I ordered something (a $50 something) from a catalog to give to a friend of the family who’s house we stayed at last weekend. It was the perfect gift for this person and I was especially pleased with my choice. Instead of sending the item I ordered, the catalog sent me a Nancy Drew movie.
I called them and asked that they send me the correct item. I also mentioned that since it was a gift, I would need it immediately…they needed to overnight it.
Two days later, it had still not arrived. I called the catalog company and asked if it had been sent. It had. They said they spoke with Airborne Express and they said it had already been delivered to my door. I asked for the tracking number. The operator replied, “You don’t need to call them. I just spoke wih them and they say it’s been delivered.” I responded, very calmly, that yes, I do need to speak with them. It obviously has not been delivered. Otherwise, I WOULD HAVE IT!
After obtaining the tracking number, I called Airborne Express. They ascertained that the deliveryperson had delivered it to our next door neighbor.
She did not bring it over the day it was delivered.
The following day was the last day we’d be in town before visiting the friend who’s gift it was. The next door neighbor wasn’t home, so I left a note explaining the situation and asking that the package be brought over as soon as possible, even if it meant leaving it at the front door. Next day - no package.
We brought a bottle of wine to our friend, instead.
5 days later - still no package. We have not actually seen the woman, but my husband dragged her garbage bin up to her house from the road so it wouldn’t be hit by a car. The garbage bin has been moved inside the garage.
So, my simple, restrained message to the lady who resides next door:
BRING MY FUCKING PACKAGE BACK NOW, BITCH!!!
All suggestions for retaliation will be duly considered for implementation.
Find a way to round up as any palmetto bugs as you can and put them in a sack. Send them to yourself via airborne express and make sure you’re not home to sign for it…
First of all, your neighbor may not be home. She may have hired a house-sitter while she’s out of town.
One simple thing to do is to send a letter to her, return receipt requested, demanding the package within, say, two days. If she doesn’t pony up, you’ll refer the matter to the district attorney for prosecution under the appropriate statutes. When you fill out the little green card, check the box marked “restrict delivery” so a house-sitter won’t get it.
I had to learn this after a woman in a former apartment building kept accepting packages, looking at the labels to see who they were from, and keeping the ones that looked interesting. A handful of threats to go to the DA cured her real quick.
My husband and I once ordered a fairly expensive coffee pot to match our wedding dishes and it never arrived. We traced the package and found that it had been delivered to and signed for by a personage named–wait for it—Doug Pickle.
We never found out who Mr Pickle was or where exactly he lived, but, since then, whenever anything in our house disappears mysteriously, we know who has it.
I hate and despise the policy of leaving packages with a neighbor. It’s sickeningly old-fashioned. These are not the days when one lives next to Aunt Bea. Dishonest assholes seem to outnumber nice people 3 to one, and odds are, you live next to one.
Go back to Airborne Express and raise hell with them. After all, it was not delivered to the PERSON TO WHOM IT WAS ADDRESSED. It really is their fault.
Raise enough of stink, and you can probably get some reinbursement from them. If not, go to Small Claims court, write the BBB, call your local TV consumer advocate. Companies hate bad PR.
I agree with Lissa, leaving packages with a neighbor is a stupid practice. What if it was something really valuable?
We got it back.
While I was still at work yesterday, my husband went over and knocked on the door. She answered! Unbelievable.
She said, “Oh, yeah, here it is. I didn’t know whose it was.” Nevermind that our name and address was clearly printed on the package. She lives next door to us, for god’s sake, and she couldn’t figure out the address?! My husband was in a less than confrontational mood yesterday and a little dumbfounded, so he didn’t even say anything, just took the package and left.
He thought the palmetto bug idea was a good one, though!