Things that make you go "Hmmmm…"

[kriesel]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

I just bought a new electric shaver.

Except, when I pulled it out of the box, I quickly learned it wasn't exactly new. The shave head popped off. It was broken, and wouldn't stay reattached when put in the right position. And, it had been used. There was hair and dander in the area under the shave head, which had been exposed when the head popped off. Yuck.

It was apparent upon closer scrutiny that someone had peeled back some of the tape that held the box shut. Obviously they'd then taken the razor out of the box. My guess is, they'd gone to the restroom to shave, somehow managed to break the shaver, returned it to the box, then closed the box and resealed the tape.

The store will take it back, no problem.

I am flailing for adjectives to describe someone who would do something like that. I am also somewhat at a loss to name a fitting punishment. I am open to suggestions on either count.

Maybe you'll feel better about the whole thing if considering that possibly it was a broke homeless person trying to look good for a job lead. (Can't know the real story for sure, so why not make up a good one. He needed it. He didn't steal it, just "borrowed" it. And got the job, & things are looking up.)
I've seen some very strange things on the retail shelf or peg myself. An extreme case: a belt labeled for 36" waistlines, whose buckle was the longest part of it at 1.5". The tiny useless thing had been made in China, shipped across an ocean, hauled by truck or rail from the Pacific coast to Wisconsin, and put on a peg in a Menards along with normal usable length belts. (Why Menards, a building construction and repair supply store, is selling groceries and clothing is another puzzle entirely.)
Getting back to your question, maybe a fitting punishment would be working in retail. At the customer service/returns counter in a Menards.

[PhilF]

Same thing happened to me when purchasing a hard drive from Walmart. When I got my still shrink wrapped brand new Western Digital hard drive home, I opened it to find a very old, very used Connor hard drive. Someone must have had a shrink wrapping machine at home.

Maybe they did that a number of times, because fortunately Walmart took it back no questions asked, almost like they had seen it many times before.

What is it with people?

[Batalov]

Bingo! The store that I didn't want to name was indeed a W--mart.

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by PhilF

Same thing happened to me when purchasing a hard drive from Walmart. When I got my still shrink wrapped brand new Western Digital hard drive home, I opened it to find a very old, very used Connor hard drive. Someone must have had a shrink wrapping machine at home.

Maybe they did that a number of times, because fortunately Walmart took it back no questions asked, almost like they had seen it many times before.

What is it with people?

Maybe it was MALL*WART employees living out the advertising slogan, Save money. Live better. After all, legend has it they don't get paid much, so they might have to get, uh, creative to make ends meet.

FWIW, I think the company slogan should be a quotation I saw posted on the wall at a Baskin-Robbins when I was a kid. It was (mistakenly) attributed to John Ruskin, and as best I can recall, ran as follows:

There is nothing in this world that some man can not make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and those who consider price alone are this man's lawful prey.

[Xyzzy]

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten”

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by Xyzzy

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten”

Like many other quotations, InternetLand attributes it to Benjamin Franklin. I doubt it. It doesn't sound right for the period. Nobody gave an actual source.

I did, however, find some very similar ones, with more modern origins.

"Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten." -- Sir Henry Royce (apparently later adopted by Aldo Gucci, to whom this is also attributed)

I also found a very similar quotation, attributed to his famous business partner.

"Poor quality is remembered long after low prices are forgotten." -- Charles Rolls

I saw at least a mention of when Royce said the above in a Wikiquotes page. Both quotations are also given here.

[Chuck]

I used to shop at a stereo store in Kansas City called David Beatty Stereo (long since out of business).

There was a sign on the counter that said "Buy the best and cry once".

According to Google "This quote has been attributed to interior designer Miles Redd but the saying has been bandied about since the 1920’s"

[Dr Sardonicus]

Il Duce has claimed that his intel chiefs told him they were "totally misquoted" and "totally taken out of context" -- in their public testimony that was broadcast live.

The line hasn't changed much over the years. Here's the Quote Investigator's take.

[kladner]

Watch the early couple of minutes if you get off on taxiing. The rest is the planes sitting there blowing heat waves until 6:30.

I am not sure what good the afterburner takeoff would do in real military action. If they spent all that time trundling about on the ground, they would have been fragged long before they lined up at the runway. This just seems like hotdogging.

Oh, yeah. Are those Su-22 pipe 'Fitters?'

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by kladner

<snip>
I am not sure what good the afterburner takeoff would do in real military action. If they spent all that time trundling about on the ground, they would have been fragged long before they lined up at the runway. This just seems like hotdogging.
<snip>

That very question is discussed here.

[kladner]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

That very question is discussed here.

I still find it amazing that just about any word-combination-topic can pull up pertinent answers. Near-instant access to knowledge is a wonderful tool, and great privilege.