stunning incompetence

In early April I order two lipsticks from By Terry.

I had no idea when I ordered the lipsticks that they'd be coming from Europe.

After some back and forth with the company, the package finally makes it to the US in early May.

And after that, well, it kinda goes rogue.

The package was sent from the Netherlands; arriving in the US on May 6.






May 6, 2020, 4:46 pm 
Processed Through Facility 
ISC CHICAGO IL (USPS)  

Then it decides to sightsee, and comes back to another part of Chicago 10 days later. Seriously, what was it doing in those ten days?

May 16, 2020, 1:26 am 
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility 
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER  

3 days after that my lipsticks arrive in NYC. Finally!

May 19, 2020, 8:56 pm 
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility 
NEW YORK NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER  

But then, after a night out (doing who knows what as everything is closed), they arrive back.

May 20, 2020, 10:42am
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility
NEW YORK NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER 

Next my lipsticks travel to parts unknown for a couple of days. 

May 22, 2020 
In Transit to Next Facility 

I give up. I write to  By Terry and get a refund.

Now I'm just curious where my lipsticks are heading off to, as I'm pretty sure it's not to me. 

And I'm right. 

Becoming bored in NYC, my lipsticks take off to Rochester, where parts of that city are now in Phase 1 of opening.

May 22, 2020, 5:22 pm 
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility 
ROCHESTER NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER  
Your item arrived at our USPS facility in ROCHESTER NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER on May 22, 2020 at 5:22 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination. 

Soon after arriving in one part of Rochester, my lipsticks travel to another part of the same wrong city.

May 23, 2020, 5:20 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility 
NORTHWEST ROCHESTER NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER  
Your item arrived at our USPS facility in NORTHWEST ROCHESTER NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER on May 23, 2020 at 5:20 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination. 

And then, back to NYC.

May 24, 2020, 10:24 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility
NEW YORK NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER

And for the next few days, sometimes twice a day, I get the same exact new update. 

Your package is moving within the USPS network and is on track to be delivered to its final destination. It is currently in transit to the next facility.

Truthfully, I have no idea what the above message even means. 

Then I get this. 

May 27, 2020, 4:06 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility 
ROCHESTER NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER  
Your item arrived at our USPS facility in ROCHESTER NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER on May 27, 2020 at 4:06 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination. 

My package is now back in Rochester.

Okay, this is truly ridiculous. I go on the USPS website and complete a form for my missing package.  

Remarkably, someone calls me soon after.

"Looks like the address was completed incorrectly and that's why it keeps bouncing between Rochester and NYC," Ms. Harwood at the local PO tells me.

"So how can we get the package and change the address to the correct one?" I ask.

"Go to our website and complete the information under Package Interception," she tells me.

I do and get a message back that says, "Your package is not eligible for package interception." 

I ask Ms. Harwood to have a supervisor call me back. The next day Mr. Lopez calls.

"I don't understand," I begin. "I thought the whole point of paying for a package to be tracked is to be able to find the package if it's lost."

Mr. Lopez ignores my question and concurs with Ms. Harwood. "It must have the wrong address."

Then he adds, "Hey. Wait a minute. Says here you already got a refund on this package."

"Yes, that's true," I tell him.  "But if the package is still in transit than I'd like it."

"Sorry; you can't have it both ways." 

And that's it. Case closed.  My twice-daily updates stop. I even get an email from USPS asking me to complete a survey rating their service in resolving my problem. Hah!

Three days later, the doorman tells me I have a package. 

I open the box and there are my two lipsticks; arriving two months after I ordered them.

And, by the way, my address is correct.