RAC - Rent A Center profiling midland, Texas

 Im really not sure how to start this. I have NEVER filed a report(even when one was warrented. I have NEVER called a Hotline and complained about anything(even when warrented) as I am NOT the type of person who wants to  make waves or cause anyone to lose thier job or standing. I practice forgiveness on a daily basis.

 I quess that is why this is very hard to discuss. I dont want to hurt ANYONE....i just feel that this situation has caused, in me, much confusion and distress.

 The first incident at Roc i actually overlooked, but has only gotten worse since then. I had to take a hdtv back to Roc(rent a center) because the left speaker was not working. i know this because when i put the sound all the way to the right, it worked, but all the way to the left did not.

  I took the tv back to see what could be done, and this was when all of this started(my "special customer" profile-which i will explain soon)

 The mngr of the store from the start seemed agitated that I would even bring this up, and continued to make ME feel that I was imaginging the problem because when the she turned the tv on, the sound (to her) seemed to work. She even called over another customer(a regular) to assist her in "telling me that everything was fine", which i feel was rather unneccesary.

 The moment that I tried to just let her know that it was the left speaker, and if she would go into the menu and turn up the "LEFT SIDE ONLY" it would help her asses the situation....this only upset her as she then continued to make me feel awkward for bothering her with this. she often said that she had other customers to help and that the sound seemed fine to her. again, my suggestions to asses the situation(check the left side only) only seemed to upset her.

 I eventually got the tv replaced, only at a cost.  From then on, everytime i came into the store, I was treated awkardly. She, along with most of the other employees(especailly the ones involved with the tv that day) would say hello or speak in a genuine tone to other customers, but would walk right past me and ignore me completley. and if i ever did need assistance, i would be met with statements like" im really busy", or "is this important i have alot...ect..).

 So for the next few months ,I just went in , and paid my weekly payments, while always..ALWAYS staying positive, smiling, and saying Godbless when i left. as i said, I believe in treating EVERYONE with respect and care. I have even brought them food to show that there are NO hard feelings.

 and this brings us to what happened today. again, I am almost at a loss for words with what happened today, DO NOT want to hurt anyone, and do not want to cause anyone to lose thier job or ANYTHING like that, I am just hurt over what happened, as anyone would be in my shoes.

 I was sold a HTS( home theater system) while i was making a payment on my hdtv. I took it home and soon realized it was missing many components. Well, based on my last experience, I thought I would hit the internet first, and see if I could learn something there. I went to the site of the product, downloaded a copy of the products manual, and found out that i was truely missing many components. I made a list and took it to the store, keeping in mind that i checked certain things that I really wasnt that worried about vs things that, according to the site and manual, I needed for the system.

 Before I spoke with the mngr., she was very busy with another customer with a similiar problem( had just bought something and could not find certain parts. It took awhile(which i had NO problem waiting, and even told with care "its no problem at all, take your time"). as i said, am VERY mindfull and VERY carefull to convey caring and respect to all that i meet.

  she again said...."is this important, im really busy, can someone else help you?" I said of course. She was eventually able to help me, and when i Showed her the list of things that were missing "STRESSING FROM THE START" that i wasnt really worried about most on the list, just the things that the manual and the products site said I  needed, and after going through something simular with the prior customers, the situation became very awkard and stressfull for me in the way that she handled me and made me feel.

  With MANY referenced to the last time i had a problem , she began to make me feel like i SHOULD NOT bothering her with this problem, because, and this is what gets me, I should "KNOW" when i walk through those doors, that "this is rentacenter", and that things will sometimes be missing.........really? I am supposed have the IMAGE of a company when i walk through the doors( I wonder if rentacenter agrees with this mandatory customer image of thier store) that I will not get what i paid for???? We pay three to four times the amount anyway at roc....why wouldnt I want the parts that the MANUAL and the products SITE said i needed????

  I tried repeatedly to explain to her that it was ok, we can fix this(seems this should be the employees job to keep a cool air, not the customers.

 She then went on to explain to me that, and this is the beef of my concern in this situation, that I WAS A SPECIAL CUSTOMER and that MOST customers at roc were different that me.?????? instead of trusting me that I had TRUELY researched this problem first on the internet at products site and that I really needed the parts in question, she only continued to say that I should KNOW when i walk through those doors like all her other customers , that this is "JUST the way it is" at roc. instead of helping me to feel that i had a legitimate concern( WANTING MY paid product to work properly according to the manual and product site) she made me feel that it was MY inadequate profile as a SPECIAL CUSTOMER. SHe said, and i am quoting......" most customers at roc are...Gheto...." i feel awkward even repeating this. She went on to say that "NORMAL" roc customers KNOW when they walk through the doors that parts are GOING to be missing from thier purchases, and that they NEVER say anything about it, never BOTHER her with it, and that i was a "SPECIAL CUSTOMER"....because i want what the MANUAL and PRODUCTS SITE "SAYS" I need????? to be honest, i feel racially profiled. I NEVER raised my voice(infact, i lowered my head in shock, when she said all of this). and when she began to notice how her comments had effected me( again...silent gestures ie lowered my head), she quickly told me that i made all of this TOO PERSONAL????????

 I even stressed that I AM NOT WORRIED about most of the missing parts(shouldnt THAT have put me into HER "Gheto" status instead of "SPECIAL CUSTOMER" since i wasnt worried about the parts...just the ones that, again, THE MANUAL SAID I NEEDED??????)

 Its like if she punched me in the nose, then MADE FUN OF ME or BLAMED me for bleeding????

 again, I am at a loss. So what i got out of this(from her own words and point of view while  making me feel guilty for having this problem and not fitting HER "NORMAL CUSTOMER PROFILE" or NOT Being Gheto) is that I SHOULD NOT EXPECT to be taken care of incase of a product problem because i should know when i walk through those doors that there WILL BE MISSING PARTS, do not bother roc with the problem because i KNEW this when I walked through those doors(I Wonder if Roc as a whole agrees with this image of the store) , and that if i am "in her own words" a SPECIAL CUSTOMER because i am not GHETO that it is MY fault if i have any problems with the product.........??

 I dont know wether to take the products back, call a lawyer, or just expect this kind of treatment for the remainder of my product contract...CONTRACT never said anything about "Knowing when I walked through the doors that products will not have all parts(Nor did the sign in the store say "as is" or "parts missing so dont bother us about it"), nor did the CONTRACT that I signed say that I HAD to be "GHETO" or NOT be a "SPECIAL CUSTOMER" for NOT being "GHETO", to be treated with respect when i have a problem????

and please know that i am NOT eggagerating when i tell you that she TOLD ME to my FACE that "the reason why she was upset was that I am a "SPECIAL CUSTOMER unlike her NORMAL GHETO customers who dont complain when there is a problem" and that I MADE ALL of this personal?????????

 I ask anyone reading this....If a person walked into say BEST BUY or CIRCUIT CITY, and had a problem with a product, and was told that they are a "SPECIAL CUSTOMER" at this particular store because MOST of "THIER" customers are rich white collar customers.......need i say more?