Jack Attack

[plumtreeblossom]

Frack.

For my mom's birthday, which is today, I sent her three DVDs on British history and a book. Amazon delivered them today, right on schedule, but my mom wasn't the one who accepted the package on the porch. Apparently her dog did, and he proceeded to rip the package and its contents to shreds on the front lawn.

She just now called to let me know. Only one of the DVDs survived. Poor mom -- she didn't need this on her 73rd birthday. And poor me: that was $105 worth of merchandise. She offered to pay for replacements, since her dog did the damage. But damn, destroying two DVDs and their containers is a lot of work. It takes a Border Collie to stay that focused for that long.

1-year-old Jack really hasn't worked out very well. Much as I adore Border Collies, I just knew it was the wrong breed choice for them. Jack needs the country life, with farm work and things to occupy his attention, not a challenge-free life in suburbia (where he is) or the city. He's very bored, and it makes him do bad things, a lot. There were so many other mid-sized breeds I'd thought would be more appropriate for them, or better yet, a sweet mutt from the pound. In our family, when you adopt a pet, you commit for the pet's entire life, so I can't see them giving him to someone else. *Sigh*

Well, I hope my mom's birthday gets better. No cute puppy userpic today...

Comments

[oneagain.livejournal.com]

Yikes! So...guessing the delivery wasn't insured?

Sorry, hon. It was such a sweet birthday gift, too.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

No, I very rarely buy insurance on shipments, and this wasn't a big-ticket enough purchase for it. I feel bad for my mom because she's just having such a string of bad luck lately. When I reorder, I'll arrange to have the package held at the post office, and she can pick it up there, sans Jack.

[ron_newman]

I don't know if insurance would have covered this, since it happened after delivery.

[oneagain.livejournal.com]

No, but if there had been a signature needed, that would be another story; they would have to have held on to it until it was signed for, something the pup really can't do:)

[kalliejenn2.livejournal.com]

If you ordered them from Amazon, I would try contacting them and letting them know either that they were damaged before you received them (you don't have to say it was YOUR dog), or that you never received them (as there was no signature collected). I have done this in the past (with merch. that was stolen off the porch) and they have refunded me.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Eh, I really don't want to do that to Amazon, because they aren't at all to blame. They delivered exactly the way I instructed them to. They've given me exemplary service right from the beginning, so I don't want to try and milk them for something that wasn't their fault.

[spwebdesign.livejournal.com]

It wasn't your fault or your mom's fault either. The fact is they have a responsibility to deliver the package intact, and they didn't. That they couldn't foresee a bored dog interrupting the delivery practice is not the issue: the package did not make it intact to the recipient.

Don't worry about milking them, either. That amount is a drop in the bucket to them, and they're equipped to deal regularly with damaged merchandise.

[infinitehotel.livejournal.com]

I adore border collies, but yeah, if there's nothing for them to do, they'll make their own fun and their definition of fun is often wildly divergent from yours. Our Sheltie used to get in trouble because it was always trying to herd the neighborhood children, joggers, and the occasional mother with stroller. If my mother's neighborhood hadn't been *exretemly* tolerant, she would have had to either keep him tied all the time or find him a new place to live.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the thing with Border Collies is that if they don't have a job, they'll make a job. With nothing to herd, Jack instead entered the career field of Digging. Amusingly (at least to me, who doesn't own the house), Jack's ambitious digging projects are visible from space. In the Google satellite photo of my mom's street, his strip-mining can be made out in the front and back yards of her house. :-)

Looks like he's started a sideline of package inspection. Oy.

[marmota.livejournal.com]

You might want to check with the carrier (UPS, I'm guessing). If nobody signed ifor it, it wasn't delivered. I've had numerous unpleasant phone conversations with them about packages just left on my porch, lawn, slammed in the door (they like hiding them between doors, even if they're marked 'fragile'), etc. An unsigned for abandoned package savaged by a dog should NOT be your (or your mom's) problem.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

No, they did the best they couldn't, considering that the doorbell is currently broken. Accountability is important -- it was the family's dog who did it, and both Amazon and UPS were doing exactly what they were supposed to. Pawning off the blame on them isn't ethical in this case, I don't feel.

[marmota.livejournal.com]

*nod* That's the honorable approach. I was assuming they were sent "signature required". Maybe to cheer up your Mom have amazon ship a chewtoy next?

[desultor.livejournal.com]

Well, neither was it Amazon or UPS's fault that someone stole the package they delivered to me years ago of the Indiana Jones trilogy before I got home to pick up the box. But Amazon shipped it out again for me the very next day. It's not just about ethics, it's about the company making the consumer happy, and I didn't feel like I was taking advantage of them. I'm for calling Amazon, but (obviously) you have to follow your own moral/ethical compass.

[deceptiverose.livejournal.com]

That stinks! I hope things work out for Jack.

[deceptiverose.livejournal.com]

Not that your mom isn't important too!