I'm not happy - I'm a little angry . . .

VENTING . . . Unless there are gunshots flying or near electrocution incidents, I try to stay upbeat about things, not so whiny and more about art than personal biz. But, . . . .

As many of you know, I invest a lot of money in vintage postcards that I scan and then use in my artwork. Well, I bought a particular postcard on ebay November 13 - paid for it within seconds. On November 28, I emailed the seller to ask if it had been shipped yet - it was coming from Texas, not Sweden like many that I order, so two weeks was plenty of time. I got a message saying it had just been mailed. I still haven't received it. Today, I messaged again. I got the most flippant response. It basically said that I am a flake (because one of her other customers was once), "(she) already told me once that (she) mailed it", and I must have gotten it and misplaced it, but the best part was . . . I "should check with (my) mail carrier". I don't know about you all, but here in LA, my mail carrier does not keep track of the 10,000 pieces of mail (mostly junk) I get in a month. Maybe I'm not leavin' a good enough Christmas tip, I don't know.

Next, she obviously couldn't fathom that I have our books (and we have a lot) in Dewey Decimal Classification System order - (honestly, I do). My dvd's, videos, and wii games are all in alphabetical order - I'm not as uptight about those. My husband uses me as a party trick - "give her a subject and she'll give you the Dewey Decimal number like that" (snapping his fingers) (and I can) (and we're thinking of going on tour with this act as it is so very entertaining). I can produce receipts from 10 years ago for every single thing I purchased except fast food (throw those away). I have all of my children's baby teeth in individual envelopes, dated, and in order. I have all of the Christmas cards I've received for the last five years in individual bundles in a box marked "previous years' received Christmas cards". I organize my socks by color and my jeans by brand name. I don't think I misplaced a single postcard I spent more than $10 for and was waiting to use (it had a fish in it for goodness sake!)

I'm angry that instead of assuming all of that, she assumed I was a flake. I advised her in an email tonight that usually the customer is right, just in case she hadn't heard that little customer service tip. And, I went on, I have no way of knowing that she didn't mail the card to the wrong person since she seems so incredibly organized in mailing things 2 weeks after they were paid for. I'm angry that instead of suggesting she would double check, she asked me to double check that I hadn't received it and misplaced it. If she would've said, "I'm so sorry you haven't received it. Out of concern, I double checked here, have the postage receipt, have a note that I mailed it, etc." I would have accepted that it was lost in the mail and too bad, so sad for me. But no, I must be a flake and don't know my head from my you know what. It might, just might be between her car seats as she suggested it might be between mine. (though I never take my mail to my car - not sure who gets their mail and then puts it in their car but that is not currently my way of organizing correspondence.)

I am feelin' F-E-I-S-T-Y tonight. Don't mess with me, sistas. Maybe I should go take this feistiness out on my hubby (if you know what I mean!) (I've been married long enough I get to be shocking like that now and then . . . and I think about being feisty so often - being pre-menopausal, 15 lbs. overweight, summer tan faded, and prematurely gray (and bad haircut, Cha Cha)

Now watch, the person I am venting about is one of my only blog readers. Just my luck. How many of you live in Texas and sell vintage postcards? (gulp) Just so I know for future posts. I don't mean her any ill will, I really don't. I am just frustrated. I've learned a bit of customer service do's and dont's from this myself.