A few general comments.

Stores don't determine how to treat customers based on how much they spend - False. Best Buy explicitly focuses on pleasing long-time, consistent spenders of high-margin items. This does not mean they refuse to help the guy who shows up to buy the loss leader and nothing else.

All customers are NOT equal - it is foolish to consider all customers equal. A store is in business to make a profit, not treat everyone the same. I can't blame a store for spending more energy on keeping profitable customers happy over customers they lose money on.

Repeat Business - Customer loyalty is tremendoulsy important to long term success. Generally, it is much less expensive to retain existing customers than to earn new ones.

@mechanismatic: "Target won't notice that they've lost $4000 in sales a year because they're a big company....." - Oh yeah? How'd that work out for Sears? K-Mart? Montgomery Ward? A loyal, repeat customer base is an easy revenue stream that you don't need to spend millions marketing to. Big companies weren't always and may not always be.

Nordstrom - citing Nordstrom was specifically to juxtapose Target's rigid, illogical adherence to a store willing to make a special exception for a repeat customer.

General - Rigid adherence to a policy with no room for considering exceptions is short-sighted. Blindly following the rules, especially in this case, may protect Target from losing $24 but end up costing them a revenue stream of $4k per year. Not a good return on investment if you ask me. A reasonable, entitled associate could have examined the situation reasonably, seen it was a special case, determined that since Target CLEARLY stocks the item since it is SITTING ON THE SHELF and the OP brought it up there that it might be worth it to make an exception for store credit. It's not like the OP is NOT going to spend the store credit at Target, and while there is also a lot more likely to spend more than that.

And therein lies the value of retaining customers - repeat business. They might lose a little on the lamp shade but might have made up the difference in additional transactions the same day. Nordstrom is expensive, but they have an exceptionally great return policy and stellar customer service. There are case studies where they have flat out accepted returns on categories of items they do not stock (tires!!) but they graciously accepted it and won business and great word of mouth.

Word to the wise...don't let the letter of the law blind you to its intent.

@sohmc: Is it just me or does any real guitar player have no respect for those that play guitar hero?

It's just you. What you're describing is an unnecessary, snotty faux-elitism a small group of guitar players have adopted. I've played the guitar for 10 years, and I love Guitar Hero. It's a fun game. Also, if it inspires someone to pick up the guitar and learn it, it's helping out music, too.

The Guitar Hero series is insanely popular and widely adopted by many musicians and guitarists. Many of the bands featured in the game have described their love for it and experience with it, including Slash and Joe Perry.

In fact, real guitarists like Joe Perry "hate" it so much they have teamed up with the developers to create a special Aerosmith Guitar Hero spin-off game.

So, again, it's just you.

@Will Clarke: Oh, it's perfectly legal for a store to ask for your receipt. It's just as legal for you to refuse and walk out. I don't have the cajones to say no and keep walking, but I applaud those who do.

Despite refusing to turn over my receipt being my legal right, the reality of the situation is the majority of people are likely misinformed on/unaware of the law thus creating an unnecessary hassle I have no interest in dealing with. The store employees likely don't know, and I'm not sure if the police do, either. I have no interest in being tackled or detained unnecessarily, but I would gladly sue the pants off of them if they did.

Maybe I'll get the nerve one day as the holiday season approaches and I don't want to wait in a line.

Actually, the home I am buying would be a downgrade as I get a great deal renting a house from a friend with a friend. :P Not the norm, I know, but my housing costs are substantially below market norm.

Even so, I'm not really at a point in my life where I need all of the extra room, garage, etc. I'm also in my mid-twenties and by no means at my maximum level of income yet. For me, it seems more economical to rent for as little as possible while tucking away as much money as possible so I can buy when myu income is more suited to paying a high mortgage and all of that.

@betatron: I Think Mr.3vil's point was that the bottom line cost to the renter is often far less than the combined costs of all of those categories to buy similar housing in the same market. That is, the point isn't avoiding taxes and insurance, but rather to enjoy a lower overall payment.

Here in Orlando, FL, my housing costs will more than double when I finally buy. The mortgage will be about 30-40% higher alone, and when you factor in property tax, insurance, home owner's fees, all separate utilities, etc, you can easily pay twice as much.

So, while you may not be earning equity, you're saving a significant chunk of income. Granted, I would of course like to buy eventually, but I can see the value of renting.

I will gladly pay a certain range for a certain level of quality. Recently, the Gap seems to have lost all concept of the value relationship between price and quality. They tried to cut costs by using materials of lesser quality but retained/jacked up prices. No thanks!

I also found it was annoying that Gap execs didn't bother to address any of the criticisms posed by Consumerist users. I didn't buy much from Gap, but now they've lost my regular under-shirt purchases.

re: Banana Republic - Thanks for the tips... I have held their t-shirts in my hands several times but simply couldn't bring myself to spend $20 for one undershirt, especially admist all the claims that BR's quality has been on the decline.

I hadn't even thought to check Nordstrom's. Great idea. I'd even be willing to pay the $20 for one undershirt if it would last the same 5+ years my Gap shirts used to. :(

@Franklin Comes Alive!: Yes! Yes absolutely yes! I just had the same problem. I used to happily shell out $15 for just 2 plain white undershirts because, to me, it was worth it to have an undershirt whose neck retained its shape and didn't wilt. These things need to look professional underneath my dress clothes, etc.

My 8+ year old Gap undershirts are in better conditions than those I bought this year. Very sad. I now have no reason to buy anything from the Gap due to the drastic dip in quality.

Imagine that, people are willing to pay for quality.

Anyway, anyone have tips on where to buy quality men's undershirts? :)

@Thrust: Fad? I don't know if it's appropriate to call a 10+ year internationally beloved franchise that is almost single-handedly credited for reintroducing the fun of reading to millions of people "just a fad."

Re: Buying two copies - Psychotic? Maybe, but probably not. Planning ahead to offset potential disruptions of her enjoyment? More likely. Shipping errors, manufacturer's defects, damage in transit, delayed delivery, etc are all very viable concerns and happened ubiquitously around this book. This woman didn't want to have her experience disrupted and took steps to minimize the changes of problems. Who are you to call her a psycho?

Any why can't people get excited about something? It's a fun series that a lot of people are excited about, and just because you're not doesn't mean nobody else can be.

I would assume that common sense dictates you take mental notice of the warning and continue printing as normal until you see a quality difference. Then, swap them out assuming you have a spare on hand.

I guess some people would be naive enough to throw it out at first sign of an electronic notice, though.

"The computer says it's empty, so it's gotta go!" Because, you know, computers never have errors...

@masonreloaded: - It's basically like this. It's a waste of money...unless you need it. :) On some items, I'm willing to pay a few hundred dollars for peace of mind. Now, when retailers stop honoring these and try to screw consumers, that's when the value plummets.

If Best Buy just fixed a broken computer without trying to fight you out of it, I think there would me much less aversion. They can't have their cake and eat it, too.