RE: Escorted from PCWorld...

["Phil Harris" <phillip.harris1@xxxxxxx>]

Basically I tend to try to avoid them as much as possible but they do do a
very easy I/F credit option on most things over a couple of hundred quid
and
I'm as happy to keep money in my account for six or twelve months as give
it
straight to them ... anyway I get a strange sense of pleasure when I get
the
letter or call from the finance company to let me know my interest free
period is almost up and they assume that they're going to get another mug
onto the 48 months at extortionate payment levels and instead I drop 'em in
a cheque. (The office for the finance company PC World use is not far out
of
my way.)

Phil

(Wadaya mean I look a dodgy character? *grin*)

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Gordon [mailto:paul_gordon@xxxxxxx]
> Sent: 05 May 2001 20:14
> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Escorted from PCWorld...
>
>
> Astounded....
>
> Stunned....
>
> Amazed....
>
> But not entirely surprised!!
>
> The PCWorld chain, is, IMHO, by and large, TOTAL BOLLOCKS!
>
> They never stock or sell half the bits that I, (as a person who always
> builds my own PC's), need... They do not stock or sell
> Processors, - Except
> for a very few of those total rip-off "upgrade" jobbies, my
local
> store does
> not stock or sell coolers/heatsinks/fans.
>
> Their prices for components (memory, disks etc.) are also a joke -
only a
> total mug (or someone caught short on a Sunday afternoon!) would buy
> anything from PC World...
>
> I try to avoid them as much as is humanly possible, (except when
>I< get
> caught short on a Sunday afternoon!)
>
> But then you do look a "dodgy character" ... :-)
>
> Paul G
>
>
> >
>
> >
> >
> >As many of you will remember I have been trying to get myself a
> replacement
> >battery for my one year old Sony VAIO laptop but there are none
available
> >(and it isn't covered under warranty even though the laptop was
> less than a
> >year old as Sony only give a three month warranty on batteries).
> >
> >Anyway ... I have one last attempt at getting a new battery and if
that
> >fails then I will buy a new laptop. To that end I've been round
several
> >computer stores and big electrical chains today checking out what
is
> >available and what deals at what prices.
> >
> >As always I have taken my "visual note taker" with me
(my
> digital camera)
> >as
> >that is a very easy way of noting down what stores have what
> models at what
> >prices and whether they have any special deals available (such as
free
> >spare
> >batteries, printers or 12 months I/F credit etc).
> >
> >All of the stores have been very helpfull through the day except
for good
> >old PC World. I spoke with an assistant this afternoon who asked
me if I
> >needed any help. I explained that I was looking for a laptop, had
no
> >specific model or specification in mind but was just browsing
> for what were
> >the better deals. He asked why I had my camera with me and I
> explained why.
> >He commented that it was a very good idea and that he had never
> thought of
> >that. I took two pictures of laptops with their associated
information
> >cards
> >when another PCWorld representative asked me what I was doing. I
> explained
> >again and he told me that photography in the store was not
> allowed without
> >prior arrangement with the manager and that if I required any
assistance
> >then he would be happy to have someone go through the details of
any
> >machine
> >that I was interested in. I explained that as I didn't know what I
wanted
> >then I was in theory interested in quite a few of them and it was
five to
> >six so they were about to close. Again he said that photography in
the
> >store
> >was not allowed and then requested that if I did not turn off my
camera
> >then
> >I would be asked to leave.
> >
> >I asked him for an explanation and he said that "As I'm sure
you
> are aware
> >there are many reasons that we would not allow photography in
> this store".
> >"Name one" I replied. "Sir, we do not allow
photography in this
> store" came
> >his reply. I noted a gentleman stood to my right at the digital
cameras
> >counter who was snapping away a few test shots and queried the
> difference.
> >"That man is looking at buying a digital camera" said
our
> PCWorld guy. "I'm
> >looking at buying a laptop" I replied. "It's not the
same" he said and
> >requested that I leave the store immediately and started to escort
me to
> >the
> >door. I asked him whether I could see the manager to arrange to
> go back the
> >next day and take some pictures. To that I was told that the
manager did
> >not
> >have the authority to grant that request and I would have to apply
in
> >writing to head office. When I asked what the head office
> address was (as I
> >was getting a bit miffed by now) I was told not to be difficult
> and that I
> >could be barred from the store permanently - something I'm sure
that my
> >missus would applaud given the fact that I probably spend about
> £3k a year
> >with them for consumables and all those other things that we
suddenly
> >"need"
> >on a Sunday when everywhere else is closed. As I reached the door
I was
> >approached by the Deputy Manager who after a brief conversation
with the
> >guy
> >escorting me swiftly confirmed that what I was doing was against
company
> >policy and asked "how would you feel if I came to your house
and took
> >photos?". I refrained from being smart and showing him some
that
> I'd taken
> >at home that morning but said that if anyone I'd allowed into my
house
> >wanted to take photos then I wouldn't mind at all. I mentioned the
fact
> >that
> >it was OK for someone to take photos trying out a digital camera
> and that
> >it
> >was fine for those pictures to be printed out to test out a
printer and I
> >was told that as private property then the manager of PCWorld
> has the right
> >to make decisions as to what is or isn't acceptable behaviour in
their
> >stores and eject or exclude anyone who doesn't comply with those
> >decisions...
> >
> >Anyway ... I was so impressed with this attitude that I felt the
need to
> >publicly expose myself here as the desperate criminal that I am.
No other
> >shop has felt that my using a digital camera as a visual note
> taker has at
> >all threatened them or their business and most have positively
> welcomed my
> >doing so!
> >
> >I could understand if they were concerned about security issues -
maybe
> >they
> >felt that I was planning to rob the place - but the inability to
give me
> >even this as a reason why I couldn't do what I was doing has just
really
> >p'd
> >me off ... even Jo (my missus) was astounded when she saw this
> PCWorld guy
> >walking me off the premesis!
> >
> >By the way ... one little final titbit from the store
representative at
> >Hedge End, apparently it is fine for me to write down the details
on the
> >point of sale cards but taking a picture of them is not OK - go
figure.
> >
> >Phil
> >
>
>
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