Yes, it's totally the employees fault you're lazy.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

A couple of weeks ago I snagged an SNES classic at Wal-mart. (sidenote: I LOVE it). Anyway, I planned ahead by showing up at 6 PM, a full 6 hours before the thing went on sale at Midnight. As luck would have it I was the first in line.

My waiting spot was about ten feet from the counter. Just after 10 PM, the lady in electronics takes a phone call and I hear the following from her:

"Yes, sir. They're coming out tonight at midnight. We alread have ten people in line, I'd recommend you get down here as soon as you can...no, we can't do advance orders over the phone...no we can't hold one for you...because there's no hold policy on these things, they're first come, first serve...no I can't ask another employee to hold one for you, didn't I just tell you no holds?...Well, then you should have gotten here earlier. No sir, no we can't do that...no, we can't do that...well I don't care what you think of me.." *CLICK*

Flashbacks to my time working at "Gamestore" on that one. The good news is everyone who actually planned for it and showed up in line was polite and courteous.

[Slave to the Phone]

Why should anyone have to plan and stand in line for a very popular device? Just call someone and scream at them until they cave and then you can stroll in whenever you want and it will be waiting at the first check-out counter you see.

I'm glad you love your new toy, even better that you got a free show with it!

[Mr Hero]

Or you can do like I did. I made my brother stand in line for me at midnight for a Switch on launch day. Part of his payback was him calling me and saying the person 3 or 4 places ahead of him got the last one. He then shows up at my work with a Switch. Bastard.

[mjr]

Almost makes me wonder if the person on the phone tried this:

"Well, can you buy one for me, and I'll pay you when I get there?"

[Lace Neil Singer]

When a new phone comes out, I always think it would be sweet to blag the first spot in the queue, then auction off your spot to the highest bidder. Imagine the money you could get.

[dawnfire]

When a new phone comes out, I always think it would be sweet to blag the first spot in the queue, then auction off your spot to the highest bidder. Imagine the money you could get.

you'd get more than the cost of the phone

[wordgirl]

When the sixth (or maybe it was the last) Boy Wizard book came out, the local book store way oversubscribed its pre-order and only realized it when the shipment actually arrived and they realized they had X books for X+Y preorders. Their response was to simply pretend this wasn't happening (Maybe they thought they could just yell "ACCIO BOOKS" and more would arrive), but once it became obvious that there weren't going to be enough to go around, people started wheeling and dealing.

Instead of making people stand in line they were giving out numbers, and niece and I had numbers that were kind of in the "borderline" region (meaning we might or might not get a copy). But people with lower (better) numbers were selling off their places in line for $40 or $50. It was madness, especially since some folks clearly didn't realize that once they'd bought their way forward in the line they still had to pay for the book.

[prjkt]

I was lucky enough the game retailer near my work opened pre-orders the day the mini SNES was announced (and the mini NES for that matter)

Now they’re both happily sitting next to each other in the playroom

[Argabarga]

I had a friend who worked in electronic retail when the PS2 rolled out... poor devil.

Demand was so high they had to institute a hold list because there wasn't any product left in the store, and people then wanted a hold list to GET ON the hold list because they eventually stopped taking names...

And the number of people on that hold list, who when called and told they finally got a shipment, come and get it, said they didn't have the cash, and wanted the hold held... and the bitching that ensued when told no, if you aren't here today, it goes to whoever was next.... no, we can't put you on a hold list for people holding to play for the stuff we are holding..... ugh....

The guy did nothing, absolutely NOTHING to deserve it.

[Kit-Ginevra]

I am often tempted to get a pre-order of 'insanely popular new product' even if I don't want it, just so when the stampede at Christmas arrives and they are all completely sold out,I can produce one last one and post that I will be willing to give it to the buyer with the best offer.I'm sure I would get some quite interesting ones...