Target had 5s' in stock - they refused to let me buy one

[Patriot24]

This is why it is best to order from Apple.com or your carrier's site. Waiting a few days for the phone might not have the instant gratification of buying one on the spot, but the upside is that you get to skip all of the BS and do what you want without anyone either telling you that you can't or being an idiot like the guy you dealt with. Being that this was a gift, the urgency might not have been as warranted.

As others have mentioned, next time you should keep the details to yourself. Nothing good comes from explaining your master plan to any retail store employees. They have policies and procedures that may sound stupid, but their hands are generally tied if they want to keep their jobs.

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Sounds fishy to me too. Maybe it's not. Regardless, Target can choose to refuse service to whomever they want. Somehow I think the agent may have had a little more indication that the "brother" was really Craigslist, and that the "birthday present" was just an attempt to avoid opening/activating the phone.

Why would it really matter to the store or the carrier what he does with it after he pays the price they're asking, adds 2 years to his contract, and potentially sells it to someone else that then has to activate it on their service?

He probably shouldn't have shared the details of his plan, but this employee was out of line. It is really none of his business. This was poor customer service, plain and simple.

 

[veedubshafer]

ALL employees of the above mentioned stores (plus whatever stores are ETC..) are idiots?? Sure, there are SOME idiots at those stores, but not everyone.

I take offense to your remark, as I have family members who work at the stores you mentioned, and they are not idiots.

Stereotyping sucks. And your attitude sucks.

They all have to conform to the rules of their big corporation while at work. This makes them idiots while at work...they have no choice unless they want to get fired.

 

[burgman]

Lets be clear. Target Corporate does not care about one customer who didn't get an iPhone 5S. Target is a multi-billion dollar company

Sorry, but I'm betting the manager had specific instructions on how to sell the iPhones. And, Target is every right to refuse service to anyone (as all businesses do).

Most Sprint, Verizon, AT&T stores run the same way especially the resellers. To the OP Complain away

 

[leitmotif]

$8 an hour = drunk with power.

 

[fender57]

So people who don't want to look at your wife's breasts while shopping at Target don't have to.

Now who wouldn't want to look at his wife's breasts?

 

[mtbdudex]

$8 an hour = drunk with power.

soon they will leave for $15/hr at McDonalds, Wendys, etc.....

 

[thekb]

So people who don't want to look at your wife's breasts while shopping at Target don't have to. They won't let me pee in the aisles either (even if I clean it up! the nerve!), even though it's a perfectly natural thing

Slow down, Hoss! How do you know people don't want to look at his wife's breasts? They could be fabulous.

 

[KdParker]

So people who don't want to look at your wife's breasts while shopping at Target don't have to. They won't let me pee in the aisles either (even if I clean it up! the nerve!), even though it's a perfectly natural thing

off topic:
Ok...been to target and there are a lot of breasts on display (not while breast feeding).

And if I am not mistaken, it is not required to stare at a woman breast feeding.

On topic: Did you want to by the phone at full price or with the discount?

 

[cedunn21]

OP Can you PM me? I know someone who has some power at Target (and I don't mean an individual store).. Maybe she can help

 

[joeybuckets]

"Then he expressed concern that if in a month, I switched the 5s from my line to my brothers for his birthday, it would cost target money because I didn't switch the phone to my brothers number today, while I was at target."

it would cost target money??? Target is worth billions...you should of slapped him with the iphone 5s box and walked out.

 

[DollaTwentyFive]

At the risk of being banned, I just want to say - the more breasts in public, the better.

That being said, I understand the frustration involved with that particular Target policy. That's what happens when you have a company run out of the midwest.

 

[AdonisSMU]

Got in contact with a local target, they had a few 16gb att 5s' in stock. Went over, saw that they had a few out on the counter and waited. Finally the associate took me and said he was ready for me. Had me log into my att acount on the computer. He clearly saw I had an upgrade on one of my lines. I asked him nicely not to open the phone because it was a gift for my younger brother, and as I am sure many of you are aware, part of getting the phone is tearing the plastic off and opening it up. He refused, telling me he was required to make a test call before I left. He saw that I was aggitated and offered to let it slide. I was once again in good spirits. A few moments later, he asked me what line my brothers number was. I pointed it out (it was not the one eligible for an upgrade), the one eligible is my number. He then refused to sell it to me, telling me I would have to do a cross upgrade. I explained to him that what I was doing with the phone after I left the store was irrelevant and none of his concern but he wouldn't budge. He said I could potentially leave with the phone activated on my line, switch my 5 back to my line and sell the 5s, and he just wouldn't let that happen. Then he expressed concern that if in a month, I switched the 5s from my line to my brothers for his birthday, it would cost target money because I didn't switch the phone to my brothers number today, while I was at target.

I asked to see the written policy but he refused to show me anything. I got his first name, not his last. And he also refused to give me his employee id number, or any other identifying number.

Edit: Also, after arguing for a few minutes, he told me he couldnt help me and that he had other customers to deal with. That other customer was an on the clock target employee who was also getting a 5s.

Put this on their Facebook page. They'll get right on it.

 

[~Ks383~]

Due to my wife exclusively breast feeding both of our babies we will never step foot in a Target. It is their company policy to breast feed in the toilet. Why would you want your baby to eat in a dirty bathroom?

I know this is off-topic but that's not their official policy. According to a public statement Target released in 2006, their official policy is to suggest that you use one of the changing rooms. If you do not want to use one of the changing rooms though you are free to discreetly breast-feed in any area of the store. If their policy actually were to have you breast-feed in the bathroom I agree that would be unacceptable. If that actually happened to your wife you probably just ran into a ****** manager who either did not know or did not care about their actual policy.

 

[alphaod]

If it was the store manager, I would have ask to speak to the general manager.

That said they have the right to refuse to sell to you.

 

[Technarchy]

Anyone going into a Walmart, Target, Best Buy, RadioShack, etc has got to know ahead of time that the employees are idiots and it's a pure gamble.

Can't be mad when an idiot acts like an idiot.

Went to Best Buy and asked about price matching a blue 5C. I have like $200 in BB gift cards I'm looking to use.

The mobile section buffoon said, "No we can't price match, no Apple stores have 5C's. All sold out."

I told him I as at the Apple store 30 minutes before and they had plenty of 5C's to sell.

Best Buy fellow says, "The Apple people were wrong. All the stores are sold out."

I'm not joking...

 

[Eeko]

Don't be too mad at Target. The mobile section is actually owned and operated by Radioshack.

 

[woodynorman]

They all have to conform to the rules of their big corporation while at work. This makes them idiots while at work...they have no choice unless they want to get fired.

That is some really messed up logic right there.

The people who run the big corporations are more likely to be the idiots...the employees are just trying to make a living and provide for their families.

 

[jetlitheone]

Went to Best Buy and asked about price matching a blue 5C. I have like $200 in BB gift cards I'm looking to use.

The mobile section buffoon said, "No we can't price match, no Apple stores have 5C's. All sold out."

I told him I as at the Apple store 30 minutes before and they had plenty of 5C's to sell.

Best Buy fellow says, "The Apple people were wrong. All the stores are sold out."

I'm not joking...

Ahahahhahahaha! Those guys.

 

[danilko1]

So people who don't want to look at your wife's breasts while shopping at Target don't have to. They won't let me pee in the aisles either (even if I clean it up! the nerve!), even though it's a perfectly natural thing

I think the issue, there isn't a "Family" room, where this can be a bit more comfortable. And why would this be an issue? Well, maybe she's a Target employee. But think about this, what retail chain does have proper breast feeding facilities?

This is the USofA, where we don't cater to families or indigent, as other nations might. However we do better than most.

What do they have at Walmart, McDonalds? How do you breast feed on the road? I say a good blanket and the car is really the best option for most people.