retail hell

i had the misfortune to need help from the sales assistants of Birmingham yesterday, i say misfortune, however i had no idea it would be so difficult to have my problem solved...

let me take you back to the beginning of my sorry tale. a couple of weeks ago i was in New York (i'm sure i mentioned it?!) and i bought a tee shirt at Abercrombie & Fitch as a US/ OC style momento (they've arrived in the UK in London but not in Brum as yet) only to discover the guy hadn't taken off my tag - brilliant service! so since i didn't get a chance to take it to a store in NY i figured i'd just take it to a kindly Blighty store and everything would be fine...

aware i would look like a potential shoplifter trying to make good a previous job i took along my receipt and went into the first store i got to which happened to be MUJI. 3 let's say very 'metrosexual' guys with silly hair looked at me like a freak for rudely interrupting their tales of the night before and i timidly asked if they could help me, this tee shirt with a tag attached needed freeing etc etc when i was asked a question that would never had occurred to me:
"did you buy it at MUJI in America?"
"no"
"well we can't help you"
but there was no apology, or explanation or sympathy to my plight, his tone and look where all of "how dare you ask us for help - get out of our shop" i should have stayed and browsed to make him uncomfortable but i didn't, i simply scuttled off cheeks aglow for the social embarrassment of being turned down when asking for help...

How odd i thought.. I'd pop into H&M and they'll help me.

But the same thing happened! The girl said "did you buy it in H&M?" and physically withdrew in horror at the prospect of touching my other brand tee! what on earth was going on?! why didn't these people understand that these were extraneous circumstances and their little staff handbook saying don't take tags off non-store goods surely didn't apply here? i'd have gotten annoyed if i thought they had the wits to understand why...

Next stop Urban Outfitters... and finally a human being served me, felt sympathy for me and tried to help, only to discover my tag was incompatible with their de-tagger. ruined! They suggested i write to A&F and complain of my plight but i wasn't going to give up that easily...

Adidas staff were unable to help but examined the tag and persuaded me to back track to JJB sports since theyknew they used the same tags - what a drama this was turning out to be...

Setting off alarms in almost every shop i went into, when i got to JJB all worn out from traipsing and explaining myself, the security guard explained i must have a tag on my person, yes i said, hopefully not for much longer! the nice lady at JJB helped me out and i went on my way but whodathunkit would be so much hassle getting a little retail help?!

and with all that money i spend in those shops too... ruddy cheek!