Thursday, February 12, 2009 ;
11:53 AM
Guess what just happened?
I ordered a bookcase from Home Depot because our boxes arrived, there are too many books and we have no shelves or bookcases as of yet.
The value of the bookcase is about S$60+. They made me pay a delivery fee of S$4 already at the store. Which was fine because I have no car and anyway the bookcase cannot fit into a normal car or cab.
Ok, it was already a hassle doing that (H can vouch for that, she was there and waited for a long time for me), cos I had to pay for the bookcase at the cashier, register at the delivery counter (separate from cashier), get a slip, walk back to cashier, queue all over again, and then pay for the delivery, get receipt, walk back to Delivery counter, fill in forms, and was told there might be an additional fee for the truck entering my estate. I have never heard of that, but I said ok. Then I was given a sticker and instructed to walk ALL the way back to the bookcase dept (which was way inside) to hand it to the bookcase dept guy.
Excuse me? There were 4 staff members hanging around the Delivery Counter but no, they had an important job to do (gossip), so I, the customer, who was also carrying other things I bought from the store, has to walk all the way back, to do what? Hand over a sticker. Alright!
That was yesterday.
Ok, this morning. I had to go out and buy more units on the water card so I have water to wash clothes and take showers. Then I went to the grocery store. On the way back, I was informed that they are delivering the goods. Ok, so H and I rushed home.
Right after I placed my groceries in the fridge, a Home Depot guy came to my door, and asked me to go out to the truck to sign the form. Ok, that's weird, but nevermind. He probably saw that I was alone at home too. Hubby at work and no sons/ other males to help out.
When I signed the form, I noticed the truck parked in such a way that they blocked the entire small road in my estate and cars were forming lines on both sides already. The drivers of those cars waiting to pass through were shooting daggers at me with their stares.
Then they dropped me the bombshell. They said they are unable to bring the bookcase to my doorstep because it is too heavy. Excuse me?!!??
And if I wanted them to do so, I'd have to pay another 20 yuan (S$4). Now, under normal circurmstances, if they had brought the bookcase in, I'd have tipped them that amount. Who knows, even more if their attitude was good.
But then, they used this pressure tactic on me, because by now the cars on both sides of the road were honking at me like there was no tomorrow, and they knew it was impossible for me to carry the bookcase in alone. It was a wooden one, far too heavy.
So I said ok, and I did pay them. But I felt horribly cheated and angry.
So much for the Home Depot here in China.
rainbows every day, do not worry for the morrow
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