GRRR, a Rant

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OK, I just need to get this off my chest.

Two weeks ago, I realized I couldn't find the cable to connect the Kindle to my computer. I wanted to update some of the books for Terry, but the cable seems to have hidden itself in some dark corner of the motorhome.

We may never see it again.

I went looking for one around town, but I get frustrated with box stores, they so rarely have the exact thing I need. After a non productive afternoon, I went online to Amazon. There, they had what I needed for just $4.00.

I placed my order, because, really, I love Amazon, don't you? Usually excellent service, even from their associate sellers. (And just a bit of self promotion here, if you order from Amazon, feel free to use my link at the top of the page).

I placed this order on October 1, expecting it to arrive in a couple of days, five at the most. A week went by, no cable, so I wrote the company, inquiring. A day later, they wrote back saying they had sent it, but neglected to add tracking, so would I mind waiting a bit?

This annoyed me, but being a retired employee of the USPS, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.

So today, 13 days after I placed the order it finally arrived (from southern California to central California). I opened the package to find they had sent the wrong item.

GRRRR.

I emailed them, and they wrote back

"I do apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you and my late response. Sorry to hear that you might have received the wrong item (s). My records show that this is the item [MICRO-USB-CBLE-06] sent to you. Now can you please confirm the SKU, barcode number on the sticker of the actual packaging for the item received?

Also if you can send a picture of the item versus your device we can determine if this was a shipping error or if we received the wrong item from the manufacture company. This information would be very helpful to help in this matter. "

Well, geeez, I thought this was a bit much for a $4.00 item, but I complied, along with a terse note.

THEN they sent me a note saying a replacement cable would be mailed to me, but added this

"We currently do not offer reimbursements on return shipping. So you are not required to return them. However if you do not mind sending them back at a low shipping cost, (you can even return them in the same package you received them in) we would highly appreciate it. "

Well, that nailed it. Do they really think this is any kind of customer service? First they take two weeks to get me a small cable, that if they would have bothered to send it first class would have been here in at least a week. THEN they have the gall to ask that I send their error back to them at my expense?

I don't think so.

Or am I just having a bad day?
What do you think?

All right, rant over.

Tomorrow, my new iPhone will be here, I can hardly wait. In preparation, I've been updating software and playing with the cameras in the old phones.

Here's a shot taken with my iPhone 3GS
Straight out of the camera (SOOC)
It could be fixed, but it would take a lot of work.
(click to enlarge)

Here's pretty much the same shot
taken with Terry's iPhone 4.
It's a superior camera,
the photo is much better,
but could still use work.

In the next day or two,
I'll take a similar shot with my new phone.
Then I'll be able to tell if the new phone
is a real improvement.

My hopes are high!