Boss Sanders - When Winning Isn’t Winning At All…

A few weeks ago, my husband and I entered a local drawing at Walgreens. Err…when I say local, what I really mean is “within 1 hour driving distance.” Anyhow, we signed our names and emails away for a chance to win (or so we thought) some Yes to Carrots products. It’s a new, and supposedly organic, product - so, I was all in. And because I was all for it, so was hubs. The giveaway table was decorated with orange and yellow curled ribbon with Yest to carrots products neatly displayed. “Would you like to try some?” asked the push saleswoman. I hesitantly held out my hand, after all - what sort of contestant would I be if I wouldn’t even graciously put the stuff on? I pretended to be in awe, while silently trying to evade the gag reflex triggered by both the smell of the thick hand cream and the disgusting chocolate I had taken from the table (chocolate and cinnamon apparently. Eww.) Unfortunately, spitting it out right then and there just wasn’t going to happen. So, I nodded and smiled and tried my best just to swallow it.

And then, a few weeks later…we received a phone call. We had won the giveaway! I was excited (as we regularly DON’T win things) and so we made a *special* trip 50 minutes away to claim our prize basket. We entered the store and announced that we were indeed the winners, ready for our luxury basket to be handed over to us. Instead, a clear zippered bag was shoved across the counter by the frizzy haired awkward salesclerk. “I think we need to take your picture!” she said. “Hold on just a moment, I need to get my manager so she doesn’t think I just took the prize home instead of giving it to you.” I looked over our “winnings” - two hideously ugly makeup bags, and an assortment of CRAP - ranging from a Sally Hanson fingernail polish duo in crimson red and clear, some of the most abhorrent knock off cologne and women’s “musk” I’ve ever smelled in my entire life, and some other stuff. I couldn’t really tell, and I really wanted to wait to look through it all once we got in the SUV…you know, just in case my face gave away my TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT?

The two women came back, and the frizzy haired woman said “So, do we need to take their picture?”

“Why on earth would we do that?” said the tight-lipped manager.

“I don’t know, it’s what we always do.”

“Really? I’ve never done it before.”

“Oh, well we did it once.”

“No, we don’t need a picture.”

“Excuse me,” I said, butting in. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I thought the giveaway was for the Yes to Carrots products? Are you sure this goes to us?”

“Oh no!” said the sales clerk. “If it were up to me, we would have. But, that’s not what we were giving away. We were just giving away random stuff. The manager got to pick.”

“Oh, um okay. Well…it’s just that the entire table said that’s what the giveaway was for…and they even asked me to sample the hand cream. It was all decorated and everything.” I said.

“Nope.” she said. “Sorry if you thought it was.”

I nodded and took the loot and headed out to the vehicle. Inside, I began pulling things out. Sally Hanson nail polish. Check. Nasty perfume that would singe my nose hairs should I ever wear it. Check. Cologne - that smelled much like the girl’s musk. Oh wait, does that say…oh, yes it does. They gave us the tester bottle…with the tester sticker still on it! I looked more closely. There was a second bottle of nasty “musk.” Only the second one was missing some “musk” out of the bottle. It. had. been. used. And, then I saw a tiny compact. I dug my hand to the bottom of the zippered bag, and pulled it out. Hoping there would be SOMETHING worth salvaging. I opened it, and…someone’s fingerprints? In my new creamy eyeshadow? YAY!!

“Stop the car. NOW.” I said.

He obliged.

I walked through the parking lot with the little bag clasped in my hands. I have NO problem with winning small gifts. I have NO problem with getting other peoples leftovers, or things they don’t want - but, I have a few rules. See, first I need to KNOW YOU. Second, I shouldn’t think I’m “winning” a gift and then you play switcheroo. Third, don’t make me think I’m getting something new when in fact, I’m most definitely not.

I calmly walked into the store and set the used goods on the counter in front of me. “Excuse me, ma’am.” I said. “I was just looking through the “prizes” and I found this (I display the first bottle of USED tester perfume) and this (displayed another bottle of tester perfume). I DO NOT appreciate being ‘awarded’ used products. It’s one thing to change a giveaway after the fact, but to give me used products?”

“Uh, nuh-uh.” she said. “They weren’t used. Nothing was used.”

“Really? Then can you explain why their are fingerprints dug out in this?” I said, as a I pulled out and opened the compact.

“Oh ma gawwwddd!! Someone done went and put their fingers in your makeup!!!” she said.

“Right. Not cool. I’m sorry, but I’m really leery to use ANYTHING in this bag, now. I don’t know what’s been used by someone else, and what hasn’t.” I said as I pushed the bag towards her.

“Oh. Okay. You don’t have to keep the prize. At least you kept the two bags, right? Those were really cute!” she exclaimed.

I bit my tongue and refrained from telling her how awful ugly the cosmetic bags had been and volunteered to bring those back in, too. She declined. I asked to speak to a manager, which got me exactly NOWHERE.

It’s not so much that I have to get something, it’s the principle that matters. A large chain just tried to screw me.

I walked back out to the SUV, my head down. I just knew hubs would be mad at me…or at least, perturbed for making a “big deal” out of it. I get in the car and he says “How did it go?”

“Oh. I gave it back to them.” I said.

“Don’t give me that! I want the word for word, blow by blow!” He said.

Guess he wasn’t mad. He even suggested I contacted the BBB. Hmph. He knows me so very well. lol

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