My latest Radio Shack experience
 

I've been keeping my eye on the YB400 which is being closed out at Radio
Shack. Last week, my local store still had one, and the price was $129.97.
Yesterday, I went in to check on the price, and they didn't have any left on
the shelf. In fact, there was other stuff in its place, and you couldn't
ever tell that the YB400 ever had been there. When I went to ask the
manager, she said that she didn't remember that radio because she had only
been there two months. Good excuse. So I tried to get her to look it up for
me on the computer. Of course, she asked if I knew its catalog number, and
of course, I didn't remember it. She messed around a bit, but she never
found it. I went home, found the catalog number (20-234) and called her
back. This time, she checked and said that they were out, but they could get
me one. I asked what the price was down to. She said $129.97. (Still too
high for what I was hoping to spend). Then she told me that I would have to
come in and pay in advance if I wanted her to order one of these from
another store. I said I'd let her know.

And your point is?

"lsmyer" wrote in message
...
I've been keeping my eye on the YB400 which is being closed out at Radio
Shack. Last week, my local store still had one, and the price was $129.97.
Yesterday, I went in to check on the price, and they didn't have any left
on
the shelf. In fact, there was other stuff in its place, and you couldn't
ever tell that the YB400 ever had been there. When I went to ask the
manager, she said that she didn't remember that radio because she had only
been there two months. Good excuse. So I tried to get her to look it up
for
me on the computer. Of course, she asked if I knew its catalog number, and
of course, I didn't remember it. She messed around a bit, but she never
found it. I went home, found the catalog number (20-234) and called her
back. This time, she checked and said that they were out, but they could
get
me one. I asked what the price was down to. She said $129.97. (Still too
high for what I was hoping to spend). Then she told me that I would have
to
come in and pay in advance if I wanted her to order one of these from
another store. I said I'd let her know.

On Thu, 02 Sep 2004 22:01:17 +0000, RonH wrote:

And your point is?


Whiner.

From 1973 to 1990, our local Radio Shack dealer (a franchise, not a company
store) was owned and run by a couple of retired military electronics
technicians. If there was anything I wanted to know about radio or
electronics, I'd go see them. They knew the Radio Shack catalog, how each
product worked, and were always up on the latest technology. So I got
spoiled.

Fast forward to 2004. That store is no longer in business (store burned,
owners retired), and my closest RS is a company store.

Fine, I can understand that their sales clerks might not share my passion
for radio. But it was the manager, not a clerk, who was so clueless. Not
only did she not know her own product, she didn't have a clue how to find
out anything about it either.

I was looking for the YB400, but I didn't know its catalog number. So I had
to leave the store, drive 14 miles to my house, and Google "Radio Shack
YB400" to get the number. Then I called her back with her own catalog
number, just to let her know how easy it was to find.

She lost her opportunity to sell to me twice that day. The first time was
when I left her store empty-handed, and the second was when I got online.

With managers like her, I don't see Radio Shack remaining a retail force
much longer.

Time to get real and stop whining.

In case you haven't noticed: SWL'ing, ham radio is dying...the demand just
ain't there anymore! Why would any retailer stock a shortwave radio in this
day-and-age?

Step into a Radshack store...what do you see? Stuff that makes them money:
cellphones, cell accessories, home theatre.....NOT SHORTWAVE RADIO....
DUGH.

If you want a freakin' radio so bad....get on the Internet and search one
out.

I'm sick of this "boo-hoo Radio Shack doesn't stock my favorite items like
they did 30-years ago" crap.

This is 2004, not 1974!

Do you see shortwave radio's in the Sears and JC Penney catalogues like you
did in 1974? Of course not! Why would the shack be any different? Why
would the Shack want to continue to cater to a bunch of cry-babies that want
an outdated product like a shortwave radio!

Get real.


"lsmyer" wrote in message
...
I've been keeping my eye on the YB400 which is being closed out at Radio
Shack. Last week, my local store still had one, and the price was $129.97.
Yesterday, I went in to check on the price, and they didn't have any left
on
the shelf. In fact, there was other stuff in its place, and you couldn't
ever tell that the YB400 ever had been there. When I went to ask the
manager, she said that she didn't remember that radio because she had only
been there two months. Good excuse. So I tried to get her to look it up
for
me on the computer. Of course, she asked if I knew its catalog number, and
of course, I didn't remember it. She messed around a bit, but she never
found it. I went home, found the catalog number (20-234) and called her
back. This time, she checked and said that they were out, but they could
get
me one. I asked what the price was down to. She said $129.97. (Still too
high for what I was hoping to spend). Then she told me that I would have
to
come in and pay in advance if I wanted her to order one of these from
another store. I said I'd let her know.

Excuse me, but you completely missed the point of the original post. If a
store *advertises* a product, they damn well better have it in stock and
ready for sale. As you obviously are young, you may not remember the days
when here was no such thing as the internet. Folks read a catalog, found the
nearest Radio Shack and usually came home with what they wanted. Yes, it's
2004, but not everyone's buying habits are the same. In fact, since we have
the internet, things like "Hamfests" and "Surplus Stores" have all but
vanished. More people out of work too.

Also, calling someone a 'crybaby' or 'whiner' because they miss the fine
service once provided by RS is way off the mark.

The former, yes, now older, Customers of Radio Shack are not shopping there
for specialty items like scanners, SW radios, etc. The main problem is the
lack of customer satisfaction at RS....they can't even help someone buying
speaker wire!

So, yeah...I'm a 'whiner'. I miss going to RS and getting good advice and
good products.
Michael - the crybaby



"patgkz" wrote in message
...
Time to get real and stop whining.

In case you haven't noticed: SWL'ing, ham radio is dying...the demand
just
ain't there anymore! Why would any retailer stock a shortwave radio in
this
day-and-age?

Step into a Radshack store...what do you see? Stuff that makes them
money:
cellphones, cell accessories, home theatre.....NOT SHORTWAVE RADIO....
DUGH.

If you want a freakin' radio so bad....get on the Internet and search one
out.

I'm sick of this "boo-hoo Radio Shack doesn't stock my favorite items like
they did 30-years ago" crap.

This is 2004, not 1974!

Do you see shortwave radio's in the Sears and JC Penney catalogues like
you
did in 1974? Of course not! Why would the shack be any different? Why
would the Shack want to continue to cater to a bunch of cry-babies that
want
an outdated product like a shortwave radio!

Get real.


"lsmyer" wrote in message
...
I've been keeping my eye on the YB400 which is being closed out at Radio
Shack. Last week, my local store still had one, and the price was
$129.97.
Yesterday, I went in to check on the price, and they didn't have any
left
on
the shelf. In fact, there was other stuff in its place, and you couldn't
ever tell that the YB400 ever had been there. When I went to ask the
manager, she said that she didn't remember that radio because she had
only
been there two months. Good excuse. So I tried to get her to look it up
for
me on the computer. Of course, she asked if I knew its catalog number,
and
of course, I didn't remember it. She messed around a bit, but she never
found it. I went home, found the catalog number (20-234) and called her
back. This time, she checked and said that they were out, but they could
get
me one. I asked what the price was down to. She said $129.97. (Still too
high for what I was hoping to spend). Then she told me that I would have
to
come in and pay in advance if I wanted her to order one of these from
another store. I said I'd let her know.

"patgkz" wrote in message
...
Time to get real and stop whining.

In case you haven't noticed: SWL'ing, ham radio is dying...the demand
just
ain't there anymore! Why would any retailer stock a shortwave radio in
this
day-and-age?

Step into a Radshack store...what do you see? Stuff that makes them
money:
cellphones, cell accessories, home theatre.....NOT SHORTWAVE RADIO....
DUGH.

If you want a freakin' radio so bad....get on the Internet and search one
out.

I'm sick of this "boo-hoo Radio Shack doesn't stock my favorite items like
they did 30-years ago" crap.

This is 2004, not 1974!

Do you see shortwave radio's in the Sears and JC Penney catalogues like
you
did in 1974? Of course not! Why would the shack be any different? Why
would the Shack want to continue to cater to a bunch of cry-babies that
want
an outdated product like a shortwave radio!

Get real.

Perhaps if they stopped calling themselves Radio Shack, if they aren't going
to sell RADIO's or RADIO parts anymore. As others have said, if all they are
going to sell is cell phones, then they should change their name to Cell
Shack.

i would say that your rat shack experience was a wonderful ray of
sunshine compared to what it could of been. take your scratches home and
be glad they arent lumps! we are like sheep, still returning to the
scene of disaster looking for long gone memories. i am like the
compulsive gambler loosing my money and saying "yes i know that the game
is rigged! but its the only game in town!" why do i keep going back to
rat shack?

On Sat, 4 Sep 2004 11:16:19 +0900, "Brenda Ann Dyer"
wrote:

Perhaps if they stopped calling themselves Radio Shack, if they aren't going
to sell RADIO's or RADIO parts anymore.

Probably shouldn't call it Coke anymore either.

On Sat, 04 Sep 2004 02:40:39 GMT, Kameron Spesial
wrote:

On Sat, 4 Sep 2004 11:16:19 +0900, "Brenda Ann Dyer"
wrote:

Perhaps if they stopped calling themselves Radio Shack, if they aren't going
to sell RADIO's or RADIO parts anymore.

Probably shouldn't call it Coke anymore either.


They not only still call it Coke, but they have trademarked it
and will agressively pursue anyone who tries to "dilute" it.

Funny thing -- the American Sign Language sign for Coke is a
reference to mainlining. I'm surprised they haven't gone after the
entire deaf community over this.

Radio shack makes enough of a killing off the Grundig FR200's, especially
with recent weather events getting people in a panic, that I don't think
they care to stock other radios. As a local radio shack employee said to
me, with a bit of exaggeration, "these things [the FR200's] are the only
thing keeping the store profitable."

Why would any retailer stock a shortwave radio in this
day-and-age?

even in this day and age, shortwave radio is still the only way for radio
listeners to get the radio news directly from other countries, or to directly
hear each country's opinions about world events from the countries theirselves.

"Stereophile22" wrote in message
...
Why would any retailer stock a shortwave radio in this
day-and-age?

even in this day and age, shortwave radio is still the only way for radio
listeners to get the radio news directly from other countries, or to
directly
hear each country's opinions about world events from the countries
theirselves.

Absolutely agree, there is still a place for shortwave despite the internet.

Mike

"Brenda Ann Dyer" wrote in message
...


Perhaps if they stopped calling themselves Radio Shack, if they aren't
going
to sell RADIO's or RADIO parts anymore. As others have said, if all they
are
going to sell is cell phones, then they should change their name to Cell
Shack.




I'm annoyed with Radio Flyers.


They have nothing to do with radios.

They only fly one time.


Frank Dresser

"Frank Dresser" wrote in message
...

"Brenda Ann Dyer" wrote in message
...


Perhaps if they stopped calling themselves Radio Shack, if they aren't
going
to sell RADIO's or RADIO parts anymore. As others have said, if all they
are
going to sell is cell phones, then they should change their name to Cell
Shack.




I'm annoyed with Radio Flyers.


They have nothing to do with radios.

They only fly one time.


I saw a movie a bunch of years ago where a kid flew one around the world..

:)

"Brenda Ann Dyer" wrote in message
...

"Frank Dresser" wrote in message
...

I'm annoyed with Radio Flyers.


They have nothing to do with radios.

They only fly one time.


I saw a movie a bunch of years ago where a kid flew one around the world..

:)


"You've got questions, we've got circumlocution!" No, wait. That's
circumnavigation.

And, at one time, I used to think I knew what words such as "radio" meant.

Frank Dresser

In article , says...

Time to get real and stop whining.

In case you haven't noticed: SWL'ing, ham radio is dying...the demand just
ain't there anymore!

(Heavy sigh) We go through this a lot.

Condensed version: No, those mediums are not dying, and yes, the demand
is still there.

Why would any retailer stock a shortwave radio in this
day-and-age?

To make a profit?

snip

FW

I'm baffled by the suggestion that shortwave has something to fear
from the internet. I mean, why is there a threat to shortwave and not
newspapers, magazines, FM broadcasting, movies, television or any one
of the dozens of other media out there that carry the same sorts of
information that one could, in principle, dig out from among a billion
web pages on the internet? I just don't see this often cited
"shortwave/internet" connection. In fact, I think the internet will be
good for shortwave. In my view, what has kept shortwave alive thus far
is the fact that it haa more interesting content than other mass
media. The internet simply makes this truer than ever before; for
while there is of course interesting info in the net, it's buried
under so much crap that you have to labor over google for hours just
to find one interesting tidbit. The internet could be the best thing
that ever happened to shortwave.

Steve

"Mike Terry" wrote in message ...
"Stereophile22" wrote in message
...
Why would any retailer stock a shortwave radio in this
day-and-age?

even in this day and age, shortwave radio is still the only way for radio
listeners to get the radio news directly from other countries, or to
directly
hear each country's opinions about world events from the countries
theirselves.

Absolutely agree, there is still a place for shortwave despite the internet.

Mike

"Frank White" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...

Time to get real and stop whining.

In case you haven't noticed: SWL'ing, ham radio is dying...the
demand just
ain't there anymore!

(Heavy sigh) We go through this a lot.

Sure do. I remember having these same conversations in
1994, before the internet became THE INTERNET to every
Tom, Dick and Harry.

Condensed version: No, those mediums are not dying, and yes, the
demand
is still there.

As long as it costs a bit of cash to use the internet and
cell phones (not even counting extra for other things like
sending photos and whatnot), other outlets that are free
will continue to hang around.

The internet killed the dial-up bulletin boards and Fidonet,
but it hasn't killed CB, shortwave and other items yet. Hell,
even cable and satellite hasn't killed the radio medium
yet.

Why would any retailer stock a shortwave radio in this
day-and-age?

To make a profit?

Yes. Radio Shack has been for quite a while now the public
face to electronic specialty stores for the general public.
(When the general public gets familiar with Universal Radio
and Parts Express, I'll change my mind.) If you want something
that is specialty oriented, you think about Radio Shack. It used
to be (back when I worked a short stint there in 1991-2) that
when you got a VCR for Christmas, you went to Radio Shack
to get the cables and info on how to hook it up to the damn
multi cable Time Warner boxes. Same thing for cordless telephone
batteries and bulk telephone (and speaker and other) wire.
People who didn't know you could order woofers and tweeters
in catalogs knew that if you wanted to build a speaker, you could
go to Rat Shack to get parts. If your turntable needle needed
replacing or you needed other odds and ends, you could special
order them there. If you wanted to know about electronics,
your local manager (or someone on staff) tinkered in the stuff
you were asking about.

Nowadays, it seems that Tandy is getting away from that
because of the emphasis on cell/satellite/whathaveyou; their
main differentiator between them and their competition (the
in-house knowledge) is no longer there.

--Mike L.

Frank Dresser wrote:

"Brenda Ann Dyer" wrote in message
...

"Frank Dresser" wrote in message
...


I'm annoyed with Radio Flyers.


They have nothing to do with radios.

They only fly one time.


I saw a movie a bunch of years ago where a kid flew one around the world..

:)



"You've got questions, we've got circumlocution!" No, wait. That's
circumnavigation.

And, at one time, I used to think I knew what words such as "radio" meant.

Frank Dresser


It has been some time since I have gone to a RS for anything. The last
time I needed a micro switch. There was this very young girl who met me
at the door and ask if she could help me. I said to myself, "bet she
dosen't have the faintest clue what a micro switch is, but what the
hey". "Yes, I need a micro switch". She walks over to the cabinet where
they keep small parts, pulled open one of the drawers, reached into one
of the compartments, held up a micro switch and said, "will this do?".
Sometimes you get really fooled.

On Sat, 04 Sep 2004 22:44:41 -0600, Sir Circumference
wrote:

It has been some time since I have gone to a RS for anything. The last
time I needed a micro switch. There was this very young girl who met me
at the door and ask if she could help me. I said to myself, "bet she
dosen't have the faintest clue what a micro switch is, but what the
hey". "Yes, I need a micro switch". She walks over to the cabinet where
they keep small parts, pulled open one of the drawers, reached into one
of the compartments, held up a micro switch and said, "will this do?".

It's a shame you carry that kind of stereotype in regards to girls.
Clear your mind and judge everyone individually.


Ah - only kidding. Did she have dynamite legs dude?

You really should run a spell check on your signature before posting. You
misspelled "putz".

"patgkz" wrote in message
...
Time to get real and stop whining.

In case you haven't noticed: SWL'ing, ham radio is dying...the demand
just
ain't there anymore! Why would any retailer stock a shortwave radio in
this
day-and-age?

Step into a Radshack store...what do you see? Stuff that makes them
money:
cellphones, cell accessories, home theatre.....NOT SHORTWAVE RADIO....
DUGH.

If you want a freakin' radio so bad....get on the Internet and search one
out.

I'm sick of this "boo-hoo Radio Shack doesn't stock my favorite items like
they did 30-years ago" crap.

This is 2004, not 1974!

Do you see shortwave radio's in the Sears and JC Penney catalogues like
you
did in 1974? Of course not! Why would the shack be any different? Why
would the Shack want to continue to cater to a bunch of cry-babies that
want
an outdated product like a shortwave radio!

Get real.


"lsmyer" wrote in message
...
I've been keeping my eye on the YB400 which is being closed out at Radio
Shack. Last week, my local store still had one, and the price was
$129.97.
Yesterday, I went in to check on the price, and they didn't have any
left
on
the shelf. In fact, there was other stuff in its place, and you couldn't
ever tell that the YB400 ever had been there. When I went to ask the
manager, she said that she didn't remember that radio because she had
only
been there two months. Good excuse. So I tried to get her to look it up
for
me on the computer. Of course, she asked if I knew its catalog number,
and
of course, I didn't remember it. She messed around a bit, but she never
found it. I went home, found the catalog number (20-234) and called her
back. This time, she checked and said that they were out, but they could
get
me one. I asked what the price was down to. She said $129.97. (Still too
high for what I was hoping to spend). Then she told me that I would have
to
come in and pay in advance if I wanted her to order one of these from
another store. I said I'd let her know.