Okay, so it's time to vent! Actually, it's probably good that I am writing this post a week after this picture was taken....I'm not nearly as frustrated as I was a week...or two...ago! Everyone loves a good jingle. Attach a catchy little jingle to a cute product directed at kids and play it over and over two months before Christmas...and you can probably bet one of my kids will see it, love it, and want Santa to bring it! This happened to us last year and the kids ended up with Pillow Pets from Santa. A year later, there is a new "must have" product....Stompeez Slippers! But, unlike the Pillow Pets, Stompeez are not yet available in stores. Realizing quickly that Kate was falling in love with these and was already beginning to put them on the top of her Christmas wish list, I called the company and placed an order for the Perky Pink Puppy Stompeez on November 22...plenty of time to arrive before Christmas! Not only did that allow plenty of time, they also guaranteed Christmas delivery online and over the phone. No worries! Along with the Perky Pink Puppy, I decided to also order the Growling Dragon for Gabe and the Unusual Unicorn for my little cousin Hannah. All was great. I kept checking the Order Status and there were no updates. But, I wasn't getting too worried yet because the Christmas delivery guarantee was still on the website for all orders placed before December 5...ordering two weeks before that date I felt fine. Fast forward to just over a week before Christmas. Now I'm beginning to worry. Our Stompeez still haven't arrived and there is no change on the order status. I decided to call the company and of course can only reach an overseas call center where I am speaking to someone who does NOT speak great English. Oh joy! The guy assured me that my Stompeez would still arrive in time for Christmas. I wait about two more days....still no updates or tracking info...panic is beginning to set in. You see, if this were just going to be one of many Christmas presents it wouldn't be such a big deal. But the fact is, the Perky Pink Puppy Stompeez are the ONLY gift Kate has asked Santa for this year! She has drawn pictures of them in her letters to Santa and told him that's what she wants every time she has seen him this season...the only thing she has asked for! It's now 6 days before Christmas and guess what, I got a tracking confirmation!!! There is no delivery date available yet, but at least our Stompeez have shipped! I was so excited, feeling certain that being shipped FedEx, they will actually arrive on time! I checked the tracking number all day with nothing new appearing. The next day, there it is, the estimated delivery date....December 29th! WHAT??!?!?!? Are you kidding me????!? The 29th? FOUR days AFTER Christmas??? I immediately got on the phone with yet another foreigner. Now, I was angry! And what does he tell me, "I understand what you are saying, but your order will arrive by Christmas." Huh? I explained over and over what the tracking information said and he insisted that date was an estimated date, but the slippers would arrive on time. I don't ship often, but that just didn't seem right. Then, to "make up" for any inconveniences and as an apology, he actually offered me a free duffle bag if I would pay shipping. This is the same "free" duffle bag that I could have gotten when I ordered the stpid slippers! If I wanted the bag, I would have gotten the bag then! He was seriously try to get me to spend more money! I hung up very annoyed and decided to call FedEx. Of course, they confirmed what their website said, my package was shipped the slowest method possible, from California, and would arrive to our local post office on the 29th and possibly not arrive to my house until a day later! I called Stompeez customer service back. This time at least the guy seemed to believe that my "guaranteed Christmas delivery" wasn't going to happen, but there wasn't much he could do. He apologized and refunded my shipping. I got off the phone with him but was still so mad. What was I going to tell Kate? I called Stompeez again, this time getting a lady. And clearly, I was not the first unhappy customer she had talked to today. She was NOT friendly like the guys and with all the info, and having spoken to FedEx, she actually told me my information was wrong and that my Stompeez would arrive by Christmas. She said, I guarantee you, I promise you they will arrive by Christmas. But, she did NOT say this in a friendly tone...she was just as annoyed with me as I was with her! I was beginning to go crazy...just wanting to speak to an American! Finally, after searching multiple online forums filled with angry Stompeez customers who were all also not getting their slippers in time for Christmas, I found the hidden number to the American call center! I was hoping for a number to upper management, but at least I was going to speak with someone who speaks good English! I got a lady who again, had definitely talked to many frustrated customers today, but she was friendly and very apologetic. She said there was absolutely nothing that could be done at this point, there are no more Stompeez to ship me overnight, my fight is over. She did offer me a free Stompeez blanket as an apology. But, I was prepared to jump through the phone and attack if she asked me to pay for shipping...she didn't. :) So here it is, two days before Christmas and I have to come up with "a story." What will I tell Kate? How will I explain that Santa didn't bring her the one thing she asked for this year? You see, had kate asked for something extreme, I would have put an end to it weeks ago, explaining that what she asked for was not something Santa could bring. I am sure there will come a day like that, but this was not supposed to be that day. I wracked my brain and came up with a plan! The Perky Pink Puppies fell out of the sleigh! I worked on a picture, piecing together Mrs. Claus and the Stompeez using Paintshop, wrote a not from Santa, had it printed, and knew it would just have to work. I also knew Kate would have to open this letter/picture first because I wasn't going to be able to watch kate hope with each gift that it was going to be her Perky Pink Puppies! Fast forward to Christmas morning and you can see the letter. It worked perfectly! Kate fully believes that Rudolf pulled her Stompeez out of Santa's sack! I am still annoyed, but at least Kate isn't disappointed! Then, just as promised by FedEx, my package arrived to the post office on December 29th and then to my parents' house on December 30th. They brought them to me late that night, I repackaged them with another note from Santa and had the box waiting on the front porch for Kate to discover. She was sooooo excited!!!! Finally, her Perky Pink Puppies have arrived!!!!!!
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