Having decided that I wanted this item, I did what everybody does this days and checked the internet for the best price and the best place to buy it.

Most retailers had it for the same price but the Stationery Warehouse had it for $6 cheaper due to an online promotion.

So, I completed their online order form, checked that my nearest store had plenty of stock and drove down there to collect the paid for item as soon as the store opened.

However, store manager said that while they had plenty of stock of this item they couldn't fulfil my order because they had to 'wait for the paperwork' - my phraseology not his.

While he and his staff were very helpful, they were powerless to challenge their own very inflexible stock system. Again, my term not theirs.

I wanted the item today - that's why I ordered it online today and drove to the store today - and not in a 'couple of days' when the stock control system has decided it was ready.

I wish someone from the Stationery Warehouse could explain to me why your procedures are so inflexible that they can't fulfil a simple order.

In the end, I had to abandon my online order form and purchase the same item again. Thus making a silly situation more insane.
I will now have to re-visit the store next weekend - I can't visit any sooner - with my online form and demand a full refund.

As you can imagine, a waste of my time and of the helpful staff in the store. Has anyone else been experienced such poor customer service?