Don't normally post here but I thought I had to respond to Chris' story about PC World. They're the biggest bunch of rip-off merhants ever, but the opportunity to save loads of money with a price match makes you think it'll be all the more sweeter when you're able to wipe the smiles off their pathetic patronising faces! Until you realise that the way you're treated makes you think twice about even bothering to go near the place.
Last year when Pro Evo 2008 came out and everyone realised it was a disaster, Play and Amazon both had the PS3 version reduced to £19.99, so I thought I'd give it a go (I'd already bought and sold the PC version!). I stumbled across the price promise one night so I thought I'd go to PC World to get the game price-matched, to save waiting for Play/Amazon to deliver it. Went to PC World in Speke at about half-six and wandered around for ages looking for a member of staff (they always seem to be dealing with someone else!). Anyway, finally got someone's attention, and copy of the game in-hand, told the fella about the Play/Amazon price, and that I'd like it matched. All he did was give me some patronising smile and say, "Sorry, mate, haha, it'll Pro Evo 6 that's 20 quid on Play, haha." So I told him again that it was the new version. He says, "Okay, just go over and wait in the queue at the till and the member of staff will check for you."
So when I finally get to the front of the queue, there's some old fella on the till who looked like he didn't have a clue what was going on. I told him about the price match, and he said he'd have a look. Now, PC World have a list of retailers they price match with (I had printed this out in advance), but the fella on the till opened up this shitty GUI with about 4 High Street retailers and clicked some button, which then brought up a list of prices. "Sorry, the cheapest one is £39.99, and that's how much we sell it for." I said, "It's Play and Amazon who sell it for 20, where are they?" He goes, "Oh, they mustn't have it in stock then." I point at his screen and say "You've got Internet Explorer open there, can't you just open Play or Amazon? They've both got it in stock!" He says, "We're not allowed to use that." At this point I'm raging, these gobshites haven't got a clue and I'm not getting anywhere. I then asked for a manager, which meant I had to stand there like a lemon for 3 years while they found him. Some little fat-arse walks over all nonchalant and says, "Play and Amazon wouldn't sell it for that price, it's only just come out. Anyway, they haven't got any in stock - if they did, it's show up on our system there on the screen." I couldn't believe what I was hearing - "They have got it in stock - can't you just check it here?"
Finally, he opens up IE and goes to Play's website. For some reason he stands there for a bit with a quizzical look on his face (probably trying to think of a reason not to give me the price match). He comes up with an absolute corker, "This is a mistake, there's no way they could sell it at this price." I felt like saying 'Not every shop rips people off like this tip!' but instead I said, "It's not a mistake, Amazon have it at this price as well."
"Are you sure it's not the PC version?" My god, can anyone really be this dense? I bite my tongue and say, " Look, it's the PS3 version, it's obvious." He looks like he's ready to (reluctantly) accept defeat when he says to me,
"Okay, you can have the price match, can you just go to the back of the queue and let us serve these other customers?"
"Sorry, what?"
"Yes, I'll authorise it when you get to the front." I couldn't beleive it - I had to pick up the game I was about to buy and go and stand at the back of the ever-expanding queue. I knew he'd done it just to take the piss. More waiting - I'd now been there nearly an hour.
I got to the front of the queue and lo and behold, no sign of Mr. Manager. So there I was again, standing at the till with my thumb up my arse waiting for soft-shite to make an appearance. When I spot him, he says, "I'll be with you in a minute." He goes past another 3 or 4 times and says the same thing - can't he see he's holding up the queue?!
Anyway, after well over an hour I'm able to stroll away from the bunch of gobshies and out of this god-forsaken shop with my copy of Pro Evo for no less than £18! Then I went home and played Pro Evo 2008 and basked in my...disappointment? PC World really are a disgrace, the staff have no idea about computers, the prices are a joke, and the customer service is disgraceful. Arseholes.
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