Rudio Shock

The BBQ Pit
1

I went to a certain store, which sells electronic items to buy a vcr cleaner.
My sons tv/vcr combo (only a month old) fuzzed up.
He played a lot of tapes.
They had one.
I bought it,.
It was $13.00!!
It didn;'t work.
I realized that i used to use a really good one from Blockbuster,which was only $5.
It worked perfectly.

Now. I called this certain place, told them the tape didn’t work, they should have my transaction on their computer.
Could I have a refund?
No. Why not?
Well, you don’t have the box it came in.
I ripped the box to get it out.
Who saves a box?
Well, we can’t resell it without the box.
…
If it doesn’t work, why would you resell it again?!
Jerks.
Never again will I shop there!

2

Radio Shack intentionally took advantage of my roommate’s ignorance of computer hardware to sell him a component that did not work and later turned out to have been obsolete for five years.

3

Radio Shack: You have questions…we have acne.

4

They have answers, not to the questions you ask, not even the right answers, but they are answers.

Good place to buy an odd number of battries thou.

5

the darkest blot on my resume is the result of working [sam kinnison]2 FUCKING YEARS![/sam kinnison] at this shitty two-bit operation run out some kid’s tree-fort in texas.

god, it was awful! and this was back in the day of “no brand names” crap. everything we sold was “radio shack brand”. i got so sick of saying, “oh, this is JUST AS GOOD AS Sony!”

never again, thankfully!

6

Mangetout: This product is defective/useless; I reject it and require a refund (please).
Shopkeeper: I’m afraid I can’t refund unless you have the original packaging
Mangetout: No, it’s the item that is defective/useless, the box was just fine.

Usually works for me.

7

Radio Shack still exists?

8

I think I’d better update my resume.

9

SPOOFE, not for much longer. I hear their secret name-gathering project is almost complete.

You don’t really think they existed to sell crappy electronic components, did you?

10

I always keep my box and manuals. I learned my lesson from an experience at best buy. I bought an extended service plan on my car stereo. I had it for two years and then it broke. I took it back to the store and they said they would replace it. When we went to the counter the salesman asked me for my box and manual. I said that the radio was two years old!!! I happened to have the box in my trunk suprisingly but not the manual. He told me he would have to charge me $20!!! I paid them for a service plan and they wanted to charge me again!!! Needless to say they ended up paying me $40 for the frustration but I now keep all my boxes and manuals until they are out of warranty.

11

I’m posting underneath you…hehe hehe
stalking

12

throatshot: thanks for the info, will do.

13

If I can say so without lighting anyone’s torch, and not to speak their defense, but Radio Shack is great for things you can’t get anywhere else. Sadly, they started some time ago selling computers (hell, my first computer came from there), consumer electronics, and things they really have no business selling. But if you need electronics components or tools for working with electronics, it’s a great place to shop.

All that said, one of the funniest fake ads I ever saw had the catch phrase, “You’ve got money, we’ve got pockets.”

14

Fenris at the Radio Shack: A tale of tragedy, terror and woe. In one act.

In this performance the part of Fenris will be played by Fenris (after all, who else is charming, witty and modest enough to do it?), and the part of the pimply-faced, squeeky-voice kid will be played by SPOOFE.

No. not really. I apologize, SPOOFE. I take it back, retract it. That was completely innacurate and uncalled for.

But it was funny. :wink:

As the curtain rises, Fenris walks into Radio Shack. He needs to buy 1) A coaxial cable, 2) 2 RCA cables, 3) Something else, I don’t remember what. Let’s say it was a dimming switch for a light fixture.

Pimply, squeeky-voiced kid: Sir, can I help you?

Fenris; <Thinks, but doesn’t say> CAN you help me? I sincerely doubt it. May you help me? No.)

Fenris: No. I know what I’m looking for, but thanks.

Pimply squeeky-voiced kid: What are you looking for?

Fenris: I’m fine. Thanks.

PSVK: You’re welcome! What can I help you find? Batteries?

Fenris: Look. You guys are paid on commission, right? Give me your name, I’ll find you when I’m ready to check out so that you’ll get paid.

PSVK: My name’s Bob! What’s yours?

Fenris: Um…I’m just going to go shop. I’ll let you know when I’m done.

PSVK: (Follows behind) Cables? Do you need GOLD cables? They’re made of gold!

Fenris: (thinks: No. They’re not. They’re gold plated.): They’re not what I’m looking for. Really. I don’t need any help.

< snip 3 more minute of same, as similar items are collected. I never DO get rid of him. >

PSVK: Great! Did you get everything you needed?

Fenris: (his spirit broken) Yes. I’d like to go now.

PSVK: Hey! Didn’t you say you needed batteries?

Fenris: No. You said I needed batteries and I don’t. And I especially don’t need Radio Shack batteries. Just ring me up.

PSVK: Batteries are on SALE!

Fenris: Just. Ring. Me. Up. Now.

PSVK: I’ll need your name, address, phone-number, mother’s maiden name, maternal-grandmother’s maiden name, the original village that she came from in the old country, your blood type, social security number and e-mail address. We’ll need a urine specimen too.

Fenris: I’m. paying. cash.

PSVK: But we’ll need all those things!

Fenris: But. I’m. Paying. CASH! What do you need them for?

PSVK: For our records!

Fenris: I don’t care about your records. Are you going to ring me up or not?

PSVK: I’ll at least need a phone number and address:

Fenris: (enough’s enough): My phone number is 1-800-555-1212 and my address is 1600 Pensylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington DC, 20050

PSVK: <excited> REALLY!!!?

Fenris: Yes.

PSVK: <suspicious>No. Really?

Fenris: Yes.

PSVK: <unsure> Really?

Fenris: Yes.

PSVK: But you’re not…

Fenris: He’s not the only one who lives there, y’know. Now what’s the total?

PSVK: $14.27

Fenris pays

PSVK: Thanks for coming in and be sure to stop back!

Fenris < thinks >: When hell freezes over.

Next scene: two days later. Need a special adapter for my headset. Guess where the only convienient place to buy one is…?

The End

Bows. Thank you. No applause please, just throw cash.

Fenris

15

Heh heh heh…
My father is a large, slightly scary looking red-neck. Think good ol’ boy, but taller and with a permanant gruff expression. He hates Radio Shack with a passion, but occasionally gets stuck going there for one reason or another. So I told him something to say when he goes in there.

The dork behind the counter will ask him for his phone number. My father stares at him for about 30 seconds solid, and replies with “867-5309”. He then stares down the kid until the kid forgets to say, “really?” They asked him for his address once. He told the kid, “I’ll give you mine when you give me yours.” Nothing smart-alecky, nothing rude. Just simply stated with an expression that could cut glass.

Oh, and for the record, my father can’t remember my home phone number, but has no problem remembering this one. :smiley:

16

I’ve had rather limited experience with Radio Shack. And after my last encounter, that experience will be even more limited (read: non-existant) than before.

About a year ago, I needed an adapter, for a scanner, IIRC. I knew which one I needed, and headed up the street to get one. Radio Shack was the first place that I came to, and had been told by a friend, “Oh hell, get one at Radio Shack. They’re about $2. No problem!”

I go into the store, and the manager guy comes over and asks what I’m hunting. I tell him.

“Our adapters will not work for things that are not made by Tandy.”

Me: “It’s just an adapter. There’s a whole wall of them right here.” (The one I needed was right in front of us. My friend hesitantly leaned over to get one, and he stopped her.)

Mgr: “Yes, but those won’t work with yours. It would have to be something you purchased from Radio Shack for it to work.”

My friend: “I just BOUGHT one of these things a week ago and my scanner wasn’t a Radio Shack item. It works FINE!”

Mgr: “You’re mistaken. Our adapters are completely different from “lower end” adapters, and will not work with non-Tandy made hardware.” He crosses his arms and to sum up, staunchly refused to sell me a $2.95 adapter.

I left, went two blocks up the road to Walmart, and got the identical same adapter ($2.19 or some such). The packaging was identical, had the same instructions on the back, etc., but the only difference was the words “Radio Shack” weren’t on the front.

I think refusing to sell such a generic piece of equipment over the fact that Tandy hadn’t made my scanner (which I’m now beginning to believe it may have been, considering it shot out about a week later) was a trifle ridiculous.

I haven’t darkened their doorstep since. And yes, the adapter I purchased from WallyWorld did fine, until the scanner itself bit the dust.

17

I was with a friend of mine when he bought a new printer from PC World (a large UK technology chain store); the conversation went like this:

**Assistant:**That’ll be £109.99 please sir
(my friend hands over his credit card)
**A:**Thank you, and could I take your postcode?
**My Friend:**Um, no, I’d rather you didn’t
**A:**Well, I need it to complete the transaction…
**MF:**Why? - it’s so that you can send me junk mail forever, isn’t it?
**A:**No, [lie]we don’t do that[/lie], it’s for our records, for the warranty
**MF:**Oh, don’t worry about that, if the printer goes wrong, I’ll just bring it back
**A:**Mmm, but you see, I can’t actually process the transaction unless I enter your address
MF:(wonders out loud)Hmmm, I wonder if Argos would need my address details, if I bought it there…
(the assistant is then miraculously able to override the system and complete the sale).

18

This is second-hand, since it happened to my sister, but I think I’ll get the crux of it:

Sister makes musical instruments out of clay. She uses an electronic “tuner” to identify the tones of the musical instuments. Tuner needs a new attachment, plug, whatever.

She goes to Radio Shack. The salesman thinks he has the right plug, but mentions that in the past, this plug has either not worked on devices such as my sister’s tuner, or, it has BLOWN OUT such devices. So, what does the salesman do? He PLUGS IN said plug to my sister’s tuner “to make sure it works”. (She didn’t buy the tuner at Radio Shack.) And…guess what? It blows out, ruining my sister’s tuner, right on the spot! My sister is astounded that this guy is using HER tuner as a sort of “guinea pig”. (“Will it work, or blow out the tuner, like it has done so many times in the past? Let’s test it on the customer’s equipment and find out!”)

Of course, the Radio Shack guy says they’ll reimburse her for the tuner. But they require proof of the tuner’s purchase price before they’ll pay her. Luckily, she bought it on eBay recently, and printed out the completed auction page.

What would have happened if she had bought the tuner a while back, and no longer had a reciept?

Amazing. Just amazing.

19

When I was in electronics school, we used to joke about how an all-night Radio Shack would be useful.

“I need a 10-pF capacitor and I need it NOW!!”
“But it’s four in the morning…”
“That means that we have four hours before class to get this thing working.”

But you’re right. Radio Shack is okay only if you already know what you need.

And now the Radio Shacks in the urban areas of Canada are going to try to sell DAB receivers to uncomprehending consumers. The mind boggles.

20

I post this everytime a Radio Shack post appears…

Beware of stores “doing business as…” Radio Shack. These are free standing (not in a mall) Mom and Pop organizations who are using the Radio Shack name, when their business is called something else. Say ___________ (insert name of your choice here) Electronics.

Try to take something major back to them and it’s been my experience that you will get what I call “The Dance”.

This is where they tell you that yes, it does say Radio Shack on the sign, but they are just “using the name” and every major refund has to come from “the home office” by check, whicj usually takes ________ days.

Does anyone have a better alternative than the Shack?

Quasi