No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

 I try to spread it around.  Not order everything from Amazon, I mean.  Especially books.  I always try to order from Indigo when sending birthday gift books.  Canadian company and all that.  

Big mistake.  Yesterday, I completed the online order form for an electronic gift card so my young grandson can enjoy picking out his own books. I enter my daughter's email so she can print the "gift" and give it to him on his birthday.   When I complete the order and hit the send button, I get a message.  It wants the CVC number from my credit card.  Fair play.  The only problem? There's nowhere on the order form to fill it in.  I call customer service.  Some half an hour later, a suggestion.  Use a different browser.  

Okay.  Start over, different browser.  Hurray!  It works. Delivery that day, it says.  In relatively good time, I get a confirmation email.  Unfortunately, the email says it will deliver the gift card to 

100 Alfred Kuehne Blvd

Brampton, Ontario

Canada

L6T 4K3 Huh? A. This address is completely unknown to me.  B.  It's supposed to be an electronic delivery -- by email.   Back to my old friends at Customer Service.  I explain the problem.  The agent goes away for quite a while.  When she comes back, her attitude can only be described as sanguine.   It's okay, she says.  That's not a real address.   Pardon me?  Yes the system just fills in that address automatically when it's an electronic delivery.  When I can speak without swearing:  "Don't you think this might be confusing for the customers?" She's perplexed.  But it's not a real address she protests.  "And how is the customer supposed to know that?"  She is still confused.   You will be amazed that I still didn't swear.  I just put it all behind me.   Bright and early today, I check with my daughter.  Has she received the email from Indigo?  Nope.  Back to customer service.  Oh, the agent explains, it takes two to three business days.    Oh really?  The order page I completed yesterday said "Arrives By Today".  I have the screen grab to prove it but that doesn't change a thing. I used to have a blog called The Crabby Consumer.  Think of this as the temporary revival called The Pissed Off Consumer Who Lost At Least Four Hours of Her Life Dealing With a Company She'll Never Use Again.