I was reading paper this morning and noticed FutureShop was advertising a sale on wireless routers. I've been meaning to go wireless for quite sometime. Now, I will have the luxury of checking my email from the can and provide my neighbor's with free internet access. I jump into the car and drive down to the local FutureShop.

I wait around for a salesman to help me out. The only one around seems busy talking to his friends. Finally I go up to the cashier and asked if they could page someone over to help me. The salesman says they're all sold out of the model I want and suggests I buy the upgraded model. (Bait and Switch?) I ask him the price. He points to the sign, $49 dollars is the biggest font I see on the sign. A fair price I think, I add a few more items such a mouse, CD's, DVD's and few more gadgets. He starts scanning the sale into computer and notice the wireless router is coming up $79 dollars. I asked him if that is the right price, he says I need to send a mail-in-rebate form to get back my $30 dollars. Upset, I go back to the shelf and notice everything he said was true but in very tiny print. In 10-12 weeks I should receive a cheque for $30 dollars. I know theory behind mail-in-rebates is that most people will not send away hence a bigger profit for the company. But why wait 10-12 weeks? I'm sure they have fully automated computers that can speed up the process.

At this point the little furnaces inside me started to boil. I let loose on the salesman and suggested they put the actual price I was paying in large font. I throw all the items on the counter and storm out of the store. As a protest, I walk over to Staples and buy a LINKSYS router for $79, same price but a better product.