Business who deserve to go under.

@jbl1975 (374)
United States
February 28, 2009 12:31pm CST
In this slumping ecenomy where many good businesses and places you probably loved to go to are going under, here's a good discussion. Have you ever dealt with a business that treated you so wrong that when they eventually went out of business, you felt they "deserved" it? I have my anecdotes: In 1995, there was a new independant store called "The Game Station" that opened up in Canton, Michigan. It was a all video game rental store (which was a new concept at the time, I think). Well, they won my business because I had a Super NES and played it a lot. I went in and got a membership and rented a game. I ended up not returning it on time because I wound up without enough time to do so before work. However, no big deal I thought. Although I had the money with me to pay the late fees, I didn't want to do so right there as I could use the money for lunch at work. I figured I would pay the late fee when I rent another game from her, just like any other video store would do. Well, that turned out not to be the case. She had a policy that all late fees were due and payable when the game was returned. In fact, there was a sign right there on the counter that said that and it also said the following (literally); "IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD THE LATE FEES, YOU SHOULD HAVE RETURNED THE GAME WHEN IT WAS DUE!" I wound up in a discussion over this policy with her, telling her I was planning to pay the late fee the next time I rented a game (which I did plan to do), and I think she said some BS about "how do I know you'll come back?" I finally said something about Blockbuster (and other video stores) allow you to pay your late fee when you rent again, and she said something I'll never forget; "Yeah, well Blockbuster employees get paid no matter what! If you don't pay me, I don't make money! And I've gone out of business far too many times to know better!" At that, I think I said nothing, but I paid the late fee, left, and basically never darkened her front entrance again (other then wandering in a couple of times months later but not buying anything). Eventually in late 1996, she went belly up. I so badly wanted to go in there and rub it in her face about going out of business, and even if it was wise to not do so, I still regret not doing it. After all, it isn't just Blockbuster who does it, all the other video stores did it as far as I saw, and even if I did never go into the store again and rent after having the balance, wouldn't you rather be nice to others then dump all over one? Another store was a place called Med Max, which was a failed attempt at a home health care and vitamin superstore chain from around 1997. There were a few that opened up in Southeast Michigan. I went in when I was taking St. John's Wort, and was shopping around for the best value on it. I went in, and after looking around for the herbal remedies, couldn't find it. I asked a worker there (whom I didn't realize was the nurse on staff) where the St. John's Wort was located. Did I get a simple "Oh, it's over there with the so and so."? Heck no! I got grilled like I was at the police department with snippy questions like; "What do you take it for?!" "What else do you take?!" "What other health problem do you have?!" stuff like that. I finally shut her up and told her that I simply asked her where it was located, and her job was to point me to where it was, or if she didn't know, to ask another coworker! NOT to grill me like I committed a crime! She finally tried to make excuses for her attitude, but I didn't care. I told her to point me in the direction. She did, I said "Thank you." (albeit as snippy as she was to me), and went over there. They didn't have what I wanted, so I left, and never went back in. They went under about a year later. Had no real reason to go in and rub it in or really nobody to rub it in with. The third one is an old record store chain in Southeast Michigan (where I'm from originally) called Harmony House. While they were in business for over, like, 40 years, and in my youth, LOVED going in there, they eventually became the most overpriced record store in the region. While anyone could argue that Best Buy charged way less then they did (because they;re a big chain), even the other smaller chains and independant record stores charged less then they did. The last CD I ever bought from them was George Carlin's "Complaints and Grievances" and I paid over $18 for it, and I probably could've bought it from Best Buy for $12. Eventually, I think it was the next year or the following year, they started their going out of business sale. This is when I told the cashier at the counter that I hated to say it, but the store DESERVED to go out of business. She said "why?" and I told her why. I don't get how you people can continue to sell a CD for $18 that I could easily buy at Best Buy for $12. Heck, even the other chains like Sam Goody sell the CD for, like, $15 maybe. She brought up this BS about Best Buy undercutting prices, and I'm like, "Excuse me, but I really don't think Best Buy is losing money on their CDs or they'd be out of business too." Whatever, Harmony Louse (as I started to later call them) was a great store in its day, but it fell due to poor business decisions. Does anybody else have any anecdotes?
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