Taking advantage of Borders

I posted an earlier review of the summer reading programs at Borders/Waldenbooks and Half Price Books. HPB definitely comes out as the winner, offering a $3 coupon per week for reading 15 min per day, at least 5 days per week - coupon good on anything in the store. Borders' program asks a child to read 8 books, then offers them a prize from a short list, for which they still have to cough up $4.99.

So, we were at a neighboring store and I realized I had the reading log in my purse, so why not go check to see if the prizes were in at Borders? Walked in and asked the clerk who greeted me if the prizes for the program were in yet. He got on his radio and asked, then told me it wasn't prizes but a list of titles with a discount. Yes, but what list? He got back on the radio and eventually someone printed out the list and brought it over to him. He handed it to me and indicated an end cap on which lots of signage regarding the program could be found, so I scanned the list while we walked over to the end cap. The list included a Spongebob book (but no Disney Princess, which I'd also expected to find), a set of 4 12-ish piece puzzles, a book on how to draw horses, a collection of Bunnicula tales (this was the best prize of the lot, btw), and three or four other items. But - none of these titles were on the end cap. Hmmm.

So I waited to talk with someone again and was eventually pointed to another end cap where the signage read something to the effect of 'read 8 books and pick one of these prizes, all specially chosen for you.' Of the items on the end cap, 4 were on the list of prizes. Eight or so others were not on the list. So I asked the clerk (who had been called over because she was the one in the store who knew the most about/was in charge of the program) for clarification. She said any of the books on the end cap were prizes.

Oh, really? Even this one? I picked up The Invention of Hugo Cabret and showed it to her. The Invention of Hugo Cabret was not on the list, and it was a $22.99 book. That is one HECK of a discount. She thought maybe it meant it had to be one of the titles that ended up being $4.99 when it was discounted by 50%. But no, the Bunnicula book was normally $10.99, which, at 50%, is more than $4.99. And the rules say the discount is 50% *or more.*

I told her that the end cap clearly had books there that did not belong. But the signs said everything there was a prize. And the rules indicated that the discount could be more than 50%, resulting in a $4.99 book. I suggested that they might want to re-do their end cap display. She agreed, but told me to go ahead and take the book as the prize because it was ambiguously worded/displayed.

Well, okay. :)

Do I feel guilty for taking advantage of the store for their poor organizational skills in stocking their end cap and not fully understanding how their program was to work? Yes. I feel exactly as much guilt as Borders does at having such a poor summer reading program and even poorer prize selection.