Twenty Four Cents

I have been buying Avon from a local woman for many years. I do not buy a lot, but I buy at least once a year in the summer when I see her at the town pool. Whenever someone buys from her she always says that if you do not like the product it is returnable. In all the years, I have never returned anything. Last week I bought a lipstick that was advertised to last for 24 hours without fading. I used it twice and it lasted about three hours. I decided that it was not worth the money since it did not last long and that is why I bought it, so I asked to return it. I gave it back to the woman the next day when I saw her and she said that she did not have any money with her so she would give it to me the next day. I saw her the next day and she never mentioned money until I had to ask her for it, which annoyed me. She then handed me a check. I gave her $10 cash and she gave me back a check for $9.76. She took out a 24 cents Avon processing fee. Now I was even more annoyed. I asked her why she was giving me a check, as now I have to go to the bank to cash it and I do not go to the bank often. She said it helps her track refunds. Therefore her bad memory is inconveniencing me and the "easy refund" policy has cost me 24 cents. My expectations of the transaction were that if I give you $10 cash, I am refunded $10 cash. Not that I am refunded $9.76 and am forced to make a trip to the bank and wait on line to get my money. Needless to say, I will never buy from her or Avon again. I will go to Walmart, where $10 equals $10.