Halloween Scream

I'm so mad I could spit! - But I won't because that's pretty gross. >:P

On October 20th, I ordered a costume from flirtylingerie.com for Halloween.



Cute, right? It was priced at $36.99, but it was on sale and the shipping was free, so I paid $29.59 total, which was a great deal, I thought.
The costume arrived on Saturday the 27th, but I didn't get it until Sunday. When I tried it on (just to be sure everything was okay - you never know) the zipper split. We fiddled with it, tried it again. This time we couldn't fix it. Upon closer examination, we discovered that one of the zipper teeth is bent.

Today, the 29th and 2 days before Halloween, I called flirtylingerie to try to resolve the issue. They agreed to exchange the costume for a new one, but I'd have to pay for the expedited shipping, which is like, $20. So I found a local shop that carries the same costume, and I requested that flirtylingerie just let me return their costume so I could buy another one (for $39) at the local store. Then things turned nasty.

They absolutely will not accept returns. After all, they said, I have to see things from their perspective. They have no guarantee that I didn't break the zipper myself. In fact, they check each costume before it leaves their warehouse, and since my costume was shipped, that must mean that the zipper wasn't broken when they shipped it (The logic is just irrefutable there, isn't it?).

I stood by my argument that I ordered the costume in plenty of time for Halloween without having to pay overnight shipping. It's not my fault that the merchandise was defective when I received it, and I shouldn't be penalized by having to pay extra shipping charges.

At this point, the manager I was speaking to suggested I get the zipper repaired, and they would reimburse me for the cost of the repair (but wouldn't mention the procedure for that). Dutifully, I took the costume to my alterations place, where they told me that they didn't have the appropriate zipper in stock, so it would take 3 or 4 days to do, and it would cost about $25.
Wait. I only paid $29 for the costume in the first place!

I called the manager back and told her about the $25 repair charge. She told me that was a ridiculous price (I kind of agree with her here) and that I'll need to find another alterations shop that is more reasonable. I point out that I don't have ALL DAY to run around town bargain hunting for repairs on my BRAND NEW COSTUME. Again, she pushes the exchange option, but won't pay for shipping. Oh, and now I'll have to pay the original listed price for the costume, since that sale has ended. So I can send them back my defective costume, and they'll send me a replacement, but now it'll cost me $7 plus overnight shipping PLUS the shipping cost to return the defective costume! Naturally, I refuse. She says she'll talk to the owner, and call me back in 10 minutes.

An hour later when I call her again, she informs me that I can order a new costume from them (at the original $36.99 price), I'll still have to pay for overnight shipping, and shipping of the defective costume, and a 15% RESTOCKING FEE (figured from the $36.99 price!) for the defective costume!

Please don't shop with them. They suck. And now I don't have a Halloween costume! :(

SHIFT!

So, I'm back! Please forgive the long absence from the blog, as you probably know, the wedding had me totally occupied.

Yes, that's right, the wedding. I'm married now! You may have noticed my new and improved name in the corner over there. Yesterday, I had the first experience in what I imagine will be a long lifetime of people addressing me as the incorrect "Mrs. Winters". There is only one of me. I am a "Winter". Just one winter, not several. This is actually more convenient, because, as anyone with a plural surname knows, addressing us as a couple is easier without that extra "s" hanging around. At any rate, people almost never messed up my maiden name (Martin is pretty straightforward, after all), so I was surprised to discover how frustrating it is to have people screw up my new name. And it's not like it's very difficult. I know a Mrs. Navarratte who really has no grounds for complaint, in my opinion, when people misspell or mispronounce her name. That thing's a bitch! But "winter" is a very common word and you'd think people would be able to get it right, especially when they're looking at a piece of paper with my name on it! Oh well.

The honeymoon was awesome; we took a cruise to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize City, and Roatan (Honduras). It started off a little shaky - Max unpacked my camera during the wedding to take pictures and didn't put it back, in fact it's still AWOL. So we started our honeymoon with NO CAMERA. As I was contemplating whether this was grounds for annulment, my mom came through and had us buy her a camera in Tampa (the port we were sailing from) that we could "borrow" on the cruise. So it worked out in the end, and we have honeymoon pictures, and I may eventually post some of them, if I get around to it.

Also, the first night on the ship, our meal was AWFUL. The server was a nightmare. Seriously, it was some of the worst service I've ever had in my life, and we were on a cruise ship! The service is supposed to be outstanding! So that kind of tainted the first day or so, but then the issue was resolved and we spent the rest of the cruise with a wonderful, amazing waitress who improved our opinions immensely. We had a great, great, great time, and we can't wait to do it again - with friends, maybe?

In other news, I'm currently downloading WOW. Yes, I gave in. I only have 20 people in my study! In desperation, I realized that I can download a 10-day free trial and spend those 10 days hawking my study to people who are actually playing right now. The only problem is, I think I have to pick a side - Alliance or Horde, and once I pick one, does that mean I can't talk or post in the other's forums? Because I think that's called "sample bias". I'll have to work a way around it. But anyway, I'm well on my way to wider awareness for my study... yep, that sucker'll be done in, oh, about FIVE HOURS.

In the meantime, let me let you in on a little obsession of mine. Go Fug Yourself is a fashion blog that always cracks me up. These ladies are witty and on-point; woe betide the celebutante who wears her bra as a shirt, or leaves her skivvies at home, or contracts "tanorexia". Check it out, you won't be sorry.