A Tail of Two Car Seats

Kris and I have been thinking about needing to get new car seats soon for Conrad.  The infant ones we have only go up to 22 pounds and we thought he was close to that max, at his last appointment it turned out he wasn't as close as I thought at 18 pounds, but still. So I have been doing some looking on the internet at brands and styles and comparing features and costs as well as reading reviews.  I found a model I thought was the best combination of features and cost and reviews for our needs and have been thinking about just making the purchase.  It has been difficult to find this exact model sold in local stores so that I could actually see the seat in person, and the color version I want most (orange and black) seems like it is just not available in any stores and is often out of stock online as well.  It is also around 20-30 dollars more which is rediculous.  And of course we want two, one for each car.  So for some reason I just haven't been able to commit and have been putting off the purchase, but it has been on my mind as something to get soon.

Last weekend I went into Fred Meyer's and as I browsed the baby sale I saw THE car seat.  There it was. Fred Meyer's has like two car seats on display and one of them happened to be the ONE!  It is no where else, but here of all places... So I went right over to check it out. After seeing it in person I still thought it was the rigt one for us.  So searched for teh price and... it was on sale!  okay so this was a good price at $99.  Thats it I am buying two.

Fred Meyer didn't have the boxes there by the display for me to just grab for my cart so I found an employee and asked her how I should get the car seat, if there was a tag I should take to the front or a stock room.  She says "Oh, you just tell me and I will get it for you."  then stands there.  Keep in mind we are not by the car seats anymore, I had to go find her.  So by me asking this it should imply that I want one and I guess I expected her to at least start walking that way and ask me what one I was looking at or something.  So I said, "Okay, well I am wanting the Safety 1st brand model you have, actually I want two."  Now she heads that way, sees them and says "this one?"  "Yes."  Finally she says she will have them brought to the front register if I want to finish my shopping.  Alright, I can check this task off my list.  I go on about my shopping and when I return to that front register I don't see boxes of car seats anywhere.  I ask the cashier if she knows about them and she tells me they only have the pink version left and Sarah guessed I didn't want pink so she didn't bring them out.

Hmm, dang.  So my mind churns and I ask if I could order these online? And if I do could I have them shipped to the store so there is no shipping cost? The cashiers says yes then continues with something about too bad I didn't come in yesterday so I could get the baby your baby sale price...  I am not at all sure what she is talking about because as far as I know that sale is still going (I was looking at shirts on sale) and this car seat is at a sale price.  So I just nod and don't really say anything but am thinking why don't I just wait for Fred Meyer's to get more in stock rather than buy online, but just get a price guarantee for the sale prince.  So I change questions to "can I get a rain check for the sale price?"  The cashier thinks I am asking if I can get the baby your baby sale price from yesterday that she is talking about, she says I don't think you can still get that price too bad you didn't get an email about the sale.  Now I am confused.  What sale is she talking about anyway?  I say "Oh, no.  Can I get the $99 dollar price it is at now"  She says let me check.

After that confusing conversation about a sale I still see advertised and that seems to be going on and a sale price that apparently was even less than what the car seat is for sale for now, she calls Andy.  She asks Andy if I can get the $99 dollar price if I order the car seat online - hmm not exactly the question I really meant to ask, but lets see where this takes us.  Andy says he'll check.  So I wait.  After a few minutes the cashier says "Has Andy helped you yet?"  I tell her no and she says he is right over at that desk - pointing - if I want to just go over there.  Great.  So I go to the stock room desk where there are a couple of women and Andy.  Andy is on the phone, so another gal says can I help you  I tell her I am the car seat lady and she responds "Oh, Sarah was getting those for you, let me ask her about them and she calls on her intercom headset to Sarah - wait, I already know what Sarah found... I am here for Andy... I can't get it out before Sarah is on her way.  Sarah says oh didn't so an so tell you we only have pink so I didn't bring them out.  I tell her Andy is checking on a rain check.  Now the gal that called Sarah gets back involved and tells Andy to check for other stores that have them.  I feel silly now having so many people all looking around and dealing with this one issue.  Sarah goes back to her job, another gal that was in the stock room is digging around saying yes we only have pink as if I had not believed Sarah was telling the truth.  Andy sees that inventory shows one, but I want two anyway... this is a mess.

Finally they sort themselves out and Gal number one tells Andy the Salem store has two and to call Kathy who is coming at midnight to flip the store and have her bring them.  Andy can't find Kathy's number.  I am guessing Kathy lives in Salem but I'm not sure what they are scheming.  Andy says will the Salem store be open at midnight for Kathy to pick them up?  Gal number one says she can go get them earlier but bring them when she comes... really?  This is a circus - can't I just get one of those little paper slips that says you can buy this item at this price so I can come back later and buy them then?  Finally I leave my name and number and Andy assures me Kathy will get them (although no one has gotten a hold of Kathy yet) and they will be here tomorrow morning for me at the $99 dollar price. I tell him just to call if there is a problem.  That took about 45 minutes.

Later I get a call that Kathy wasn't able to bring them tonight but will tomorrow so they will be available for me on Tuesday.  No problem.

Tuesday I get a call that they are in.  I tell them I will pick them up that evening.  Kris had a meeting that night so I set him to pick them up on his way.  He decides to get them after the meeting.  In the mean time, Andy calls.  He wants to be sure I knew they were in.  Thanks Andy.  I do and we are coming to get them.  He tells me just to come to that same stock desk so I text Kris to tell him where he should go.  I guess Kris was already there asking someone where he should get the car seats at this moment and doesn't get my text.  Yes the circus continues.  Somehow Kris gets directed to these car seats and arrives home with both.  Awe, finally, success. 

Even better, he hands me the receipt.  He got them for $89 each as the baby your baby sale tag was still on them and the cashier rang them up at that price.  Was that wrong to not tell her any different?  Maybe but hey we were happy to pay the price they had marked, and that was the price :)  After all the trouble and comical mess to get them I was very happy to have them and especially at even another $10 off.  Conrad seems happy with them too.