Just the Facts

Just the Facts was Originally Posted on January 30, 2013 by

I made a quick trip into town last night, partly to check the post office but mostly for food.

I had ordered a fax machine on Ebay and they included shipping to Hawaii, but their shipping was actually by “slow boat” to the islands. Using parcel post the item shipped January 4th and then hits California, where they wait until they fill a container before it gets loaded on a ship. So today is the 30th and the item is still in transit. This is the very reason we ship between Hawaii and the mainland by priority Mail so our customers get items in 3-5 business days.

After winning the item I went to look up the ink cartridges I would need. I found that this particular item was RECALLED because of the possibility of fire. I can’t verify the units serial number until I receive it. The company (HP in this case) has offered a refund of certain amounts to go towards the purchase of a unit that won’t catch fire. The checking of the serial number will uncover a few things.

The owner MAY have known about the problem, received a check and decided to sell the item to make a few dollars. If that is the case I will not be able to get any money back from the company and will have to report the seller to Ebay. Ebay says the seller must check for recalls of items. I would be covered under the Ebay protection program.

If the seller did not get a check, then I will apply for one and buy a new unit.

In either case I’m covered, but have to admit that this is the first time I have purchased something online that appears not to be what I thought it was.

Switching gears, last night I made a quick (3 hour) run into town for food. COSTCO was pretty empty as I dashed around grabbing things just an hour before the closed. I noticed that they were going to be remodeling the area where they roast the chickens. The sign said they would have the area closed for a couple MONTHS! What are we supposed to do for ribs and rotisserie chickens?

I grabbed a chicken which taunted me on the whole trip back home. The aroma filled the car and I almost pulled over for a snack on the way home. I tore into it as soon as I got inside the house.

Recently I bought salad dressing at Costco. That means I have PLENTY! So I bought some salad and already have cheese (a treat for the dogs), black olives (for my pizzas) and now the chicken. Although the above paragraph encouraged me to nibble on the chicken already today, I think I will make a nice big salad. I guess I could also add some crumbled bacon if I had the time :-)