Escorted from PCWorld...

["Phil Harris" <phillip.harris1@xxxxxxx>]

As many of you will remember I have been trying to get myself a replacement
battery for my one year old Sony VAIO laptop but there are none available
(and it isn't covered under warranty even though the laptop was less than a
year old as Sony only give a three month warranty on batteries).

Anyway ... I have one last attempt at getting a new battery and if that
fails then I will buy a new laptop. To that end I've been round several
computer stores and big electrical chains today checking out what is
available and what deals at what prices.

As always I have taken my "visual note taker" with me (my digital
camera) as
that is a very easy way of noting down what stores have what models at what
prices and whether they have any special deals available (such as free
spare
batteries, printers or 12 months I/F credit etc).

All of the stores have been very helpfull through the day except for good
old PC World. I spoke with an assistant this afternoon who asked me if I
needed any help. I explained that I was looking for a laptop, had no
specific model or specification in mind but was just browsing for what were
the better deals. He asked why I had my camera with me and I explained why.
He commented that it was a very good idea and that he had never thought of
that. I took two pictures of laptops with their associated information
cards
when another PCWorld representative asked me what I was doing. I explained
again and he told me that photography in the store was not allowed without
prior arrangement with the manager and that if I required any assistance
then he would be happy to have someone go through the details of any
machine
that I was interested in. I explained that as I didn't know what I wanted
then I was in theory interested in quite a few of them and it was five to
six so they were about to close. Again he said that photography in the
store
was not allowed and then requested that if I did not turn off my camera
then
I would be asked to leave.

I asked him for an explanation and he said that "As I'm sure you are
aware
there are many reasons that we would not allow photography in this
store".
"Name one" I replied. "Sir, we do not allow photography in
this store" came
his reply. I noted a gentleman stood to my right at the digital cameras
counter who was snapping away a few test shots and queried the difference.
"That man is looking at buying a digital camera" said our PCWorld
guy. "I'm
looking at buying a laptop" I replied. "It's not the same"
he said and
requested that I leave the store immediately and started to escort me to
the
door. I asked him whether I could see the manager to arrange to go back the
next day and take some pictures. To that I was told that the manager did
not
have the authority to grant that request and I would have to apply in
writing to head office. When I asked what the head office address was (as I
was getting a bit miffed by now) I was told not to be difficult and that I
could be barred from the store permanently - something I'm sure that my
missus would applaud given the fact that I probably spend about £3k a year
with them for consumables and all those other things that we suddenly
"need"
on a Sunday when everywhere else is closed. As I reached the door I was
approached by the Deputy Manager who after a brief conversation with the
guy
escorting me swiftly confirmed that what I was doing was against company
policy and asked "how would you feel if I came to your house and took
photos?". I refrained from being smart and showing him some that I'd
taken
at home that morning but said that if anyone I'd allowed into my house
wanted to take photos then I wouldn't mind at all. I mentioned the fact
that
it was OK for someone to take photos trying out a digital camera and that
it
was fine for those pictures to be printed out to test out a printer and I
was told that as private property then the manager of PCWorld has the right
to make decisions as to what is or isn't acceptable behaviour in their
stores and eject or exclude anyone who doesn't comply with those
decisions...

Anyway ... I was so impressed with this attitude that I felt the need to
publicly expose myself here as the desperate criminal that I am. No other
shop has felt that my using a digital camera as a visual note taker has at
all threatened them or their business and most have positively welcomed my
doing so!

I could understand if they were concerned about security issues - maybe
they
felt that I was planning to rob the place - but the inability to give me
even this as a reason why I couldn't do what I was doing has just really
p'd
me off ... even Jo (my missus) was astounded when she saw this PCWorld guy
walking me off the premesis!

By the way ... one little final titbit from the store representative at
Hedge End, apparently it is fine for me to write down the details on the
point of sale cards but taking a picture of them is not OK - go figure.

Phil