Along with my brother, we bought my sister an iPod nano for her birthday. Since none of the stores near my brother had it, I was tasked to go out and buy it at the nearby Best Buy. So hey, walk in, walk out...should take 5 minutes right?

12:00 I get there. It's a new store but it feels really small. Worse yet, the iPods are all the way in the back. Even worse, the lights are on but nobody's home. Since the iPods are under lock and key, I gotta wait for the guy to get back from his break. So my 5 minutes are up. But hey, it's out and I've got it in my hands, eager to race to the cashier. Well, the guy stops me and says, "I should let you know about the service plan we offer you." It's a 2-year plan for $40 that offers to replace the iPod if it breaks. Since the only problem I could possibly foresee is somebody stealing it, I declined.

As I made the walk back to the cashier, the salesman made a last chance plea for the service plan. Again, rejected. 5 minutes waiting at the cashier, I'm there, credit card in hand. "Okay...have you heard about our service plan?" The cashier brings out this brochure and covers every point imaginable in the wordy pamphlet. I'm trying to be nice, nodding at all her talking points and when she's finally finished, I refuse again. Once you start, you can't stop and back down.

I'm ready to swipe. I make the first movement, but then suddenly...12:20. A man approaches with the word supervisor on his nametag. "How was your shopping experience today?" I mutter a "fine" since I'm totally beat at this point. "I see you bought an iPod Nano today. You know, it would really be wise to get a 2-year service protection plan in case anything breaks down." A cashier who had just finished her duties for her shift, overhears our conversation and interrupts, saying "Yeah, the service plan is good...because Apple gives you an iPod that's been refurbished and you don't want somebody else's iPod." So this cashier and supervisor keep talking to me while I'm swiping my credit card. The original cashier understands and gets my transaction through. Once the supervisor finishes, I'm out the door.

12:25.

But you know with my luck, my sister will break the iPod and somewhere out there, someone will say I should've gotten the service plan.