So, as many may know from past complaints and rants, I seem to frequently run into problems with shipping companies. I like to do a lot of music shopping online, so I get a lot of packages sent to me. Unfortunately, I seem to have had my run in of problems with just about every shipping company. I used to have problems when living in Oakland with the post office not properly delivering packages. The routine would go something like this:
Come home, find slip from post office saying "we were here, you weren't"
"Hey, Kristen, were you home all day?"
"Yes"
"Anyone knock?"
"No."
I call for redelivery. Automated system asks for delivery number. My attempts to transcribe the scribbled number on the slip fail.
Press 0.
"Hello, post office, how can I help you?"
"I need my package re-delivered."
"Right, you'll get your package tomorrow."
Next day, no package.
Call for redelivery.
"I'm so sorry, our system shows it was schedule, and I see it wasn't delivered. I'm not sure what happened, let me request another redelivery for tomorrow."
Next day, no package.
"I'm so sorry, I see it was scheduled, and wasn't delivered. Let me request anoth....'
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHAT
THE
FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, basically I figured out calling the number on the slip was pointless, since their central office does nothing but take calls and make requests, but doesn't seem to actually have a system in place to make sure those requests actually happen. I found the number for my local post office, and found I can call them directly, speak to a person that can physically find my package, and personally tell my mail carrier to deliver the damn thing.
Now that I no longer live in Oakland, and live in a better neighborhood, in a gated complex, I never have this problem anymore, since the mailman will leave packages in front of the door if there isn't an answer.
So....yeah.....that's old news, but I can't seem to ever shake these damn issues.
So, some months ago, it was announced that a box set for the unreleased Beach Boys album SMiLE would be released. Now, I was never much of a Beach Boys fan, but the mystery and legend that surrounds the unreleased status of this album and the recordings certainly got me curious when I heard about it, and kinda got me into that album. I've collected the bootlegs, and listened to several of the fan attempts to put together a version of the album, read up on articles about it. And when the box was announced, I was following some of the buzz on the message boards about it. So, the day it was available for pre-sale on amazon.com, I put in my order. And, I figured, I don't want to sit around waiting for it to arrive a week after release date while reading about everyone else listening to it, so I sprung for the expedited shipping guaranteeing a delivery on the release date.
Well, release date was yesterday, 11/1/11. So, watching the status of the order, I saw it ship the night before via some shipping company I never heard of called ontrac. By yesterday morning the status was "out for delivery", so I figure, cool, I'll have some listening to do when I get home today.
So, I get home, and.....no package. I check the status, and the status shows "delivery attempted", with a time stamp of a half hour earlier.
"Hey Kristen, was there a knock on the door a half hour ago?"
"No, I was here, awake, and I didn't hear a thing"
Oh, great. What the fuck now.
So, I look up this ontrac company on line, find a phone number for them, navigate their shitty automated menu, and get a human on the line. She checks the notes in the system, and apparently the guy was thrown off by the fact that the building has a gate.
WHAT
THE
FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In my time here, I've never had an issue with the post office, UPS, or FedEx gaining access to the building. If you can't figure out the complexities of a gate, then don't bother working in shipping.
So, I said, well tell the guy to get back here, and if he has a problem getting in call my cell.
Well, I get a call back later from the idiot at the shipping company, and she informs me the guy has left my area, and refuses to come back, but assures me it will be delivered tomorrow.
So I firmly explained that I didn't pay for shipping for tomorrow, I paid for shipping for today, and to tell that guy to get his ass over here with my damn package.
She says she'll see what she can do. I get a call back later claiming that the shipping I paid for only guarantees one attempt per day, and they have fulfilled their obligation. They already came there today.
Well, WHAT THE HELL FUCKING GOOD DOES THAT DO ME?!?!?!??!
Oh....oh wow, you were here and found a gate and couldn't figure out how to ring a bell, WELL LA DI FUCKING DA! THAT DOES ME NO GOOD!
She still refuses to help me, and tells me it will be delivered tomorrow.
So I angrily informed her no, it will not. I refuse to accept any delivery of this package after today, and if they can't be bothered to do their fucking job, they can return it to the damn sender.
So, I called up amazon, and explained the situation to them, that I paid this extra money for shipping to have the item on the release day, and this shipping company refused to deliver to me, and how I find this unacceptable and unprofessional, and she can either get me a box set today as they were committed to do, or they could cancel the order, and give me a full refund for the item and shipping.
Well, she had no way to get the shipping company to fulfill their obligations, so she filed a complaint about the shipping company, and issued the full refund.
Unfuckingbelievable! Does no one take any pride in their work anymore? I mean, this asshole can't figure out how to ring a bell at a gate, and he works for a shipping company, and then after fucking up that big, he can't be bothered to return back to finish the job he has, because he doesn't want to have to work late.
GROW THE FUCK UP, ASSHOLE!
So, yeah, ontrac, bunch of assholes that don't know how to make a delivery. I'm not too thrilled with amazon either for using them, although at least they had the decency to be apologetic and also offered me $10 off my next order.
I hope that idiot delivery guy gets fired over this. There are lots of good people just dying to work, people that can't be bothered to do their job don't deserve to work at this point.
So, I was left to go find a copy of this box myself since amazon and ontrac couldn't figure out the complexities of taking a box from point A and bringing it to me at point B. So I called the local record store in the area, figuring, hey, may as well throw some business to the little guy.
Now, everywhere I've looked, I've seen this box listed at a $140.00 range. Everywhere. Best buy, amazon, several other online retail stores. So, when I called the local place and asked if they had it, I was a bit shocked when the guy said "Yeah, $169.99" I explained to the guy, well, that's nice, but I can buy it just about anywhere else for under $140. Yeah, well....we can't compete with them.
And that is why stores like yours are going out of business.
Sorry man, love your store, and I'll still come there for the used records. But I'm not going to basically give you a charity donation of $30 just because I like your store. Either figure out a way to price your merchandise at a reasonable rate, or don't bother.
I mean, as much as it would have pissed me off, I probably would have gone $150 for the local purchase. But, there ya go.
So, back to bestbuy.com, which I knew had it listed for $139.99. And they have this handy feature where you can have a copy held at a store for you to pick up, which allows me to see what stores have it. Well, turns out the nearest stores don't have it, so I had to go to a store located a half hour away.
Anyways, one round trip to a best buy later, I finally had my damn box, with enough time left in the day to listen to 2 of the 5 CDs. Success!
So, if you want to get something on release date, don't bother trusting an online retailer or a shipping company. The only way to get things done properly, is to do it yourself.
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