Jeez, I don't know whether to avoid Fry's like the Plague, or to check
it out, out of sheer curiosity.
"Erik S. Klein" wrote:
>
> > Why do you suggest that Fry's is "effectively stealing from the
> general
> > public."
>
> Fry's has several "policies" in place (or used to, I haven't been in
> that crap-hole for years) that fall under that category.
>
> They have shrink-wrap machines at every location and often re-wrap
> returns to re-sell as new - even those reported as defective by the
> customer returning them! (Hearsay from an ex-employee followed up by
> observing stacks of items that, to me anyway, were obviously re-wrapped)
>
> They deliberately make returns difficult so that people who buy recycled
> junk often won't bother to try getting their money back. If they do,
> the item's usually just head back to the shelves anyway. (Again, told
> to me by an ex-employee who I consider reliable)
>
> I remember purchasing RAM for an old P-III there once. The first SIMMS
> were bad so I brought them back. They tossed them on a tester at the
> returns desk (which took 45 minutes to get to) and told me "Yup, they're
> bad." Not one, not two, not even three, but ALL FOUR that I purchased
> were defective. The returns clerk put them in a large parts bin already
> full of similar items and, I'm fairly certain, eventually put that bin
> back in the stock area. I asked if I could do an exchange and test the
> replacements before I left and was told that store policy prohibited
> that. . . !!!
>
> I consider those things to be theft.
>
> The fact that I haven't met a Fry's employee who wasn't a drooling idiot
> (my friend was obviously too bright for the place! :) and the fact that
> the store always seemed to be out of the single thing you came in for
> always bothered me as well.
>
> One fun thing to try, by the way: When the Fry's bonehead at the guarded
> exit tries to search your bag, just walk on by. As it turns out they
> can't legally search your property (which the bag is the moment you pay
> for it) unless they have some reasonable belief that you are stealing.
> If they don't have this and detain you it is the equivalent of false
> arrest.
>
> I'm not alone, by the way:
>
> http://www.nonmundane.org/~dspisak/frys/frys.html
> http://www.accesscom.com/~dave6592/
> http://billzhouse.com/rants/frys.html
> http://www.doofus.org/frys/ ("What Fry's won't tell you is that you do
> not have to let them inspect your bags. In fact, it is illegal for Fry's
> to detain you to search your property without first charging you with
> shoplifting.")
> http://archive.salon.com/21st/feature/1998/05/cov_21feature2.html ("And
> the horror stories are not just anecdotal. Most of Fry's Silicon Valley
> stores have "unsatisfactory" records with the Santa Clara Better
> Business Bureau for not responding to complaints -- although they do
> appear to resolve complaints reported to the Santa Clara County district
> attorney.")
>
> The list goes on, I just wish Fry's wouldn't.
>
> Erik Klein
> www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum
> The Vintage Computer Forum
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctalk-admin_at_classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-admin_at_classiccmp.org]
> On Behalf Of Mail List
> Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2003 9:40 PM
> To: cctalk_at_classiccmp.org
> Subject: RE: goin to CA soon, to be a CC tychoon
>
> Erik,
>
> Why do you suggest that Fry's is "effectively stealing from the general
> public."
>
> At 03:42 PM 6/7/03 -0700, you wrote:
> >The CHM just opened this past Monday and now conducts tours of "visible
> >storage" on Wednesday afternoons and every other Saturday (First and
> >Third, I think). I've got some pictures from the grand opening up on
> >Vintage-computer at http://www.vintage-computer.com/chmopenhouse.shtml.
> >
> >Fry's is to be avoided as is any organization that makes it's living
> >effectively stealing from the general public. :)
> >
> >The Weird Stuff Warehouse is always fun, especially the "as-is" area
> out
> >back.
> >
> >The Tech museum in San Jose and the Metreon in San Francisco are worth
> a
> >visit.
> >
> >Enjoy your trip!
> >
> > Erik Klein
> > www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum
> > The Vintage Computer Forum
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: cctalk-admin_at_classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-admin_at_classiccmp.org]
> >On Behalf Of Eric Chomko
> >Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2003 7:56 AM
> >To: cctalk_at_classiccmp.org
> >Subject: goin to CA soon, to be a CC tychoon
> >
> >Seriously folks, I am going on a two week trip to sunny California
> later
> >this month and trying to find a couple of interesting stops that might
> >have something to do with classic computers. I'll be starting in San
> >Francisco and ending up in Los Angeles.
> >
> >I plan a trip through Silicon Valley with a stop at NASA Ames. Anyone
> >have their schedule for the classic computer museum? Any other "must
> >see" places along the way? Does CHAC have a museum? Damn, just went to
> >the CHAC web site. Last updated in 11-12-1997?!? Now THAT is classic!!
> I
> >just gave um an earful
> >(politely).
> >
> >Anyway, any suggestions that would bore my wife and daughter but make
> me
> >happy is welcome (hey, they get DisneyLand and Hollywood!)
Received on Sun Jun 08 2003 - 19:25:01 BST