Thursday, January 10, 2008

Free Books!

So Santa was pretty good to me this past holiday; he even brought me a new pressure cooker! I've never used a true pressure cooker outside of pressure canning, so you know what that means? More cook books!

I go down to my local Border's book store, and they didn't have what I wanted. Friendly advice from the Jedi Masters over at The Cooking Forum (I love that place!) told me to go with any pressure cooking cook book by Lorna Sass, peticularly "Pressure Perfect". So, Border's has this thing where they will order any book (within reason) and they will call you when it comes in. Piece of cake, right? I order "Pressure Perfect" and go home with dreams of pressure cooked sugarplums dancing in my head.

About week or so goes by and I hadn't heard from Border's about my book. I call, and it hasn't come in. Out of curiosity, I turn the little computer printed order form they gave me over, and notice this:

Now I put in those little pink arrows and underlines, but I want you to pay particular attention to the red outlined box labeled "Important". Notice that it says that you might qualify for a "7 days or it's free" offer? So, I do a quick read, and according to me, I'm elligible. Here's how the dialog with the Border's employee went over the phone:

Me: "So, it says here that I'm can get my book free, since I ordered on the 28th and today is the 7th!"

Them: "Well, um, is the back of the order form signed?"

Me: "No."

Them: "Well, it isn't good unless the back is signed by a Border's employee."

Me: "Who's responsibility is ensure it's signed?"

Them: "Well, we are."

Me: "Then how am I to know that?

At this point, I get transfered to about 3 other people, and finally dicker (heh, I like that word) it out with the manager. At first, they tried to tell me it was over a holiday, so I wasn't elligible, but the order disclaimer excludes Thanksgiving and Christmas only. Then they went back to the whole "it wasn't signed" bit, but it's their job to fill the order form out, not the customer's. They dropped the ball.

So in the end, I had them and they had to offer the book to me for free. So, my friends, if you ever special order a book from Border's, make sure the back of your computer printed order form is signed (where I have the pink arrows) and count your calendar. I'm off to experiement with my new pressure cooker and some kick-ass recipes!

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