AprilM

Ok... so i obviously havent done this before. I live in Iowa - so i am on CDT - the hour of our gathering is 6PM EDT... so that means everybody in CDT opens 5PM their time.

Then we should take photos and post them and our thank yous (that would be the chat part)?

I put my box outta sight so as not to tempt myself, but tomorrow will display it in all of its wrapped glory!

You know its kinda funny... after restraining myself for so long part of me is really, really excited that the day is almost here - but part of me is also a little sad because once we open our packages the surprise is over. Maybe im not alone on that?

AprilM

One more sleep!!! 😊

huntannette

welll unfortunately neither me nor my SS has received their prezzyyy....so only today left before opening...I don t mind not having mine but am very disappointed she didn t get hers ....fist time this happens to me...wish i had sent earlier had I known....and I still didn t get what I had ordered for her....guess it is not my year ha ha ha hope you guys enjoy your gifts...I m excited for you all!!! till tomorrow

b.zang

***Update***
Just in time! A nice, squishy package has arrived with a note on the outside to not open until Secret Santa says it's okay.

AprilM

Huntannette... i am disappointed for both you and your SS. Does the package tracking reveal anything at this point?

I obviously don’t know how your postal system works - and while it will do little to help the immediate situation - i would think you might have some recourse there?

I am probably thinking of something you already know - my apologies. I just feel bad for you both and wish there was some way to help. Sometimes a person can do everything right, but still bear the brunt of circumstances beyond your control. I am so sorry.

A little hope to offer... a few years ago my husband prepared for an elk hunting trip in Oregon. Not wanting to chance his bow and assorted equipment to the airplane cargo-hold, he decided to ship them ahead with a major shipper (i wont mention here). He planned to hunt with his cousin so had everything shipped to his house. Never showed up and the last point of the tracking indicated one of the southern states (from Iowa to Oregon - not exactly an expected route). So hubby ended up on a 3 week hunting trip having to use an extra bow and equipment provided by his cousin (they are not the same sized or skilled individuals - so the equipment wasnt well matched to him, but hubby wasnt about to drop thousands of dollars on a new setup on short notice). I went to work immediately trying to figure out what could have happened - short answer of a very long and stressful situation - nobody knew. Hubby returned home in 3 weeks with no elk and still no bow/equipment. Now his turn to let the shipper know his displeasure (i guaranty you he is not known as a “diplomat”). Fast forward to 3 months later - the bow/equipment was found in an eastern state (???) in his very damaged special shipping case. An alert was out for it but the case was not in any shape to provide ownership info. Fortunately for hubby he had his name engraved on the bow and that is how they contacted him. He got a photo emailed to him from a higher level rep in the company asking him to confirm that the photo’s contents exhibited all known items in the case. Miraculously - everything was present and accounted for and in undamaged condition (except for the case). End of story - he got everything back. If i remember correctly he was reimbursed for the shipping charges and some small amount for the trashed case.

So... dont give up hope - and put pressure wherever possible for accountability on the part of the shipper!

huntannette

thy couldn t give me a tracking number because I opted for land transportation, the other option was way too expensive....so since it was crossing the ocean nothing much I can do for now...i m pretty sure it will get there just not in time for reveal...shucks....just didn t want to disappoint her...I will send her a note tomorrow to let her know it s on it s way!!!

Battle Axe

When I was in the rag rug business I shipped the rugs in round cardboard tubes. I made ends for them out of other cardboard and oceans of gray tape. You could beat on the package with a sledge hammer and it would not budge. So I had an order for two identical blue and white rugs. I sent them both on the same day with the same address and marked them 1 of 2 and 2 of 2. I always paid for insurance through UPS. This one time I needed it. Only the 2 of 2 made it to the destination. I spent a lot of time on the phone trying to trace it. The answer was there is this black hole and some of their stuff disappears down that hole. I was paid in full for the rug and the client asked me to make another so I actually sold three of them.

I thought since the package was round and 8 feet long that it rolled off some sort of conveyor belt and was caught in some machinery. Maybe that's what happened to the bow too. Mine was never found.

quiltingdragon

I put a second package in the mail to my person today. They won't have it by opening day, but there are more goodies, including handmade. I felt guilty for not getting anything made, and then found two things that didn't make it in the box!

TheMerkleFamily

Thank you Pamela - I've made these several times and everyone loves them! My father-in-law, who loves cookies, absolutely loved them when I brought a batch for Thanksgiving. And I just dropped-off a few dozen to our holiday bake sale that benefits our volunteer fire department and the ladies organizing said they will just have to sample these first!

They are delicious - thank you

PamelaOry

I’m so glad! We took them to our thanksgiving too.