the nba (shop): where retarded happens

Huge, huge, hu-yuge win last night at the Bradley Center, as the Bucks raced to an early lead they never relinquished, and held on 97-90 to beat our evil arch rivals, the Chicago Bulls. A huge, huge, hu-yuge game by Dan Gadzuric, who came out of nowhere to step up when Bogut got in foul trouble, and also had two key blocks down the stretch to seal the win.

One down, one to go on the defining homestand of the first quarter of the season. We need to complete the sweep tomorrow night against the Charlotte Bobcats.

But recapping last night's win, or looking forward to tomorrow night's Bobcat beatdown, that's not the purpose of this post.

Nope, today, I come to praise the stupidity of NBA Shop.

To recap:

I ordered my Luke Ridnour t-shirt and Bucks throwback t-shirt on November 1st. I verified both items were in stock and ready to ship. I then paid extra for expedited shipping, so that my t-shirts would arrive in time for Bucks Party number one.

My package from NBA Shop didn't arrive until after the Bucks party. And it only had the Ridnour t-shirt in it.

A little upset, I called the customer service number on the order printout I had, and spoke to a nice sounding lady who said that the items had to be shipped separately because they came from different manufacturers, and that I'd have the other t-shirt within the next couple days. OK, fine. Sounds a little fishy, but if my t-shirt's coming in the next couple days, no big deal, its already late, what's another day or two at this point.

Three days came and went, and nothing. So I call back the customer service number, and this time speak to another nice sounding lady, who tells me "that item hasn't shipped yet", but that it'll be going out in the next day or so. I point out to this lady that the person I spoke to three days ago said my item would be received by now, and that it had "been shipped separately", past tense, as in, its already out the door.

Lady number two promises to "look into the situation" and contact me within 48 hours. I gave her my phone number, and my email address.

Nearly 72 hours comes and goes ... and you guessed it. No phone call, no email, no contact. By now, its been three weeks since I ordered the t-shirt, three weeks since I paid extra for expedited shipping. Its time to take the gloves off.

I call back the customer service number, for a third time. This time, I speak to a guy named Matt, who sounded ... well, he sounded p*ssed to be on the line. I like people like that when I'm p*ssed, because if it gets ugly, it makes the back and forth so much livelier ... but also because they're usually p*ssed for a reason other than you, so if you show them some patience and kindness, they'll usually give you what you want.

So, I explain my situation, feel the frustration start to rise ... and prepare to get the b.s. response I've been getting all month.

Only, I didn't get one. Matt pulled up my file, and as best I remember the conversation:

(matt) what exactly did the previous people you talked to tell you (about the order status)?
(steve) well, the first lady said it had been sent separately, and the second lady said it would go out in the next day or so.
(matt) well, sir, I don't know why they said that, because your shirt is back ordered.
(steve) (nearly spitting out shiraz) what? back ordered?
(matt) yeah, it won't ship for at least another week or so.
(steve) so you're saying the others have been lying to me. (sighs) wonderful.

Now I'm past frustrated. I'm officially hacked. I'm getting ready to vent, when Matt steps in:

(matt) did they (the previous people I talked to) at least credit back your shipping costs, I don't see where they did that.
(steve) (stunned) no. They never even offered, actually.
(matt) that's ridiculous. You shouldn't pay for shipping on an item we failed to deliver to you.
(steve) (silent)
(matt) if you have your credit card, I can confirm the card to credit this charge back to.
(steve) sure, let me go get my wallet.

As I'm walking back to the bedroom to grab my credit card, Matt then comes back on the line:

(matt) I should probably ask, given that it'll be a while before this ships, do you still want the shirt?
(steve) not really. I got the other shirt, so that's good enough. If you can cancel the shirt and credit that back too, that'd be great.
(matt) I can do that.
(steve) sweet!

So after verifying the card number, Matt continues:

(matt) ok, then, steve, we'll be crediting back the entire purchase price to your card ...
(steve) the entire purchase price?
(matt) you never received your merchandise, right steve?
(steve) well I got ...
(matt) you never received your merchandise, correct steve?
(steve) (catching on) yeah. Yeah! I never got my stuff!

So ... NBA Store credited back my entire purchase. And I got to keep the Ridnour t-shirt I already had. Which was sweet.

But it gets even better.

Because when I got home a couple days ago, there was a package on the ledge on the front porch.

Addressed to me.

From the NBA Store.

It was my Bucks throwback t-shirt. The one I'd cancelled, didn't pay for, and never expected to see.

The one I wore for last night's beatdown of the Bulls.

(col. hannibal smith voice) I love it when a plan comes together ...