Re: Tape players from Walmart? You've got to be kidding!

[Wendy Stoll <Wendy40@AOL.COM>]

Actually, Pam, not all of us are librarians in big school systems.  Our
school doesn't work with bid lists at all.  When you're a small K-12 private
school, money is often short, and you get the best deal you can where you
can.

Many of the big houses will give schools special discounts, and the same good
service they give other customers.  The added bonus is that we can get to
know the sales people with whom we deal most often; also service is usually
in town -- no packing up and sending out.  For example, I bought a television
at Circuit City,.  When I got it back to school (hey, set it up same day I
purchased it), it was defective.  I put it back in the car and went and
exchanged it.  Brought the new one back, and it had the same defect.  Took it
back again, and they gave me a more expensive one of another brand for the
same price.  All of this was done in an afternoon.  How long would the same
problems have taken to fix if it had been done at a distance?

Different schools work in different ways.  Not all are like yours, Pam.  And
I resent the attitude that if we do things differently than you, we are not
professional.  And to say that dealers other than those who won your bids
won't stand behind their products and their customers is ludicrous.  They
have to stay in business, too...and without the security of guaranteed sales
from big school systems who have to buy from them.

Wendy Stoll
Walden School
Louisville, KY