What a pain in the @ss.

I took my son to work today.  Stopped by Sports Authority during lunch to grab some Winchester 9mm and there was this stainless 10/22 gleaming on the shelf.  It had a glow about it that meant that I could not put off purchasing one for another day, even though I really can't afford it.

I decided I would have to come back after work and get it - and pretend to try to talk myself out of it in the meantime.  As usual, talking to myself just got me some funny looks, convinced the guys at work that maybe I really AM insane, and led me right back where I started - at Sports Authority with that glowing rifle.

The crown was pretty scuffed up so I asked to see a couple from the back.  It took a little while to explain that the stainless 10/22 I was referring to was not some new kind of stainless ammo, but a rifle - yes, that one... the only stainless one on the rack, yeah, a rifle, not ammunition... right... you just had your hand on it... geez...  

I waited about 10 minutes for a manager to get his butt back there and unlock the safe - no big deal.  I pick the best of the two and fill out the yellow form and wait while the employee calls the ATF, or FBI, or his mother in Cleveland, maybe all three.  

Then, I wait while he transfers all the info to his log book - and screws it up.  Twice.  Then, after he makes a few more calls and pages the manager, he hands me this form where I have to initial that I checked out the stock, action, barrel, etc. because there are no returns or something.... whatever.  He pages the manager again.

Finally the manager is back and escorts me to the cash register and askes the cashier if she remember how to do these... oh great...  No problem there, gives me a total and a whip out the card.  I come back denied.  Twice.  I tell them I am sorry and I will be back in a bit... don't know what the problem is.  Manager says no problem, he'll keep it logged in and I can come pick it up.  

So I run to a cash machine next door where my card is magically accepted now - probably due to the million dollar deposit from my long lost Aunt Sylvia just at that moment.  I run back to pick up the rifle, and in the last five minutes they have done something to their log book that means they must re-enter it on another line - whatever.  So he calls the manager, who after another 5 minutes shows up and acts as if he has never seen me before.  Asks him about the proper procedure for the paperwork, fills it out again just like before - only screwing it up once this time.  

Finally I am re-escorted to the cash register where, amazingly, cash works just fine and I am out the door with rifle in hand.

All told - it took almost an hour and a half.  If they hadn't already called in the yellow form I would have left and bought it somewhere else.  For the life of me I can't see a reason to ever buy there again...

Gave up on the "real job" search about 3 weeks to a month ago.  Working construction (framing duplexes mostly) for cash right now.  Still trying to catch up on rent though... Which is why I probably shouldn't have been buying it anyway [:)]



Not sure on that one.  This particular Sport's Authority is in the same strip mall with an Office Max, a Sam's Club, and a Kmart so it would be kind of strange for 2 Kmart stores to be in the same parking lot...



Yep, me too [:D]

Hehe... no Home Depot, just those four stores all in one row in the parking lot and a couple restaurants out in the front of the lot.  You can stand down for the time being [:)]