Observers noted that the proprietor made the same claim about the credit card machine to four customers in a row.
Jerusalem, December 2 - A local shopkeeper made an attractive proposal, eyewitnesses reported today, when you sought to buy a shirt and trousers at his establishment and heard the man say he could give you good price for not use credit card, and machine not working.
"Credit card machine not work," explained the proprietor. "Also I give you big discount if you are pay cash."
Observers recalled that you entered the store at about eleven o'clock this morning and began browsing a rack of casual slacks. The owner of Baladi Men's Fashion on Jaffa Road noticed you select your items, and monitored your visit to the fitting room to try on the pants, and, once he ascertained that you were considering the purchase of both those black pants and a royal blue Oxford-style shirt, proposed that you pay two hundred shekels in cash, instead of two hundred fifty, which would include Value Added Tax and would have to cover the store's credit card transaction processing fees.
"I am make you special price," the storekeeper assured you. "But only for cash. Credit card machine not work."
"Two hundred is good price," he insisted. "These things four hundred at department store. I make better price than department store."
Observers noted that the proprietor made the same claim about the credit card machine to four customers in a row. The machine experienced a miraculous revival when that last of those made to put back the clothing he had selected, because he did not have the cash on hand to pay for his purchase, and the store owner faced the prospect of a lost sale worth over four hundred shekels.
Industry groups confirmed that malfunctioning credit card machines that make a sudden recovery when faced with a customer with insufficient cash remains a rampant phenomenon. "We don't have solid numbers on how frequently it happens, but anecdotal evidence suggests it happens quite a bit," noted Chamber of Commerce researcher Shai Ster. "Informal inquiries among shoppers show that most have encountered the phenomenon at least six times over the last three months, with some respondents claiming to have encountered it more than once a week. It probably varies by sales sector, such as apparel versus electronics, for example, but the specific factors behind the occurrence remain elusive."
Ster also mentioned an apparent correlation between claims that the credit card machine is down and the touting of Chinese knock-offs as high-quality.
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