The story continued, and not in totally expected way.

Acting on a hunch on Sunday, December 24th I went to check CompUSA web site and - voila - found same Sony N130G laptop for same $999.95 with $200 rebate as I did in BestBuy before. It still looked like a pretty sweet deal, plus when I called the store on Columbus Circle (57th and 7th) the store manager confirmed three units in stock. With BestBuy’s statement that their laptop deal was “sold out throughout the US” I remained suspicios, but decided to check the store anyway. Hour and fifteen minutes later I was talking to sales rep, who confirmed 3 units in stock, however they were in “warehouse in NJ”. I took the bait and purchased two laptops with firm promise that CompUSA will call me next Tuesday as soon as laptops appear in store for pickup.

Obviously they didn’t call. On Wednesday store manager gave me some corporate sales rep who, obviously had no idea what was going on (neither did I), but who at least tried to be of help. With his and some other sales rep help we established that laptops will definitely be in on Friday.

Alright, Friday comes, I call CompUSA - the store manager immediately tells me they don’t have laptops in stock. Begs to wait for next Tuesday (aka January 2nd), since the store expects large shipment that day. At the moment of weakness I agree to wait, but when I hung up the phone I reconsidered. After all - they took the money the moment they swiped the card, but kept telling me to call later for laptops - guess some bonuses were on the line. Two hours later I went to the store and lined up for Returns and Exchanges. Told the customer service rep that I would like to return two laptops. She asked if they are open. I replied that I’d like to know myself, since I never got them in the first place. Another rep takes my paperwork and disappears for ten minutes. Upon return he asks me if a discount would help me wait until next week. I tell him that receiving the laptops would help much better. He says that it’s holiday week and they’re oversold and stuff… I tell him it’s a holiday week and laptops were intended to be gifts and not only CompUSA screwed me on Christmas, they are trying to pull same trick on New Years, so there’s no question whether I would wait - ofcourse not. He (very upset) while angrily running to the cashier to process the return asks if there’s anything he can do. I respond with a memory of N160G laptop, sold for same price, only without posted rebate. The guy rejuvenated, he just started glowing - he immediately agrees to produce two N160Gs instead of N130Gs, gives me additional $100 discount ($50 per machine) plus discloses that there is, in fact, $200 rebate on N160G too. Fast forward 40 minutes of waiting in line for a single cashier (you would expect a store virtually in the middle of the world to have more then one customer service rep, but…) - I leave with two next-model laptops for a hundred dollars less then expected originally and only $50 per laptop more, then missed deal.

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