Bride-to-be Blogger Kathleen: Registry Nightmare at Bed Bath & Beyond

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A few weeks ago, Christian and I decided we would start the process of registering for gifts. After a discussion or two about the fact that a power washer would not be a practical wedding gift to register for, we chose to register at Crate & Barrel, and that place where you find all of your “beyond stuff.”

We had a great time at Crate & Barrel. The staff was super friendly, and we managed to find a large mix of price ranges for our guests. Plus, I loved the fact that they give a thank-you gift when you have completed your registry. (Free stuff is always a bonus.) Our next stop, though, was Bed Bath & Beyond, and while I really hate to sound negative, what a nightmare.

When we arrived at BB&B, we patiently waited about ten to fifteen minutes for someone to actually come over to the registry area. When the lady finally came over, we spent a few minutes filling out all of the paper work, and then she gave us the registry zapper and told us to “go have fun.” Now, Christian and I manage to have fun no matter where we are—but Christian, after all, is a dude. His patience for crowded home goods stores wears out very quickly. When we walked by the massaging chairs, I had a feeling I was going to be on my own for the remainder of the session. I was right. Man down.

When we were all finished, we headed back to the registry counter to hand in the zapper. Nobody was there, so we waited another ten to fifteen minutes for someone to come and assist us. When someone appeared, we handed in the zapper, and then had to give yet more information because the first lady didn’t complete the form in the computer. After the form was complete (for the second time), they gave us a bag with information on their china sets and a bunch of registry information cards with our names and registry number on them, and we were on our way.

Now, here comes the best part: Two days later, I went to log onto the site to edit the registry, and to my surprise, no registry existed with our names. (WTF?) Since our names didn’t work, I put in the registry number that was listed on the cards they gave us—and again, no dice. (ARE YOU SERIOUS??) We spent about two hours in that store, which, as most of us ladies know, is like forty hours in guy time. I can’t even begin to cite the list of profanities that came spewing out of my mouth when I discovered the registry wasn’t even saved. Not a single thing.

Our bad experience may or may not have had something to do with the fact that we registered on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, but they still should have been able to save the registry. I’m sure I could call the store and figure out what happened, but at this point, I really just don’t want to go back there, ever. Looks like Christian may get his wish for a Home Depot registry, after all.

Has anything like this happened to anyone else out there? Do you guys have other kinds of registry horror stories? And what do you think—should I go back there and see if it can be salvaged, or just give up and drag Christian somewhere else?

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