Radio Shack to file for bankruptcy

[Amethyst]

There is/was a RS in our local mall (mall morbidity would make another thread). We used to go there for batteries and whatnot. We were dumb, and trusted the person behind the counter for advice on what to buy.

Well, four years ago I went there to get batteries for something, and the 2 young employees "on duty" could not be bothered to interrupt their personal conversation to help me. Being me, I interrupted them anyway, and then they pretended to be unable to help me decide which battery to buy. (Or, maybe, they were just as ignorant as I was?) So I went home and eventually found what I needed online. It was at that moment that I decided that RS must be on its way out. I'm only surprised it's taken this long.

By contrast, it p***** me off that our local Expo, which had the best employees in the world and was actually making a profit, had to go down the tubes when the Expo chain crashed just in time for Christmas, 2008. I especially miss that sparkling lamp department, staffed by a guy who knew everything about lighting and loved to share his knowledge. But I digress.

Amethyst

 

[kitesurfer2]

i'm not surprised they're in trouble. two weeks ago, they wanted $4.5 for a micro switch. I bought 6 of them off ebay for $7 delivered.

 

[Goonie]

There's one in our town and they normally don't have what I need when I go in there. But they are next to a good liquor store, so that's convenient. DW and I have wondered for years how RS stays open.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

Same here. The last half dozen times (or more) that I've gone there for something, they didn't have it, but said they could order it or get it from another store. So I just came back home and ordered from either eBay or Amazon, cheaper than what RS wanted. Since then, I simply start with eBay or Amazon, and not even bother making the trip to RS. Most others must be doing the same, because when I drive by there to go to the great little Mexican restaurant across the road, there are never any customers there. It's a fantastic, high traffic location, so the next business that goes in there should do very well, like the clothing store in the adjoining building which is always busy!

 

[ls99]

The real reason RS is failing - They should be selling these magic directional Ethernet cables to audiophiles. Could be rolling in dough. -well maybe not.

To the audiophile, this $10,000 Ethernet cable apparently makes sense | Ars Technica
To the audiophile, this $10,000 Ethernet cable apparently makes sense



Well, this guy (link courtesy of HotHardware’s write-up) seems to be guzzling the snake oil by the liter, explaining that he heard a noticeable difference between standard Ethernet cables, lower-grade premium cables from AudioQuest, and the top-end Diamond cables. Apparently, the cheap consumer-grade Netgear Ethernet switch did nothing to degrade the performance of the incredibly expensive cables, either—so major props to Netgear for producing audiophile-approved Ethernet switches without even realizing it.

 

[samclem]

I also read speculation that Amazon might be interested in buying some of the RS stores to serve as places to give demos/advice on some of their products (Kindle, etc), and possibly to allow drop-shipments of items from their warehouses that are too heavy to make it cost effective to send direct to the door of customers via FEDEX. That might make some sense, but most of the RS stores I've seen don't seem well situated/big enough for the later use.

Creative destruction at work . . . one of the best things about our system. But it ain't fun.

 

[GrayHare]

Remember how RS used to ask for, umm, demand name and address whenever you made a purchase, even if paying with cash? Their junk mail barrage that followed encouraged me to shop elsewhere.

 

[samclem]

Remember how RS used to ask for name and address whenever you made a purchase, even if paying with cash? Their junk mail barrage that followed encouraged me to shop elsewhere.

Yes, annoying. I'm surprised you gave them the correct one, I never did. Sadly, maybe mailing their ads to bogus addresses I provided helped drive them under.

I always provide a fictional address and name for those supermarket shopper's reward/loyalty cards, etc.

 

[harley]

Yes, annoying. I'm surprised you gave them the correct one, I never did. Sadly, maybe mailing their ads to bogus addresses I provided helped drive them under.

I always provide a fictional address and name for those supermarket shopper's reward/loyalty cards, etc.

Me too! I usually use 55 Sullivan Pl, Brooklyn NY 11225. It's easy to remember, and was the address of Ebbets Field where the Dodgers used to play. I wonder if someone gets all that junk mail I've directed there over the years.

 

[LoneAspen]

Yes, annoying. I'm surprised you gave them the correct one, I never did. Sadly, maybe mailing their ads to bogus addresses I provided helped drive them under.

I always provide a fictional address and name for those supermarket shopper's reward/loyalty cards, etc.

I can't stand being asked for all that crap. Barnes and Noble seems to be the latest worst offender. Every time I go up to the register, it's:

Do you have a rewards card? No, that's okay.
Would you like to sign up for one? No, I'm fine thanks.
Would you like to give us your email address to get special offers?

NO, DAMNIT! I just want to pay for my stuff and leave!

I hate the "20 questions" routine you have to jump through with some of these stores just to pay for something and leave. Other than a CVS card they gave me once without asking any personal info, I've never had a loyalty card of any kind, and don't want one.

 

[samclem]

NO, DAMNIT! I just want to pay for my stuff and leave!

I hate the "20 questions" routine you have to jump through with some of these stores just to pay for something and leave.

It annoys me a lot, too, and sometimes I am brusque with the interrogator. But, I realize it's just their job. The best way to stop it is to give them inaccurate info and let the company waste money dealing with the consequences (and, it also hurts the spammers who buy their mailing lists, etc--another public good in my book). When the practice becomes counterproductive, it will stop.
I suppose the best address and phone number to provide is some disreputable business/entity in my town. Then, they have to handle the junk mail.
Next, I need to find a good email address/target for these interrogators. Some business that could use a dose of spam, but with an email address that could reasonably belong to a private person.
My little bit to make the world a better place. . .

 

[travelover]

..........I suppose the best address and phone number to provide is some disreputable business/entity in my town. Then, they have to handle the junk mail. ..............

When I was a lad I was pursued by an insurance salesman that would not take no for an answer. He demanded an appointment and an address. I sent him to the 4th Reich motorcycle club, which was a few blocks form my apartment. I'm not sure how it went, but he quit calling.

 

[braumeister]

If possible, I try "I'm just paying cash" and that stops the questions about half the time.

When they insist, I try to work with those intrusive questions, since the questioner really has no choice but to ask them.

My name is John Cash (I pay cash for a large portion of my purchases).
My address is 79 Wistful Vista (I loved the old Fibber McGee & Molly radio show).
My city is Springfield (of course), and there really is one not that far away.
My phone number is a local area code and whatever random numbers I think of.
My email is scase@aol.com (Steve Case was a founder of AOL).

 

[Walt34]

Me too! I usually use 55 Sullivan Pl, Brooklyn NY 11225. It's easy to remember, and was the address of Ebbets Field where the Dodgers used to play. I wonder if someone gets all that junk mail I've directed there over the years.

I give 'em my old work address. Since these lists are for all eternity I know they'll never forget me where I used to work.

 

[Goonie]

I give 'em my old work address. Since these lists are for all eternity I know they'll never forget me where I used to work.

+1
I do the same, except I give them a bogus name so the old co-workers gave no clue how all that junk mail shows up. Years ago, my co-workers and I would give them our boss's name and home address so he got bombarded!