Posted by Ford Prefect [68.99.194.76 - ip68-99-194-76.ph.ph.cox.net] on 13 January 2003 at 01.32.20 ZuluTime:

Hollywood video.

Let me explain. A few days ago I bought a previously viewed copy of K-Pax on DVD at my local Hollywood Video franchise (Alma School and main street in Mesa AZ). I was told that if there was any problem with the disc I would be able to exchange it within 30 days as long as I had my reciept. Simple sounding enough, right?

Well, sure enough, the disc was defective. In one of the scenes it starts skipping and then completely freezes up. Unfortunanately between the time I purchased it and now, the family car had a Carbeque (it had an engine fire) and was completely dead. I was unable to get back to the store where I bought the disc, but there was another Hollywood Video in walking distance. On a hunch, I called the store I visited first and asked if I could exchange the disc at another HV franchise. They said sure, that it was their company policy to do so. Good. So, I walk to the second location (University and Rural road in Tempe) to exchange the DVD. Bad move. I get there and tell them my situation and what the guy at the other store said. The manager said that it was a company policy to do exactly the opposite of what the first store said. I argued my case and convinced them to return the disc. Great.

Not that simple. They were all out of copies of K-Pax.

Great, I'll just wait a few days and go back to the first location, and complain very loudly about them giving me false information.

But the story doesn't end there.

My roommate went over there a few days ago to get a membership at our local store. When they asked for two forms of ID he presented his driver's license and his Geneva card. Both are very valid forms of ID.

Guess what? Nobody in the store even knew what a Geneva card was.