Amazon Strikes Yet Again

Second Post of the Day

Believe it or not, Amazon has messed up two more of my orders - making a total of six problems I've had with them in less than a month!

To refresh your memories:

1) An envelope containing jump rings to make sleeve buttons arrived empty. Still no refund or replacement.

2) An order of buttons also arrived as an empty package. After 18 days, I finally got a replacement set.

3) My favorite shampoo and conditioner arrived but were more than a year past the date of their expiration. Amazon said they'd send a replacement set.

4) The silicon mold I ordered to make Elsie Mae's Christmas ornament never arrived, although Amazon argued with me about that. The package was empty and had never been sealed. I am keeping an eye on my account to be sure I get my refund.

Well, yesterday was a double Amazon doozy:

5) The replacement shampoo and conditioner set arrived and were almost a year past their expiration dates, just like the first set.

And last but not least,

6) A package meant for me and shown as delivered did not arrive. This is not my front porch!

Guess which box I clicked for feedback? Yep, the "Not so great" one.

Fortunately the person who'd gotten my package was a neighbor and brought it over to me.

I shop Amazon for a lot of reasons, but a big one is because it helps me out physically. Right now shopping locally means walking around stores, fighting crowds, standing in line, and going from place to place and that is a lot for me. Plus, hauling the walker in and out of the car takes it out of me, too, especially after I've done it a couple of times. (It's heavy.)

I have never, ever had trouble with Amazon like this before. I can't help but wonder if it's the warehouse the items are coming from and that there are problems there.

The Prime shipping saves me lots of money, but if this trend continues, I may have to begin making my purchases at other online businesses. 

I sure hope not, but I've lost a lot of faith in Amazon. Stay 'tooned - we shall see. 

In Which Lynn Goes on a Rant

Second Post of the Day

Seriously, Amazon?

This weekend I received my third EMPTY package from Amazon.  It was a large envelope that was supposed to hold the strawberry mold I'd ordered to make Elsie Mae's Christmas ornament.

Didn't someone along the shipping process realize that this (and the other) envelopes were empty?  

The package for the strawberry mold had never even been sealed shut.

When I contacted customer support, I was asked if:

1) I was SURE the package was empty and to please check inside it again,  

2) Sent a picture of the empty (and very flat) package lying on my porch as proof that, yes indeedy, Amazon had delivered it to me,

3) Told not to worry, that it might arrive tomorrow (even though Amazon had already labeled it as delivered), and

4) Told that they couldn't do anything about a replacement or refund until 4:00 PM Hawaii time the next day. I could start the process then but not before.

It takes a lot to rile me, but that #4 was the kicker. That, and the fact that I'd already had two other empty packages in just a matter of weeks.

Boy howdy, I waited until 4:01 PM Hawaii time the next day, contacted Customer Service, and got my refund. I screen shot the confirmation about it and you can bet I am watching to be sure that that refund is actually given. (I never did get one for the first empty package. For the second one, a replacement item did finally arrive after almost three weeks.)

But wait! There's more!

I just got another order from Amazon that was a problem - some shampoo and conditioner. I flipped them over to check the expiration dates, and guess what...

Yep. You guessed. Both were expired. 

That may not be a problem like it could in food, but I was still hot enough after the third empty package that I again contacted Customer Service and asked for a replacement. I was told that I could keep the expired merchandise and that a replacement was coming. That replacement is supposed to be delivered today. I'm watching for it AND watching my account to make sure I am not being charged for the replacement.

This does not portend well for the holiday season. This year I am going to carefully track everything because after this experience, I am expecting that there will be problems again.

Heads up to ya'll - watch your Amazon deliveries. And I hope you have better luck than I am having.

A November Hodge Podge

Not a mish mosh post this time; I'm changing things up and doing a hodge hodge post! Which is essentially the same thing, but hey...

Lots of things are happening, here in my life as well as in the hobby world. First, some news that made me really happy. There's a new model horse blog - Mel Grant's  Mel's Model Horse Collection.

The second line in her very first blog post referenced Lewis Carroll (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass) and then and there I knew that this was going to be a blog I wanted to follow.

I met Mel at the first FAMulous Collectibility Show in 2019 and she and I have been friends ever since. Nice woman, excellent writer, and she knows model horses - what a great addition to the hobby's blogging world Mel will be.

There is a link to her blog to the right under "My Blog List." Go check it out; you'll be glad you did. I'm already looking forward to Mel's next post.

Moving on to Breyer news, I'm late in sharing this and no doubt ya'll know already that Breyer has announced the 2026 BreyerFest Celebration model. (Photo by Breyer.)

I think she is lovely - I like the mold and I like her soft color. It's been a while since I actually kept the Celebration Model for my personal collection, but she's a keeper for me. 

Breyer also released Killington, big and small, yesterday. Collector Club members can order the pair until November 6 and then, if any are left, they will open sales up to everyone.

A vintage mold that I conga and its mini me? In silver filigree? I never even read the text in the advertisement - I clicked on the Buy It button and ordered them! (Photo by Breyer.)

ELauer, one of the winners of the September Give Away for the Halloween keychains and wristlets, sent me a photo of what she'd done with the wristlet she'd won. A little Fall decor!

It made a perfect neck wreath for Breyer's Welsh mare. With her permission, I sent the photo on to Cambria and Titan who were thrilled to see their work used that way.

I ordered my second copy of Dr. Seuss' Horse Museum - this one to give to Teacher Daughter Lisa to use in her classroom.

To my dismay, the packer had used white tape of some sort and taped the book to a box insert - with the tape on the dust cover!

I could not get the tape off and was concerned the cover would rip so I contacted Amazon for a replacement.

That is the third problem with Amazon shipping I have had in two months. Just before the Feast and then again this past Monday, I received empty Amazon packages. When I reported them, I was asked if I was sure the package was empty or if perhaps I'd just missed the package on my doorstep because they had a photo of it having been delivered. (Which they then sent me.)

Both times the missing orders were buttons for making sleeve buttons. I'd had four custom orders for Trade Shirts from the Feast and the customers had asked for specific sets of sleeve buttons for the cuffs.

Two of them wanted a pair of the flat brass ones but I only had one set; no problem, order more of those buttons and make them.

Except... the replacement order would not arrive for two weeks and I needed them within a day or two.

Fortunately, the customer was very nice and said another pair would be fine.

I sent them several photos of the metal sleeve buttons I had in stock

and they selected this silver pair. 

The customers were local and I dropped the shirts, sleeve buttons, and a bonus little girl's petticoat off in the afternoon.

The woman who ordered this trade shirt asked me if I could make something out of any leftover fabric from her shirt. It was a bit of a squeak, but I was able to get a petticoat from it. I can't wait to see aunt and niece wearing their matching clothes at the next Feast.

I've been checking the weather frequently as the Happy Trails V/The Dan Patch Show gets closer. We've had accumulating snows as early as October in the past and I was hoping that that would not be the case this year. To my dismay, I saw the first snowflake icon on my weather app yesterday.

Two days after the show - we are good. Looks like we may deal with rain, but that's no problem.

Meanwhile, Montana Mama Sarah (who has had several snows already) discovered that hubby Todd was doing some "holiday decorating" while she was in Idaho playing Gimme to new baby Elise May.

After speaking with Brooke, I am going to set up the show Thursday instead of Friday. (Which works well for me - Tim and Loni are hosting a hay ride out at the barn Friday evening.)

Yesterday I sat down at the sewing machine and made a show apron from the leftover Standardbred fabric.

I already had one made from another racing themed fabric, so I pulled it out,

folded them both up, and added them to the donations tub for the raffle. With that, I am calling it good for donations although I expect some will arrive on the day of the show. I'll add those to the raffle table then.

Belle and I met up at a spaghetti supper last night. We had done the old high school trick, texting beforehand and asking, "What are you wearing? Are we going cowgirl?" 

Finally, we were going to wear the tee shirts we'd bought together!

We had a lot of fun going matchy-match with our boots and tee shirts. (And horseshoe necklaces!) 

Belle is doing so well with Sultanna. She is riding a lot and is really growing in her skills. She's discovered the joys of horses and it's fun to be a part of that journey with her.

Believe it or not, there's more mish mosh hodge podge I could write about, but that's enough for today. Have a good one, and don't forget to go take a look at Mel's blog!