Target stores offered customers the opportunity to reserve their copy of the super-awesome Blu-Ray box set of “The Avengers” by purchasing reservation cards in advance. What the stores forgot to do, though, was actually stock the discs. It’s fine if they want to only get a few copies of a hot new movie in and sell them to employees’ nephews or people banging on the door at opening time or whatever. It’s not cool to sell reservation cards that you don’t intend to honor.

About a month ago in Target stores, they were selling for $1.00 a cardboard card (see attached) that would allow you to pre-purchase a reservation copy of the 4 Disc Blu-Ray of Marvels Avengers. This card states “Pay for this reservation card a the register. Keep this card and your receipt. Visit any Target store on or after September 25, 2012, to purchase your reserved copy.” Seems simple enough, so I bought one.

Seems legit.

Weeks went by and after September 25, 2012, I walked into the Target store where I purchased the reservation copy card and asked the electronics clerk where I could pick up and pay for my reservation copy. I was told by the clerk that they had none in stock. The clerk stated “We only got 2 copies in stock and they were sold the moment the store opened up for business on September 25, 2012. We aren’t expecting to get anymore in any time soon.”

I asked for the store manager, and was told that the store manager was aware of the issue, but was not willing to discuss it anymore. They took my name and number, but I was told “we can’t promise you that they will come in, and we cannot give rain checks for the price either.” What else can I say but what the hell?

I then tweeted to @Target and @AskTarget about this, and received a return tweet from @AskTarget that states “We’re sorry for any disappointment.. We will pass your comments and concerns on to the appropriate team.” Which I believe translates to “Sorry you’re pissed, but move on.”

So I called Target Guest Relations at 612-307-9800, but of course they told me that had none in stock, couldn’t help me, and that I should check back in a few weeks to see if they were in stock at that time. They also refused to rain check the price, and told me that there was nothing further they could do for me, other than to log my complaint.

Now I am thinking, is this some kind of scam? Bait and switch to get me into the store to buy other things? Is this some type of failed marketing scheme that no one wants to admit to? Who knows? All I know is, I now cannot go to another retailer (Amazon, Best Buy, etc…) and buy it at the sales price (which everyone knows is only during that week of the initial sales for videos). Also that I am completely soured on the idea of doing future shopping with them. First, because they failed with this “reservation” card. Second, because they won’t own up to their own failure and have left me swingin’ in the wind. Third, because I have missed out on buying one of my favorite movies based on one of my favorite comic books from my childhood, and now have to look elsewhere and pay much more.

Thanks Target and a Merry Christmas to you too!

Dave, if I take you out for some shwarma, will that cheer you up?

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