I’ve been wanting for some time to initiate a site with a URL likeunto “ihateradioshack.com” or “boycotttheshack.com” (although some might take that to mean boycotting the love shack, or any other potentially beloved shack, which I wouldn’t want to imply). I’m referring to Radio Shack, the epitome of poor retail. Someone please help me understand what I did when I bought my very own first cell phone from them. I’d known for a while they’ve been selling overpriced, quick-to-break, Radio-Shack branded fecal electronics (AKA poopy products). I got cell phone happy. Radio Shack was the closest Verizon dealer (I must have been standing right beside it). What can I say?

So, I got my phone. They offer me an awesome phone replacement warranty. The rep tells me, “oh yeah, you drop a rock on this thing and we’ll give you a new one.” I say, “alright, I’ll throw down an extra $90 for that.” Plus I get a new free battery every six months! Anyway, it turns out the batteries are not nice, Verizon OEM batteries, but RadioShack cheap-o batteries that I could get on eBay for $6, shipped. And the first time I get a battery replaced, they only have the extended life battery, effectively doubling the thickness of my Samsung A670. The extended life battery, sadly non-surprisingly has about the same talk time as my standard OEM battery. Go figure.

Later, I start noticing dust under the outside display of the phone. I take it to Radio Shack. They send it in for repair. I go 2 weeks without my phone. It comes back. They say they can’t fix it. So, a manager opens it up, wipes off the glass, and replaces it with super glue. Now I have super glue marks on the outside display. *groan*

Final episode: The hinge on my phone cracks. The crack grows. Finally, it gets bad enough for me to take it back into Radio Shack, although grudgingly. They send it in. Another two weeks without my phone pass. I get another negative message from Radio Shack: We can’t repair it. It looks like user damage. I don’t abuse my phones, for the record. And, as my memory serves, I could have dropped a rock on it and they’d replace it, right? Anyway, in the end of it all, and I really could go on for a long time with this, my phone snapped in half. I used a cheap eBay phone for a few months until I could get a RAZR from Verizon. Then I traded it up for a Treo 650 via a sweet deal on eBay. And, now I can play 8-bit Nintendo games to my hearts content. What’s the point? Just don’t buy things from RadioShack. Ever. Seriously. If you need another solution, feel free to email me. I’ll find what you need. Just, please, burn the shack.