Brown

My son and his friend ordered some computer equipment online. According to the UPS tracking information, it was delivered two days ago. But no package has shown up on the doorstep! (Believe me, I'd know about it if it had--UPS must have invented their tracking process just to pacify teenage geeks waiting for their new toys to arrive. They only check where the package is about 47 times a day. And feel the need to inform me of every single check in and check out.)

So, obviously, it was delivered to the wrong place. Easy enough to fix, right?

Wrong! UPS has no interest whatsoever in correcting their mistake. After wading through an automated customer service system, a bored voice on the other end of the phone flatly spit out "Contact the original shipper." Click.

Okay. Now the shipper is more than willing to give me a refund or send replacements. But I am still absolutely dumbfounded that UPS is allowed to get away with just losing packages and the company that used them has to pay the price. (We're big on taking responsibility for your mistakes around here.)

So, then I get the job of explaining this whole thing to two 16-year olds. My son looked absolutely disgusted and when I finished he paused for a minute and then said, "What can Brown do for me?" "Brown can go f*ck itself while the rest of my packages come FedEx!"