii's Oh my!

Pin It Warning, long-winded shopping saga!

On Christmas Eve I decided to try and get the Wii Fit Plus that Future Shop had on sale for $49.99 (regular $99).  I had little hope of actually getting it because that price is amazing.  I logged onto their website and low and behold, it was in stock!  I added it to my cart and then tried to check out...I ended up in a "virtual line up"...yeah, I thought that was odd too!  45 minutes I waited in this virtual line up to check out, only to find out that the Wii Fit Plus had sold out while I was waiting in line.  I was NOT a happy camper.

On Christmas day my brother found me a Wii on sale at Staples (the nice pretty black one...it's all about the colour, right? that included the Wii Sport and Wii Sport Resort) for $169.99 (regular $209), so I ordered that (thanks to the generosity of those who love me, I got Wii-money for Christmas!).  I was a bit concerned because the order said "pending availability" and when I later went back to the Staples website it was showing as unavailable...and I wasn't sure how things worked...wasn't sure it would actually come....so I'm waiting and waiting.  Today (3 days later) I phoned them to change the delivery location (if possible) since my pending order said anticipated delivery would be Dec 30 (not knowing this, I had asked them to deliver to my office...but we're closed that day!).  While the girl did not confirm that they had one with my name on it in the warehouse, she did say she confirmed my change of delivery location (to the store this time...I hate waiting around for deliveries!) and that I could pick it up after 5pm on Thursday...does this mean it's coming? I was afraid to ask!!

So last night I was out and about doing a bit of after Christmas shopping...Ricki's for a couple of sweaters, Bath & Body Works for the usual soaps and then getting on the highway to come home I realized that the return direction did not offer an exit to go in the direction I needed (I knew this, just spaced out for a minute or two), so I ended up at Dartmouth Crossing (shopping district for those of you not from around here) and at Walmart - the Walmart website had their Wii Motion Plus remotes listed for $10 ($40-$50 everywhere else), so I thought I'd give it a try.  The electronics guy was useless!  I asked him if he could check other stores (and no, it was NOT busy at that time...I must have hit it at the right time to avoid the Boxing Day crowds) and his response to me was "I would prefer if you did it yourself"!!!!  On my way out the door, I decided to stop by Customer Service to inquire as to their policy on this...if it's policy, I have no trouble with this, but I wanted to know.  Sure enough, their policy IS to call other stores for customers and the people at Customer Service could not believe he had said that to me!!  A nice lady on the desk called the local stores for me, but no luck.  But at least I left the store satisfied with Walmart as a whole.

On the way out of the Walmart parking lot I took a wrong turn (it's dark, lots of roads, raining, you get it) and ended up in the Future Shop parking lot.  I decided, hey, what the heck, and went in to see if they had any Wii Fit Plus still remaining (a guy behind me in line at Walmart managed to get a returned/unopened PS3 when the store was sold out completely...so you never know).  In I go and I wait, and wait (again, no customers around!) but I stand there waiting with a smile on my face as 4 staff members are behind the customer service counter - 2 chatting, 2 helping customers.  I've decided waiting with a smile vs a scowl will get me much further in my retail endeavours.  I am finally served by a nice young lady who tells me they are sold out.  I ask her nicely if she can call another store for me (or tell me if they will be getting more in before the sale ends), but apparently the stores had turned off their phones for Boxing Day sales, so it would not be possible.  She told me they had the "white one" in stock - but the white one was regular price.  So I kindly asked if they would make a substitute (after politely explaining my yucky virtual line up experience).  All of a sudden someone informs her that the "bundle" that is on sale is the after-market balance board PLUS the Wii Fit Plus DVD (or CD or whatever you call it)!  Soooo, they DID have it in stock, it just wasn't a pre-packaged product - the balance board was in one area, DVD in another area and you just buy them together and get the sale price!  Whooohoooo!!!  The flyer didn't say this and the girl at Customer Service didn't even know this...I wonder how many people missed out on this thinking they were sold out?  But I got mine!  I don't particularly care if it's an after-market balance board.  SO, by Thursday at 5pm I should be able to actually USE my Wii Fit!  I'm SO excited.  I've wanted one of these since before last Christmas, but was waiting for them to come down in price AND saving up a bit of $ for it.  The wait is almost over!