-
Welcome! Put your feet up, get comfy, and lets get to know each other.
Follow Me
Subscribe to my blog via email
-
-
Mar
30
I promise this will be the last time I ever mention Best Buy or Geek Squad on this blog. The saga began back in December when I took my computer to Best Buy for a minor repair. That turned into me missing over a week of work and eventually buying a brand new computer and operating system due to multiple errors on their part in the minor repair of my pc. I then emailed and called many different Best Buy employees trying to get some of my money back, since they admitted it was their fault I had to buy a new pc, and that it took so long. All they would offer me was a $75 Best Buy gift card.
I kept posting my experience online at every forum or website I could find about Best Buy/Geek Squad. Finally I got an email from another “Resolution Specialist” that he was looking into my situation. I got a phone call from the local store manager and we had a long conversation where I explained my position. It boiled down to, I took a perfectly good working computer to Best Buy and left with a worthless machine, in addition to the cost of a brand new one plus over a week of lost wages. The manager was very polite and listened, then said he was not authorized to offer me anything more than the gift card, but would forward my information to someone higher up than him.
Shortly after that call, I got an email from the Resolution Specialist who had emailed me before the phone call. This time he offered me a $250 Best Buy gift card, which I refused and again laid out my reasons for him. I think it’s important to point out that I was always polite and civil, on the phone and in my emails. I had pretty much given up on getting any money back so I was just determined that as many people as possible would hear what had happened to me.
After a full day of emailing back and forth, this Resolution Specialist finally agreed to refund the money I paid for the new computer and operating system – WooHoo! I was and am overjoyed at that, because it certainly wasn’t in my budget. He said that he wasn’t able to make up for my lost wages because that was a subjective amount, to which I replied that I was more than willing to provide pay check stubs to come up with an average amount that I would have made. He replied that as a goodwill gesture he would send an extra $100. Not even close to the amount I lost because of their incompetence, but by then, I took what I could get.
The computer and operating system I bought were paid for with a combination of bank card and cash, basically however I could scrounge up the money at that time. They refunded the bank card portion within a week. The cash was coming in the form of a check, and I was told allow about 2 weeks for that. I allowed 3 weeks then emailed him. He apologized and said it had not been mailed yet, but would be shortly. Three weeks later, I got the check. Minus the $100 goodwill gesture.
By that time, I was pretty livid. When they want their money, they get it immediately. Why was it taking so long to get my refund!? I emailed again and got another apology. Two weeks later, I got the final check in the mail, the goodwill gesture.
Let me recap. On December 24, I took my computer to Best Buy. On January 2, I left with a brand new computer and my broken pc. On January 27, I was promised a refund and $100 goodwill gesture for their screwup. Finally, on March 23, almost 3 months after the incident even took place, I received the final check. I am so impressed with Best Buy goodwill.
I don’t want to sound ungrateful, because I am thrilled that they refunded any of my money. But they admitted they screwed up. The Geek Squad didn’t perform routine tests on my pc before they started on it, and most importantly, they promised me a 24-48 hour repair time. If they had not given me that short time frame, I never would have left my pc there at all, because it was a minor repair that could wait, but I could not afford to take a week off work. The local store manager and the corporate Resolution Specialist both agreed that they screwed up, so it was only right that I get my money back. Dragging the whole process out for almost 3 months was completely unprofessional and really unacceptable. I should never have had to go to the lengths I went to just to get someone from Best Buy to listen to me.
This is the end of the saga for me, thankfully. My main reason for posting the resolution to this fiasco is to empasize Do Not Give Up. If you have an issue with a store or a product, do not let it go if they refuse to help you on the local level. It was about one month before I got someone from Best Buy corporate to pay attention to me, but I was not going to get any help from the local store. Keep emailing, post on every possible website or blog you can find, post it on Twitter, get your complaint out there. At the very least, it will hopefully keep others from using the same product or company. And you might just get your money back. Maybe even sooner than Three.Months. Later. You never know.
New
here? Subscribe to Unexpected Bliss or have it delivered via email.
Mar
28
Last Saturday
Today
Does this seem right to you? I’m going back to bed until Spring gets here!
See more Straight Out of the Camera shots at Slurping Life.
New
here? Subscribe to Unexpected Bliss or have it delivered via email.
Mar
26
It’s hard to be grateful these days. The recession, people struggling, friends of our divorcing. I always try to look for good in everything, but sometimes it’s murky.
I tend to get hung up on small stuff All.The.Time. I worry and fret and toss and turn. And I have the dark circles under my eyes to prove it. I know I need to learn to let go, but this has been a life long problem, and it’s harder to give it up then it has been to give up diet Pepsi. But sometimes I get the wake up call I need.
I had to go into the larger city close to me the other day. Our little suburb has grown so much that I hardly ever leave it, but once in awhile there’s something I need that I can’t find here. I had to stop and get gas and cash at Quik Trip. It wasn’t in a bad neighborhood, but definitely more diverse and busier than what is typical for my smaller town. I ran inside, got my cash and paid for my gas, then ran back out. I really did run, because I’m always running late and was cutting it close to time to pick up my son.
When I got in my car I locked the door. I do this every time I get in the car, it doesn’t matter where I’m at. It’s a habit and I don’t even think about it. I turned to the passenger seat to grab my sunglasses and I heard a knock on my window. For some reason, I didn’t hesitate but grabbed my keys, without looking out the window, and put the keys in the ignition so I could roll down the window. Then I looked, and saw an elderly gentleman smiling at me. I smiled and rolled down the window. He was very polite, and asked how I was doing. I said I was fine, and asked if he was ok. He looked surprised when I asked that, and hesitated. He finally said he was good but needed to catch a bus and could really use a dollar or two.
Normally I have to stop and think and process things before I can act. In fact I spend a lot of time calling my husband and asking what should I do, even though he always says, do whatever you want. So looking back now, I am surprised that I seemed to be on autopilot at Quik Trip. Before he finished saying “few dollars” I was reaching for the cash I had just got from the ATM. I only had a five and a twenty. I grabbed the five and gave it to him. He was also surprised at that, and said thank you several times. He commented on the weather and told me to have a nice day, I said the same to him, and he left.
I drove off and could have kicked myself for not giving him the twenty. I know many people won’t agree with giving him anything at all. A few years ago, I would have kicked myself for giving him anything, or for even rolling down my window. And while I know there are good, valid reasons to not give, I just kept thinking over and over again, no matter what is going on in my life, I’m in a better place than he is. I’m blessed, and who am I to say no, I won’t share.
When I told my husband I wish I had given him the twenty, he shook his head at me but knows me well enough to not question me. I posted a few months ago about how I had given some money to a needy family from our church, and how immediately after I did that the blessings started pouring in for my family. I don’t believe that was a coincidence. I didn’t give money to that man expecting to be repaid by the universe, but I know that I’ve already been blessed enough.
Today I found a timely post about giving to homeless people, or just giving at all, from Julie at Happy Catholic, which also sums up how I feel about giving. I can’t not give, when I ‘ve been given much more than I ever could deserve. I wish I could give more, and when I can, I will. For me, it’s all about gratitude, and not just being grateful for the blessings and gifts I’ve been given. It’s about knowing that I was given these blessings, I did not deserve them and could never have earned them. So how can I question whether or not someone deserves my help?
I know this can be controversial, with many people disagreeing with me on several levels. What do you think? Do you give to people on the street? That seems to be the point of contention, because most people are ok with giving to organizations but not to people on the street. If you don’t do it, is it because of safety concerns or because of how they might spend the money?
New
here? Subscribe to Unexpected Bliss or have it delivered via email.
Mar
24
I didn’t mean to extend spring break for a few more days, it’s just worked out that way. You know how you get when the laundry piles up higher and higher, so you just walk faster past the hamper so you won’t see it? Or maybe it’s just me that does that. But when things start to pile up, I try to ignore them, I guess thinking that the piles will disappear on their own. I got that way last week and even started doing it with my blog, which is funny because I love blogging, but sometimes it’s just one more thing on the pile. So I’ve been avoiding the internet, but I miss you! I need to work on tackling the piles, not closing my eyes as I walk by.
Tomorrow is a big day for my son. My husband and I agreed to let him dye his hair, after much discussion. We talked to a friend of mine who has a lot of hair coloring experience, and her advice was to start semi permanent very dark brown, instead of a flat black. He agreed to this, but has been waffling recently. At this point, I don’t even care, I’m as ready for it to be done as he is. I do kind of hope he doesn’t like it, but that’s just because I think my baby looks great with his hair like is. Actually, if he doesn’t like it then we’ll all be miserable until it fades, so lets just hope he loves it. I’ll let you know how it goes.
When I was a kid, I started giving up something for Lent, usually pop. As an adult, giving up pop might sound like an easy sacrifice. Let me tell you, its not easy. I’ve given up my beloved diet Pepsi before, but always fall off the wagon. So when I decided to give it up for Lent, I was not making a light hearted sacrifice – like my son saying he’ll give up green vegetables for Lent. Good try, but no.
I’ll be honest, I have had pop. There’s no excuse, I did great for a couple of weeks, then one day I caved. I was tired and thirsty and there was nothing else to drink. Except water, which seemed unacceptable at the time. When I give up pop, I have to replace it with something besides water, something with caffeine. I’m trying to avoid those super energy drinks with mega amounts of caffeine, because really, why give up pop and replace it with something stronger. I’ve been drinking tea, which I don’t love but it gets me through those first few days of withdrawal. Anyway, I did have pop, but I didn’t cherish it like I thought I would. I think I may have lost my taste for it, which would be great.
My spring break is now officially over. No more avoiding the piles of work to do!
New
here? Subscribe to Unexpected Bliss or have it delivered via email.
Mar
18
My kids are home on spring break, and I’m taking some time to enjoy them. We just stay home for the week, but its nice to remember how much I enjoy having my boys home with me, without all the picking up and dropping off and homework. By now I’m pretty sure they’re bored, but happy.
I’m surprised at how much this story has affected me. I’ve been checking several times throughout the days since her fall, and have been praying and crying for her and her family. She has two boys, about the same ages as mine. I wanted so badly for a miracle to happen for them.
We just never have enough time.
New
here? Subscribe to Unexpected Bliss or have it delivered via email.
Mar
14
I swear it’s like a comedy of errors at my house sometimes. The following took place between 6pm and 7pm on Thursday. (See, this blog is action packed, just like my favorite TV show!)
I made fajitas for dinner, and I just put every possible condiment on the counter and everyone makes their own. I try to be as helpful as possible, by opening the condiments for my family. I’m good that way. Ok, what really happened was I dipped a chip in the salsa and didn’t put the lid back on tight. Now you know the truth.
Tannerwas being silly picking out his toppings, and said “I will take some of this” and grabbed the salsa jar quickly, holding it up high like he was doing a commercial for it. In the process of doing that, he twirled around. With the salsa.
The salsa that I hadn’t put the lid back on tight. The full jar of salsa.
As soon as he picked up the jar I jumped up and tried to blurt out that the lid wasn’t on tight, but it all happened too quickly. There was my poor son, his entire left arm covered in chunky salsa.
I don’t know if your family is like this, but with mine, we have to tread carefully in these situations. It’s funny hysterical, but if I fall on the floor laughing on the wrong day, my son could get furious. On other days, he might laugh along with me. It’s a teenage thing, which is very similar to a PMS thing. I totally understand, so instead of falling on the floor laughing, I shot my husband a look. He was shooting me the same look while we tried not to laugh until we saw how Tanner would react. In a matter of seconds I could tell that even though he wasn’t as amused as we were, he was laughing. It was funny, and also a little sad that after my husband finished laughing he was thoughtful enough to help clean Tanner up. I was still on the floor laughing at the expression on my sons face when the salsa came down on him.
If only I had my video camera right then, I’d be getting a check from America’s Funniest Videos. I need to carry the camera with me, because these kind of things happen in my house all the time. I’m not sure what that says about us.
New
here? Subscribe to Unexpected Bliss or have it delivered via email.
Mar
13
Moms of teens or preteens, help me out please. We are having an ongoing discussion in my family and I need some outside feedback.
My son is 13 1/2 (according to him, the 1/2 is very important!) We are going through the typical teenage angst, hormones, mood swings, all that fun stuff. He still has moments where I see the child I know and love, which is reassuring. But this child of mine wants to do something that in all of my 40 years, I never thought I’d even consider. Actually I’m not sure that I am considering it, but I want to get more advice.
He wants to dye his hair black.
Now let me clarify that he doesn’t dress in all back or paint his nails black. He just wants black hair. He’s always been unhappy with his appearance and tries new things all the time, like letting his very short hair grow out a little. He has some friends that have dyed their hair and he wants to.
I have a problem with this for a couple of reasons.
- He’s 13. I really don’t want him to start altering his appearance drastically at such a young age. Especially for a child with low self esteem, like my son.
- I am probably the least judgemental person I know, seriously. Years of experience have left me with a “live and let live” kind of mentality. I try very hard to not make judgments or first impressions based on appearance. That said, is there a stigma attached to a kid dying his hair black? Of course, if you didn’t know him, and didn’t know me or his dad, you might think his hair was naturally black. The stigma would probably come from people that already know him, like grandparents or other family.
However, there are some other things to consider.
- Many families here dye their sons hair for sports. Whether it’s blond highlights, complete bleached blonde hair, or even blue hair, I’ve seen it done. We haven’t done it, because the teams we play on have not, but if my sons team had, we would have done it too. Tanner asks me, why is what he wants to do any different, and I am struggling with a good answer for that.
- I colored my hair as a teenager. Granted, it was lemon juice or the ever popular Sun-In, which gave me that nice orange tinted hair that we all aim for. But my mom let me have free rein with my hair.
- He’s been talking about this for awhile, and even though our answer has never wavered from no, he’s finally figured out that his best approach is to dazzle us with good grades and a cheerful attitude. Yes, I said cheerful. The child has been on best behavior, and is racking up brownie points left and right. He was in a slump earlier this year, and started slacking off with homework. Just in the past few weeks, he’s brought up his grades, turned in extra credit work, practiced for his piano and bass clarinet contests and got I’s at both, and is for the most part being more respectful at home. He still has his mood swings, but it’s obvious to us that he’s trying to show us he’s responsible. It’s hard to ignore that, even though we have never rewarded for grades.
Maybe this should not even be an issue, it should be cut and dried. For my husband it is, he is firmly on the “no” side. But even he is impressed with the way Tanner is trying to “campaign” for this. It’s harder for me, because I tell my kids not to judge people by their clothes, or car, or hair, yet I have a problem with this. I truly don’t believe you should be judged by your looks, or expected to conform to a certain look.
I also know that he does think that if you have the right hair and right clothes, your life will be so much better. I really want him to learn that your hair or clothes will not change anything about your life, will not fix anything that’s wrong, will not suddenly transport you to popularity. He needs to know that even if he dyes his hair black, he will wake up and go to the same school and be dealing with the same crap that he is with brown hair.
The other part that’s hard for me is that I don’t want to make parenting decisions based on what I think other people will think. I’ll be honest, part of my husbands firm stance against this is his concern about what Tanner’s grandparents, aunts and uncles will think and say. You can’t get more conservative than my husband’s family. Still, I don’t want to base my decisions on other people, and in this case, we kind of are. Tanner knows this, and it really bothers him, because he thinks we’ll be ashamed if our kid has black hair. I would never be ashamed of my kid, and I want him to know that.
I really want your opinions on this. As moms, as parents, as people without kids, I really want to know what you all think. Tell me, if your teenager asked to dye his hair black, would you let him? Why or why not?
New
here? Subscribe to Unexpected Bliss or have it delivered via email.
Mar
10
I have been in an allergy induced fog for the past 5 days. It’s probably not apparent from the stuff I write on this blog, but I really am not a big baby. I tough it out when I’m sick, no bed rest for me. But seriously, these allergies are killing me! My eyes are so watery and itchy I just want to scratch them out, and I can’t sleep because I can’t breathe. I finally broke down and bought some ridiculously expensive allergy medicine, which only made me drowsy. Not helpful when I can’t sleep!
I’m finally feeling better today, and it really is just like the Claritin commercial where they lift the blurry film and everything is in technicolor. I can breathe! I can see! I can function! Today is truly a great day.
I mentioned that my in-laws were coming for the weekend. I just want to say that it’s amazing the transformation that my kids go through when their grandparents are here. They smiled, and laughed, and got along with each other. The teenager socialized with the rest of us without complaining, and the brothers actually helped each other with some projects they had. It was Amazing! I managed to not ask when the aliens were going to give my real kids back, but you know I was thinking it.
It is so hard to be the mom of a teenager, and I’m continually amazed and shocked by how much my son has changed just in the past 6 months. So it was very reassuring to hear my mother in law say that “They are such good boys”. I know she’s their grandma and is biased, but I also think that grandmas have this internal radar, and if she thought that things were really wrong with either of my kids, she would have noticed and told me. She assured me that the things we’re dealing with are normal, and she went through it with all 4 of her kids.
And the best part, she said it would all pass. I’m writing that down and taking it as gospel. I hope she wasn’t offended when I whipped out pen and paper and asked her to swear to that.
New
here? Subscribe to Unexpected Bliss or have it delivered via email.
Mar
5
Ok, so maybe I mentioned that my family has been NOT well. As in sick. We are finally recovering, although 84 degree temperatures today caused my allergies to flare up, and I had a flashback to last week. But everyone is back to school and I’m back to work, so all is good.
But imagine my dirty house, loads of laundry begging to be washed, sinks that need scrubbed, and an empty refrigerator. That’s my home right now, because I haven’t gotten much done in the past week besides trips to the doctor and pharmacy. Oh, and collapsing on the couch. Which is allowed when you’re sick. So my home is a shambles right now.
What else could possibly happen, now that we’ve all suffered for over a week? There’s only one thing left that could happen. My inlaws could decide to come visit. Tomorrow. Yep, that is happening. I love when they come to visit, but I prefer about a weeks notice. Especially when the only part of my house that’s clean is the spot on the couch where I’ve been parked. So now you know what I’ll be doing from now until they get here tomorrow afternoon.
I know you’re all very jealous. A dirty house and unexpected company is what we live for, right?
New
here? Subscribe to Unexpected Bliss or have it delivered via email.
Mar
3
I mentioned that my son was sick last week. I underestimated the power of The Sickness. He was home from school for two days. Two days after he went back to school, my throat started hurting. More antibiotics. Then over the weekend, Tanner got sick, and has been home for two days. That is over a week of sick. Over a week of jello, pudding, popsicles and chicken noodle soup. Ok, so I don’t really mind the not cooking part, but A WEEK! Calgon take me away (did I just really age myself with that comment?)
The only one not sick, of course, would be my husband. He looks at all of us, with our cough drops, throat spray and tissues, sprawled on the couch with blankets, and makes some lame excuse about needing to work late. Not that I blame him, I’d stay away from this germ infested place if I could, too.
This is it, right? One sick season per year, per household. That has to be in the rules somewhere.
New
here? Subscribe to Unexpected Bliss or have it delivered via email.
-
Grab the button and join me for Monday Motivation
My boys
Where did those little guys go?Cuteness overload
-
