I yearned for a Wii. I needed it. I had been addicted to Nintendo since Bros 3 and I would not wait one minute longer than I had to.
Thats why I drove, hungover in a blizzard in December. (Which I did spin out and hit a stop sign in, broke my left front headlight... A sacrifice I was more than willing to make.) I waited for 2 hours in a literal blizzard in my "I wasn't thinking I was hungover too cold jeans, no socks and a t-shirt under my less than warm pink pea coat" in front of Circuit City to get a Wii.
No complaints - like I said it was a yearning need beyond anything I'd ever felt before. I even enjoyed the nauseous Wisconsin freeze because I knew when I got home I would be playing Zelda: Twilight Princess.
The man at the counter seduced me however into buying their "protection plan". I normally don't get insurance on systems. Never had to, especially insurance plans that cost over 90 dollars for a 240 dollar system, but I tend to be clumsy as well as unlucky. I asked if I could take it outside, beat it with a hammer bring it back inside and get a new one. He said yes. I asked if something did go wrong, like I split my delicious diet cherry vanilla dr. Pepper on it if I could bring it in and get a new one. I made SURE that the fact that if I brought it to the store I would get a new one then at the store.
Oh, but they were just whispering their sweet lies to me, and I fell for it.
I actually did need to replace my Wii. It would have been covered under Nintendo's warranty, but I wanted my Wii now... Not 4 months and a trip to Japan from now. Good thing I spent over 90 dollars on that warranty right?
Wrong.
I bring it in and say, "here you go here's my warranty, my receipt (in duplicate), I need a new Wii. It is definitively broken."
This lead to a long drawn out attempt at a reasonable conversation with a brick wall.
Apparently, they don't give replacements at the circuit city. Even though I had notes I took about what to do from the sales man IN the event I wanted my replacement. They tell me I have to send it via UPS myself to some circuit city repair center.
Repair? I bought the warranty for a replacement. Otherwise I wouldn't have gotten it, but I still figured it would be faster than sending it to Nintendo, so I did it. Although, I do believe after blatantly lieing to me the least they could have done was offer to have it sent out with their mail, I mean there contracted with UPS for gods sake.
So... Time passes... And passes... And I'm kicking myself for ever buying the warranty and not just sending it to Nintendo, when wow and behold I get my "replacement"
A frigging Gift Card. Worth the value of a Wii at any Circuit City.
So, I call, 3 times hoping to get a reasonable individual on the line, but all I get is: "We don't know when or if we're going to get any Wii's."
Don't know? I was promised a replacement. Not a gift card, especially when the BEST they can do for me is to try showing up and waiting again another Sunday morning, hoping I suppose they even are getting any. I don't want near 300 dollars of stuff from Circuit City. For that matter all I ever wanted from Circuit City was a Wii (and honestly, I tried them last... I guess I should have just waited).
I asked if they could reserve me a Wii in the next shipment they got, just take down my name and number, post it in your employee room/office/whatever and call me when you have one. I would do it for someone in my position where I work. It's called human decency and fulfilling your end of a contract.
But of course, they can't do that either. I even reduced my request down to simply - well... I'll check in on Saturdays or early Sunday morning and if you have one could you hold it for me.
Nope.
I regret ever buying that warranty. At this point I would rather have my broken Wii to send to Nintendo then deal with the needless, heartless hassle they keep putting me through.
I was lied to and coerced into buying a insurance plan I would NEVER had boughten if I was simply told the truth by the clerk about what the insurance entailed.
I hate you Circuit City and your little dog too.
Grievence
madison, Wisconsin
U.S.A.
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