Practice Makes Perfect

At a CD store.

I found a single Source Code DVD on the rack.

Me: [thinking] Good Lord. This is my lucky day.

I grabbed it, along with Westlife's Where We Are CD, and headed off to the cashier.

Me: Can you open those for me to check first?
Cashier: Sure.

He scanned the bar codes, tore off the wrappers and handed them over to me.

I opened the CD case and the disc was in mint condition. Then I opened the DVD case ..

Me: [cursing silently] Shit. It's floating. I swear I didn't hear it loose earlier.

I checked on the disc carefully. There were thin and tiny scratches on the surface.

Me: Do you have another copy of this? I can't take this one, it's damaged.
Cashier: No, that's the last copy in our stock.

Then he tried to observe the disc, seemed that he didn't think the damage serious. I thought it was not that serious either, but hell, I needed a good that worthed my money. In the best condition I could get.

Cashier: You can try playing it first at home and if it doesn't work, we can replace it with the new one.

Ok. Now, let's do some business.

Firstly, that answer was generic, old and lame. Secondly, the store was two-hour away from my home and I didn't visit them frequently. Thirdly, he said it was their last stock, I swore on my DVD player's sake there would be no way he could get a top-up fast.

So who was he trying to fool here?

Me: I won't pay for damaged goods.
Cashier: It's already been registered.
Me: [cursing silently] F**k. Easy, go easy.

I put on a straight face and a cold tone.

Me: Just cancel it.
Cashier: Sorry, I can't cancel it, it's already been recorded into our sales. Could you try playing it at home first?
Me: It's scratched. Eventhough it can play in my player now, it won't last long because it's already scratched. Just cancel it. I'll take the Westlife CD.
Cashier: Sorry, I can't cancel it.
Me: [still cursing in silence, but it's starting to crawl slowly to the very edge of my tongue] ...

The conversation was redundant and unproductive. This was a big CD store inside a prestigious mall, yet I felt like I was in the middle of a bargaining spree at a traditional market. I was not a good bargainer just because I was too lazy to do that. Usually I preferred to leave empty-handed. Thus, I was ready to lose my Weslife too.

I counted my money at the price of the CD and put it on his counter top.

Me: [in a "take it or leave it" attitude] You cannot ask me to buy damaged goods. This is for the CD only.

He gave me a stubborn look. I gave him mine, way harsher. Then he finally turned to a lady colleague, asking her advice to cancel the DVD sale. And guess what?

Done. Deal. Piece of cake.

Me: [because I managed to be polite through the whole ordeal] Thank you.

I walked away. No Jake. But I got four Irish lads.

And I got the DVD from other store. A perfect copy.

Moral of the story:
Go figure!