Garden Chair Saga

Our two garden chairs were worn out, so last week on a shopping trip I went to buy some new ones. I just needed some padded foldable garden chairs, eventually I found the ideal item in a large store on the outskirts of Norwich. There it stood on display, the perfect item. Unable to see where to pick up a couple from I caught a passing assistant and asked him, he took me to where they where located in their cellophane packs, and at my request carried two of them to the check-outs for me to collect when I`d completed my shopping. After paying for them another member of the staff kindly carried them to my car for me.

I brought the chairs home, and eagerly started to unwrap one ready to sit in after my shopping trip. I thought it felt heavy and looked rather long, but assumed that was how they were…. until….I got the packaging off and discovered it wasn`t a chair, it was a lounger. It would probably have been alright for me, but no way could my elderly parent sit on one of them.

Next day a phone call was made to the store. Yes, they`d got some chairs and would keep us two.

Yesterday I went to exchange the chairs. When I got there and they brought them to exchange for me - I looked at the size they too looked big and then at the label and.... yes.... they were loungers too! Oh no insisted the salesman they`re chairs, but it says loungers on the ticket I said. He still insisted they were chairs, and then said (I think to prove himself right to me), shall I open one to show you? Yes please, I said. He duly opened one…..and…yes it was again a lounger!

After a lot of sorting out they discovered that the wrong barcode was on them so they`d been ordering what they thought were chairs but they were all loungers. and they hadn`t any chairs. They could probably get me some. I said what about my expense of petrol coming back and forward to change them and now having to possibly come back yet again. It`s about a 50 mile round trip. They said they`d see if they could get the chairs to me or else reduce the price a bit. On asking how long it would take, I was told at least 14 days or so. Too long I thought, we need to be sitting on them!, So I asked for a refund, and said is there any chance on compensation for my petrol for this journey. The chap went to find out and said they couldn`t give me cash but would give me a £10 gift voucher if that was acceptable. I said yes.
I was quite pleased and am amazed now with myself for being brave enough to ask about that!

But, I`m still chairless. Everywhere I`ve looked today only has loungers. Is it the fashion? Do they not consider that less able people need something to sit on in the garden too?!
Who would have thought it would be so difficult to find two padded garden chairs.