Buying a Toaster can turn into an Interview

Leper

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Mrs Lep and I were scouting Cork yesterday in the pre Christmas build up and while the temperatures are relatively warm. It was sprung on me that we needed a toaster; no big deal, just fork out a few bob and we'd be on our way - No Chance!

It took us all of two minutes to enter the large store and choose the toaster that would suit our needs (Do I look like a guy who'd spend hours deciding on which toaster suits?). It wasn't reduced from a quarter of a million, it was just a bog standard toaster with one dial and a plug.

We headed for the tills to pay and before payment was accepted the following are just some of the questions asked in no particular order:-
(i) What is your name?
(ii) What is your address?
(iii) Is your eircode correct? - Of course it is, it's the only number remembered by Mrs Lep because of her mail orders.
(iv) What is your telephone number (landline and mobile)?
(v) Are you the main decision-maker on purchasing electrical items?*
(vi) Where did you hear about our store? - You couldn't miss the place it was so huge.
(vii) What is your email address?
(viii) Do you require a receipt? - Of course we do, the toaster might not work properly.
(ix) Will we also send you an email confirming the receipt? - No! we don't need this.
(x) Do you not know it's more environmentally friendly to have an email receipt? - Mother of God - I just want to get out of here!
(xi) "You need to complete the answers to the questions before I can accept your money" - For a quiet life and a new toaster, I do and patiently.
(xii) Does this particular item suits all your requirements? - It's a toaster, not a Ferrari!
(xiii) Did you have a positive shopping experience while shopping in this store? - Thank God, it was only a toaster we were buying and if it were anything else how long more would we be interviewed?

*Mrs Lep is not a member of the Burn Your Bra Brigade, but I could see her hackles raised at this question. She reminded me of Rachel Blackmore's Grand National win when for the first time she (Mrs Lep) was screaming at the television on having a first lady rider win the big race.

Next toaster I need, I'm off to Aldi where I can pay my money and be home fast with no questions asked.
 
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I had just replied "amazon" but I do think it's a good idea if you can to shop local. An awful lot of questions to be asked to be fair. I bought something in Harvey Normans yesterday and found them very good to deal with. Maybe try them for the matching toaster!!
 
I had a bit of a fight with Currys last year. When the sales guy was going through the speel with me at the till, he asked something about 'do you want notification of price drops' which I agreed to. They took this as agreement to get marketing emails, which it definitely wasn't from my POV.
 
@Leper, I've always said you're too soft, just too nice to people. You should have just balled up the cash (I presume it was cash, with a slightly rusty hole in the corner from a well used safety pin), thrown it as them, and walked out with your toaster.
 
@Leper, I've always said you're too soft, just too nice to people. You should have just balled up the cash (I presume it was cash, with a slightly rusty hole in the corner from a well used safety pin), thrown it as them, and walked out with your toaster.
No - It was Mrs Lep's credit card (the main decision maker in all things electric in the Leper household). I did try to inform the lady at the till, but she was buttering me up advising that I was the main decision maker.
 
I had just replied "amazon" but I do think it's a good idea if you can to shop local. An awful lot of questions to be asked to be fair. I bought something in Harvey Normans yesterday and found them very good to deal with. Maybe try them for the matching toaster!!
Excellent observation by Firefly and I think he is right. I am trying to support local businesses too.

Incidentally, the Hollybough is on sale throughout the country. It is an annual publication by Irish Examiner and Evening Echo. Great Value @ €5.00 and full of stories about Cork and Ireland. It is a publication well worth supporting not to mention the feelgood after reading some of the articles.
 
Incidentally, the Hollybough is on sale throughout the country. It is an annual publication by Irish Examiner and Evening Echo. Great Value @ €5.00 and full of stories about Cork and Ireland. It is a publication well worth supporting not to mention the feelgood after reading some of the articles.
Love the Hollybough!!
 
You could have some fun with the retailer now and contact them and exercise your right to be forgotten. They have (if my memory is correct), 30 days to respond with confirmation that your data has been deleted.
 
Have to admit like Purple I've never heard of the Holly bough, just like the Connie Dodgers that I read about here
Tis amazing what you learn on AAM that isn't money related!!
 
I bought a tablet I was asked for my telephone no, email adress, its part of the guarantee process. That's it. It's easy to make a Gmail adress just to deal with spam, marketing offers
 
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