The Cheque Isn't In The Mail

There was a time when I thought UPS were the ultimate in shitty service.  Example: leaving a $350 Beatles Vinyl boxset on the front porch of a fairly busy street.  But my Shitty Service Award (I just made that up for this entry) now goes to Canada Post.

Here's a little back-story:  I ordered a book off of Amazon.  Unfortunately, it goes through Canada Post.  Every day I get an update e-mail telling me what's going on with the parcel.  I get an e-mail saying it's been delivered.

So you'd think when a package has a status of "Delivered" it might actually be delivered.  So where is it?  That's right, it's been over a week now, coming up to 2 weeks and still nothing.

Grab a coffee for the next bit.

Since it's 2015, I figured I could resolve this whole matter by going online to their website, full of FAQs and Q&As and Knowledge Bases; it should be a website full of help.  Even better, they just revamped it.  Should be able to open a support ticket and everything should be cleared up.  This shouldn't take but 10 minutes.  I click the tracking link from one of my cornucopia of e-mails which brings me to a page telling me that my item has been Delivered. 

Hmmm.

At the bottom of the page, I see a link for "What can I do if my package has a tracking number but wasn’t delivered?"

The answer for this Q & A is: "If a parcel or letter was sent by a service that can be tracked but has not been delivered by the expected due date, start by confirming the status of the package using Track."  That last Track is a link that brings me back to a page that lets me manually input the tracking number.  After putting in the tracking number, guess where I'm redirected?  Just guess.  Yup, a page saying my parcel has been Delivered.

Thanks, Canada Post, are you weaning me on the elimination of door-to-door service?

Now, if I go back to the "What can I do if my package has a tracking number but wasn’t delivered?" page, at the bottom is a "Do you still need help?" section.  Great because so far, yeah, I do.  I get to select if I'm the Receiver, put in my postal code, and my tracking number.  You can see where this is going...

I get a page that says "We are unable to proceed with your Service Ticket because our records indicate the item has been delivered".

What a garbage webpage.  Instead of getting angry at a shitty website that loops and loops and provides nothing you'd call a service, I think that I'd probably like to talk to someone.  There would have to be a support number listed somewhere on the website, right?  You'd think so.

I go to the bottom of the page.  There's a link for Contact Us.  I click that and now I'm brought to their Support page. 

Thanks.  I type in "phone" in the search box.  I get a Results page and the first thing I see is How To Contact Us.  Great.  There's even a kb in the link so I should get somewhere.

Here's the "knowledge base" page text:

Support

General Inquires / General Information

How to contact us online or by phone

You can reach us on social media or by phone. In addition, you can fill out an online form to create a service ticket and report a problem. Due to a high volume of inquiries, we do not maintain an email address.

If you’re looking for information on a specific topic, you can find answers to many common questions in our Support section.

If you don’t find what you’re looking for, please contact us for further assistance.

•Contact our support team on Twitter or Facebook.

•Contact us by phone.

•Fill out a form to create a service ticket and report a problem.

So there's no actual phone number on the How To Contact Us page.  So I click the "contact us by phone" from the bullet list.  Which brings me right back to the goddamn Support page again.

Thanks, Canada Post.  All the good co-op students taken?

I called the local post office and they gave me the phone number to call Canada Post's call centre.  So far, that was the only thing that went right.  Then I talk to the girl who was very pleasant but tells me I have to contact the Seller and send the reference number to them, which I find a little silly because they should have that on record, as part of the tracking number, who the sender was.  But that's OK, Canada Post, I'll do the leg work for your screw up.

Thanks be to Jesus that it was only a $6 book but Canada Post is as smart as a glass of piss.  Why would this one mishap be such a big deal?  That's the fun part, this was my second time that this has happened to me. And I ain't special which means this probably happens all the time.

Thanks, Canada Post for being a total waste of time.  Maybe not hiring delivery drivers with dyslexia would be a good start.

You'd think for a failing company that they'd want to avoid things like these, because it doesn't rake in the profits.  Read their 5 Point Action Plan (https://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/assets/pdf/aboutus/5_en.pdf); it's Canada Post's main objective.  When they state that "Future success will require a leaner workforce, more competitive wages and benefits and greater flexibility to offer customers the types of services they want and need", you know someone's in trouble.  Like people.


**Update**


5 days after posting the above entry, guess what arrived?  My $6 book.  Guess who can't read it?   Me, since I already agreed to send it back because the seller already refunded my money.


Thanks, Canada Post, you useless tools.


**Another Update**
Apparently, I'm not the only one: http://www.cbc.ca/news/trending/gatineau-man-s-reddit-post-showing-lazy-canada-post-delivery-goes-viral-1.3144876?cmp=rss

Into The Void: How Not To Get A Black Sabbath Vinyl Box Set

So earlier this month, I thought I'd splurge and pick up the Black Sabbath Vinyl Box Set - y'know, because I really need it. Anyways, here's the link:

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B009S2U74K/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Reason I'm posting the link is that if you go to Amazon, you'd swear that it's an actual item. And going through Amazon.ca, I thought I could save myself $100 compared to .com. You'd think.

So here's the whole story (pull up a chair):

On February 13, I placed the order. Later that night, I got the "your order has been shipped" e-mail. Wonderful. Wonderful because anytime I see that e-mail, the next day I get my item. Always. Never fails. But only when Amazon says they have it in stock at their warehouse, as this item is listed.

No Valentine's Day present for me. Or the next day. Or the next day. Now there was a lot of snowstorms on the planet so I gave a little grace period. Also what went through my mind is when I bought the Beatles box set that UPS left on the doorstep. Boy, that burns my ass when I think about that so I actually came to the conclusion that UPS drop it off on the porch again and some asshole stole it. But there was nothing to steal this time.

In the meantime, I'd hop on UPS' site, check the tracking number and all that would show up was "In transit".

Anyways, on the 21st, I e-mailed Amazon to tell them that I think my package is lost. In all honesty, they were the best.

Here's what I got as a reply (it's good to keep e-mails):
"I am sorry to hear that you have not received this order. The package appears to be lost.

Tracing a package is time-consuming and only occasionally successful. Because we want you to receive your order as soon as possible, we have found it more efficient to simply send a replacement order whenever a package is lost in shipping.

Therefore, I've placed a new order for the item and there will be no charge for this replacement."

Beautiful. Sure enough that night, I got my "your order has been shipped" e-mail. Oh boy.

Guess what never came.

I wrote them yesterday (27th) explaining the whole thing in case I got another person getting the e-mail. Here's what I got back:
"Thank you for writing to us at Amazon.ca.

I'm so sorry to hear you haven't received your replacement order either. Because we've tried sending you the The Vinyl Collection 1970-1978 twice without success, it's unlikely another replacement order will be delivered.

Instead, I have requested a refund of $338.89 to cover the cost of the original shipment. This refund should go through within 2-3 business days and will appear as a credit on your next credit card billing statement."

I'm still kinda bummed but I got my refund and it is balanced out by not having any problems with Amazon. They were, in short, the best.

Conclusion

So I'm wondering, does this box set even exist? Are there actually 2 box sets that are "in transit" somewhere? The Twilight Zone? Did Zeus come down from the clouds and steal it from the UPS truck? We'll never know.

What made me feel a whole lot better was reading the reviews from Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Album-Box-Set-Black-Sabbath/dp/B009S2U74K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362000129&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Vinyl+Collection+1970-1978

"Just recieved the Black Sabbath Vinyl box set and it's damaged as I feared and expected. Amazon won't replace it , only refund because of lack of availablity."

"Mine also experienced the same issue. I can't get a replacement, and the price has gone up over $100 since I ordered it. They were damaged before they were shrink wrapped then shrink wrapped and shipped. I guess I am returning them and will be on the look out for another copy around $300. :( Going to check if the records are good tonight. "

"Same exact issue here. Packaging was fine, box containing the records as fine, album sleeves were all damaged. Scuffed and torn along the top edge. I also cannot get a replacement anywhere :( They are advertised on Amazon.co.uk, but only for £100 more than the RRP I originally paid. :(

A "used-acceptable" one is advertised for £180, but small print says may be re-packaged, or packaging may be damaged. I wonder what will be wrong with that one, eh!

Terrible quality control and abysmal customer service has been my experience. To be clear, IT IS NOT shipping damage. IT IS NOT the fault of the retailer. Outer packaging "

Maybe something really is looking out for me.

I, a-Hi Hi, a-Hi Hi, Dig a Box Set

Since I moved again (yes, if you've been following the Blog, this will make it the 4th place I lived at in one year - a personal record) and hopefully will be staying here for at least a year, I gifted my new home (and myself) with the Beatles Vinyl Box Set.

Happy House Warming to me.

I was going to pass on it but when I read there were only 50,000 being made, I promptly headed to Amazon (cheapest place I've seen it) and placed an order.  After I placed it, I thought, "Wait - I'll probably have the out-of-stock problems I had when the Mono box came out."  But no, it came the next day after being ordered.  I will say first that I'm so fucking angry with UPS for just leaving this $350 box on the front porch in broad daylight.  Thanks to the asshole who delivered it (LaSalle Ontario UPS location).  Too lazy to leave a sticker on the door or was it too heavy to bring back to the truck?  Do your job next time, asshole.

Anyways, anger dissipated to happiness when I got a look at what was in the box.  The foam on the top and front side was a nice touch.  Each LP and hard cover book was shrink wrapped.  The book was quite nice - nice paper too.  I only flipped though it though.  The last few pages of the book were about the mastering and cutting process which you can find online in any review.

Sound-wise, it's great.  Apparently they used the 24 bit resolution for the LPs instead of the 16 bit versions used for the CDs.  Not sure if I'm a huge fan of the 180 gram vinyl.  They're heavy and I did let them warm up a bit before putting them on (remember, they were out on a cold porch).  I've seen 78s break to pieces from not being so flexible.

I started with Please Please Me (Side 1); Help (Side 2); Revolver (Side 2 - had a two skips on Tomorrow Never Knows); Side 4 of the White Album (up until Revolution No 9) and Side 1 of Abbey Road.  I found myself being mesmerised my McCartney's bass lines in every song.

At the end of my Listening Session, I put on the 2009 Abbey Road CD.  There was a noticeable difference in overall tone.  I think you'd have to be deaf to not hear it.  Where as the LPs were bass heavy, or some people would call "warm", the CD, I found was to be even and focused.  For me, the first album (Please Please Me) was neat because I've only ever heard the mono version.  Even though I still prefer the mono versions in terms of a mix, I get a better idea of how the instruments sound being panned to one side.

Of course, now I can't wait for BluRay versions of these.  Imagine 24 bit resolution and no static.  Hoo Lordy.  Maybe those will come out in 2022 for some kind of Beatle anniversary.

Next for me is to rip them to the PC for my own enjoyment.  My sound card has RCA inputs and the best part is, since I recently purchased Samplitude, I can make 24 bit wavs.  Just for me.  I say that because when I got the Mono box set, someone asked me to burn me a copy for them.  In my head I thought, "Why don't you get off your ass and buy your own?"  Anyways, never did (say that out loud or burn the CDs).

So while being pricey, and me not being married and/or having kids, I could afford the box set and enjoy it.  If you're in that same boat as me, buy it.  Why not waste time in front of the stereo?  There are only a few things on the planet that could be better.

Pickups the Pace

Last week I thought I'd order some replacement pickups for my Goldtop. The Goldtop is an 89 and at that time Gibson were installing P-100 pickups.  A P-100, for all you fine folks, looks like a P-90 but is an actual humbucker instead of single-coil and different than a hum-reduced pickup.  I thought about swapping the pickups ever since I started getting into humbuckers because I noticed the Goldtop didn't have the gain that my guitars with humbuckers had. Then slowly, those guitars (Studio Plus, SG3) started being my main ones and I retired the Goldtop.

I'm not sure why I have to fix up the Goldtop now. Maybe I was getting sentimental last week. Anyways, I hunted for anyone who makes P-100s (I don't do eBay) and the only place I could find was AllParts for reasonably priced P-100s. Unfortunately UPS' pricing is shit. $75 because it's international. Or maybe because it doesn't get shipped straight to its destination. Have a look at the Shipping Log:

So it starts out by going to Mount Hope Ontario which is a place I can honestly say I've never heard of. I had to look it up. When I read Hamilton, it started making sense.

From there, it goes back to the States; must be out of convenience. Then back to "Canada". Then to the States and back to Mount Hope.

These pickups have traveled more than I have. Honestly, I'd pay $50 if it was shipped straight to the destination. It would probably shave a few days off delivery time and even save some gas.

My favourite Activity was "There is an inadequate description of the merchandise. More documentation required." It wouldn't surprise me if "guitar pickups; quantity 2" baffled and confused people over there at Mount Hope. It's not Secret Squirrel stuff. I bet if you surf long enough, you could probably find the schematics.  Mainly I'm wondering why if someone's waiting for "more documentation", why the hell would they ship it back over to the States instead of keeping it on this side of the border and wait for the "documentation"?

Also, I can't wait to see what inflated Duty I'll have to pay. I'm sure I'll Blog about it in a couple of days after they have to ship the pickups back to the States one more time, y'know, just for old time's sake.