wrangler

As long as you're well out of your twenties. . .

And that's why a lot of companies have limited information provided to just that; the policies are lawyer-driven. I don't know that there have been many lawsuits on other information provided, but there are a lot of lawyers looking at that area, and paying attention to where it's going. Heck, even saying something nice about a former employee could bring an accusation that it wasn't nice enough, or a complaint by another former employee when his information omitted saying something nice.

Sometimes it can be tough to get information out of a company if they're worried that they may be providing ammunition for a lawsuit or discrimination complaint. The thing that got my attention was that they were well along the process with you before telling you that you weren't "eligible", H. That's quite different from liking someone else better. As to an employer refusing to verify that you worked there, that's strange. A lot of companies have adopted policies in recent years that don't allow providing any other information about employees, but they will verify employment.

Wasn't there an explanation?

Attaboy!

Well, she was young, she knew she was dying, and she wanted to break up with you, as I recall. It may be impossible to imagine how tough things were for her, and where her head was at. Glad you're doing much better.

Doesn't the cost, hence the markup, vary with the quantity a retailer purchases? I don't know about hockey, but in a lot of industries, the superstores have a much lower cost per unit because they purchase in huge quantities. raganblink - you've got the easy answer at your store: Yes, sir, here's our discount program, thanks a lot for asking. JR, Jimmy, you're right, consumers are trained, but IMO they can be trained differently for different market segments. I think the pricing of some etailers may be a bigger problem for the LHS pricing than the consumers getting used to 3 sale postcards a week from J.C. Penney. Some folks like myself would prefer not to bother asking for a discount on every purchase, and would be just as happy to know an LHS won't discount the stick I just bought at tagged price, for someone else who asks.

Fair enough; I hope it was clear that I can't support that type of behavior.

I don't attempt to negotiate LHS purchase prices myself. Prices may be "set", but that's up to the LHS, and it's really just an asking price until someone pays it, even though many folks may have already paid it for other items of the same model. I know that most of us don't often look at it that way, as we've become used to accepting marked prices in a lot of Western cultures, but nobody can force a shopper to buy, let alone buy at a specific price. And, as I've noted, hard prices are a relatively recent development in these cultures, historically speaking. A retailer doesn't have to like it, and doesn't have to give it, but a shopper can ask for a discount. As long as the shopper comports himself courteously, I don't have a problem with it. As a retailer, I would find it difficult to explain to regular customers why I gave someone else a cheaper price on an item, and would probably decline to give an extra discount for that reason. I agree, and a lot of us here know, that many customers don't appreciate that the LHS pricing structure is important to keeping that store there, so it's available for shopping in person, trying stuff on, etc. And that if they are successful often enough in their pricing requests, they'll no longer have a place to do that. I thought we were discussing whether it's OK to ask. I didn't notice any comments stating that the LHS should negotiate, or give a discount.

I'd call it negotiating or haggling, when it applies to paying for something. My understanding of bartering is that it's a swap of goods/services for other goods/services, occasionally with money added on one side to even things out. It goes back to before money was invented. And while you may negotiate financing, you may also negotiate cash prices, as many of us do on the items I mentioned, and many have historically, i.e., discount for cash, for multiple item purchases, etc.

It's business, not "social". Manners and courtesy should obtain, regarding how, and how hard, an individual pushes for a discount, but I don't see anything wrong with asking. I also don't see anything wrong with simply telling the customer that the price is as low as the store will go on a particular item, or that store policy is not to negotiate. As to "when"? This type of negotiation has been around since before money, when business was all bartering, and is still the norm in many parts of the world. It's still the norm in the U.S. for some types of goods, such as cars, trucks, airplanes, equipment, furniture, appliances. And it's not just kids. Almost any place you go, I'd bet at one time or another, someone has asked for a "senior discount".

That's "BFD". "FBV" is Blackstone.

Hope so. I should be back 9/28, maybe even earlier; depends on flying weather. If I don't have any weather delays between 9/14 & 9/20, I'll probably be heading home from Hartford 9/25.

Hang in there. Don't forget all the good stuff. As to the people you've lost, think about how good it was to have them for the time you did.

Started playing again after a couple months off, due to back injury. The best part is I didn't re-injure it.

Annual seaplane flying in Cadillac, Michigan.

I like what I bolded in your post. I prefer to look through stuff by myself, and then talk to a salesperson if I have questions. If no one approaches me until they see me looking around for someone, that's fine with me. If I have to deal with one after the other salesperson approaching me, aggressively trying to "help" me, so I've got no time to even look at stuff, I'll leave. That's something I've come to think of as "attack dog" training I've seen so much at mall stores it seems like they all get it. The best experience for me is when I'm left alone until I ask for help, then end up talking hockey with the sales guy, who introduces himself, and remembers me on subsequent visits.

Attaboy, H!

Reminds me of a line I just heard, "300 million sperm, and that's the one that won the race?"

Better than me. And less than half my age, which didn't hurt. Oh, yeah, also not 260 lbs.

They could also have those attitudes formed by other retailers' clueless salespeople. Shopping for computers at "big box" stores comes to mind, as just one example. I, however, would know better. I've played hockey with at least one Asian in my 57 years.

Obviously I don't know what's going on elsewhere, but don't forget the support you've been getting here.

Power out at home since storm yesterday morning, may be a couple days until we get it back.

Beats the hell out of me. I think a lot of us here would buy those. You'd think they're available to pros here, at least. Here's the only thread I remember discussing this stuff: http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php?/topic/57062-to-much-jock-movement/page__p__868083__hl__jock__fromsearch__1#entry868083

8K http://www.reebokhockey.com/ausrustung/products/spieler/zubehor/product/8k-tiefschutz/ 10K http://www.reebokhockey.com/ausrustung/products/spieler/zubehor/product/10k-tiefschutz/ 10K with garters http://www.reebokhockey.com/ausrustung/products/spieler/zubehor/product/10k-kombi-tiefschutz/