That's how I got paid to buy VS...

I received the following from VS reward/offer over the past month:

2 X VS reward card worth $10 each = $20

$10 off any bra purchase = Price of Bra - $10

1 Free Panty = Free $8.50 panty

So I went to VS today and got myself a bra ($45) and a panty ($$8.50).

How much should I pay?

(to make things simple, I have excluded the sales tax from the following calculation)

At the cashier, I did a mental calculation. Amount I should pay: $15 [$45 - $10 x 2 (reward card) - $10 ($10 off any bra) + $8.50 - $8.50 (FREE)].


How much was I charged?

$25!

So I asked the sales assistant how did she arrive at $25 when it should only be $15.

After some very confusing explanation from her, I realized that she did not take into account the $10 off any bra purchase as she claimed it couldn't be used with any other promotions.

I remembered reading the fine prints that even though it cannot be combined with any other promotion, the VS reward is not considered a promotion (it's a reward for having spent a certain amount on the VS credit card) and so it can be used together with that offer. Yes, I am that kiasu or should I say an eye for detail.

She insisted the two couldn't be used together.

I insisted I was right.

Without saying anything else to me, she talked to her colleague on the phone asking if the offer can be combined with the reward cards.

And without letting me know if I was right or wrong, she asked me to pass her back my purchase and then started punching furiously at the cash register.

I knew then I was right.

She didn't speak to me for two minutes and never even made any eye contact.

She then demanded I signed on a receipt that indicated a refund of $28.50.

I was bewildered. I only paid $25 for the purchase earlier, why was there a refund for $28.50 - $3.50 more than my purchase!

So I asked if she was going to issue another receipt for the right amount. She replied rudely, "No, that's it. I returned your original purchase and keyed in the new sales in the same receipt"

I was thinking to myself since she was rude and even refused to knowledge I was right earlier, I signed the receipt and left, knowing very well that obviously she must have made another mistake.

I checked the new receipt as soon as I got out.

Apparently, instead of showing that I returned $25 worth of products, she indicated I returned $53.50 (bra + panty). Then she charged me $35 for the bra ($45 less $10 off) and then gave a further $10 reward to that.

So that's how I ended up being paid $3.50 to buy a bra and panty from VS.

Best deal ever!