These are a different kind of accidents. If I order lobster bisque I will get clam chowder. If I order a piece of clothing on line I will get the yellow one, not the blue one. This happened often enough so that I have stopped complaining. I really would prefer the more pedestrian clam chowder, and I can make do with yellow if I wear a jacket over it.
This is why I seldom buy things on line. Who knows what I will get in place of the thing I ordered.
This last month has topped everything in the order department.
I have had my blue framed bifocals for ages and was beginning to struggle. Time for new glasses.
On June 17 I went to BJs Optical with my new prescription and ordered a pair of red unlined reading and walking around glasses. Since they offered a second pair for $60, I ordered a pair of computer glasses. I didn't care what color the frame was. My computer doesn't make judgements about my appearance. I pointed to the frames next to the red ones of my choice. "Those," I think they were kind of a silvery grey.
I was told I could pick them up in two weeks. Two weeks and one day later I went to get them.
"They aren’t in yet, and the 4th of July holiday will move the pickup date to July 5th." I gave them an extra day and went back on July 6. "Not in yet. They should be in, I don't know what happened. Try again in a couple of days."
Much to my amazement they were in on July 8. Well one pair was in, the red ones. My bifocals. The morning of July 9, I put them on in place of my old ones and went out to walk the dog. Everything was fine until I realized I couldn’t read the license plates on the cars we walked by.
July 10 was a Sunday so I expected Optical to be closed. It was open when I did a bit of food shopping. I got everything I wanted, in the correct amounts.
Turns out Optical was open. I explained my problem, rushed home to get the glasses, and brought them back.
"Well of course you can't see while walking the dog. These are your computer glasses. The others haven’t come in yet."
"But the red ones were supposed to be my everyday glasses and the computer glasses had some other color. Does that mean my everyday glasses are going to be some color I don't even remember picking out?"
She checked the computer. "Purple."
OK next dilemma. Do I delay the delivery of the regular glasses, yet again, by requesting another color frame? Or do I go with PURPLE, and hope that they come in at all?
Suddenly my mind was full of all the horrible things that could happen if I changed the order. Would they lose it entirely? Would they give me someone else's glasses? Would they say they never heard of me?
Tomorrow, July 14, three days short of a full month after I placed the order, I will go over to see if my PURPLE everyday glasses are in.
Maybe I can make these two pair of glasses last the rest of my life, because I don't want to go through this again.