(Previously posted on News page)

This is a personalized accounting of holiday purchases that did not go so well.  As time goes on and our family and friends encounter any shopping problems, they will be posted here.

• 11/29/08: Daughter purchased a World of Warcraft Game Card at Target.  The game card pays for 60 days of WOW playing on the Internet, a subscription fee, and sells for $29.99.  The package was sealed properly but when she opened it up – no game card – empty!  We went back to Target to the returns desk and they told us to get another box.  We did but as soon as my daughter picked up the package she noticed the side had been cut.  We took the package back to the return desk and they apologized and this time a store security guard went with us to the shelf and the last package was also had a slit along the side and the card removed.  The guard apologized profusely and told us that this is a problem for the store.  He said they have security cameras that cover all shelving and he will go back into the recorded footage for that shelf and see who stole the cards.  Target had three box contents stolen that day. They did not have any more game card boxes so they gave us our money back.
• 11/29/08: We love Borders Book Store.  I did not have my discount coupon with me when I was shopping this day, so I showed my cell phone with the e-mail from Borders giving me a 25% discount.  I had checked with a clerk working the help desk before and she said they allow this procedure all the time because customers claim their printers at home do not work for printing out the discount coupon.  The clerk, at check out, confirmed saying that would work but when I got home I noticed that I was not given the discount on a $29.95 book.  I lost $7.49.