This is heartbreaking. The package is now LOST. I have requested UPS investigate to locate the package and figure out what happened, but it seems all UPS is doing so far is covering its tracks. I give you the sequence of events.
1) Wednesday 5/1: Ivyandrose (hereinafter vendor) sends me pictures of my finished rings, I'm happy with how they look, and they tell me it will be shipped via UPS Next Day Air. Vendor does not mention they'll be restricting delivery options.
2) Thursday 5/2: UPS attempts delivery when no one is home, leaves note on the door. I tell vendor I work full-time, and so I'm hoping to receive the package on Saturday, when UPS attempts a third delivery.
3) Thursday 5/2: Vendor tells me the delivery service they requested does not do delivery on Saturdays; that would be an extra cost. Says they will tell UPS to reroute the package, and asks where I would like to pick it up.
4) Thursday 5/2: Given this open-ended question, I supply the address of a UPS Store in City 2. I live on the border between City 1 and City 2, and the store in City 2 is closer to my home than the UPS location in City 1 UPS was making the delivery from.
5) Thursday 5/2: Vendor calls UPS, requests an address change, package still has an adult signature requirement.
6) Friday 5/3: Package is marked as out for delivery, then "DELIVERED" to City 2, without a street address, and received by XXXXXXX (identfying name taken out) as an inside delivery. I am puzzled what the inside delivery means. I only get off work after 6pm, go home, and get home at 6:37pm. The package is not at the house. I decide to check at the UPS Store tomorrow, figuring they must have delivered to the UPS Store in City 2, though I still found it strange there was no street address mentioned on the tracking info.
7) Saturday 5/4: I call UPS Store the address was changed to by vendor. They are puzzled, and the owner says they did not receive my package and furthermore have no employee by the name of XXXXXXX. They recommend I call UPS Customer Service.
Saturday 5/4: I call UPS Customer Service and tell them points 1-7. They open up an investigation and tell me they will be sending details of the investigation to vendor, since vendor was the one who had sent the package. UPS Customer Service claims the vendor rerouting the package was not "a proper request" and deflect responsibility. They say the investigation will take 1-7 business days.
9) Saturday 5/4: I write email to vendor over Etsy letting them know what happened and that there is an investigation. I tell vendor I hope for the best, but if the package is not found, I will have to dispute their charge through Paypal. Their loss is the work and expense that went into setting 5 rings for me, but my loss would be what I paid them plus my colored gemstones that I entrusted to them. On my end, if I don't dispute this charge, then my loss is ~$4k, which is just crushing to me as I'm not that rich. I'm already feeling angst over the gemstones I had collected.
10) Saturday 5/4: I notice that, little by little, UPS has changed their records so that for Friday 5/3 it no longer says the details it did for XXXXXXX or City 2 as the delivery location. It now says it was delivered to City 1, no mention of name. I did take a picture with my phone before that change was made, but I'm concerned UPS is changing the details and will claim it was delivered to my doorstep without signature, which will affect my Paypal dispute. Still have not heard a response from the vendor.
At this point, I am angry with UPS for seeming to cover its tracks, and I am upset with the blunders the vendor has made in sending the package. The vendor is probably upset with me, for sending them my home address even though I'm not able to sign for it at home when UPS makes delivery.
I'd be happy to sign for it on a Saturday at home or after work at a UPS location. Why did the vendor restrict these options? Are their normal customers people who have the luxury of staying a home just to receive packages, or people who get mail delivered to work? I work as a key employee at a small business and the company policy is 5 days' advance notice for taking time off unless I'm sick, which I'm not.
What may be "normal" for vendor's business practices is not normal for me as an Etsy buyer. I have bought gemstones or jewelry from at least 5 other Etsy vendors, and this was the first time I ran into an issue with delivery options being restricted, or the package lost.
I feel crushed. Please send some good vibes my way.
