Annoyed. My First Vent of the New Year

[bethbuchall]

Say I go to WDW in two weeks. When I get home, I realize I left my ring by the bathroom sink in my hotel room. I call the 800 number to see if it’s been turned in. Good news, it has been! The rep on the phone says if I want the ring back, I should send a pre paid shipping label and a box for them to return the ring. Would you send the box and label? It is your mistake after all…

ETA- to make this more aligned with the original issue, it is WDW who called you to tell you you left your ring in your room. They require a box and shipping label to return your ring to you.

I would expect to pay someone to ship it back to me. If an individual rather than a company found it, I certainly would understand if they requested a box and paid shipping.

 

[White Cat]

I would expect to pay someone to ship it back to me. If an individual rather than a company found it, I certainly would understand if they requested a box and paid shipping.

If I found you item you could rest assured that I would send it to you with out requesting payment. I have before and would again. So many cheapskates on the dis. I’ve sent things to people here even with out asking for postage.

 

[sam_gordon]

While on our first cruise, DW & I bought some souvenirs in Cancun that weren't allowed back on board (A whip and a baseball bat). We were told we could pick them up after we debarked. In the "excitement" of getting off the ship, getting our luggage, going through customs, etc, we forgot our stuff. We had rented a car and were three hours away before we realized it. We got in touch with the cruise line, they still had our stuff, but we had to pay shipping. Had no problem doing so as it was our mistake.

 

[sam_gordon]

If I found you item you could rest assured that I would send it to you with out requesting payment. I have before and would again. So many cheapskates on the dis. I’ve sent things to people here even with out asking for postage.

That's very nice of you. However, it should not be expected.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I would expect to pay someone to ship it back to me. If an individual rather than a company found it, I certainly would understand if they requested a box and paid shipping.

I kinda think generally speaking in today's age people either send the item back or they don't. What's to stop a person who you venmo'd cash for the shipping to just not ship the item? If you're going to offer to send something I think most do it without thinking about the recipient paying for shipping much less a box too. I know people could insist "no no it's my item(s) you found please let me pay" but realistically if I'm going to be the honest person and take the time to find out who an item belongs to or store it until I do I'm probably not going to also be the person to demand or ask you pay for the shipping either. I kinda think people who consider shipping charges probably have already considered if the item is even worth finding out who it belonged to. If they figure it's not they keep the item or dispose of it some other way.

Now for hotels and rental car companies and whatnot they are used to people leaving things behind and likely have it built in procedures for situations where shipping to a customer is warranted and I doubt they make them pay for it given that it's kinda a normal thing to have happened.

 

[bethbuchall]

If I found you item you could rest assured that I would send it to you with out requesting payment. I have before and would again. So many cheapskates on the dis. I’ve sent things to people here even with out asking for postage.

I would, too, but I’d expect to pay someone else who found something of mine. Then I might be pleasantly surprised, but I certainly wouldn’t expect it out of someone whose circumstances I have no way of knowing. I didn’t say that I’d hold on to something I found until I received payment. I said that if I lost something, I wouldn’t necessarily expect someone else (who may not have the means) to need to pay for my mistake.

 

[FCDub]

14 miles

Hardly asking someone to run a marathon.

 

[izzy]

While on our first cruise, DW & I bought some souvenirs in Cancun that weren't allowed back on board (A whip and a baseball bat). We were told we could pick them up after we debarked. In the "excitement" of getting off the ship, getting our luggage, going through customs, etc, we forgot our stuff. We had rented a car and were three hours away before we realized it. We got in touch with the cruise line, they still had our stuff, but we had to pay shipping. Had no problem doing so as it was our mistake.

The phone situation is getting a little old. Let’s talk about your purchase of a whip and a baseball ball.

 

[wenrob]

14 miles

Hardly asking someone to run a marathon.

14 miles for something that shouldn’t be her problem.

I think people who are giving the OP grief are forgetting that she’s trying to do the right thing. She could have easily tossed the phone in her junk drawer and called it a day.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

She could have easily tossed the phone in her junk drawer and called it a day.

I actually probably would have just done that and watched my bill for the next time but in the interest of clarity at least for me it's not the ideal situation but it's the easiest solution to go to the store, explain the situation to the people, let them log it, drop the phone into their hands and walk away. All the other stuff seems like more of a hassle to me personally and I'm sure that's where others are coming from aside from thinking it's probably better to deal with it in person. For the OP clearly going to the store is a bigger hassle but in having that viewpoint it's also clearly created other issues.

If the store is out while I absolutely think a return label can and should be sent like a PP mentioned I would never have even thought to ask for a box nor would I be miffed (yes even if it's NOT MY PROBLEM as people are so apt to point out, valid sure) at them telling me they don't have a box. I've never had a company send me an empty box just to send back to them. I realize this is a duplicate item issue but it's still the same thing overall. So perhaps while the OP is trying to do the right thing they also might be in part be making things more difficult than they have to be, the company could still be in the wrong, the customer still be in the right as far as trying to return an item to them but also making things a bit more difficult than need be. And the OP was stuck on the fact that it was a billion dollar company but that doesn't just mean they have an empty box to send you. So maybe the grief is partially warranted in some ways and not so on others.

 

[Pink Partridge]

14 miles

Hardly asking someone to run a marathon.

You do realize once I get there, I have to stand and wait my turn? Believe me, it's not a 10 minute wait.

A 14 mile drive out of my way is not something I am willing to do after working all day, let alone stand in line to be helped with the return of a product I didn't order.

 

[Jennasis]

Have you tried calling the 14-mile-away-store and asking them if they can help?

For me, I wouldn't trust putting the thing in the mail. I'd want to physically hand it to the dude at the store and be given a receipt of some kind proving you returned it. But I'm neurotic that way. And also, this is not the hill I'd wanna die on, ya know?

 

[FCDub]

You do realize once I get there, I have to stand and wait my turn? Believe me, it's not a 10 minute wait.

A 14 mile drive out of my way is not something I am willing to do after working all day, let alone stand in line to be helped with the return of a product I didn't order.

It’s an inconvenience, sure, but not as dire as you’re making it out to be.

 

[prairie_girl]

While on our first cruise, DW & I bought some souvenirs in Cancun that weren't allowed back on board (A whip and a baseball bat). We were told we could pick them up after we debarked. In the "excitement" of getting off the ship, getting our luggage, going through customs, etc, we forgot our stuff. We had rented a car and were three hours away before we realized it. We got in touch with the cruise line, they still had our stuff, but we had to pay shipping. Had no problem doing so as it was our mistake.

Paying for shipping, yes, but wouldn’t you find it a little off if they asked you to send a box?

 

[prairie_girl]

I actually probably would have just done that and watched my bill for the next time but in the interest of clarity at least for me it's not the ideal situation but it's the easiest solution to go to the store, explain the situation to the people, let them log it, drop the phone into their hands and walk away. All the other stuff seems like more of a hassle to me personally and I'm sure that's where others are coming from aside from thinking it's probably better to deal with it in person. For the OP clearly going to the store is a bigger hassle but in having that viewpoint it's also clearly created other issues.

If the store is out while I absolutely think a return label can and should be sent like a PP mentioned I would never have even thought to ask for a box nor would I be miffed (yes even if it's NOT MY PROBLEM as people are so apt to point out, valid sure) at them telling me they don't have a box. I've never had a company send me an empty box just to send back to them. I realize this is a duplicate item issue but it's still the same thing overall. So perhaps while the OP is trying to do the right thing they also might be in part be making things more difficult than they have to be, the company could still be in the wrong, the customer still be in the right as far as trying to return an item to them but also making things a bit more difficult than need be. And the OP was stuck on the fact that it was a billion dollar company but that doesn't just mean they have an empty box to send you. So maybe the grief is partially warranted in some ways and not so on others.

It’s definitely within reason to request a pre paid shipping label. But to ask them to send a box? That’s where my eyebrow raised.

 

[Mousemom234]

Might only be 14 miles, but that 14 miles might take an hour or more depending on traffic and time of day. I know it does around here - or else you drive around, which is still a good 40+ minutes.
And I completely understand not going to a 'sketchy' part of town. There are some areas here that I'd rather not get out of my car in.

But overall, my 5¢ worth on this is that if Customer (dis)Service can't even be bothered to provide a pre-paid label, they really don't care if they get it back.
Consider it a gift from the Phone Gnomes. Keep it, toss it, donate it.

(I might manage to come up with a box. I'm pretty sure I have a rice-a-roni size box around)

 

[PrincessShmoo]

What's to stop a person who you venmo'd cash for the shipping to just not ship the item?

Exactly this. My daughter forgot a much loved item in a restaurant bathroom. When we discovered it, we called the restaurant and asked if the item had been found. We were told "Yes, it was." The manager (at least she said she was) gave us her address for my daughter to send the cash to mail the item back. Guess what? Never did receive the item, and subsequent phone calls to the restaurant we never could reach her.

A sad hard lesson for my daughter.

 

[wenrob]

I actually probably would have just done that and watched my bill for the next time but in the interest of clarity at least for me it's not the ideal situation but it's the easiest solution to go to the store, explain the situation to the people, let them log it, drop the phone into their hands and walk away. All the other stuff seems like more of a hassle to me personally and I'm sure that's where others are coming from aside from thinking it's probably better to deal with it in person. For the OP clearly going to the store is a bigger hassle but in having that viewpoint it's also clearly created other issues.

If the store is out while I absolutely think a return label can and should be sent like a PP mentioned I would never have even thought to ask for a box nor would I be miffed (yes even if it's NOT MY PROBLEM as people are so apt to point out, valid sure) at them telling me they don't have a box. I've never had a company send me an empty box just to send back to them. I realize this is a duplicate item issue but it's still the same thing overall. So perhaps while the OP is trying to do the right thing they also might be in part be making things more difficult than they have to be, the company could still be in the wrong, the customer still be in the right as far as trying to return an item to them but also making things a bit more difficult than need be. And the OP was stuck on the fact that it was a billion dollar company but that doesn't just mean they have an empty box to send you. So maybe the grief is partially warranted in some ways and not so on others.

I said in my first reply because of the way the phone call went I’d run it up to a store. However, I have three within just a couple of miles. As a PP mentioned 14 miles can be quite a trek for some. It would be for me. That’s 30-40 mins out of my way there and 30-40 mins out of my way back.

As far as boxes, Apple and other companies do send prepaid boxes for electronic device returns so maybe that’s where the disconnect is. For me the box wouldn’t be my hill to die on but I certainly wouldn’t be paying shipping for an item I didn’t order.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

As a PP mentioned 14 miles can be quite a trek for some. It would be for me. That’s 30-40 mins out of my way there and 30-40 mins out of my way back.

Yeah but in fairness that reply just was made after you and I made ours, after others too so that's sorta an afterthought into the go to the store argument talk even if one that might have been thought of but just not said yet. It came across quite it was an issue with the suggestion to go to the store to fix what Verizon did (as in essentially "you want me to go somewhere to fix something you did!?" made further of an issue with the sketch part of town.

I'm sure we can all talk about our traffic situations which can't possibly be know to everyone but those who deal with traffic all the time do just deal with it. The task and reason may be annoying here with the Verizon issue but with the PP's comment it was a daily life just deal with it thing. When it's part of your daily life you sorta lose the whole "it's a trek" issue because you're doing it for all sorts of things. When my husband lived in LA for 9 months he got used to it. It was a journey to go to Walmart but he did it and while he would probably be grumbling about it he'd drive to the Verizon store just to get it done and handled. People responded the way they did because it was a sticking point to say 14 miles and at least from what had been posted most of us would say "yeah I really don't want to drive to the store but I'll do it"

As far as boxes, Apple and other companies do send prepaid boxes for electronic device returns so maybe that’s where the disconnect is. For me the box wouldn’t be my hill to die on but I certainly wouldn’t be paying shipping for an item I didn’t order.

Which I feel like is done as part of a process, IMO. One of the chat person's suggestions was to act like they are returning the phone (which I agreed I myself would not do that) which I imagine would trigger something in their system, not sure of a box or an envelope would be sent. I mentioned that about my husband's trade in cell phone thing with an envelope sent but it was done as part of a set transaction. I've never had a company send me an empty box like this nor would I think to require one or think it's incredulous that they can't just send me one just out of the blue. That point was to illustrate part of the grief the OP was getting. Yes she is trying to do right by notifying the company but that also doesn't mean some things aren't being said that are making it more of an issue.

I do think the chat employee tried a variety of solutions some making more sense than others but at the same time I gather a tone came across through the chats. IDK I guess that's why I said I'm 50/50 which makes me understand part of the grief being given. I agree I'd need a label too in this situation provided to me but I'd find a box on my own that would work and I would be giving a stern talking to my husband about boxes

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Exactly this. My daughter forgot a much loved item in a restaurant bathroom. When we discovered it, we called the restaurant and asked if the item had been found. We were told "Yes, it was." The manager (at least she said she was) gave us her address for my daughter to send the cash to mail the item back. Guess what? Never did receive the item, and subsequent phone calls to the restaurant we never could reach her.

A sad hard lesson for my daughter.

Wow that's really unfortunate for that to have happened