I'm Not a Geek, I Just Pretend to be One at Work

Most annoying experience EVER!!

So I bought this pair of crappy headphones from .... RadioShack SHHHH I know its not geek approved but, but its on every block and its so convenient and I really just needed some good, cheap headphones. So anyway I got these headphones that were only $15, they came with both normal headband headphones, which I prefer, and ear buds, which never stay in my ears. Anyway, so I bought these back in March AND I bought the 1 year replacement plan for $3.

So here's the annoyance.... One day I was walking in the house from work wearing the headband-phones when the dog jumped up on me and tore one side of the cord out of the headphone..... (no that's not the MOST annoying part of this story)

A few weeks ago, November, I finally got around to replacing the headphones. So I go into one of the 5 RadioShacks that are 2 blocks radius of where I work in lower Manhattan, and bring in the headphones, the receipt and my replacement plan paperwork.

I explain to the lady behind the counter, "I need a new pair of headphones I have this replacement plan. " The lady says "sure just go get another pair from over there". So I head over, and just before I get there she says, "oh wait a second, you need to call and they will send you a gift card, then you come back" and I'm like "what?" She's like "Well, you have this plan, you need to call the number on the front, they will send you a gift card in the amount of what you paid for the headphones plus tax and then you come back and get the headphones or a different kind of headphones if you want" again, I'm like, "what? Why did you just a second ago just say go pick out a new pair? Is it that if I didn't have this stupid plan I could just get a new pair?" She said "No its just that I just looked at your receipt." and I said, "Yeah....and" She said, "that's it, I didn't look at your receipt before" and by now I'm totally confused, thinking that if I hadn't purchased this stupid replacement plan it would be easier to replace my headphones but since I did now I have to go back to the office call the stupid number, and wait two weeks for the stupid replacement card..

Finally I was like, "Wait a second, so why did you say get a pair when I first walked in and then change when you saw that I bought the service plan?" She said, "oh no I just saw the date, you can only replace these with in the first thirty days, with the receipt, then after that you need to call the number provided on the service plan, that is, if you purchased one which you did." OK this made sense.... Sort of. I mean I'm OK with the thirty days explanation, I'm NOT OK with having to go call a stupid number be sent a waste of paper and plastic just to replace my stupid broken headphones..

Oh you think that's the end of the annoyance? WRONG!

So I call the number, its confusing because the damn recording is asking for numbers like, 'transaction number', that apparently appears on my receipt. Except that it doesn't, or if it does its not called the 'Transaction Number'. Same with the 'Store Number' nowhere on my receipt does it say 'Transaction Number' or 'Store Number'. OK now I'm on the verge of cussing this lady on the recording out, so I hang up and I'm like, "well fuck this."

About a week later, I take another look at my 'Replacement Plan' and notice that they have a web option, so I log on to www.radioshack.fucked-up.replacementplan.com. Which asked for the same information as the stupid recording on the phone, I randomly type in different series of numbers from my receipt finally some combo worked, a week later I got my gift card for $16.45, the cost of the headphones plus tax..

OK, you think THAT'S the end of my annoyance? NOPE.

I want the exact same headphones, granted they came with ear buds that wouldn't fit in Godzilla's ears, in fact, they are not made to fit in any ones ears they're HUGE. But I really liked the headband headphones they were comfy, and loud. So I walk into RadioShack, walk over to the 'headphone dept' and I notice that the headphones I want are not $14.99 but they are now $19.99. OK not a HUGE deal but now I'm thinking I don't want to pay that extra $5 inflation for those worthless gigantic ear buds, so I start to look around, slim pick'ns I tell ya, slim pick'ns. Finally this 16 year old pimply faced employee walks up and I'm like, "I want comfy headphones that are pretty loud and not over $20". He seemed to be fine with my request until the "not over $20" part then he acted perplexed and confused. So I made it easy for him I picked out two pairs, stupidly on my part, ear buds that looked small enough to fit in my ears and hopefully stay in, under $20. Well he chose the ones that actually looked like earplugs that created a tunnel to the inner ear so that the music goes strait to your auditory nerve. I got them, they were 19.99. I paid my extra $5 put them in and made my way to the A train.

Guess what, that's not the end.

The bitches don't stay in! and they bother my ears, they are uncomfortable and they feel like they are falling out all the time. Oh he asked me if I wanted the replacement plan and I was like "hell no"! But the joke is on them. Dude, I'm totally going back on Monday saying oh my headphones are broken, and replacing them with those comfy ones that come with the ear buds that wouldn't fit Godzilla. I'll just chuck the ear buds into the Hudson. Its under 30 days and I have my receipt!


xo,
< /KO >