stores are dead to me

Mark the day - March 26, 2006. That is the day that Stan officially gave up on finding anything in a store. From now on, it's online or bust.

The item that I really needed was a USB switch, so I went online to check what time Radio Shacks in the area were open until. Serious UX faux pas - I could find where the stores where, but not what time they closed. So, Circuit City became my destination.

I walk into the store, go to the everything-USB section, and guess what: nada. They have a couple of hubs, a USB card for a laptop, and that's about it. I felt like a Soviet citizen circa 1989 - I have the money, I am willing to buy, but there's nothing on the shelf!

Well, maybe their customer service could save the day. Nah. The store clerk was about as helpful as a tree stump, and had about the same amout of knowledge about electronics.

So much time wasted on drving, parking, and for what? Very unsatisfied, I went back home, did a one-minute search on eBay, and ordered exactly what I needed for half the price of what I would've paid in the store. That's it, no more shopping, just shipping!