elfs | Frys Associates: Massive Fail

So, my Palm m500 is showing sign of Mad Digitizer Syndrome again, and it's staying so even after I give it a thorough disassembly and cleaning. This morning it seemed to be okay but Omaha dissented: "Look, that things is old. It's worn out. Why don't you go and buy a replacement?"

After hemming and hawing about whether or not we have enough money, I took her up on her offer. I discovered from their website that Frys is selling the Palm T|X for $299, but it comes with a hardcase and extra memory. I called up Frys and asked to talk to the guy at the PDA center, and he tells me he has one for sale.

I drove down there and ask. It turned out that he had one T|X for $299, except it was a customer return with no power supply, no USB cable, no hardcase, no nothing. There was a sign on it. "See associate for details on discount." He has no idea what it means. I ask to see his manager.

The manager looked at the box, shrugged, and said "That's what it is. $299 for the thing."

"Wait," I said. "Your sign over there says you'll sell me a T|X for $299 with all the accessories and a hardcase, but you're sold out. You'll sell me this thing, a return with no accessories, for the same price? What kind of sense is that?"

"It is what it is." (Have I mentioned before that I loathe that utterly meaningless phrase?) "That's what we got."

After that I went home and found what I wanted on EBay for about a $100 less. I'm just annoyed that the associate either didn't understand or was clueless on the phone (or malicious: "If I get this guy in here, I can upsell him!", but I don't want to think that too much), and his manager was a waste of human breath.