I’ve been getting my final bills from our utility companies, and overall, they haven’t been horrible… except for our final gas bill, which I just opened.

$205 for seven days.

Yeah. What the hell? The office is closed, so I can’t call, but does anyone have any ideas about why my gas bill would skyrocket? It’s been averaging about $100 per month, and now it’s $200 for a week? Seems very wrong to me.

I also received the claims forms for the furniture the movers damaged… and they suck on a huge level.

“If this form is not completely filled out IN FULL your claim will be DENIED. No exceptions.”

Oof… it says that three times.

I flip through the pages and find what I have to fill out.

I HAVE TO GET AN EFFING ESTIMATE?!

Hi, it’s an IKEA bed. And I am so not paying to have someone come in here, look at it, and say, “Yeah, that can’t be fixed. Now pay me $50 for giving you this estimate.”

I also need the receipt (which I could probably find.. it’s only two years old :P), pictures (yeah, I already took those) and all the paperwork I ever had with the movers.

Part of me is wondering if I should just give up on it. I mean, if I don’t have an estimate on how much the damages will cost to repair (does anyone even repair IKEA wood? lol), my claim is going to be denied anyway.

Should I really bother taking the time to hunt through two years of receipts for the bed receipt?

I can hear my mother saying, “Yes! It’s the principle!”.. so I know I probably will, but my god, does it really have to be this difficult? They broke it. They should fix it.

This is the second time I’ve dealt with movers, and let me just say, so far, a big thumbs down, F grade for all of them.

I bought my bed, hauled it from IKEA, dragged it up my stairs and put it together myself almost two years ago.

I never had a problem.

The damn movers dinged it while taking it apart and putting it back together.

Then, at oh, say, 3AM, our bed broke. It appears that two of the supports snapped.

And no, we were not having sex, thank you very much.

GODDAMN MOVERS!

We moved boxes and small stuff yesterday.. good friends, five cars, two trips and the entire kitchen was unpacked by five.

Then there was today.

Today was the worst. Our movers? Assholes, and also, one didn’t speak any English, compared to the other two who spoke spotty English.

Let’s see: they dinged two things, overcharged me by two hours (I have a complaint filed… I might have mentioned the BBB, but according to Chop, should have mentioned INS), smelled so bad I had to open all the windows and so just in general, FUCK.

Right now we’re attempting to maneuver furniture into place (the Chop hurt his back) and just generally trying to chill out.

I’ll post pictures.. the house is amazing. 🙂

Also, I promise to start posting more since I’m going to be less stressed. 🙂

I’m not the biggest fan of eBay, in general, but I think it has its uses and so therefore I have no problem using it when I need it.

That being said, I had a VERY, VERY BAD DAY TODAY, dealing with irritating, obnoxious people and the final “straw in the coffin of hell” (yes, OK, I was having troubles with my metaphors… don’t judge me!) was this person who I purchased from on eBay.

I “won” (seriously, won? such a dumb thing to say when you are paying for something, but whatever) two items from this person and the automatic email sent after it had ended asked me to confirm the zip code. I did so, and asked if the seller combined shipping.

She responded that yes, she did and she would send me my total right away.

She sent it, I paid and then (so very stupid of me) assumed all was well and moved right along with life.

I received an email this afternoon, following most of the insanity of my day, informing me that she had given me the shipping for my PayPal confirmed zip code and not the zip code I had given her.

Now first off, normally I’d be all, “yeah, yeah, no worries, here ya go” but today, today I am RIGHTEOUSLY PISSED AT THE WORLD.

So I responded, “Yep, it needs to go to the [my mom’s zip] address. That’s why I emailed it right away.”

And then she’s all “Oh, I’m sorry I must’ve deleted it and blah blah, and..”

OK, I’m just going to post what she said and yeah, here:

Thank You for your PROMPT Reply & Paypal Payment!! However, I have a concern I want to confirm with you before your package is sent. When you first emailed me that you’d won and asked me if I combine shipping, I can’t remember for sure(I thought)you provided me with a zipcode. When I combined your items and had your package weighed, I went with the [my state] Address/Zipcode([my zip])which is on your Ebay Item Won page. So, your shipping rate was $7.15(package weight 7lbs. & you’re considered in my local zone, based on my zipcode & the [my state] Address). It wasn’t until I received your Paypal Payment today(2/15)that I saw the [my mom’s state] Address/Zipcode([my mom’s zip])that I realized the shipping rate was incorrect/based on the [my state] Address/Zipcode([my zip]). That’s when I remembered your first email and the possible([my mom’s zip])zipcode you provided me with. I’ve tried to locate the email before replying to you. I must have deleted it. The [my mom’s state] Address/Zipcode(98466)will be a different shipping rate. Although the package weight(7lbs.)remains the same. That zipcode([my mom’s zip])is considered zone 8(the furtherest zone from my zipcode)and the actual shipping rate is $14.80. I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE!! PLEASE, reply back as to which address you’d like your package sent. If you want it sent to [my state], the package will be sent as planned. If the package is to be sent to [my mom’s state], I will refund your ENTIRE invoice total(through Paypal)and try to send you an invoice total with the correct shipping rate($14.80)based on the [my mom’s state] Address/Zipcode([my mom’s zip]). AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR UNDERSTANDING TO THIS MATTER AS THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR REPLY. I WILL WAIT FOR YOUR REPLY AND THEN DO SO ACCORDINGLY!! TALK TO YOU SOON….
Have a great day!!
Thank you,

So then it turns out that she can’t do what she wanted, so she instead sends me another invoice for seven bucks and change.

And rolling, my eyes, I’m thinking, fine, whatever, I’ll pay it. But, I thought it was important to state that I thought that since this was her fault, she shouldn’t have asked me to pay the difference—hello, customer service anyone?

So I reply:

I’m going to go ahead and pay this, but I wanted to let you know that since it was your mistake and not mine, you really should have just told me about it and said you were going to pay the difference, since it wasn’t a customer error. That would be good customer service. It would also make people more likely to shop with you again.

And OK, yes, according to the Porkchop, I was a little smidge mean, but I mean seriously people, you have to be kidding me here.

So then she responds:

Thank You for your PROMPT shipping difference payment. You must have made the payment in between the email I was typing you(after I sent the invoice). Yes, it was my mistake~ an honest mistake which I apologize for. However, the shipping amount $14.80 is the ACTUAL, combined shipping rate(your initial invoice would have had if I would have used the [my mom’s zip] zipcode). So, I’m not sure why you’re upset. I was only requesting the difference to equal the ACTUAL shipping, not any additional shipping funds and/or fees(I’m charged). The zipcode/zone(from [my state];East Coast to [my mom’s state];West Coast, based on my [her state];East Coast Address/[her zip] Zipcode)with the 7lb. package weight determined the rate change from $7.15(local zone 1,2,3)to $14.80(zone 8)~ I didn’t. I’m merely charging you exactly what shipping rate(I’ll pay)to send it. I charge all of my buyers, the exact rate, not a flat rate(as most sellers do). I also combine shipping(some sellers don’t & the shipping calculator doesn’t). The seller has to manually enter the correct combined shipping rate. Each oval bowl package weighs 4lbs. and would have cost $10.35 per package = $20.70. The combined package weight is 7lbs. and $14.80($5.90 combined shipping savings). Believe me, I’m an honest person. AGAIN, I take great pride with each ebay transaction. I’ve also refunded additional shipping paid(customers bought multiple items and didn’t wait for their combined shipping invoice and proceeded to pay)or if their package weight weighed less than calculated. So, I’ve also refunded additional money paid(as I would have done for you if you would have overpaid). My goal is to only charge(and take)the ACTUAL shipping rate. I HONESTLY didn’t expect this reaction from you. I only requested the ACTUAL shipping difference(corrected my mistake/confirmed correct zipcode/address the package will be sent). However, I want you to be COMPLETELY SATISFIED and if that means a $7.65 refund~ I’ll GLADLY do so. I look forward to your reply,

So oddly enough, at this point, I’m just more pissed off and let me count the ways. All caps? Seriously? You want to do the Internet equivalent of YELLING AT ME? Argh. Second, “I didn’t expect this reaction”.. oh yeah, you expected me to be all roses since you fucked up? Yeah, no.

So I respond:

Well first, you can’t expect any response from someone you don’t know, and second, I was simply pointing out a well-known customer service issue. As someone who sells in the online sphere, and has lots of customers, I was honestly shocked that you asked me to pay more. Not because I wouldn’t have been willing to pay the actual shipping rate (and seriously, all caps? online that’s considered really quite rude), but because that’s just poor customer service. I did everything I was supposed too, and so the onus was on you, not me, to handle the problem and handle it fairly. I don’t care about the seven bucks and I already said I would pay it and I did. I’m not angry, I’m not going to fight with you, I just think you should know that in retail circles, this response would be highly frowned upon. No offense to you, but I would probably not buy from you again. Not because I’m mad, or feel like I got screwed, but because that sort of customer service isn’t what I like dealing with.

I also wanted to say, “And learn how to spell and use punctuation. No normal human uses that many exclamation points and you can tell you didn’t read this before sending it.”

But, I did not. Which, personally, I think shows great restraint on my part.

Now, there’s a good chance you are with the Porkchop on this, that a) I overreacted and b) that you would never have said anything in the first place.

And normally, I wouldn’t have either, but a) my mom always tells me I should stick up for something that I think is right and b) I HAD A BAD DAY.

So, my side, or the Choppy’s side?

——-UPDATE———-
Oh, and there is SO much more.

I’ve been as kind with my replies as I thought possible. I made an honest mistake. I never tried to offend you(when I asked for the shipping difference). I was thinking more about having the correct address and shipping it correctly. I wasn’t trying to be rude. I only capitalized actual because I was hoping you didn’t think I was making up additional shipping funds. Again, I never knew words wrote in all caps were offensive. It seems as if you’re trying to find fault with everything I’ve done. I’ve been in retail/customer service for many years(aside from ebay). I realize the customer is always right. However, I was just correcting my shipping error(at the time, I honestly didn’t think it was rude). It wasn’t as if I sent the package to the wrong address and it came back to me. I then charged you additional shipping to have it sent to the address requested. A shipping error of that kind, I would have totally understood your anger. I guess if your ebay mailing address would have coincided with your paypal address, your invoice total would have been correct the first time. I’m not angry and I’m certainly not going to fight with you either. The customer may always be right. However, there’s certainly a descent approach to going about it. To say you probably wouldn’t buy from me again, mention the word screwed(you don’t think that’s rude)and this type of customer service isn’t what you like dealing with, is totally unjustified. I’ve only sent kind emails with sincere apologies. As someone who considers customer service a top priority, as a buyer, I would never react this harshly. Thankfully, this was only ever my first mistake. It’s unfortuante though, I had to experience it with someone unlike myself. I could also reply stating I would hope to never do business with someone like you again(similiar reasons as you listed and unenjoyable). However, what does a statement like that prove. Ebay is based on mutual respect between buyers/sellers. Your $7.65 will be refunded.

My response:

Well a) I said I didn’t feel screwed, not that you screwed me. There is a difference. And b), your responses to me just became quite rude.

Also, right here: “I guess if your ebay mailing address would have coincided with your paypal address, your invoice total would have been correct the first time.”

That right there just proves my point. You think this was my fault because you messed up. I followed your instructions to the letter. Lots of people ship to different addresses than their PayPal confirmed ones.

Don’t refund my money. I didn’t request a refund, nor do I want one.

You honestly think you responded with mutual respect? You did not.

You honestly feel we are different? I do as well. I would never have asked for more money after a transaction had finished.

You feel you wouldn’t do business with me again because I simply gave you advice? That’s also quite rude. I said I wouldn’t because I don’t like your customer service. I never attacked you; you shouldn’t attack me.

What I wanted to say? BRING IT BITCH. My sister could totally kick your ass!

The Porkchop and I left my parent’s home Friday evening at 9PM. We got home yesterday at 5:30PM.

What, you ask, could have caused us to travel for twenty hours?

Having our second flight cancelled, and being stuck at Dulles International Airport (in D.C.) for SEVEN AND A HALF HOURS.

We crashed when we got home, needless to say, hence the posting at 8:50AM on a Sunday.

Longest trip ever.

Also, I still have no computer, where the email for this site and all my other accounts reside, so if you’ve emailed me, I’m not ignoring you!

sidenote to wendy: we didn’t make it up there yesterday! So sorry! When are you leaving and is the green hutch still there? 😀

Due to massive flooding across the state, my sister and her family are being evacuated from her house.

According to the Seattle PI, “The National Weather Service has raised the flood warning from “major” to “record severity” for six Western Washington rivers.”

She is understandably not happy.

Send dry thoughts.

I got rear-ended this morning. In a Starbucks drive-thru. By an idiot who couldn’t pronounce grande.

Seriously, it’s just my luck.

No damage to my Jeep (she hit the tire), but it looked like a small dent was in her bumper. Then again, that could’ve been there from the myriad other accidents she had, as she seemed the type.

It was such a bonehead move, too. She was ordering, incorrectly and with terrible grammar, and she leaned forward (as if that would help her in some way) and either put her foot on the gas, or took it off the clutch, and then boom.

The best part was she didn’t even get out of the car when I did. She was all, “Oh was that me…!?!”

Grrrrrr.

This made me cry.

And wonder where the fuck their parents were.

Food poisoning.

Sick all day, no work.

Have ingested most of a bottle of PeptoBismol.

Not sure if it was the Chinese or what, but I’m never eating Chinese again.

And oh yeah, having a boyfriend who lives with you means he’ll go and get you meds at 7AM, with nary a complaint.

So glad he’s around.

Some months ago the Porkchop bought a Macbook Pro… and yes, I was and am very jealous, but that’s not the issue. The issue is that his disc drive chooses which disc to run at random… it’s a complete crapshoot… and it’s very irritating.

Especially considering he has somewhere in the vicinity of 800 CDs that he wants burned into his iTunes.

And since his disc drive works only about five percent of the time, the plan has been to burn his CDs onto my computer and then transfer them via a FireWire cord.

First of all, considering the sheer number of CDs… burning them, then transfering them, then making sure the ones I won’t like are deleted from my files, then importing everything into his iTunes.. it’s a nightmare job.

Second, my memory is down to less than seven gigs and adding music causes issues.

Third, I have no battery for my laptop, and it’s been shutting on and off on a pretty regular basis.

Yesterday it shut down while I was importing a CD (which has happened before), but when I booted back up, my iTunes library was “damaged” and the “XML file couldn’t be found” and suddenly my 6000 song library was down to just over 1000 and all of my playlists were gone (including my Purchased playlist).

I managed to replace all the music by dragging and dropping directly from my music folder, but all of the playlists were still gone.

Then I synched my iPod… not on purpose… and so now I really can’t replace the playlists.

Here’s the question.. has anyone ever had this happen, and is there anyway I can repair a damaged XML music file? I can’t even figure out why it’s damaged.