I'm rather surprised I seem to be only the second person to have suggested this: go back to the store and try to work things out. From what you state in the original post, it sounds like you haven't tried this yet.
Firstly, recognize what you hope to get out of this: a PS2 compatible PS3? A used PS2? A full refund?
Secondly, temper your expectations to what the store is likely to be willing and able to provide. Chances that they still have one of the old PS2 compatible PS3s in stock are most likely pretty low. Recognize that they may be taking little more than your word of mouth and your value as an ongoing consumer at their store as incentive to do the right thing. I hope you have the receipt.
Go in with what you have.
Be polite. Be prepared that you may lose. That said, be firm and prepared to push. As the old expression goes, "Don't accept a 'no' from someone who doesn't have the power to say 'yes'." Ask to speak with the manager if necessary; be ready to come back if they aren't immediately available.
Don't threaten to sue them- chances are they won't believe you have a lawyer on retainer, and you know what, they'd probably be right about that. But you _do_ have a case to make that if you don't walk out of there satisfied, they will probably not only lose you as a customer, but all your gamer friends who you will share this bad experience with. That might be worth the price of, say, a used PS2. And you _are_ in the right: remind them of what they advertised and that they haven't provided it.
I cannot stress enough to be polite. Go in like you assume this is all a mistake and that their fine, upstanding store will of course want to remedy it for their fine upstanding client. You may not feel that at all; you may feel like you want to tear out throats with your teeth. But fake it. Everyone wants to believe they're the good guy, and they're far more likely to want to give you what they want if they're giving it as "good-guy clerk providing excellent customer service to good-guy customer" than if they feel some asshat is trying to hammer them until they yield, in which case they will probably want to push back. Don't blow all your powder on the opening salvo, so to speak.
And hope they don't troll the Escapist forums.
Good luck!
Desert Tiger said:
Distorted Stu said:
The first user on the escapist who dislikes BJ's.
The first member of the Escapist that's had one.
Heh. Cute. Not true, but cute.
