Why I Am Through with Brick and Mortar Record Stores

Earlier this year, Nine Inch Nails, a longtime favorite band of mine, released a new live performance DVD "Beside You in Time." This DVD was released within the past few months and I had been too preoccupied with work to get around to buying it. So, I drove to my favorite record store, Zia Records.

For the past ten years, I have shopped exclusively at Zia Records for music, only buying music online if it could not be found at my neighborhood Zia location.

Zia is a local record store that promotes and supports the local music scene. Given the choice, I would rather they get my money than a multi-billion dollar corporate conglomerate such as Best Buy, or an overpriced mall stores akin to Sam Goody, or the likes of Wal-Mart and Target, which sensor music.

Zia always keeps a good variety of music on shelves, despite Billboard ranks. Not only that, but their atmosphere is inviting, their clerks are usually into the music scene, and they sell used and hard to find CDs and DVDs. I also think it's appropriate to mention that I do not pirate music. I support the artists and musicians who inspire me and enhance my life by spending my hard earned money on their music.

For the aforementioned reasons, I have exclusively shopped at Zia Records for all of my music needs. That is, until now.

So, as I said, I walked into Zia to purchase the latest NIN DVD. A clerk greets me and asks, "What are you looking for today."

"Well, I am really looking forward to the new NIN DVD," I reply.

"Let me get that for you," the clerk says as she walks over to the rack and hands me the disc that I am looking for.

Satisfied, I carry the disc to the counter where a very young girl rings me up. I hand her my debit card and ask that she run it as credit. She hands be back the receipt to sign along with the DVD. At this point I realize that the disc I was handed was not a DVD; I accidentally purchased the HD-DVD version of the disc. I immediately hand back the unsigned credit receipt.

I immediately voice my concern. The clerk says, "No problem," and I approach the other clerk who handed the disc to me in the first place.

"Oh, you meant regular DVD? We sold out of that." Information that I could've used earlier, but it's really no big deal.

"No problem," I reply, as I walk to return the item.

I get up to the same clerk and she says, "Well, we don't do returns, only store credit, so let me ask my manager."

"Seriously?" I'm thinking.

A woman comes back with her, ignores my presence, and says, "Don't refund this guy's money."

"Excuse me," I interrupt, "I just purchased this item less than five minutes ago, and you mean to tell me that I can't return it? I haven't even left the store or signed my credit card receipt. It's not even opened."

"Well, I can exchange it for you if you like..."

I cut her off, "But you don't have the item in stock."

"But we will maybe next week."

"Well, I am really looking forward to this, and I am sure that Fry's or Best Buy have it in stock now, so I'll just take a refund."

"I am sorry," she musters up a pseudo apology, "Our store policy is that we won't give refunds."

"But you can give refunds, right?"

"I just said that we 'will not.'"

In frustration, "Yes, I understand that, but you can physically issue a refund, correct?"

"Well..." she pauses, "You'll have to take that up with our store manager."

"I thought she said you were the store manager," directing my eyes to the teenage girl slouched down next to her.

"No, and I don't know when he'll be back. So you'll just have to take store credit... and you don't have a choice, unless you want this HD-DVD that you can't even play."

"I have shopped at your store exclusively for more than ten years," at this point, my decision is made. "This month alone I have spent more than $200 at this location. You're telling me that you'd rather save $22.60 now than maintain a lifelong customer? I've spent thousands of dollars here and I will continue to do so. You can refund my money, and if you don't then I can find some other store to shop at and I will never bring you my business again."

As if she didn't listen to a word I said, "Like I said, you can have the store credit or you can keep this," shoving the HD-DVD at me."

So, I took the store credit. Then I called my bank, and explained that Zia Records defrauded me and sold me an item that I didn't ask for and then refused to refund my money. Remember, I never even signed the receipt. So, now they're out the precious $22.60 and a lifelong customer. That's smart business in some world, I am sure - just not in the actual world.

From this day forward, I will buy my music the same way I buy my video games: online only. As for the gift card? I threw it away once my bank refunded my money.