It's Friday! We're all exhausted, can't wait for the weekend etc. So, to honor you all this will be a light-hearted post. We present to you a tale of intrigue and... candy.
Because we love candy.
Back on January 24, 2012, this nerd came across a candy dispenser while shopping on Amazon.com. I used to have an original Skittles dispenser, - you know, with the little latch you pressed to dispense the candy into your hand. They don't make those anymore, sadly, and mine was long broken, so this filled a nostalgic memory while also filling my tech-y needs: The Brookstone CandyMan Motion-Activated Candy Dispenser. Quite the mouthful, metaphorically (and literally). Fantastic, I thought to myself! How simple: Stick your hand underneath dispenser opening and the unit automagically throws out the candy into your eager palms. Total win!
The dispenser was being sold by Brookstone via Amazon. So, a quick login and buy-it-now, and the dispenser would be on its way to me a day-or-so later.
January 30, 2012, the dispenser shows up on my doorstep. I eagerly ripped open the package, cleaned all the parts, shoved some batteries into its plastic shell, and filled it to the brim with Skittles. At that point, I put the little lid on, or at least... I tried to. You can see it in the picture above: It says "Brookstone" on it. It attaches to the see-through middle part of the unit, and is held in place with a rubber seal. At least it would be if my poor lid hadn't been broken, malformed from the factory. It would not stay on. Like a hat for a head that's just too big for it, the lid kept popping itself off. Sad!
After 10 minutes of struggling to keep the lid on, I grabbed the receipt from the box, located the phone number at the top, and gave Brookstone's customer service a call. I explained the situation to the lady on the other end. She apologized, and said Brookstone makes spare parts for the dispenser! Great, I thought! She assured me a new lid would be sent gratis, ASAP, and that I could expect it within a week. Sure enough, I received a UPS tracking number that day.
Brilliant! Except...
Fast forward a few days to February 2:
The dispenser lid is out for delivery... in Merrimack, NH. I live in Seattle, WA. That's quite the bus ride. And then, a little later that day, the package is delivered in Merrimack, NH. Great.
I give Brookstone a call (call number 2!), and they say it was an error, - that since the order was placed on Amazon.com, the replacement part was somehow shipped to Amazon.com. Uh, OK. The lady assured me a new part would be sent to me at my address in Seattle, and that I would receive it shortly...
Fast forward to February 9:
A package arrives from Brookstone! Wahoo! I open it, and inside is... something I don't really recognize. It's a lid, that's for sure, but not a lid for my candy dispenser. I find out it's a lid for the Brookstone Towel Warmer.
That's a big lid!
And it's from here that things go even more terribly wrong...
Fast forward to ~ February 16:
I receive, via UPS, the main see-through plastic middle part for the dispenser. I call back...
Fast forward to ~ Februray 27:
I receive, via UPS, another main see-through plastic middle part for the dispenser. I call back...
Fast forward to ~ March 5:
A package is delivered to Merrimack, NH, not Seattle, WA. Again.
At this point, I decided to give up for a few weeks. Then, last week (March 21st or so), I called back one last time...
Fast forward to March 27, 2012:
A box arrives at my doorstep, via UPS. I open it gingerly, expecting the worst. But hey, what do you know? The correct part is inside! Success!
And it even fits correctly on my dispenser! Yay!
What Have We Learned Today?
Well, to be honest..., absolutely nothing, really. Have a great weekend!
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