Math is hard.

We bought someone a bracelet at Macy’s for Christmas. The price tag said $50 but it was on sale for 50% off (like everything at Macy’s always is). We also had a coupon for $15 off if we spent over $50. (We also bought some other thing to make the coupon valid. Actually, the only reason we went to Macy’s at all was because we had that silly coupon.)

When we got home and tried to wrap the bracelet…oops…we actually bought her an anklet!* That’s annoying, but not the end of the world, we’ll just go back and exchange it.

We found a similar style bracelet (really, this time) priced at only $45…that’s five dollars cheaper. (same sale applies) Great!

He’s ringing up the exchange…

• Ok, your total is $9.50.
• Huh? How can that be? The item we are swapping for costs less.
• Well you used a coupon on the original purchase and that coupon can’t be used again.
• But we aren’t trying to use the coupon again. We are just exchanging what we bought by mistake.
• Right. But the coupon can only be used in one transaction.
• So you are telling me that because we used a coupon, we now have to pay $9.50 more for something that costs $5 less?
• Yes.
• And that doesn’t seem retarded to you?**
• Yes, but that’s store policy. Would you like me to get a manager?
• Uh, yeah. Thanks.

We didn’t actually see a manager, but the sales guy talked on the phone with him/her. He/she gave him what appeared to be fairly simple instructions on how to do an exchange when a coupon is involved. I guess training doesn’t cover everything.

The end result was that we actually had some money refunded, which is what you’d expect…so they did the right thing, but it’s still silly that this situation ever came up. When something as obvious as “you shouldn’t pay more for something that costs less” slips past your radar, maybe you should look for a job far far away from people. Or at least from me.

* The dingbat saleswoman who sold us the “bracelet” watched Rachel try it on…and Rachel even commented how big it felt…but the dingbat said nothing. Awesome.

** It seems I use this phrase a lot when dealing with customer service reps or salesmen. Maybe I just have a skewed version of reality that I expect from them.