Life in a small town presents many challenges, one of them being the purchase of consumer goods! I do not deny being Queen of Shopping, but nonetheless, being limited to Wal-Mart presents MANY difficulties.
Let’s be honest, Wal-Mart is not known for quality goods. Clothes purchased from there have the shelf-life of perishable produce. Even when our children were young and the budget was tighter, I never purchased clothing from Wal-Mart; they don’t last! What is the point of a cheap item that will fall apart after the first washing machine cycle?
Babies grow fast, and outfitting them can be a challenge. I’ve tried to help our son and nieces by purchasing clothes for their youngsters, but however much I love the convenience of Amazon shopping, buying infant clothes from there is an exercise in complete frustration. Due to the constant returns, my poor husband is on a first-name basis with the UPS people. I bought four sets of name brand, i.e., Carters and Garanimals pajamas, for our grandson before I finally gave up. When an item labeled size 18 months arrives looking like it would fit a newborn, something is terribly wrong.
The last several clothing items purchased for our grandson have come from Kohl’s and cost me shipping. I DESPISE paying shipping, but what’s a Gigi supposed to do when there’s no Target, JCPenney, or Marshall’s, and Amazon fails miserably??
Last summer, my husband surprised me with a waterproof pool case for my phone. I was so excited to use my phone in the water with wet hands and not worry about it drowning. This summer, the case tore slightly, and four replacement cases later, the old case is still in service because I CANNOT find another case that works. The first new pair came from Amazon and were immediately returned because the plastic is too thick, the home screen cannot be accessed.
The next case was ordered from Wal-Mart, by way of China. It took almost a month to arrive, was not the color I ordered, and once again, the plastic is so thick the home screen button doesn’t work. The absolute irony? The original case last year was purchased at the WAL-MART store. Do you think the store carries the cases in 2021? Nope! I’m sure they’ll be in stock around Halloween.
Saturday mornings usually mean mimosas by the pool. We use insulated cups with lids to keep flies out. When the inexpensive Texas State cup I used found itself retired, I went looking for a suitable, reasonably priced replacement. I REALLY wanted the rainbow BruMate champagne cup but was unwilling to pay the $8.50 shipping fees. Instead, I went with a lower price RTIC cup from Walmart.com with free shipping. FAIL! The cup arrived dented on both sides, looking like someone had used it for a hockey puck. Ugh.
I’m beginning to believe the shipping gods have conspired against me. I ordered a fabulous Nike sports bra from Kohl’s, and it arrived four sizes too small. Not sure how I ended up with an XS, but I don’t even think my thigh would’ve fit in that band. The closest Kohl’s is about sixty miles away, so it’s not like I can just swing by on my lunch break. Someone either must make a special trip, or we pay the return shipping. It is incredibly frustrating to spend $10 on an item you don’t even keep. Grrr…
It would be great if this were the end of my story, but wait, there’s more! My wise husband buys insurance on all my jewelry. When my 14 karat gold Disney Princess tiara earrings broke, he drove the sixty miles to JCPenney to have them either repaired or replaced. Not only is Penney’s far away, but they are also SLOW and do not communicate effectively with their customer.
We’d just checked on the earrings, in person, when a package arrived. Before I even opened the envelope, I knew it was bad. By touch alone, I could tell the item inside was not in a box. Sure enough, the earrings had been shoved in an envelope and crushed in transit. Another one hundred twenty-miles round trip, and almost four months later, I am still without my earrings.
Bubble baths are so relaxing, and I try to take one every weekend. Many moons ago, I always purchased bubble bath from Avon. Since I no longer have an Avon representative, I use Bath & Body Works, but they specialize in shower gel, and bubble bath isn’t always on the “menu.” I tried Amazon twice for bubble bath. DON’T DO IT. Despite the lovely sounding name, Passionfruit Something, the bubbles smelled like dangerous chemicals.
Amazon is supposed to have an easy return policy, and if you choose an Amazon credit, the funds are usually available between two & four hours after the item is dropped off at UPS. This policy apparently does not work with bubble bath. It was weeks before I got my money back and then only after a nasty call with Amazon customer service, which, FYI, is very difficult to reach. You must ask them to call you and then wait for the phone to ring.
I’m unsure why I seem to be enduring so many issues with my purchases. Maybe Jesus is telling me to slow my roll and stop buying so much online? Nah. Can’t be. I mean, it’s not like my purchases are completely selfish. A lot of the items are gifts, and being kind or generous is never a bad thing.
Here’s the good news! You cannot keep a strong woman down! I’ve endured many things worse than shopping gone wrong, so I will do what I always do, press on! In the meantime, buyers, beware and don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Until Next Time,
Becky J Miller
“Warrior Princess”