To Game Store Mukuba Mall,
We deeply regret to inform you of the situation that took place last week Friday at Game Store, Mukuba Mall, Kitwe, Zambia. With all the hype around the amazing Black Friday sales at game, we were extremely excited and saw a chance to purchase items that at their usual price would not have ever been an option.
With this said, we managed to get additional leave from work in order to be at the front of the queue, as we also live a number of kilometers out of Kitwe. We reached Game at around 19:53hrs (Thursday, 22nd November), ready for the opening at 00:00 hours on Friday 23rd of November.
With our patience and persistence, we managed to be and remained right in the front of the queue when they opened the doors at 00:25 hours. As the doors opened, we all rushed to the fridge section, as we were going for the fridges that were K1 999 and the Game black Friday magazines showed that were only going to be 40 available. Being the first through the doors we thought we would definitely be getting our fridges, but to our surprise, there were people already in the store leaning against the fridges … with only two available.
We asked ourselves, how are there only two left when we were the first here, and how did these two other people manage to get here before us unless they were let through the back of the stores. Feeling heart broken, we continued to search for the rest of the items on our wish list, only to find that they had also been sold out.
When asking around we found that they had been sold prior to the day of the event and mostly to the game employees, who when the store opened at 00:25hrs were already at the check-out counters.
We write this on behalf of everyone who was patiently waiting outside the doors of Game, only to find heart break and disappointment. For the people from Kitwe, the Copperbelt and people who drove from Kalumbila and beyond for these great specials … all to find the same as us. We as Zambian Citizens were disappointed in our people, the corruption and the fact that such a well-known and what we thought as reliable brand would allow such things to happen in its stores and amongst its employees and management staff.
We do hope that you can provide us with an explanation of what happened in your stores on Black Friday.
Thank-you,
Concerned Zambian Citizen
You’ve already said the magic word…. “KITWE” LOL!!!!
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All companies give priority to employees. I would sympathize if the said item was not reduced as advertised. As a matter of fact, if I where you, I would be embarrassed to even write this letter being you had to take leave from work to buy a fridge! Next time save and buy at full price.
HAZLUZA HAGAIN! Did the wizard go to State House?
even in Game you need a connection
Is this man a Zambian? In this country no one will explain to you how a 6 bedroom Mansion costs $2.5 million to build but a Toll Gate cost $4.5 million. Move on my brother.
Why stand in a queue for 5 hours, nimwa Kaunda? In this banana republic, corruption is normal. Rather than standing for 5 hours, you should have prepared enough options my dear!
its corruption, nepotism, every where including the private companies, this is the new culture brought in by the PF kaponya govt, these guys are all thieves and the general public is just following their example in everything they do.
HAKAINDE is a corrupt thief with money in the tax haven of PANAMA. He will NEVER be a president in Zambia but only in his tribal region of NAMWALA.
Game stores does not have to explain anything. If public and taxpayer funded institutions do not have to explain their corruption and their malpractices, why should a pricate entity like game stores. Besides the zambian consumer rights group has no idea what consumer rights are, and nobody knows where to find them.
Game is only as good as people make purchases from their store if enough proud Zambians decide enough is enough, Game can go under so a wise business must head to consumer complaints. Unfortunately in Zambia we are so used to poor service that it’s become the norm and are not willing to make sacrifices
Fridge, by now everyhome “Home” has one!!!! Where are you from.
It’s called updating/upgrading/improving etc…
Zambians are a total disappointment. The man goes out of his way to demonstrate the level of corruption now endemic across all sectors of our economy, and you still have “intelligent” individuals laughing him off and making excuses for the appalling behavior of GAME stores staff and management. Any sensible management team would have EXCLUDED its employees from taking part in this frenzy because by nature of their job, they would have had one foot across the finish line and way ahead of everyone else. This goes to show the level of management mediocrity in Zambia. You cannot excuse such nonsense. They sure owe the public an explanation. It should NOT matter whether someone wanted to buy a pot work K2 or indeed a fridge worth K2,000. Everyone should have been accorded a FAIR AND EQUAL…
Well said Anthony!
Its just a promotion, information on those leaflets may be inaccurate but the seller is still not liable. So why should they owe the public an explanation?
@ Cowardly Dog – if sellers are not legally liable they are surely morally liable for their own false advertising and for bait and switch! These things are disgraceful. So too is allowing one’s employees to buy all the sale items when the idea of the promotion was to bring customers into the store. Instead, Game Stores management (and it’s employees who gobbled up all he good items) treated its customers like chumps to be taken advantage of. Shame to mock the public in such a way! Shame! Shame! Shame!
Do you and others here really think so little of yourselves (and of Zambia!) that you believe stores who engage in such activity do not the public an explanation? How little self-esteem can you possibly have? Pathetic.
@spuds, I understand how unfair this was for the author. People need to understand these promotions. Sellers usually exclude themselves from any liability by simply stating that they will not be liable to errors on the leaflets (usually printed in a small font). If someone sees such, then there is no guarantee they will find the item, or get it at that price.
@ Cowardly Dog, the facts as presented clearly show this was more than a typo. Game Stores should speak up for itself and answer for this. Bait and switch is repugnant from any retailer and should be illegal. In many countries it is! Simply to excuse a retailer because of the “fine print” only encourages more despicable behavior going forward. At what point will Zambians stand up and say enough? This isn’t right – cut it out! So far, most people here (like you?) seem happy to accept the “fine print” as an excuse for duping the public. With so little self-esteem it is no wonder that retailers like Game Stores and its employees get away with treating the nation so badly.
@spuds or whatever you call yourself, don’t just rush to the keyboard typing things you don’t know about. The problem with some people like you is that you like free things, that is the same reason why the guy had to wait for 5 hours to get into game stores at midnight instead of sleeping. He even went on to miss work the following day, when opening at midnight is meant for those who will be busy. These promotions are everywhere including the ghetto you are staying in; black Friday, Xmas, new year name it. Terms and condition statements are also always on these leaflets to exempt the seller from any liability. So, instead of blaming me, educate yourself first.
Sales promotions work in stable economies with stable currencies. Assuming that this can also happen in Zambia,it is a fallacy of composition.
When there’s promotion of any kind please take the phrase seriously”terms and conditions apply” may be they applied one of them to the overzealous cloud.It reminds me of “aka red naka black”(red or black card).Anyway i feel for the cheated customers though for now a “joe sacker” can do.
The fellow who thinks on black Friday employees get management preference is either an employee or a totally misguided consumer. For his own ignorance he does not know that an well meaning shop will not even allow employees to participate in any special! Its called Ethics!!!
The culture of ” Tizibana” is so endemics in Zambia no wonder everyone wants to be known by those in power!
Little minds,little comments all for the circus.
Someone just had to be blacked out… kikiki…and it had to be some black …kikiki…who owns game stores? You ought to Tread more cautiously next time my brother… kikiki…