Meltdown Timeline - Part 1

July 4th -
Pudge: Mom, my phone's not working; the screen is black.
Mom: What?! It's only 3 months old. Fine, we'll take it in to be looked at.

July 5th -
Pudge: Are we taking it in today?
Me: ignored request.

July 6th -
Pudge: Are we taking it in today?
Me: ignored request.

July 7th -
Pudge: MOMMMM! Please can we take it today!
Mom: Yes. Go tell your dad.

Wireless Store Associate: Hi, can I help you?
Peach: My daughter's phone is not working. It's new; it won't turn on.
Wireless Store Associate: It's $50 to do the estimate. If the damage is covered by warranty you get the $50 back. If not, we'll apply the $50 fee against the cost of repair. It takes a week to ten days for the estimate. Here's a loaner phone in the meantime.
Hands Peach a dirty, used phone with fewer features then the one that's being sent in. Pudge is NOT happy. Peach tries to pay the fee with his debit card.
Wireless Store Associate: Oh, we don't take debit.
Peach: What? You have a machine right there.
Wireless Store Associate: Yeah, but that's for sales only. For repairs we only take cash.
Peach: Fine. I'll be right back.
goes to bank machine; withdraws $60.00 in twenty dollar bills. Goes back to store and hands Wireless Store Associate the $60.00
Wireless Store Associate: Oh, I'm sorry sir. We don't have change?
Peach: What? You only take cash payments for repairs, but you don't have change.
Wireless Store Associate: laughs.
Peach pays $60 for the $50 estimate and leaves the store.

Later at home -
Peach relays conversation with me.
Me: WHAAAT?! Fifty bucks for the estimate?! The phone only cost $25.
Peach: See, this is why I don't like doing these kinds of things. Next time, you go.

Week one passes. Pudge does not like her loaner phone. No camera feature. No music feature. I tell her to be happy she has one at all, and she goes away sulking.

Week two passes.

Gingo: Mom, my phone's not working. The screen is black.
Pudge: That's the same thing that happened to my phone!
Me: Well, I'm not sending yours in until I find out what's wrong with Pudge's. I'm not paying $50 ... no, make the $60 for an estimate on a $25 phone.
Peach flashes me a not-so-loving look. I smile.

Week three arrives. Pudge is warned if she bugs me about her phone one more time ....

Pudge: Mom, PLEEEAAASSSEEEE. It's been three weeks and I still don't have my phone. They said it would take one to two weeks. Can you call them? Please, I'll do anything.
Me: Yes, I'll call tomorrow. I didn't call.

Week four passes. Pudge constantly nags me about her phone. Gingo nags about not having any phone at all and tells Pudge she should be happy because at least she still has one to use.

Week five passes. Nagging now reaches new and bothersome level of harassment. Gingo and Pudge are continuously arguing over which one of them is worse off ... the one with the phone she doesn't like or the one with no cell at all. I wonder how did I ever survive my teenage years back in our day of no cell phones ....

Pudge: MOM! Please call about my phone.
Me: OMG. Fine! I'll call now.
Pudge: Thank you Mommy. I love you.
Gets repair ticket receipt out and grabs for the phone. Dials number only to get recording "the number you've reached is not in service."
Me: Well, perhaps this is why we haven't heard from the store; we'll stop by there tomorrow and see what's going on.

August 17th -
Peach and I take a trip to the store. They are still open.
Wireless Store Associate: Hello, can I help you?
Me: Yes, I brought a phone in for repair and it was sent out for an estimate. That was 6 weeks ago tomorrow and we haven't heard from anyone yet.
W.S.A: Wow. Let me check the back.
Me: waiting not so patiently.
W.S.A: Ummm. It's not back yet.
Me: Why not?
W.S.A: I don't know. I can't call anyone until tomorrow because it's after 5pm.
Me: Well, I've waiting this long, what's one more day. Can you please make sure you call tomorrow on my husband's cell?
W.S.A: No problem.
Me: Oh, and by the way ... I tried to phone the store but the number that's printed on your receipt is out service.
W.S.A. studies the repair ticket closely with a confused look as she tells us the phone is working just fine. Suddenly, she laughs and tells us: Look, that's why - the phone number on here is a typo!

I'm soooooo not impressed. I go home and call R*g**s.

Me: Hello, I'd like to make a complaint please about one of your stores...