Lost in the Mail?
I saw a blue moon so I thought I should post.
Over the last few years I have become a massive collector of anime DVDs and video games. As such, I've had to make purchases from around the globe and have had many things shipped to me through almost every courier service available. Hundreds of packages have been delivered to my doorstep. The mail man, Hong Kong customs, a small burb in Singapore, and the entire packing department of RightStuf.com all must know my name and address by heart now. Despite that, there seem to be a few missing packages recently.
At the local Street Festival I tried various dips from Gypsy Hill Foods, a Vienna-based mom & pop soup and dip dealer. I liked and purchased some White Salsa at the festival in September and learned of their website. Around late October, I order some new dips and French Onion soup from their website. When I got the items a few days later, I found Creamy Green Chili instead of French Onion soup. I emailed them and was told to keep that soup and they'd ship out the correct one. Weeks later and nothing. I emailed again, confirmed my address, and was told they had shipped it but would send it again. Weeks later now and still nothing. Vienna, location of AnimeUSA, isn't too far from here. How could TWO different packages get lost in the mail?
At around the same time as the above incident, I purchased a copy of Super Robot Wars Alpha for Dreamcast from a person on eBay that I had dealt with before. I got the game and had trouble with it freezing. I thought it was my booting method so I splurged and got a new boot disc that seems to load every import game I have fine. but the freezing issue in SRW still persists when I enter a battle scene. I contacted the seller in Hong Kong and he said he'd ship a replacement. Weeks later and I had to email him again to see what was up. He sent another replacement. Today is four weeks after our last contact and still nothing. During this time, I ordered another game from him and received it without any trouble. So what's the explanation there?
November 29th, I ordered a super rare DC game for SUPER cheap from PlayAsia.com. I've dealt with them many times without fail. Two weeks later, I ordered something else from them before my last coupon expired. Today, I received the SECOND order all the way from Hong Kong only a week after placing it, but have yet to get the order placed on November 29th. What's the deal there?
I have resolved to always use a shipping method with tracking numbers and insurance on all future orders. My missing orders were shipped without tracking info or insurance so I'll probably be SOL unless I can use my credit card's gracious abilities to clear the PlayAsia order (cheap game, expensive shipping even for standard) but that doesn't get my rare game back. I can live without the soup (the greene chili was nasty, by the way) but I won't order from them again after the initial mistake and two missing corrections, despite that I like their dips. I don't know what to do about SRW for DC aside from ordering again with tracking info.
All these packages I've gotten with standard shipping and no problems, then this all happens. And there's no method to it. Is someone screwing with me or what? I have had items damaged in the mail but most were insured (jewel cases for PS1 games crack with disturbing ease), but I've never had any completely LOST before even around the Christmas rush of mail. Again, the lost money isn't the biggest issue (we're talking maybe $100-120 total), it's the fact that I missed an excellent opportunity to get something very rare that I have been searching for a long time.
If you're wondering, the PlayAsia order contained the Card Captor Sakura: Video no Tomoyo Taisakusen Limited Edition box for Dreamcast. A box set with many trinkets all in BRAND NEW CONDITION. They got one, somehow, and I had to snatch it up. Used sets on eBay go for $60+ and are rare but this was NEW for $25. I also had Full Metal Alchemist: Dream Carnival for PS2 in that package but it's easily found new. French Onion Soup, Super Robot Wars Alpha DC, and CCS, how I wonder what has become of you...
Over the last few years I have become a massive collector of anime DVDs and video games. As such, I've had to make purchases from around the globe and have had many things shipped to me through almost every courier service available. Hundreds of packages have been delivered to my doorstep. The mail man, Hong Kong customs, a small burb in Singapore, and the entire packing department of RightStuf.com all must know my name and address by heart now. Despite that, there seem to be a few missing packages recently.
At the local Street Festival I tried various dips from Gypsy Hill Foods, a Vienna-based mom & pop soup and dip dealer. I liked and purchased some White Salsa at the festival in September and learned of their website. Around late October, I order some new dips and French Onion soup from their website. When I got the items a few days later, I found Creamy Green Chili instead of French Onion soup. I emailed them and was told to keep that soup and they'd ship out the correct one. Weeks later and nothing. I emailed again, confirmed my address, and was told they had shipped it but would send it again. Weeks later now and still nothing. Vienna, location of AnimeUSA, isn't too far from here. How could TWO different packages get lost in the mail?
At around the same time as the above incident, I purchased a copy of Super Robot Wars Alpha for Dreamcast from a person on eBay that I had dealt with before. I got the game and had trouble with it freezing. I thought it was my booting method so I splurged and got a new boot disc that seems to load every import game I have fine. but the freezing issue in SRW still persists when I enter a battle scene. I contacted the seller in Hong Kong and he said he'd ship a replacement. Weeks later and I had to email him again to see what was up. He sent another replacement. Today is four weeks after our last contact and still nothing. During this time, I ordered another game from him and received it without any trouble. So what's the explanation there?
November 29th, I ordered a super rare DC game for SUPER cheap from PlayAsia.com. I've dealt with them many times without fail. Two weeks later, I ordered something else from them before my last coupon expired. Today, I received the SECOND order all the way from Hong Kong only a week after placing it, but have yet to get the order placed on November 29th. What's the deal there?
I have resolved to always use a shipping method with tracking numbers and insurance on all future orders. My missing orders were shipped without tracking info or insurance so I'll probably be SOL unless I can use my credit card's gracious abilities to clear the PlayAsia order (cheap game, expensive shipping even for standard) but that doesn't get my rare game back. I can live without the soup (the greene chili was nasty, by the way) but I won't order from them again after the initial mistake and two missing corrections, despite that I like their dips. I don't know what to do about SRW for DC aside from ordering again with tracking info.
All these packages I've gotten with standard shipping and no problems, then this all happens. And there's no method to it. Is someone screwing with me or what? I have had items damaged in the mail but most were insured (jewel cases for PS1 games crack with disturbing ease), but I've never had any completely LOST before even around the Christmas rush of mail. Again, the lost money isn't the biggest issue (we're talking maybe $100-120 total), it's the fact that I missed an excellent opportunity to get something very rare that I have been searching for a long time.
If you're wondering, the PlayAsia order contained the Card Captor Sakura: Video no Tomoyo Taisakusen Limited Edition box for Dreamcast. A box set with many trinkets all in BRAND NEW CONDITION. They got one, somehow, and I had to snatch it up. Used sets on eBay go for $60+ and are rare but this was NEW for $25. I also had Full Metal Alchemist: Dream Carnival for PS2 in that package but it's easily found new. French Onion Soup, Super Robot Wars Alpha DC, and CCS, how I wonder what has become of you...