Okay, guys, here's an shocker for your Monday blues!

As some of you may or may not know, I am planning my next custom. Those details will be officially revealed in the next few days, but you may catch on soon with this story. Fact of the matter is: I was am/was looking for a spare Ultimate Optimus Prime.

I was running errands at lunch today, and I decided to stop into the local Walmart in Wooster, Ohio for my "let's waste my time looking for new waves of TF's or sales that have not been reported yet" run. It's something I do. Don't ask me why, but I feel its the thrill of the unknown.

Anyway, I get back to the TF section (which had thinned considerably) and there was nothing of interest....until I saw a lone Ultimate Optimus Prime (UOP) that didn't look right...like, at all. The box had been mangled, there was a giant brown vacancy on the right of the box where the weapon should have been, and there was a trailer wing dangling in the corner. Upon further inspection, Op had been half transformed, the trailer wings were scotch taped to the box, the feet had a ton of tape wrapped around them, and the gun was laying on the bottom of the box screaming and beeping like crazy if I just barely touched the box. Even closer inspection yielded that pieces were missing, like one antennae, and the shoulder flaps with the oil coolers.

Well, this toy was a wreck, and it was appalling that WM was trying to sell this figure at full price! I did not want a child getting this thing to be possibly ripped off with missing bits. If nothing else, the store should have tossed this in the trash and book it against claims. Though, this gave me an idea.

I took it to front counter and showed them my find and respectfully indicated that it was embarrasing to find it in such a condition with full price on it. I asked if they could offer a discount on opened and damaged products, to which the lady (who was very nice, by the way....kudos) said "they only let us give 10%".

I told her that the figure was in disarray and from my inspection, there were pieces missing. I compared the figure in the box to picture on the back and she agreed. If she couldn't more than 10%, then I recommended that it be pitched. She again agreed....which opened my window. I then asked, "well, who is this 'they' that she refered to expressing her limitations?". "The managers of the store," she answered. I then offered to "buy the toy from their trash", and that it wouldn't hurt to talk to a manager about my proposal. I offered $20.

The manager arrives and we went through the whole story, without revealing my offer. The manager suggested 40, to which I debated. However, the lady popped up and said, "He was actually thinking more along the lines of 20."

"Okay", said the manager.

Boom! Then, to top it off, I opened it in the car to inspect what was in fact missing or broken.....

Nothing! I found more pieces taped to the front face and the bottom of the box. The toy itself is intact, and otherwise in perfect condition that I can tell without transforming it! What a score!

My intent was to get this monstrosity off the shelves just in case it was broken or missing parts. The poor presentation and reboxing efforts from a return worked in my favor tremendously. I'm stoked!

Moral of the story: it never hurts to ask, or try the improbable so long as your motives are clean, and your words are true!

Pictures attached for proof! (EDIT: Trying to get pictures posted. Just saw Tony's sticky note. May have to post through Photobucket at home, not through my phone.)

 

So they gave it to you for twenty dollars?

 

Yes they did!

 

Well, you had good intentions and you walked out with a good figure, so I guess everybody wins here(even if the fig was complete, nobody should buy a trashed up box for full price and give it to their kids). Congrats on your purchase.

 

Well the manager did say "Okay". So I'm assuming thats a yes.

 

Admit it, you KNEW it was complete from the start.

 

 

He was actually very nice. He said more than "Okay" afterward. He essentially said he was upset something in that apparent condition was put back on the shelves.

Honestly, from the depths of my soul, I didn't. I was guessing that it could be, but without opening the box and fishing through, there was no way to accurately tell. If the store lady had opened the box, we may have discovered a complete set, but she didn't. I took a chance, thinking it could be complete (and intact) and gave it shot. I could clearly see that pieces were in fact missing from the complete assembly and nothing rattled in the box like little loose parts to suggest they were in there.

Still, to the point, I still don't fully understand if it isn't broken somewhere. I inspected it, but have not transformed it. I had to get back to work. We'll see tonight.

 

I accuse you, of making a legal Steal.

How does that work?  

 

nice! Very good find, this reminds me of the time I bought an ha bumblebee which was pretty much out of the box for 8 bucks at marshalls.

 

I had a similar experience with a Masterpiece Starscream, also at a Wal*Mart, but with very different results. I was oohing and awing at the box, which was quite beat up, it was in disarray within the box, had been partially transformed, pieces were taped inside the box, it was missing the display stand and Dr. Arkeville. Anyway, an employee walked up to me while I was looking at it, talked to her about it for a moment, and she told me that they would mark it down to 50%. So I figured, what the hell, and went to pay for it at the register. It came up full price. I mentioned it, and was told that the maximum they can take off is actually 5%. I mentioned my earlier conversation, and was told to wait. About 15 minutes later, a manager came over, told me that it would be full price. I told him about the woman, whom he called over. We waited for 15 minutes. She never came. So the manager left, telling the cashier to call him back when she gets here. Another ten minutes passes, and she arrives. He’s back in about 5 minutes.

So by this point, I’ve been told that I’d get 50% off by one person, 5% off by two people, and it’s taken me 45 minutes. I was calm, collected, and polite throughout. When we finally have the cashier, manager, and floor person there, she tells me that she didn’t say 50%, she actually said 20%, then she tells me she said 10%. After some coaxing, she finally admits that she did in fact say 50%. I jogged her memory by reciting the entire conversation verbatim. The manager informs her that she was wrong, that he will not honour it, and tells me I can have it for 5% off, or saving about 6 dollars. At this point I mention that I have been waiting in line, patiently, using my time, his time, his cashier’s time, and now his salesperson’s time. In all, it had been about an hour by this point. I recount my position, and how I came to it. He says to the cashier that he can offer 5% off, tells me that he’s sorry, and walks off. Suffice it to say, I didn’t buy it.

 

I'm usually the guy standing behind you in line.....

 

Sounds like an experience I had buying a Lego set some years ago. A shop in town had a large Lego set where the box' end flap was torn open, so they marked it down by 50% as they couldn't guarantee it was complete - note that it was the only one they had in stock at that time. After it sold they got some more in, and put them out on the shelf. Still at 50% off.

Yoink!

 

I actually saw one of those in the same kind of condition at one of my Wal-marts on Saturday. Of course I just shook my head in disgust at Wally World's disgusting habit of "putting anything back on the shelf regardless of condition" practice. 

 

I'm sure there's a moral in there too, but I don't know what it is.  

 

Ultimate Optimus Prime is awesome. It's well worth every penny.

 

Okay so I'm confused. The manager paid YOU to take this monstrosity of a figure home?! That's about the only way I'd want one.

Seriously though, I think you'd have been better off with letting them pitch it in the trash rather than barter with the manager. I get why you did it, but you lost cred in my eyes as a good sammy when in reality all you did was talk them down on a complete toy. The real good sammy would have marched back into the store and said, okay, you got me, this thing is complete after all and i actually owe you another twenty bucks. Just sayin ...

 

Dude that is awesome.   Even though I'm not a fan of the mold itself cool you could get one for that price.

 

At $20 I may agree with you....possibly.

 

Funniest thing I heard all day.