Adventures in Online Shopping

I love shopping online. I think online shopping in the best thing since, well, shopping. No parking hassles, no idiot clerks, no pushy-shovey, I can shop in my jammies, and best of all, no rampant stupidity.

Usually.

Which brings us to this little tale.

At the beginning of February, I placed an order with a well known online drugstore. I've patronized them several times. I like the stuff they carry, plus shipping is free on orders over 25 bucks. Cool. (Gouging for shipping is my one gripe about online shopping)

I got together an order of nice splurgy items. Mostly just bath stuff for me and as a Valentines surprise, some philosophy shave cream for Obbie. Poor baby has sensitive skin and cuts easily when shaving.



Not a huge order, but not cheap either. I received an email that the items were all in stock, and that my order was being shipped immediately. Yay. And I didn't think anything else about it.

The package arrived within two days. (ooh fast! Love that!!) I dived in and went over my order. Everything was in order until I got to the shave cream. On the end by the 'fold', there was a cut. It looked like it was cut with a box cutter. I just assumed that at the distribution center this tube was on the top layer of the box and it got nicked. No huge deal.

So I wrote the online drugstore and explained the problem. I offered to send the cut tube back. Within 2 hours I got a note apologizing for the damage, and assuring me that a new tube was being sent out free, and there was no need to send back the damaged one. Oooh..customer service. Love it.

The second box came in two days. Wow. Love the fast service. I opened the box. Another tube. Another cut. Same place, same kind of cut. Siiigh.

So I wrote another letter to the company and told them perhaps they need to check this batch in the warehouse because obviously there is some problem here.

Another email back apologizing and thanking me for my suggestions. Another tube is being mailed at no charge to replace the damaged one. Meanwhile, Valentines Day is closing in, and it's going to displease me GREATLY not to have something for Obbies Valentines Gift.

No box on Friday. No box on Saturday. No box Monday. For Valentines Day I gave Obbie the two damaged tubes and told him the whole sordid story. With the promise of a new undamaged tube soon.

Last night I get home and there was another little box on the porch. All RIGHT! Saved! I peeled the tape off the box and there was another happy little tube of philosophy common man shave cream.

With a big cut across the end of the tube, just like the last two.

GRRR.........

This morning I sent the online drugstore a somewhat terse email explaining that yet again, they've sent me a damaged tube, and that since it was to be a Valentines Day gift, I'd rather them just credit my account the price of the shave cream. Also, I informed them that once was acceptable, twice was pushing the limit, but three times was absolutely absurd.

So we'll see what comes out of this. I was very jovial about the incident, because I understand that things do happen. But three times? No. Totally unacceptable. Just give me my money back and let's just get this done with. I'm getting pissed now, and I do NOT need four cut tubes of shave cream.

Stay tuned...