That’s what Jim Rittenberg got last Thanksgiving weekend. He and his wife went to Best Buy to purchase a $1,600 Sony video camcorder but instead found a jar of Classico pasta sauce (which weighed as much as the actual camcorder), a telephone cord and an eletric outlet cover inside the sealed box.
Excerpt from the news article:
The couple paid about $1,600 for a camcorder at a Best Buy store in the St. Louis suburb of Ellisville last week. They said when they opened the box, they found something they hadn’t pictured: a jar of Classico pasta sauce where the camera should have been.
“The only thing I thought was, ‘you’ve got to be kidding me,”‘ Melisa Rittenberg, 36, of the southeast Missouri town Perryville, said.
Also inside the box was a telephone cord and an electric outlet cover, all positioned in the box where the camera equipment should have been. So far, they’re stuck with the spicy red pepper sauce, though a Best Buy manager said the company is working to resolve the matter.
First thing the couple did was to go back to the store and have it exchanged. But since the box was sealed, the management didn’t accept it.
A strange story but I guess this reminds us to be careful and check any merchandise we buy before bringing them home. When I buy stuff, especially gadgets or electronics, I tell the sales person that I would like to see the merchandise and have the box opened in front of me.
Read the full news story here.
not new. i knew someone who used to buy video game systems and get refunds by returning the boxes with telephone books inside. did it about 4 times. successful everytime.
i have no idea how we was able to open and seal the box without it looking suspicious.
@eloi – nope, it could happen anywhere. even here in the US of A.
@ash – hehe..they could do that. but i think this bottle of pasta sauce could be sold at a higher price since it's part of a unique experience. it can be considered as a collector's item.
@ade – yup. but the question is who did it and where was that exchange made?
Talk about a ripoff. That was some scam!
the only way they can have their money back is to cook pasta and sell it the same price. or maybe double the price… ;)
i thought things like that can only happen here in the phils…
@jhay – it was meant to be a prank but not specifically the Rittenbergs. i guess they were just the unfortunate ones to get that particular box.
yup, never hurts to double check.
Tsk tsk tsk. Who ever had the weird idea of playing around with the Rittenberg's is a complete pyscho.
Still, double-check everything before leaving the store.