Horrible shops and shopping experiences

Due to some rather foolish loyalty and an excess of spare time on my hands I agreed to go shopping with my gf in Dundee for cheap clothes to waitress in for a new job. We went to a bunch of cheap shops searching, all fine until New Look. It was like HELL ON EARTH.

The shop was vast, several floors of cavernous sterile white rooms with rack after rack of garish nasty clothing, cheap headache inducing flickering lighting, and all the wall space covered with incredibly bright neon plastic that actually made my eyes sore. I am a pretty level headed guy but I swear that place was destroying my soul.
There was some dress code for the shop which I hadn't seen that went something like "make sure all your clothes are far too small thus revealing as many acres of alternating pallid or orange fake tanned flesh and ideally clothes should be bright, shiny and clashing".
Also the tills were manned by the three most hideous individuals I think I have ever seen, each in its own distinct way was as ugly as is possible for a human who is not actually disfigured.
I swear my eyes still hurt.

Anyone else have some less than lovely shopping experiences they would care to share?

Harrods.

Originally Posted by RJman

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Harrods.

Did you ever go when he had his shrine to Dodi and Dianna? I seem to remember a large painting-in-the-style-of-a-photo type creation and a lot of candles. It was weird to say the least.

Originally Posted by RJman

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Harrods.

It's overpriced and the selection of menswear is pretty poor, but I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call it horrible, though a lot of the people it seems to attract are those with more money than sense (or taste).

I'm not sure it counts but while negotiating for a new car at a Lexus dealership, I was told that I am not looking at the right car when i asked for a lower price, even though all i was asking was the price written on the KBB print out in my hand. A bunch of expletives came about afterwards.

My worst buying experience.

This is a fairly common car dealership stradegy. Not the easiest thing to shop for cars.

Originally Posted by emmanuel

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This is a fairly common car dealership stradegy. Not the easiest thing to shop for cars.

I don't know, I've been to plenty of car dealerships after that event and none of them has ever told me that I am looking at the wrong car (implying I do not belong in that sort of dealership and that I cannot afford it simply because I was dealing for a better price).

Its designed to make you realize that what you expect to pay for the car is ridiculous and that you should raise your offer. Its a way to have you negotiate against yourself!

Originally Posted by Sanguis Mortuum

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It's overpriced and the selection of menswear is pretty poor, but I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call it horrible, though a lot of the people it seems to attract are those with more money than sense (or taste).

Why the hate of Harrods? Their merchandise selection is pretty comparable to Selfridges or Harvey Nichols. They stock many very well reputed brands by SF standards. I think it has more to do with the Mr. Fayed than his store.

When I was in college I was car shopping and went to an MB dealer. It was after work and I was dressed well as I had just had a meeting. I finally started talking to a salesman and he was pretty much just going through the motions. He must have told me 5 times in 5 minutes how many people just go in there wanting to test drive a car. I was pissed.

I bought an Audi.

well it is pretty damn tacky inside, it was always ostentatious in kind of a bad way but Al Fayed has transformed it into a temple of conspicuous consumption, it is fun to look around every once and a while, oh, a platinum, diamond encrusted Marmite jar lid, well I could use one of them around the house.

I was in there once and an Saudi Sheik looking fellow was shopping with a couple of women and a bored little kid. When the kid got too bored and started jumping up and down and bothering him he took out his wallet, pulled out a handful £50 notes, screwed them into little balls and flicked them around the room for the kid to mess a round with. The sales assistants all stared at the money, and the kid played with it for a bit and then got bored and the Saudi family left. If throwing £50 notes around wasn't stupid enough there is a toy department in Harrods...

Originally Posted by youngscientist

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well it is pretty damn tacky inside, it was always ostentatious in kind of a bad way but Al Fayed has transformed it into a temple of conspicuous consumption, it is fun to look around every once and a while, oh, a platinum, diamond encrusted Marmite jar lid, well I could use one of them around the house.

I was in there once and an Saudi Sheik looking fellow was shopping with a couple of women and a bored little kid. When the kid got too bored and started jumping up and down and bothering him he took out his wallet, pulled out a handful £50 notes, screwed them into little balls and flicked them around the room for the kid to mess a round with. The sales assistants all stared at the money, and the kid played with it for a bit and then got bored and the Saudi family left. If throwing £50 notes around wasn't stupid enough there is a toy department in Harrods...
Ah, the nouveau riche.

Originally Posted by apropos

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Ah, the nouveau riche.

I'm offended.

Originally Posted by Aperipan

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I'm offended.

Me too. I probably could have kicked the little kids ass.

Originally Posted by JohnGalt

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When I was in college I was car shopping and went to an MB dealer. It was after work and I was dressed well as I had just had a meeting. I finally started talking to a salesman and he was pretty much just going through the motions. He must have told me 5 times in 5 minutes how many people just go in there wanting to test drive a car. I was pissed.

I bought an Audi.

I'd take an Audi over an MB any time - in fact I have three times.