About a month ago, I got a unexpected "merit reward" at work for covering a well for a coworker over Christmas & New Years that turned out to be the most sneakily problematic well I've worked. It was amazing how many things I managed to catch along the way that were getting messed up - mostly thanks to some interesting software bugs. Super fun...!
Instead of just throwing it in the bank account like everything else, I decided to actually use it to buy something I wanted. That way it would actually be memorable instead of just spent at Target or the grocery store. It didn't quite cover the 20mm lens for my camera I have been lusting after, but I had enough credit card points that it covered the difference without it technically costing me anything. Woo for a new lens!!
Except the fact that I used the credit card points caused a major issue I didn't realize until too late. About a week later (on a Sunday) I get a notification from MyUPS that my camera will be delivered on Monday. Unfortunately the notification also shows the address as my old Houston address! What?!!?
The best I can figure is that when I switched to credit card points on my Amazon account (instead of Matt's account, which I usually use - you can now family share Prime!), it defaulted back to the last address I used to order with them. And I didn't notice it when I hit "Purchase" because I was so excited about the lens as I had still been hemming and hawing about it all week.
I call UPS and they tell me they can't change do anything about the shipment because it's a Sunday, but if I call back super early Monday morning, I can get the delivery held. Once it is held, if no one comes to get it in 5 days, they will return it to the shipper. So I email the shipper and tell them what is going on and ask them if they can switch the address to Anchorage once the package is held and I will pay the difference. (Apparently as the receiver of packages, your options are pretty limited.)
I call back super early like they asked and ask the shipment to be held. No problem! The shipper emails me back and says that they cannot change the shipment. They say they saw the notification it was being held and that when it was returned to them, they would refund my money and I could order it again. I really wanted the camera lens for Henry's birthday, so I debate just ordering another one now. In the end, I decide against it - it might still make it back in time.
A week or so later, I email the shipper again to see what the status is. They email back (why can't they just give me a phone number??) that their records show the package was signed for and never returned. What the what?!? I go back to UPS and sure enough, the package was signed for. Even better, it was delivered right to my old house 9 hours after the confirmation it would be held.
A few angry phone calls to UPS later and I have absolutely no recourse to get my package back. UPS is all sorry, we screwed up, but there's nothing we can do. I get the feeling the shipper thinks I am trying to scam them and won't do anything. So the only recourse left is to ask one of the old neighbors to help us get in contact with the new tenants. Luckily, we have great "old" neighbors and I get a phone number!
The guy is super friendly and I am so apologetic about the mix-up. It was actually a two part order, the amazon part they had already sent back (cut-outs to make letters out of icing, you've seen them in use already!), but they hadn't gotten around to shipping the lens back yet. They even offered to take it to the UPS store for me. So I paid for the shipping, emailed them a label and patiently waited...
For some reason I sent it to myself 'signature required' even though I am never home during the day. I missed one delivery attempt and decided to reroute it to work the next day. And it came! I walked downstairs to our receiving department and picked it up - no big deal!
The longest ordeal ever to get a lens and I haven't gotten to play with it much, I just took a few test shots with it at dinner tonight. Obviously it's a totally normal dinner - drumsticks are involved and Natalie is patiently waiting for Henry to drop her food... Hopefully I get to play with it more and will fall in love with it just like my other lenses. And for the record, I have since deleted all of the old addresses out of my Amazon account, I do not need that stress again!