This pouch looked just like my tin. It also seemed to be the perfect shape for the tin to fit right in it. After looking at the pictures for about 2 seconds, and the shock of finding it, I had to have it. I mean I absolutely positively had to have it. This was even before I seen the price, location, or even which website I was on. I got even more excited when I noticed "1892" marked on the pouch. Now I had a date for my tin!!! This was some of the info that sent me on the daily search anyway. (Both pictures at the end)
 |
| Antique California Nugget Chop Cut Tobacco Cloth Pouch |
The ad was placed on a seemingly up and coming collectibles website. The person had the pouch listed with a price and offers accepted. So I did some research on tobacco pouches and what they were going for. He was asking at least four times what I was seeing the higher end pouches were go for, so I made him an offer of half the price. Even then, my offer was still more then double what other tobacco pouches were going for. Now I just had to wait and see if he accepted my offer.
I checked my email repeatedly until like 5 am before finally passing out. When I woke up around 8 am I had a response. I should have checked, but the seller was also in the Eastern Time zone, so he was probably snoozing too. I could have got more sleep, but oh well, because he accepted my offer and I was immediately wired awake. Since this site was not set up for internal payments I immediately sent an email asking for the Paypal account to send payment to. I wanted it paid as soon as possible and in my hand even faster!
This guy waited like a day and a half before sending me the Paypal info. I was losing my mind waiting. As soon as I got the info I sent the payment. Got my receipt and later that day got a notification from Paypal with a tracking number. I felt like a 10 year old waiting for Christmas morning. When checking the tracking number it said something along the lines of: "Payment for shipping has been received and we have been notified by the seller to expect a package. The item was not yet picked up." Something like that. I don't remember exactly what it said. The point of what it said was USPS got paid, were told to pick something up, nothing picked up yet. It had an estimated delivery date too. That date came and went and the notification never changed. Being the nice guy I am I restrained myself from sending an email the second my mail guy drove away without delivering my pouch. Oh it was typed up immediately, but knowing how things can be when shipping I didn't send it. Figured I would give till the end of the week. It would have been real awkward if I had a melt down in an email and the pouch showed up the next day. So I waited.
Friday came and I still did not receive it so I sent the email. When I didn't get a response by Saturday I figured this must be a Monday-Friday thing for them. So I waited the weekend. Monday came and no pouch. No email either. I've managed a business before and I know sometimes Mondays can be too much but come on, I could at least get an email out real quick saying I will look into it. I resent the email on either Wednesday or Thursday, I think it was Wednesday, just in case they did not receive the first one. It was nearly 2 weeks before I got a response to my email. I was checking my email and updating the tracking page almost every hour the entire time. I was on the verge of losing my mind. In the email I asked about the tracking number and provided the number I had for verification. The email I received simply said "You have the correct tracking number. The package was sent the day after receiving payment. You should have received it already. If you don't have it in a couple days let me know." WOW Really!?!? It took him that long to write that reply!? I told him that in the first email. I know it SHOULD have been here!! That is why I emailed about it NOT being here!!
Anyway, after taking a breath and thinking about it, I decided to wait. Mainly because the money has been out of my pocket for quite some time, but also since he seemed like he would look into any issues. Maybe he is new to having a business and it is more then he can handle at the moment. Maybe he will find it sitting on his secretary's desk. Something. I was hoping for an honest mistake that would have it showing up at my house in a day or two. Maybe my email lit the fire under him that reminded him to send it out. Even though I knew I could get my money back through PayPal, I didn't want it back. I wanted the pouch. Badly. Basically I was allowing my want and "need" for the pouch to override my better judgement. Anything else, any other item, I would have demanded my money back weeks before and would have already moved on. Probably would have forgotten about it by then.
So, almost needless to say, a couple days came and went with no pouch. I'm such an idiot. Even I knew it wasn't going to arrive, but I hoped. On like the 4th day I had an email sent before the mailman made it down to the next house. Simply said..."4 days and still no pouch. Let me know what you find out.". It was either short and sweet like that or full of #@#%! and probably ending with a picture of my middle finger. Several days went by and not even a response to my email. I don't get mad easy, clearly, but I was close to driving my all the way to Delaware and beating on the his or her's door. Instead I sent a pretty nasty email before going to PayPal for a refund. I digitally flipped my lid. Stating how in all the years I have been buying and selling online I never dealt with crap like this. Blah blah blah I went on and then sent it.
After sending the email I went right to Paypal to start the process of getting my refund. When I logged in I noticed I had a refund from the guy already in there. It came in the day before and I hadn't checked the email attached to my Paypal. It had a message with it saying "The mailman said it got caught in the sorter and was shredded. Item was destroyed so I sent you a refund.". Well, I felt a few things as I paused there staring at the screen. I was disappointed that I would not be getting the pouch I wanted so bad. I also felt slightly relieved that I didn't have to fight to get my money back either. Then I sat and thought about it...He had posted the ad saying he was accepting offers. I bet what happened was I was probably the first offer he had so he took it. Then either before he could send it out someone else made a better offer, or he decided to hold onto it awhile after my payment until someone else made a better offer. Either way I got kinda pissed but staying that way was pointless. I just moved on and didn't even send a thanks for the refund email.
Clearly this guy is someone who has never been in the customer service industry. Most of my anger and everything else could have avoided by simply communicating. All my years in the hospitality industry helped me learn that well, even though it is fairly simple.
So the hunt has been on since for another pouch. I managed to copy the 2 pictures from the ad before it was deleted. They are the only images or example of the pouch I have ever seen. If anyone happens across one please do not hesitate to contact me. I don't have much $$ but I can offer trades or some cash for your pocket and a big giant smile for your heart. Here are both pics.
 |
| My California Nugget Chop Cut Tobacco Tin |
 |
| California Nugget Chop Cut Tobacco Cloth Pouch |
 |
| California Nugget Chop Cut Tobacco Cloth Pouch |
No comments:
Post a Comment