Retail Frustration!

The customer is always right. . . Right?

So why have I had such terrible luck lately? Perhaps I was Wrong in the choice of product, manufacturer or store. You tell me!

Frustration number one:

Picked out and ordered the perfect replacement cushions for my glider rocker. The right fabric, thickness, color, shape. . . It was PERFECT! I noticed it was taking a bit to get here. Turns out I didn't read the fine print and shipping wasn't scheduled when I thought. OK. I'll be patient. Scheduled day comes and goes. I research my order a bit. What? I can't find the web site anymore! Just a single page referring any inquires into orders to an e-mail address! Darn! This will be one heck of an e-mail I'm going to send. E-mail is sent and the waiting begins. Of course I get no response. A week later, a letter comes from the retailer. The gist? The retailer I shopped with has been bought out and unfortunately my order had to be canceled!?!!! I'm so frustrated, I don't even want to look for a different product. I have to get the perfect one out of my head first.

Frustration number two:

The crib I borrowed would have been great except for one problem. No hardware. Well, I can solve that. I know how to order parts from the manufacturer. They were nice enough over the phone but. . . due to one little missing plastic piece, no amount of replaced hardware would ever make that crib work and be safe for baby.
Plan B:
Buy another crib. Don't get the absolute cheapest one and don't get the most expensive one either. Remember, only one of my babies will ever use it and he'd better be our caboose! We settled on a model from a reputable manufacturer. We researched the ratings and made sure we picked one that had a good rep and met all the latest requirements and recommendations. The crib we picked can convert to a toddler bed. . . bonus! We ordered it from a well know and trusted retailer. I came in record time. Yea! Finally we'll get somewhere in the nesting department! We opened it that day and began putting it together. Uh OH!!!! What??? It's missing a part!? Not again! OK. Don't panic. I know what to do. I called the manufacturer and asked about a replacement part. Silence. . . she can't find a part. She'll have to consult with the warehouse. She'll call me back. What? Huh? How could this be? It's a brand new crib! I wait an hour and a half. Surely by now she should know if there's a part. I'll call back. Maybe the first gal was wrong. Perhaps I'll get someone else this time and get a more favorable answer. Nope! I got the same gal. She's frustrated that I'm bugging her again. She doesn't like my questions implying that they are somehow responsible for the terrible predicament I'm in. She suggests I contact the retailer. She suggests I return the crib. What? Not what I want to here. She hasn't heard from the warehouse. She'll call me when she knows more. . . . Darn! Not again!!! OK. Don't panic. I can still talk to the retailer. Surely something can be worked out that doesn't include my taking apart the new crib and packing it up to ship back! The retailer was great! Very helpful and sympathetic. They had a convoluted but workable solution. I think it'll work out but want to contact the manufacturer one last time to be sure I don't have an option with them. I call again. This time I expect to get the same gal and immediately assume I did. Wrong. Different gal this time. I'm on hold. . . She comes back with a note from the first gal. The warehouse has no parts. They will not have parts in the foreseeable future. I should contact the retailer. This time I'm upset. How can they not have parts for their product? I ask if they're going out of business (I'm concerned with my investment in their product). I ask if the crib I purchased is too new to have parts yet. I basically want to understand exactly why they don't have parts. How could my research point me in the direction of a company that has this problem? The new gal is annoyed with me. She gets tiffy. She tells me I bought an '06 crib. They're not responsible to keep parts for old cribs. What?! I ask how was I supposed to know that I wasn't getting a new crib? She suggests I talk to the retailer. Perhaps they had an overstock and were still selling an older model. I say, I have and they'll help me. She cuts me off and says that's great have a nice day and hangs up on me. I'm seeing red at this point! For a split second I consider contacting her manager and launching a complaint, heck I could take this injustice all the way to Oprah! The moment passes. I take a deep breath, shake it off and call the retailer back. Their convoluted solution will have to do. By this time next week I'll have a completed crib. A second crib is on it's way. I'm to take the parts from it I need and return the rest. It'll go back to the manufacturer and they'll take the loss! There is some justice in that.