I HATE YOU SONY AND BEST BUY.

I am so mad at Sony, Best Buy and Target, I could just SPIT.

A year ago, I bought a digital camera at the Sony outlet, which I was very excited about. When I got it home, my roommate and I realized that we had the same model, which was good for her - she could not find her charger. A few weeks ago, I went to go home for a few days and looked high and low and could not locate the charger. When I asked her about it, she said she had not seen it. She had just gone to Florida and I don't know if she took pictures there (meaning A charger had to have been used), but I figure whatever - if she has mine and thinks it's hers now, there's no way we'd ever resolve that, so I kept looking for the missing charger - only to still be unable to locate it after a complete and thorough cleaning of the house. I go back home a couple of days ago and resolve to finding a new charger.

First stop is Best Buy. While I DETEST Best Buy - it is, in fact, the WORST-named store in the history of retail. A more accurate name might be Most Expensive Buy And Shittiest Return Policy Ever, but I'm guessing that wouldn't fit neatly on the logo. I ask the pimply-faced kid for "a charger for this battery" and hold up the camera battery. He shows me the ONLY one in the store - SIXTY DOLLARS. Seriously, the camera only cost a hundred, WITH a charger and battery (a new battery is $50).

me: "are you kidding? That's ridiculous."

Best Bobby: "well, that's the only option."

me: "I am NOT paying $60 for that. Have a nice day."

Second Stop: Radio Shack. Batteries, but no charger.

Third Stop: Target. I walk to the electronics counter and ask the SAME question. The Red Shirt treats me a little like Nick Burns, Your Company's Computer Guy from SNL. As if I know nothing about batteries or a camera. He's just a JERK.

me: "do you have a charger for this?"

Target Tommy: "NO, WE DON'T CARRY THEM. You have to order them." (apparently he gets this question a lot)

me: "where the HELL am I supposed to get them?"

Target Tommy: "from Sony. It's PROPRIETARY, that means that others can't..."

me: "thank you, I'm smarter than you think, I know EXACTLY what proprietary means. I just need the charger TODAY and don't have time to order one."

Target Tommy: "You have to get the charger AND batteries through Sony directly."

me: "Well, you're wrong, because Best Buy has a charger and a battery, they just cost $60 each."

Target Tommy: "well ma'am you should have bought them there."

No shit, Sherlock.

Stop Three: Best Buy again. The charger is sold out. The battery is $50. I finally figure a strategy: buy a NEW camera, borrow the charger for a couple hours, then take the whole thing back the next day. I ask Best Bobby what their return policy is on the camera.

Best Bobby: "14 days with receipt and a 15% restocking fee."

me: "FIFTEEN PERCENT? Can you waive it and I'll put it back on the damn shelf? Because that's all there is."

Best Bobby: "no, there's a LOT more involved with restocking."

Sure, like taking consumers for a ride, jerk. I'm never shopping there again.

Stop Four: Wal-Mart.
No charger, battery in stock. I ask to see the camera on display and find out that they're sold out of all the models with my battery type.

I bought the battery. I don't even care at this point that I'm doing it, but I'm going to use the battery, bring it back and say "it doesn't work." Sure, it doesn't work, it's dead after I've used it. My theory is that Sony's going to reimburse Wal-Mart for it. Because they should. I can't find ONE charger in this STATE for this camera, and I have to order it online instead. All a ploy in my mind for Sony to have me get desperate like I was, buy a battery at $50, then go online and buy a charger.

I need the charger now, but I do know that my cousin has an extra that she's going to give me when I get back to Philly.

Take that, Sony.
And I am STILL never shopping at Best Buy again. Target, I have to, and that was just one jerk in the store, not the company as a whole.