Really?

Ten days ago I bought a really pretty scarf at Target.  The colors were perfect to go with an olive green jacket I found earlier at J. C. Penney.  The scarf was only $12.99 so it was an inexpensive accessory to add to my wardrobe.

Shortly afterward, Target advertised selected Merona scarves on sale for $10, regularly priced at $12.99.  I know that Target has a two-week limit for price adjustments, so I couldn't wait too long to bring in the receipt or I'd miss out.

I was at Target twice this week before, on my third visit of the week, I finally remembered to take the receipt.  I was pretty sure that Guest Services didn't need to have the scarf to give me the adjustment; the receipt would be good enough.  Just to be on the safe side, I brought the scarf, but left it in the car.

For once, when I approached Guest Services, there wasn't anyone in line ahead of me.  Yay for no waiting!  The girl who was working there wasn't especially friendly, but she wasn't rude either.  She was fairly focused on working her way through a huge pile of things that were scattered across the counter.  To her credit, she did stop what she was doing and asked how she could help me.

I explained that I thought that the scarf I had purchased had gone on sale and I asked her if she could check the price from the receipt.  She said it was no problem and she quickly (very quickly) entered the numbers into the register and then responded, "Nope, not on sale."

Well, that was disappointing.  I was really hoping that my scarf was one of the "selected" scarves on sale.  Admittedly, $2.99 isn't a lot of money -- not even a gallon of gas these days -- but every little bit helps when you're paying full-price, out-of-state tuition for one of your kids.

I left Guest Services and walked over to the accessories department and looked at the scarves.  The style I purchased was nowhere to be found, but there were several others that were similar.  I grabbed a couple, including some that were also Merona brand, but not on the same display with the ones that were supposedly on sale.  Even the scarves from the non-sale display came up on sale for $10 when I scanned them at the price check station.

At this point I was beginning to think that the girl was playing fast and loose.  How could all these other scarves be on sale, but the one that I bought was still full price?

I decided to buy the things I needed and then, after I checked out and put everything in my car, I could come back in with the scarf and check the price on one of the price scanners.

A normal person would have just said "Forget it.  It's only a couple of bucks."  But I am no normal person.  I am a deranged person when it comes to the principle of an issue.  If that scarf really was on sale, I deserved to get the price adjustment.

So in spite of the fact that it was past 9 p.m., the temperature had dropped to 40 degrees with rain that was threatening to turn to sleet, and I was wearing flip flops (more proof that I'm deranged), I put my bags in the car and tried to avoid the puddles in the parking lot as I made my way back to the store.

I was feeling pretty confident when I approached the scanner and I resolved to be politely assertive rather than snotty when I took the scarf to the girl in Guest Services and asked her to scan it as proof that it truly was on sale and I was due a price adjustment.     

I'm sure you can see where this is heading.

I scanned the scarf and the price came up as . . . $12.99.

Really?  How could it be that out of all the Merona scarves, literally at least 50 different colors, patterns, fabrics and styles, I managed to pick the one scarf that was still full price?

Arrrgh!  It's a good thing I really like that scarf.  : )