The Holiday Shopping Season Has Begun!

You all know my feelings about shopping in the first place, and this Black Friday was no exception.  I did get a start on my shopping, but I did it from my couch using the internet!

Amazon.com may seem to be the most convenient “one-stop” shopping solution, but be careful.  They are not always the cheapest on everything.  They did beat Toys R Us and Best Buy on a particular electronic device, but they did not beat Sears on another big-ticket item on my list.

My husband and I did venture out later in the evening to look for our house gift for this year.  Most of the brave souls who gave up sleep in favor of “door busters” had most likely collapsed at home by then!  Believe it or not, we did manage to find a nice home theater surround sound system with Blu-ray that was in Best Buy’s Black Friday ad.

I have always struggled with coming up with ideas for gifts for people that aren’t too expensive but that they will actually like, enjoy, or otherwise appreciate.  For this reason alone, I tend to “bah hum-bug” a lot.  I would be so happy to receive a box full of sugar-free Wint-O-Green Lifesavers, fuzzy slipper socks, and gift cards for Amazon.com MP3 downloads.  My favorite thing about Christmas has become spending a lazy day at home with the family playing games.  It’s not about the presents for me.

I guess since we don’t go overboard on gifts and only buy for immediate family, the mega-sales on Black Friday just don’t make much difference to me.

Sears Tower includes a balcony on the 103rd story made of 1.5 inches of glass. It holds up to five tons.

Link

www.waterfilternation.com has Amana refrigerator water filters on sale for $22.95 each.

The WSA-1 filter replaces the following Amana water filters: WF30, WF40, WF401, 12527301, 12527302, 12527303, 12527305, 12527307, 12527309, 12527504, 12388401, 12388402, 12388403, 12388406, 12388407, 12319801, 67003634, and the following Sears/Kenmore filters as well: 46-9014, 469014, 9014, 9014P, 04609014000, 46-9904, 469904, 9904, 9904P, 04609904000.

Log on to www.waterfilternation.com for top quality replacement refrigerator water filters at rock bottom prices. All orders ship within 24 hours, seven days a week.

I will be on my way to Orycon in Portland, Oregon in just a few hours so there is no true post today. I was hoping to have the review of In Sleeping Beauty’s Bed done but it’s turning into a bit of a mini-essay and I’m not finished researching a few things. I’m extremely tired so this might not even make sense.

Addendum to the Sears attitude issue: When I bought my coat it was on sale plus an extra $10 was taken off if you applied for a Sears card. I received the card in the mail but it’s a Sears MasterCard. Surprise to me. There was also a “buy now, don’t pay to January” sign when I bought the coat. In the process of all the paperwork to get the sale, I asked, does this apply to the coat (because it was for purchases over $100 and I was told yes. However when I got the statement it showed that I had to pay this month.

I called the number on the statement but they couldn’t help me as it’s really just the MasterCard office. They told me to call the store. That took about four tries to get through and not disconnected. Eventually I was told that I had to come in with the statement to get the payment deferred. They couldn’t do it over the phone because I didn’t have the credit card and hadn’t activated it.

So I went into a store on my way home and I was told any Sears would do. First there was no store directory so I had to ask for the accounts department. It seems they don’t have one but they sent me down to catalogue shopping, tucked behind the fridges.

The girl there was new and didn’t know what I was talking about and said her manager had gone home. I said I was told I could go to any store before it closed. Eventually she found some sort of manager. He came and showed her what to do and left and then she couldn’t get it to work and called someone. Then I had to talk to the woman on the phone and then give it back to the girl behind the counter. The the manager came back, (about a half hour has passed by now) and he starts to do it and asks for the expiry date of my card. I say I don’t have it on me and I haven’t activated it. He says he can’t do it without this and gives me a phone number to call back once I get home and get the card. (I could have been told this the first time I called).

Eventually I get home and get the card and call Sears. The number to that department is busy so the switchboard tells me it’s still busy. It’s about 8:25 and the store closes at 9. I leave in the morning for Portland and the bill is due at the same time. I have to do this now or get interest charged.

Then the switchboard accidentally disconnects me and I call back. They say the line is still busy and I say I will not call back but I will hold. They ask me for my credit card number to pass on and I say no. Then I get through and the girl has a customer so I wait. I give her the number, she takes my phone number and calls me back ten minutes later to say it’s done. Whew! Very exhausting.

How is it possible that December is around the corner? Didn’t the school year just start? Even though I posted a slew of Black Friday Freebies yesterday, I figured you wouldn’t mind some additional freebies to get your holiday season started. Check out what’s free for you in the coming week!

City-Specific Freebies

• Starting January 1, 2010 Washington, DC will charge residents 5 cents per plastic bag they take when shopping. (IKEA already does this.) To help Washingtonians stock up on reusable bags, the city will be giving away more than 120,000 free market bags in the next few months.
• Enjoy free ice skating at New York City’s Bryant Park!

Free Food

• Enjoy a free breakfast at IKEA on Black Friday weekend (that’s November 27-29), up until 10:30 a.m. This is part of IKEA’s seize-the-day events. (Carpe Diem IKEA?)Double your pleasure, double your fun? How about double your freebies?
• Now Boston Market lets two kids eat for free on Saturday and Sunday. Good for kids 14 and younger (yeah, mine qualify) and until January 31, 2010. You know I’ll be repeating this freebie in Freebie Friday postings for the next few months–you know, just in case you forget and all.
• Don’t forget that kids eat for free at Denny’s on Tuesday nights–and in some locations on Saturday, too.
• If you join the Dairy Queen DQ Blizzard fan club, you’ll get a coupon for a free DQ Blizzard. Yum. (My fave is the coffee Heath bar blizzard.)

Gratis Gifts–and Gift Cards

• Get a free Photo Book from Photoworks, courtesy of The Bonnie Hunt Show. Just type in the code “BONNIE” when you check out. If you’re one of the first 25,000 people to use this offer, your entire gift of a photo book–for yourself or someone on your list–will be free! (Thanks to Gather.com for the heads up on this free offer.)
• You can earn free gifts cards to Sears when you participate in its new electronics recycling program with Gazelle.com. The new program is providing practical, responsible, rewarding ways for consumers to get value for used, working electronics, and gives customers the flexibility to trade-in unwanted gadgets from more than 20 product categories, including cell phones, laptops, MP3 players and digital cameras. Electronics items that no longer work will still be accepted at no cost for recycling, but consumers will not receive value for these items. That’s still cool since many stores charge you a service fee to recycle your electronics.

Wifi That Won’t Cost You Anything

• Delta Airlines has joined the free wifi fray. It announced an agreement with eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, to provide complimentary Gogo Inflight Internet service to customers traveling on all Wi-Fi equipped flights from Nov. 24-30.
• Visiting Times Square over the holidays? Well, don’t worry about paying or Wifi service so you can check your email. Yahoo is offering free Wifi in Times Square for the next year.
• Google is sponsoring free Wifi in 46 airports nationwide. Unfortunately, Philadelphia, the main airport I use, is not included in the list of participating airports. You can check it out in this Gizmodo.com article. Maybe your nearby airport is?

Free Shipping
Lots of retailers are attempting to inspire shoppers to buy online by offering free shipping this holiday season.

• Not only do you get free shipping from MomAgenda when you purchase a Kitchen Folio, but you’ll also get a free 2009-2010 calendar.
• Crate and Barrel’s kid-oriented company Land of Nod is offering free shipping on purchases made my November 30th. Enter the word “CELEBRATE” when you check out. (Sadly, furniture is excluded from this deal.)
• Pet-products website Drs. Fosters and Smith (from which I’ve purchased my dog’s pet meds) has eliminated standard shipping costs for all of its pet healthcare-related products.
• ShopatHome.com has put together a free shipping guide so that you’ll have an easier time figuring out which e-tailers are offering free shipping this year.

Get one free 10×13 wall portrait with current session. There are no sitting fees. Offer expires December 31, 2009.

Thanks, The Freebie Blogger.

ShopNBC Wedneday unveiled the ShopNBC.com Cellular Store, featuring mobile devices and service plans.

The new online destination at ShopNBC.com is powered by Simplexity, an online retailer of cell phones and home services.

ShopNBC.com’s Cellular Store offers wireless devices and service plans. Customers now have the ability to research and buy mobile devices, accessories and service plans through the ShopNBC.com Cellular Store.

It has more than 400 items from wireless providers across the country, so visitors can browse hundreds of wireless devices from LG, BlackBerry, Samsung and more by phone type, service provider, or rate plan as well as order accessories for mobile devices. Users can also upgrade their existing cell phone and service plans with ease.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Simplexity on this expanded Web product initiative for our consumer electronics category,” John Schrogie, ShopNBC’s Director of Housewares and Consumer Electronics, said in a prepared statement. “Through the ShopNBC.com Cellular Store, we are able to enhance our premium shopping experience for customers seeking the newest wireless brands and products.”

Simplexity’s technology solutions include merchandising, procurement, customer service, billing, customer relationship marketing, order processing and cell phone activations for the largest U.S. carriers.

It operates private label Web sites for some of the largest names in retail, including Best Buy, RadioShack, Newegg, Sears, and Dell, as well as Wirefly, the leading one-stop cell phone and wireless plan comparison shopping site that has been awarded “Best of the Web” by Forbes magazine and “Best in Overall Customer Experience” by Keynote Systems.

“We are excited to be selected by ShopNBC,” Jeff Baskin, senior vice president of the Consumer Wireless Division of Simplexity, said in his prepared statement.

“They have earned a stellar reputation for being the premium lifestyle brand in the electronic retailing industry, and an authority and destination for consumer electronics,” he said. “With our support, they can now include wireless products and services to their product assortment and further delight their loyal customers.”

Farfalle, Wisconsin (API) A bus full of high school marching band students flipped over last Sunday night on the southbound Fremont Interchange after smashing into an SUV carrying a family of four, an accident that caused serious injuries to five of the students and three family members and tied up traffic for hours.

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Highway Patrol Sgt. Dan Meeder said that at 9 p.m. on Saturday, the busload of students from Tottenville were returning from an intramural marching competition when the bus driver noticed that the SUV had crossed into his lane and immediately began to skid until finally one of the tires blew off the vehicle.

You can buy tires for as low as $10 a month with your Sears card.

According to witnesses, the driver of the SUV, 48-year-old Daryl Mishengoss of Pearl Lagoon, was carrying his family back from a wedding he began to drift into the lane of the bus, then weaved first into the shoulder and then back across the lane a number of times before the bus driver, Sammy Pyle of Farfalle, swerved to avoid an accident, at which point he lost sight of the white stripes of the median and the bus flipped into a roll.

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After that, witnesses gave conflicting accounts of the ensuring crash. One motorist said that Mishengoss and his family were likely distracted by the multiple media players they were operating in the SUV, including a video monitor that was playing a movie.

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However, several of the parents of band members at the Tri-State Band Meet said that bus driver might well have become slightly intoxicated at the event and that, although the SUV was in the wrong lane, Pyle’s vision might have been slightly impaired and his reflexes dulled by a higher-than-normal blood-alcohol level.

Why not enjoy a glass of Maker’s Mark, Kentucky’s own small-batch bourbon whisky?

Sgt. Meeder said that he could not confirm whether Pyle had been intoxicated and declined to reveal the results of a Breathalyzer test.

You know who else has to pucker? Feeding infants! Here are pictures of Angelina Jolie nursing a baby.

Another officer, Dan Hernandez of Wickenham, said that despite the human error, there were other factors at play, including a faulty guardrail and several pot holes in the road. Hernandez said that this particular stretch of road is long overdue for highway repairs but has been a casualty of budget cuts for infrastructure amid economic malaise.

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“I think that this is going to bring a lot of attention to how badly this stretch of road has become,” said Hernandez. “It’s probably one of the most dangerous roads in the state.”

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“I’m always afraid I’m going to get in a serious accident here,” said Raoul Ortega, a house builder who lives part time in the U.S. and part time in Colombia.

See why tolerance of non-English speakers is partly responsible for the Fort Hood tragedy.

Most of the injuries were lacerations from broken glass …

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… which was showered all over the road.

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Many teenage passengers from the bus lay bleeding on the road.

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Many travelers trying to get home for the night had to wait for hours while the police removed damaged vehicles from the scene. Some even left their cars and stood talking while a bottleneck half a mile long grew down the road.

“It’s a real pain, but what can you do?” said Martin Rosenweig of Tottenville.

Got nothing to do in your car? Try Books on Tape.

Or an Apple IPod.

Or if you’re a brand new driver, how about Texting Devices for Teens.

Or how about simple masturbation?

Heh.  In yesterday’s pre-W(aL)D Wendy’s repost, it linked to a thread on PittsburghBeat.com which in turn linked to another old thread about Kmart which eventually came to a nice conclusion.  These weren’t listed in my older pre-W(aL)D post… so I thought I’d share them individually.

I filled out the survey noted on their receipts, at www.kmartfeedback.com. Apparently someone actually reads ‘em!

Quote:

From: “SM3616, Store Manager” sm3616@searshc.com To: XXXXXXXXXXXXX@yahoo.com Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2008 6:12:41 AM Subject: InquiryEric,I am the store manager of the below mentioned Kmart store. I would like to have an opportunity to speak with you directly. I do take pride in the store and would appreciate any and all feedback you can provide me to make your next shopping experience a pleasant one. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.JODIE M. STROTHER Store Manager #3616 Greentree, PA 15220 (412)922-3803 store (412)922-9268 fax ________________________________   Store Number: 3616 Customer Name: Eric XXXXXXX Customer Phone: contact by email Customer Phone (alternate): n/a Customer Email Address: XXXXXXXXXXXXX@yahoo.com Department: Customer Service Desk Category Code: Customer Service Experience Reason Code: General Frontend Service Issue Situation: SC# 0361611250800352385 The electronics department looks like someone knocked everything off the shelves, then had a dog put it all back. Pretty difficult without opposable thumbs, eh? Yes. Yes indeed. And, the dog didn’t know the alphabet in order to arrange CD’s & DVD’s either. The cashier did not say one word to me. ONE WORD. After waiting through the ridiculous line (no other registers were open, as I was being checked out another employee lazily sauntered over to her register), the woman rang me up did not say “hello”, “hi”, “good evening”, “credit or debt”, or even “Go #*%$ yourself!”. After all my items had gone through, and I paid. I even said “Thanks” and smiled… and got absolutely no indication that I had even been heard. My wife looked at me like we were in the Twilight Zone. Holy cow, this is ridiculous. Sadly, it’s indicative of what happens pretty much every time I go to that store. There are some other great area Kmarts, like the one in Robinson, and even the one in Bridgeville… but this one is closest to my house… What the heck is wrong with everyone who works there? Don’t they take any sort of pride in the store? Don’t the managers see what’s going on, how the store looks, how the employees behave… and why don’t they care??? I just can’t even fathom being a cashier, and not greeting people… or even acknowledging their presence. And, I can’t fathom a shift, store, or regional manager that would a. hire someone like that (let alone dozens like that); and b. let that kind of behavior slide. ***I was unable to call the customer no phone number, I did sent notification.**

So, I wrote these…

I wrote:

From: Eric _______ XXXXXXXXXXXXX@yahoo.com To: “SM3616, Store Manager” sm3616@searshc.com Sent: Monday, December 1, 2008 9:10:52 AM Subject: Re: InquiryHello Jodie,Thank you for taking the time to contact me. I’m not sure if there’s anything further to discuss. I pretty much expressed my issues below.   I can’t imagine how stressful it must be to run a store… but it seems that your Kmart is slipping in comparison to stores like the aforementioned Robinson & Bridgeville locations. Back when we were just dating, my wife used to work at the Kmart on Route 8 just outside of Shaler (not sure of the actual neighborhood there), and the managers were on them all the time to have multiple registers open, to have the shelves stocked neatly & orderly, and they always had a lot of registers open at the front. I just see a general lack of “give a damn” in Parkway Center. Hopefully the trend is reversing though, as this e-mail has shown me that you do indeed care about your store. Thank you for your time, -Eric

I wrote:

From: Eric _______ XXXXXXXXXXXXX@yahoo.com To: Customer Service Kmart.com help@customerservice.kmart.com Sent: Monday, December 1, 2008 10:07:05 AM Subject: Re: Store Manager SM3616 / JODIE M. STROTHERHello,I’d like to just pass on the e-mail below, & show my appreciation for this store manager taking the time to contact me regarding my comments made via kmartfeedback.com as noted on my store receipt. Can someone let her superiors know that her time and effort did not go unnoticed?   Hopefully she can pass the message of store pride on to the employees. Thank you, -Eric

Hmm, I got a response…

JODIE M. STROTHER wrote:

From: “SM3616, Store Manager” sm3616@searshc.com To: Eric _______ XXXXXXXXXXXXX@yahoo.com Sent: Tuesday, December 2, 2008 7:05:00 AM Subject: RE: InquiryEric,Stressful is a word that doesn’t even describe what retail is nowadays. However, I do take pride in the store and at times it does get out of control. I appreciate feedback any way it comes. We strive to do our best with the personnel in the store. It does fall apart at times and we are working hard at correcting those problems. Just keep us on your shopping list this year and let us try to show you we are looking at alternative ways to improve your shopping experience.   Happy holidays and I look forward to hearing from you in the future. JODIE M. STROTHER Store Manager #3616 Greentree, PA 15220 (412)922-3803 store (412)922-9268 fax ________________________________

I found this to be a fairly positive response.  I can’t imagine trying to manage a group of people who generally do not care.

This is the icing on the cake though…

AiXeLsyD13 wrote: Remember my Kmart rant? Bethany was in there not too long ago, walked by the electronics section and said it’s all neat & orderly…..and the cashier greeted her.

For the last month we have been getting an error code on our washing machine. At first we thought maybe the machine wasn’t level so we checked that and we stopped getting the error for a week or so. Then last week we started getting the error again. We checked the owner’s manual and even checked online, but we haven’t been able to find out what the error code means. So this weekend my husband decided to call Sear’s service and see if they would tell us what the error code meant so we could decide if it was something we needed to have someone come out and service. This is a Kenmore washer and it is only 18 months old. It is out of warranty, but I feel that it’s still new enough that should be willing to work with us on a little problem like this. Especially since this washing machine cost over $2,000 new.

When my husband called Sears they were completely unwilling to tell us what the code meant. They did say that for $120 they could send someone out to look at it and tell us what the problem is. Now, this is their machine and their error code. Obviously it should mean something to them. This is quite the scam they have going on here. They charge me $120 just to decipher their own code and we haven’t even gotten into what it would cost to fix it. And I’m somehow supposed to be happy about this? Thankfully my husband was dealing with them because at that point I would have told them exactly what they could do with the washing machine.

Anyway, my husband speaks with several more people at their service center after asking to speak with a manager. One of them finally says that the code just means that the machine needs to be serviced. Personally, I think that is a complete load of crap, but what else can you do at that point? They finally agree to let us pay for an extended warranty for something like $240 and for that price they will come out and check it and repair it for no extra charge (or so they say).

We’ve also been told that if they can’t fix the machine for some reason they will give us a $500 coupon to use towards the purchase of a new machine. Now I have serious issues with them saying they might not be able to fix a machine that is only 18 months old. Besides, I certainly don’t want to buy anything else there ever again so I’d much rather they give me cash that I can use at the store of my choice.

My husband and I have now reached a point where we both refuse to shop at Sears ever again. Their complete lack of care for their customers really showed through in our dealings with them this past weekend. I am a believer in spending my hard earned money at a store that offers good customer service. Right now Sears does not fit that description. So Sears, the tools I buy for husband every Christmas, I won’t be buying them from you anymore. And the riding mower we’ll be buying in the spring. You got it; we’re not buying it from you. I don’t care if I wind up paying a little more if that’s what it takes to get good service. Since I’m obviously not appreciated as a Sears customer I choose to no longer be one. I hope you enjoy your $240 as it’s the last money you will ever see from me. And if you can’t fix my washer for some reason, just give me back my $240 and I’ll buy my new machine from a store that appreciates my business.

Nope, I haven’t forgotten about Black Friday and Cyber Monday! Here, I compiled a list of what brick-and-mortar stores, online stores, and home shopping networks that willl have Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals. Either you can brave the craziness and go out, or stay snug on your coach.

1. Old Navy

Their madness starts at 3 A.M. and will include fleece for $5! Better stock up!

2. QVC

This network is finally going to have their very first Black Friday sale. Theirs will start 8 P.M. on Thanksgiving night and will run for 28 hours straight. So while the guys watch football, the girls can shop! No news on what kind of deals that they will have. They better have really, really good deals if they want to compete with the stores! I did hear that their 3 Today Special Values might be from Susan Graver, the Sharper Image, and Playhut.

3. Wal-Mart

This heavily advertised store will be open at 5:00 A.M. on Black Friday and will have Cyber Monday deals on their web site.

4. Amazon

They’ve been having Black Friday deals all week. If you haven’t, check them out right now.

5. Forever 21

 

When the doors open, the first 100 shoppers will get a free tote. There will also be $6 tees and jeans, $4 pajamas, and $1 nail polishes!

6. HSN

In order to compete with QVC, HSN will be having Cyber Monday deals. And if you know HSN like I do, you know that they always have great deals on their site!

7. KMart

KMart will be calling their Black Friday deals, Blue Friday specials. Their doors will open at 6 A.M. and will include deals such as $29.99 Jacklyn Smith cashmere sweaters.

8. JCrew

If you shop at their site now, you will receive 20% off their Holiday Sale and free shipping on orders of $150 or more. Of course you have to use code EXTRA20 at check out. (Valid through 11/29/09.)

9. Sears

This often forgotten store will have Black Friday doorbusters starting from 7 A.M. to noon time.

10. New York and Co.

Everything will be 50% off on their web site.

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