In Which We Get New Outdoor Furniture & Ally Embraces Social Media, Part 1 of 2

/ Ally Bean

{Sub-titled: Nothing Is Ever Easy, But Darn This Furniture Is Pretty}

SUNDAY, Day 1 – The Beans place an online order with a reputable catalog company for a wicker furniture set, consisting of 1 loveseat with cushions + 2 lounge chairs with cushions.  They also order an ottoman with cushion.

TUESDAY, Day 3 – The happy duo receives a phone call from reputable catalog company, and agree that Ally will be home on Friday morning to take delivery of wicker furniture with cushions because someone must sign for these items.

WEDNESDAY, Day 4 – Ottoman with cushion is dumped on stoop by front door of home in late afternoon.

No one signs for anything.

~ • ~

Screen Shot 2016-05-10 at 7.10.05 AM

~ • ~

FRIDAY, Day 6 – Ally waits at home for wicker furniture with cushions to be delivered by third-party delivery service.

Truck Man shows up on time, but is confused by all the gibberish on the cartons:

  1. factory-printed name of product different from reputable catalog company name for furniture;
  2. arbitrary hand-written markings scribbled hither and yon;  +
  3. multiple official shipping labels.

Ally is also confused by this mess.

Together, over the course of an hour, Ally and Truck Man determine that 5 of her 6 cartons of wicker furniture with cushions are here.

Truck Man talks with Guy On Dock who admits that Carton 2 of 6, which contains cushions for one lounge chair, is sitting in front of him, and that it’ll be delivered to house that afternoon.

Ally must wait to sign for it.

SATURDAY, Day 7 – Ally, who waited but did not receive Carton 2 of 6, tells husband, Zen-Den, Esq., to call reputable catalog company.  He does so and is told to expect Monday delivery of Carton 2 of 6.

MONDAY, Day 9 – Carton 2 of 6 does not arrive at house, although Ally is at home all day ready to sign for it.

TUESDAY, Day 10 – Z-D again calls reputable catalog company, and speaks with someone who says that on Wednesday Guy On Dock will call him back with a Carton 2 of 6 location update.

WEDNESDAY, Day 11 – Z-D doesn’t get a phone call, Carton 2 of 6 does not arrive at house, so Ally, tired of waiting around the house, takes matters into her own hands.  Which is to say she uses social media to get some attention from reputable catalog company.

~ ~ • ~ ~

What will happen next?  Will Ally and Zen-Den get their last two cushions from reputable catalog company?

And if so, how will it happen?

~ • ~

TUNE IN TOMORROW TO FIND OUT HERE ON:

AS THE WORLD BEAN TURNS.

~ ~ • ~ ~

36 thoughts on “In Which We Get New Outdoor Furniture & Ally Embraces Social Media, Part 1 of 2”

  1. Grrrr.

    Waiting fruitlessly is MOST annoying.
    Broken promises … even MORE annoying.

    Hope cushions arrive.
    Hope meaningful apology is received … but I wouldn’t count on that part.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. So very frustrating, which is probably why I long ago decided that I would never buy anything online that I have to ‘wait around’ so sign for. If they can’t leave it at my door or in my box, I just don’t need it bad enough, or will go to the store myself for it. Silly thing is, it’s not like my life is so full that I CAN’T wait around…I just refuse to be told that I have to 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Deb, this has been a learning experience for me/us. I didn’t think much about the waiting around part when we ordered because I’m here most of the time anyhow. However, in the future, I may follow your lead, wise woman that you are.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Allie P, lovely is a good way to describe this situation which is made for blogging. There is a part 2 coming tomorrow of course, and it is, if I may suggest, even more lovely.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Funny, I just heard an evil laugh while I read this….. an evil sciurine laugh. Look up, and you might be treated to a very comfortable looking squirrel’s nest furnished with the ever fashionable cushion that was once in Carton 2 of 6…

    Liked by 2 people

  6. I am excited to hear the rest of the story – and hope that it ends successfully. I hate that delivery company without even knowing who they are. “We have your box but we don’t feel like delivering it,” is not a good response. Reputable catalog company isn’t sounding all that great either.

    Like

    • Zazamataz, yes, this story has many a twist and turn, before it ends. Rest assured that I had plenty of time waiting… leading to an opportunity to write… about what happened.

      Like

  7. I feel for you. When we ordered our bed we were supposed to have it two days before we moved in, but we slept on the mattress on the floor for over a month, because Chicago is five hours away and we do not own a box truck and we were unable to foresee that the furniture company would change its delivery company the day after we placed our order. Do you know how hard it is to make a mattress bed on the floor?
    What made this worse was that the owner of the furniture store is a long-time friend, so we couldn’t even scream at him. And of course we’ll buy from him again, because we enjoy deep discounts.
    Are you not screaming yet?
    So frustrating!

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey, your bed story sounds awful. You got the bed eventually? I can understand the financial incentive for doing what you did, but so frustrating… especially when what you wanted was so close. It’s all just botheration, isn’t it?

      Liked by 1 person

      • Yes, we got the bed. We should have had it August 19, but we got it the first Saturday in October. He was sorry, of course, but the delivery situation was awful, more than just our bed, a lot of people’s everythings. :/

        Like

        • joey, I do feel sorry for any business that has to rely on delivery services because from what I can tell delivery services don’t know what color the sky is, let along where it is. Just saying…

          Liked by 1 person

  10. When I first started working from home I got myself a mailbox address so I would not have to give out my home address as my business address. They sign for everything and when I have something that needs to be signed for, I have it delivered there. Of course, in the case of large backyard furniture, unless you have a truck where you could pick it up from the mailbox store, you may have some problems. Also, the guys at the mailbox place may not know what (if anything) was missing so that could be a problem too. Glad you are able to make fun of the situation with these great blog posts! Can’t wait to read the ending.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Janet, your idea for a mailbox address is a good one. Of course, for this particular shipment it would have had to have been the largest mailbox in the entire USPS system! I’m accustomed to dumb things happening to me, but this story goes beyond. As you will see tomorrow… 😉

      Like

  11. And I keep running to the front window all day, searching…hoping for an appearance….the track your package says it’s out for delivery…2 days? for 2 days? The truck will wait until we have to leave…and it’s raining…and will pitch it on the porch and scare the cat because the dog barking like crazy.And we will return to a soggy package and s smelly house because the dog ( who was given multiple opportunities outdoors before we left) will finally go potty (she’s been sick)…on the door mat – and will look grumpy like it’s all our fault.
    Hope your delivery arrives without any additional problems.
    Still easier than driving to the mall!

    Liked by 1 person

    • philmouse, the reason we chose the furniture that we did was to avoid going to one of those horrible pool and spa retail stores. But of course this has not turned out to be as easy as I’d hoped… as tomorrow’s tale will explain.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. How hard would it have been for someone to bring carton 2 to you? It was their mistake. I really really hate companies that pass the buck and expect customers to be left waiting over the company’s delivery screw-ups. Hope you get carton 2 soon!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Kourtney, this whole story is one goofy thing after another. I knew where the carton was, but couldn’t just go and get it. That would have been too simple, and made for a shorter story!

      Like

  13. Pingback: In Which We Get New Outdoor Furniture & Ally Embraces Social Media, Part 2 of 2 – THE SPECTACLED BEAN

  14. There is truly nothing worse than waiting and waiting. And none of the companies appreciate the fact that you may have a life outside the house. How frustrating!!! Of course I would be on the telephone with everyone sharing my concerns. Unlike you, I don’t mind talking to whoever I have to get some answers. My name is on a list at AT&T – it says – if this woman calls, give her anything she wants, because she will stay on the phone for hours and hours, until she does get answers. I think the cable company may have my name on a list too.

    Liked by 1 person

    • You inspire me! If only I had the determination and stamina to stay on the phone and DEMAND SATISFACTION NOW. Of course, considering how it all turned out, I think the right person in this family used the phone, while the right person in this family used social media. Kind of double-teamed them, we did.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Margaret, yes, this was beyond inconvenient and I knew where the cushions were, so I could have driven to the dock and got them myself. But no…

      Like

Comments are closed.