The Softer Side of Sears

I love my Kitchen Aid Standing Mixer. It makes baking So much easier. It's hard to believe I almost wasn't able to get it.
I had been wanting a mixer since I first moved out on my own, but have you seen the prices on some of those mixers? I just couldn't justify that....especially living on my own for the first time and figuring how to juggle bills with "fun stuff". My grandmother is a great baker and she had a standing mixer. When I would go sleep over at her house she would always pull that mixer out and we'd make homemade chocolate cake or the "best" sugar cookies that I could eat all myself.
I used to go to Bed Bath and Beyond and just admire the Kitchen Aid's in the rainbow of colors. I totally coveted one.
So when Spiderman and I became engaged I thought "Perfect, we'll register for one!" Along with the tons of other kitchen goodies we did. (Spiderman loves to cook too and Bed Bath and Beyond is our mecca for gadgets)
The shower came and went, with no mixer. We had registered for a Hoover Wind Tunnel vacuum (Spiderman has asthma and we have cats...I vacuum almost every day). We got the Hoover, but we also got a Kenmore canister vacuum from his Aunt in Indy. Did we really need two vacuums? No. Unfortunately, his Aunt didn't provide us with a receipt. But I figured Kenmore product....Sears. It's a Sears brand. Chances are VERY good it was purchased at Sears. They also have fabulous red Kitchen Aid Mixers....you following me?
So I send Spiderman to Sears one Saturday while I was at work. They told him no receipt no return. He didn't even ask to see a manager. Men. The next day the both of us went. While Spiderman was waiting in line I was perusing the vacuum aisles until I found it. The exact same vacuum. Same style, same color, same everything. When our turn came I asked for a manager. It took 25 minutes for the manager to come out to tell me that "no receipt, no return". I told her I didn't want a return, I wanted an exchange. The mixer was actually more money and we'd pay the difference. I showed her that they had these vacuums; I even pushed the vacuum next to their display. I told her that we were NOT leaving with the vacuum so they'd better let us exchange it. I wasn't rude about this...I was just firm with my intentions. I wasn't leaving without my mixer.
After about an hour a mortified Spiderman and I left with my shiny new mixer...sans vacuum....and I have been boycotting Sears ever since.
Softer side, my ass!