1 post tagged “debacle”

So--last year I thought it was important to go to LED lights. We bought blue for the outside (to match some novelty blue & white snowflake lights that my husband and brother could never manage to hang up) and white for the inside, which resulted in a glowing fluorescent white Christmas tree. This year I resolved to do better. I searched online, found a place that I thought had a decent selection, and ordered red lights for outside, and something called antique candlelight (which looked online like conventional white lights) for the tree inside. The company I ordered it from had a special where you can pay $20 extra for your items to ship the same day if you order before 4pm pacific. Well, I put in my order at 8:30 am pacific and felt confident all would be well. Cut to mid-afternoon the next day and I get an email from the company saying that the reds are sold out, what else would I like? First, I'm pissed because, hello, shouldn't my order have shipped already? And secondly, I had to revise my entire outside decorating plans.  I did remind them of the extra fee i paid for them to ship the same day and asked for a refund since that obviously hadn't happened. And we went back and forth via email, with them going on about how time sensitive it was, so I finally called them (long distance since there was no 800 number) and they put me on hold for close to half an hour. We finally settled on them sending me their last 12 antique candlelight (I had originally ordered 16 sets total). Well, it's 2 weeks later, they finally showed up, and they're orange. Frakkin. Orange. Christmas. Lights. As in, more appropriate if we actually cared to decorate for Halloween. So, I grabbed the packing slip to see about returning them. First, I have to notify them before I am allowed to return them. Secondly, I have to prepay shipping to return (expected, but still a hassle). Thirdly, I have to pay them a 15% (not dollars, PERCENT) restocking charge for my $200 light order for the privilege of sending the damned things back at a time of year when they're flying off the shelves (remember, I got the last 12 sets)

I. Am. Livid.

Christmas Treasures of Blue River, OR? You guys SUCK.

(if you scroll way down on the linked page above, you'll see their demonstration of the differences between pure white, warm white, and antique candlelight. Let's just say that the picture was VERY deceiving. I expected yellowy, not outright ORANGE)