Rommel Takes on the World
The other day, my television died. It wouldn’t start up, it wouldn’t stay on, it wouldn’t do much of anything. I researched the symptoms online, and determined I was SOL (spending $500-$700 on a part on a TV valued at $999 now wasn’t worth it). So essentially, I was screwed. I couldn’t even pawn this thing off for $50 towards another TV.
And then there was you. Then came you. And by you, I mean, our old friend, Rommel. Rommel remembered that we had bought the TV in January of 2005 at Costco. He also believed, and it was a longshot, that I may be grandfathered in to their 100% satisfaction guaranteed policy. He made a few calls, and the immediate good news was in: I would be able to, at the least, get store credit for my TV. And not store credit equal to the current value, but the FULL RETAIL VALUE AS OF 2005!
This was unreal, I was delighted, but still unsure what to do with $2500 in Costco store credit. And then the impossible became the possible: They refunded us in full. Cash. $2500 cash for a broken TV worth no more than $900 new. Almost three years later.
So today we celebrate Rommel, not because he helped me out with this, but because we should all realize that when aliens come to this planet and decide whether to “enrich” or “enslave,” they’ll see this wonderful specimen of humanity and keep us all alive a little bit longer.
Thanks Rombot! And for the heck of it, thanks Costco for offering such a wonderful, consumer-friendly policy!
Now off to buy a new TV, iPhone, PS3 and digital camera… and then put $ in the bank.
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OpenCritic
That’s freaking awesome! Who the hell is Rommel?
I paid $6,000 for my TV in 2000 (don’t ask, I’d just sold a screenplay and was stupid) and it broke just before the extended 5-year warranty ran out, so I had it fully serviced and fixed. It took so long to get the part that it overlapped the expiration. So next time it breaks, it’ll be a worthless piece of junk. The cost to repair a great rear-projection TV is far more than the cost of an okay plasma TV nowadays. So I live in terror of that moment…
That having been said, I’m clearly buying my next TV at Costco!
As I make port in Monte Carlo, I glance at the EG headlines and cannot resist the opportunity to beg for the movie rights to this heartwarming story. It is a triumph of the human spirit worthy of a John G Avildsen film – Rommel has touched so many of our lives, but I do think this is probably his biggest miracle, in terms of dollars. Especially considering it sounds like he worked his magic with nothing more than a telephone and his natural charisma stats.
Rom, you never cease to amaze and you are always there for your friends in need – in today’s stressful modern times —
—you’re the real heroes.
Miss you guys
seasick junky
Rommel is the Rombot aka Mike.
Costco unfortunately changed their wonderful policy, so I think it’s only 90 days now, but I hear ya. Living in terror is no fun.
I could have thrown all this at one awesome LCD, but I decided to share the load in order to enjoy other things that I don’t need (like PS3). Blu-ray here I come!