a gripe with Borders Book store

[Leslie in MD]

Just wanted to vent. Yesterday I went into Borders Book store with my two sons. I have a 2nd grader (who is big enough to obviously look like he should be in school) and a pre-schooler (who is big enough to be mistaken as a school-age child). Anyway, I had about $50 worth of books when I approached the checkout counter. This is a new store in our area and I hadn't bought anything here before. I usually shop at Barnes and Noble where I have a homeschoolers discount. Anyway, I asked if Borders offered a homeschooling discount, and they said they had a teacher's discount. I said that I guess I fell under that category, pointing to my two kids who were with me at 2:00 in the afternoon. Anyway, the lady proceeds to look at me like I'm insane and asks me to produce verification from that state that I'm a homeschooler! Come on people! I probably do have documentation like that "somewhere" but I wouldn't carry it around with me! I paid for my books then I asked for a manager. After talking to him for 20 min. we had gotten nowhere. I kept asking him if I couldn't produce "the" paper, what alternative could I offer him? Though Iinsisted on an alternative, he kept repeating that I needed "the" paper. I was so aggravated and asked him WHY would I have these two healthy kids with me if we weren't homeschoolers? Why would anyone lie about that???? Why would I take up my precious time trying to convince him???? Anyway, anyone else had this experience or a similar one?
Leslie in MD, aggravated at the Borders Book Store at the Annapolis Mall

[Elphaba]

hey, i am sorry you had such a bad experience with borders. there's 2 things i would suggest you do.
1) either call or go back to the store and get the "customer care" number. it is a 1-800 number for customers to use to either complain or praise, mostly complain. they generally find a way to rectify the situation, and often issue gift certificates.
2) find your documentation. return all the books to borders. then repurchase them and present your documentation so you can get your discount.

i know it sucks when people are suspicious of you. sometimes i would just give the person the discount on homeschool stuff, or teacher stuff, and sometimes i would ask for identification. it depended on my mood, whether the manager was standing beside me, or whether the customer had been a pain in the ass.
some employees are suspicious of all customers because they have seen too many people working a scam. i've even had teachers try to use their discount on erotica!!! anyways, it is a sad fact of life that your shopping experience will vary widely depending on who is working when you shop. some employees are bitter, some are happy, and woe to you if you happen to get the bitter ones.
good luck rectifying the situation!

[teachermom]

I love the selection at our borders....but I had a simular experance getting my discount card. nobody questioned weather I was a homeschooler just weather I qualified for an educators discount card. I just had to show them my discount cards from some other area stores ( half-price and bookstop) and then they had no problem. I second returning the books then getting the card and repurshing them...that 20% discount adds up!

[gabner]

I'm an older homeschooling mom and when dealing with others in the 'real' world is to pick the battles you can win or don't play the game. I would have left without buying the books.

How lucky you are that you can buy books. I am a single mom of 3 (now 22, 29, and 13) and have had to make do with library or yard sale books. I'm lucky that I got a scholarship to pay for my computer while I was completing my Master's in education. The internet is great, makes homeschooling so much easier than the old days.

[Darci]

Wait a second! You mean these big stores give homeschoolers a discount??


Hmmmmmmmm....Sorry you had a bad experience but hey! I learned something from it! thanks!!