Theft and invasion
Sorry, the sexy erotica piece I had been working on will now be delayed until my mind stops racing in trying to figure this out, and my blood pressure settles down from the anger.
Maybe I’m making a big deal out of this. Reviewers, chime in, ok? Has anything like this ever happened to you?
So the lovely Cici sent me a Hitachi Love Seat to review. Priority mail, and thankfully a tracking number. I inquired about it yesterday I think and she gave me the number today. Punched it in……”Delivered on 9/16″…..oh hell.
My apartment isn’t the sort where you go inside a main door and all the apartment doors are in there. No, packages that get left, get left on doorsteps. But its that way with everybody. I’ve been concerned before, when it comes to expensive items, but now I see the point behind signatures being necessary for delivery. In the year plus that I’ve been reviewing, I’ve never had anything go missing. Heck not even in the whole time we’ve lived here, no matter what. Until this week.
I’ve emailed Cici and found that the label was indeed correct, so it’s either the case of it being swiped from my doorstep or the mailman put it at the wrong door. At first we thought that perhaps the wrong apartment number was on the label, and that would explain the next bit…..
I got my package today (sunday) and it was opened. The top of the box flaps folded in so that it was semi-closed. The mailing label was ripped off (if it had the wrong addy on it, it could have identified who opened it, but since it was my addy…..god knows why they ripped it off). I open it, it is indeed my Love Seat. The seat was in a clear poly bag, taped shut and the little manual/pamphlet was shoved down inside the spot where the Hitachi goes down in (Cici relayed that info to me). So, it was down in there and this person dug it out. They put the seat back in the bag and tossed the pamphlet in the box.
It took them FOUR DAYS to return it to me. Why even return it to me at that point, in that condition??? It’s creepy, I’m freaked out. It’s worse because today is the one day I can’t call anybody – not the apartment complex managers, not the post office. Rest assured I’m calling them tomorrow. I won’t let them brush this off. It was mail, isn’t that a federal offense?
Cici is recommending I wash it and I agree, just in case. It’s not dirty, it doesn’t look used.
I’m just pissed off and creeped out.
I would NOT freak out about this too much.
It could easily have been left at the wrong door. If I find a box at my door, I very well might open it (hey, its presents!!) without looking at the label.
And, given whats inside, it is hardly surprising that the person might want to check it out.
Now, would I use the thing? I dunno. That part would, in fact, be a little creepy, but i would probably get over it in a couple days.
(and a few washes)
~ You’ve got a point. I guess the puzzle piece that doesn’t fit is….why rip off the shipping label. and why take 4 days to return it?
Holy…Oh…Oh my god!
A sybian I can afford!!!!
~Yeah, it is more affordable than a sybian! And probably more powerful, there’s not much out there more powerful than a Hitachi!
Yes, mail tampering is a federal offense.
But given what Vail Indigo speculates, good luck proving it. I know I’ve opened mail that wasn’t meant for me. It’s on my doorstep or in my mailbox, I’m opening it. “Hey, this isn’t our bank statement. Oh, shit…” Yes, I’ve done that.
~ An envelope…yeah, I can see that. But a box? You guys have valid points and I’m trying not to freak out too much. Will still make calls though.
I agree it was probably accidental. Hopefully who ever opened it is just plain old embarrassed.
That is creepy. What is really creepy about this is that you found it on your doorstep AFTER you twittered about it this morning.
Someone might have opened it by accident if it was left on their step and then ripped the label off so you wouldn’t think they took it off of your. Still don’t understand why they would wait so long to return it to you.
I would ask your apartment manager if anyone else has reported packages being taken from their porches.
~ I know, the Twitter coincidence I’m trying to ignore because that’s kinda freaky timing.
See, what doesn’t add up to me is that even if it was opened accidentally. why did they dig the pamphlet out? If I opened a package and noticed it was something I hadn’t ordered I wouldn’t have opened the package but checked the label (seeing it wasn’t for me) and returned it with an apology.
~ Right. It was purely to figure out what it was.
I would not “freak out” about it, but I would return for a replacement to sender.
You should get a new one, not a “previously ridden” model. A simple matter of hygiene.
I would also check with the apartment manager and report to the mail service. Stealing or tampering with mail, mailboxes or mail carriers is a serious Federal offense.
Yes the post office, a federal institution, has mis-delivered mail to me. I got a $250 Kona coffee order that was for a neighbor way down the street. I thought it was a gift from an uncle that is also into it.
Tampering only covers your mailbox. Hell I have had signature requests ignored too. Relax and let the vibrations take you away.
Just last week, I had something delivered by UPS to my neighbors house. Since he knew we weren’t home, he took it inside and kept it until we were. Given our schedules, that was a few days later.
Slightly different situation, but he did mentioned that something had caught his eye before he automatically opened it. If he hadn’t, my package would have been opened. I was just thankful that it was something “vanilla”.
Regardless of what happened, it is annoying that it happened. It caused you a lot of grief trying to figure out what happened, track it all down, etc. Toss in the wacky coincidence with the Tweet, and I can see why you are annoyed by the whole thing. I would be too.
~ You guys know each other though and he wanted to give it to you personally. My weirdo dropped it on our porch in the dead of night.
Just found this site.
Actually, the removal of the shipping label could have a much more straightforward reason – they might’ve wanted one for themselves (or were thinking about it). The shipping label would include the manufacturer, how to order things from the manufacturer, etc. If it included an invoice, they’d even know the price.
Note: I’m certainly not condoning this behavior. As a territorial agoraphobe with obsessive-compulsive disorder, it feels like ants crawling under my skin thinking about it.
I’m afraid I cant really help, but a week ago or so someone on a forum i post on made photos of a box he got delivered.
He had ordered computer parts but what he got was a “CB 6000 chastity device”. As it turns out, the guy who ordered that thing had the same name but lived in a different city, so the labels got mixed up. Must have been kinda embarassing for him, especially since it said that it was the small model.
Hope your case turns out to be less freaky :)
Yeah, that does seem pretty creepy. But I’ll bet it was an accident. The accidental recipient may have gotten a chuckle out of having it delivered to them (hence checking the pamphlet,) but you know how that goes. People love stories like that, so they had to make sure they had all the details for their friends.
You can try calling the manufacturer for a replacement but that probably wouldn’t work because it wasn’t her fault that the package was misappropriated. The post office won’t help unless the package was insured, and their insurance company won’t help because the delivery was made.
Whoever opened the box and peeked did deliver it to you. If the device ‘worked’ for them they would have kept it, if not they would have destroyed the evidence of their crime.
If you’re feeling embarassed, don’t forget that everyone does it.
I would wash it well with bleach and enjoy it.
Ridiculous. I honestly cannot believe some people’s behavior.