Does it really save that much money?

I was doing some Christmas shopping online. Specifically, I was looking for a gift for my older sister. I found exactly what she wanted no problems. I did my comparison shopping and I found it cheapest at a site called Alibris. Alibris is sort of like Amazon, although I think you can only find media there; books and movies and CDs and whatever.

The checkout process is simple a few days later I get an e-mail saying that the package was sent. Yadda, yadda, yadda, everything is going fine. I even make a two more purchases from the website, both Christmas gifts for my younger sister and girlfriend respectively. The ease of the process is similar with these items.

The important thing to remember about these purchases is that the do not ship with delivery confirmation, I'm assuming this is done to keep prices down. I begin to get a little puzzled however when the last two items I ordered show up before the first. So now I have to go find the dreaded page where you find out what to do when something goes wrong. It said exactly what I knew it would say. Wait until it's been 30 days since shipment before reporting this to Alibris. I knew this because I've had eBay items shipped media mail before and while a majority of the time it takes less than week, it has taken up to 30 days before.

The thirty day mark falls on a Saturday. I contacted Alibris on the Thursday before to tell them I hadn't received my item and that they should begin the process. (If you can't tell, I've done this jig before.) I got a response late the next day and it had very standard wording. Sorry for the blah, blah, blah. Make sure the address is correct...Make sure that no one else in your household has it and forgot to give to you...If it is please wait until after the 30 day period to contact us...whatever. The e-mail itself had lots of random charaters thrown in throughout it making it very difficult to read. The characters weren't English and they looked more like a combination of different punctuation marks.

I don't check my e-mail on the weekends and I knew exactly what response I was going to have waiting for me on Monday. It actually didn't show up until later Monday afternoon. The please be patient and wait for the 30 days to expire and then let us know. They know what day it shipped they should know by now that the 30 day period has already expired.

I then politely respond that it has been 32 days and I still do not have my order so now is the time for action. The response get to that is just plain stupid. Your item is considered lost in the mail and we will refund your money. Please wait at least a week for the bank to update your account.

Do they really save that much money on shipping that they have this policy. They won't send me another of the same item, they will only refund. Wouldn't it be smarter just to send the delivery confirmation so that these losses can be avoided? Why not resend my order (with delivery confirmation this time)? At least that way they still have my money. I obviously wanted the item since I ordered it.

Who practises business like this? With internet shopping the way it is... Here I am someone who has placed 3 orders in 1 month, with at least 25 items in my shopping cart to be purchased at a later date. Why would they deny me this item? Are they that good that profitable that they can afford to lose my business. Who makes these types of decisions?

Bye, bye, Alibris. You have been boycotted. No soup for you.

I hope anyone who reads this will stay away from the website Alibris. There are plenty more options when shopping online and you don't deserve to have to go through what I did. Here I am 2 months later and still no gift for my older sister. Think about that before you place your order this close to Christmas. Buyer Beware.

It Is Upon Us...

Yesterday, as I was walking past the empty parking lot that has been a pumpkin patch for the past month, I noticed something. They had flipped the sign over, now it reads, "Christmas Tree Lot". While I was in the drug store on Sunday getting a paper, I saw Egg Nogg where the Football season beer display used to be. Yesterday i walked into a drug store near work for a soda and I was greeted by a 4 foot Santa singing Christmas Carols, poorly. Finally today while I was making a visit to eBay I saw they had put up their Christmas theme on the site. The season is upon us...

I don't know why, but every year i am surprised when the Christmas decor comes up. It seems earlier every year. Christmas is still almost two months away and yet the lights and displays and songs. I just realized how much time we spend in this "Holiday Season" mode. More than 2 months, almost 20% of the year we have to be exposed to these things that are supposed to be representative of one day.

I dont pretend to understand everything, but this is always leaves me in quite a quandary. I understand that Christmas is one of the more popular holidays. And yes, I understand all too well that there are many preparations to be made for it, with the gift giving and family gathering. However, what I don't get is how anyone can take over two months of Christmas. Christmas started as a Christian holiday and their preparation for it (Advent) is only 4 weeks. Apparently it takes the rest of the world much longer, perhaps because the rest of the world hasn't celebrated it qutie as long, I don't know.

I'm trying to begin my preparations as well. I've already had to book my flight over a month ago. I'm trying to get all of the gifts together so that I'm not in a state of panic come the night before, as I often am. I am even trying my hardest to accept the weather conditions as they approach, no matter how much I despise them. However, I am still not ready for the adjust to Christmas mode and I'm sure there are others like me. So please just give us time, we are trying to come around, but it really is just too early. Early like the sunset since the time change this past weekend.

So remember before you decide to put in that Christmas CD that's been in the back of your collection or turn on your cackling 4 foot Santa Claus, be sure to brace your self for a swift punch in the face and Merry Christmas.