The day finally came! Since I purchased the shelves to organize my yarn stash I have been so anxious to start the project. First of all a great deal of thanks to my wonderful husband first for "encouraging" me to "do SOMETHING with all the yarn!!" and second for helping me with the huge task of moving it out of the corner and cleaning the mess that was under and behind it. The day certainly had a few unexpected issues but what big project doesn't? I started the actual work about 10:30 after getting to sleep in a good hour and a half longer than I normally do. I hauled in the first box of shelf pieces from the garage to discover that the rip in the box was not just a rip but possibly a hole from a fork lift that also crushed one end of one of the boards. Frantic searching for the receipt left me empty...and realizing it was more than the 30 days allowed for returns and exchanges I was out of luck anyway. I was angry...not at anyone but just at the situation. I had a whole day of work planned and already a monkey wrench in it.
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| Exhibit A |
I was able to regain my enthusiasm (just slightly dampened) by logging on to the website of the company which made these. I tried the 800 number first, no answer. So I sent them an email explaining the situation and asking if they would consider replacing this piece and possible others damaged (I still hadn't opened the box). I wandered around the website a bit longer and thought if they wouldn't replace the one piece I supposed I could just order one and pay for it. So I went to the "Replacement Parts" page, filled in all the information about the type of unit, the part number, name, address, etc. then expected to be shown how much it would cost. Nope...it just sent. Hmmm. Hoping I wouldn't receive said part in a couple of weeks with an outrageous bill I decided to just move on.
Carton #2, fine condition! WHEW! I enlisted the help of the beautiful Sydney and we spent about an hour and a half assembling the first Yarncase (yes, similar to
bookcase but it's for yarn!)
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| Assembly |
I figured the other 2 would only take about an hour each since we have a better idea of what we're doing. It's now about lunch time so I took a break to make lunch for the kids. Meanwhile Allen was getting started on clearing out the corner. I forgot to take a picture before he started but here's what it looks like right now. A very large part of this was in what we call "the green trunk" - this huge crate-like thing one of the Wirtz relatives made probably a couple of generations ago. The two redeeming qualities are the color (I repainted it a nice forest green about 12 years ago, it used to be LIME green!) and that it has wheels. It's incredible storage capacity is a blessing AND a curse!
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| Stash |
While the kids were eating lunch and Allen was still mentally preparing his attack on the yarn corner, I wanted to keep moving on the shelves. This one went great! Done in under an hour. But wait, oh I did NOT do that! Ugh, the part that forms the top of the case is upside down! Instead of the shiny black it's icky particle board. I kept my cool, tried to imagine living with it that way but just couldn't. I knew what I had to do. It wasn't going to be easy, sigh. Although in about 15 minutes I had it fixed and unless you see the back of the case where I had to pop the nails thru the cardboard back and reattach them, you'd never know. I assume my secret will be safe with you ;-)
I was on a roll now, yarncase #3 should be a breeze! Oh you would think so, right? Well, we would both be wrong! Yes, I saw that it had been taped but I've seen that before. However, when I opened it I could tell this package had not only been previously opened but I am certain was purchased previously but also completely unpacked, possibly partially assembled and repacked. This didn't look anything like the way the other cartons were put together. Bag of hardware tied in a knot? C'mon! and if you look closely at the top right corner.......yep, that IS what you see!!! OH MY GOSH! I could not believe it!! So my problem-solving brain thinks, "ok, one of the two main boards in two cartons are damaged and I have little hope that the company will supply any new parts (especially since this one is
clearly not their fault) I can put together a "franken-case"! Yes, use parts from both to make one good one. I'm so ingenious some times i scare myself!" Yes, you would certainly think so. But once again, we're both wrong.
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| Exhibit B |
You have GOT to be FREAKIN kidding me!!! I was livid beyond intelligible words. Allen heard me from the other side of the house. He had no words of comfort, no one could comfort me at this moment. I needed to be alone...................................
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| Exhibit C |
I went and laid down on the bed with the door closed but I couldn't let it go. These two wrecked cartons were not my fault yet because I bought something and wasn't able to assemble them withing the allotted 30 days, I was stuck with them. NOT FAIR! I got up and reread the return/exchange policy on the back of another Big Lots receipt. They are very strict with this policy, they even have it audibly playing in the store that you have to have a receipt and it has to be within the 30 days. But I had to try...I said a quick prayer for favor and I called the store and asked for the manager the girl said "I am". I started to explain about the damaged merchandise, that it was longer than 30 days and I didn't have a receipt. I thought recognized her voice and I could picture her (I do a lot of shopping at Big Lots!). She gave me a couple hmm's, and uh-huh's and I stopped mid sentence....."are you just going to tell me "No" at this point or should I go on?" She very nicely said "I can only exchange for exactly the same thing." I couldn't believe what I heard. I repeated it back to her, yep that's what she said. I asked if they had any in stock, I was transfered......."yes, we have a lot of them". I said I would come right over. YEAH, project NOT foiled by stupid corporate bureaucratic nonsense. I would have gracefully accepted an "I'm sorry ma'am, that's our policy." Sure, I would have been bitter, might have even boycotted the store. But they were nice about it, I mean really decent. Ashame I have to be so surprised by that but it's the times we live in I guess. So here it is, now 3:00 the day after Thanksgiving and I'm going to a store. Not what I planned at all but I was doing it gladly. I asked Brendyn if he wanted to go to get out of the house for a bit and he agreed. Everyone at the store, especially the young man from the storage room, was extremely helpful, nice, courteous...much more than I expected since they had likely had a very long and busy day already. I tried to tip the young man from the storage room who was so helpful AND loaded the cartons into the van but he cheerfully said, "no, I can't". An experience like that has made me even more a fan of Big Lots (at least the one I shop at) than ever! And bonus, I got a $10 off my next purchase coupon!!
New carton #3 was still shrink-wrapped on the palette at the store and pristine when I opened it at home! With Sydney's help, it was together in less than an hour, about 45 minutes actually. A few quick measurements and Allen helped my move them into place. Sydney inserted all the shelves.
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| My Little Yarn Shop |
Welcome to the beginning of my own little yarn shop!!! Allen noticed me looking over at it and said, "you really like this, don't you?" "Yeah."
My God Bless Your Stitches,
nance
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