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<center>*Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.*</center>

<center>**- Terry Pratchett -**</center>
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*It'll be there on November nineteenth,* they told me with confidence before I placed my order. *Ok, that's not too bad,* I thought and proceeded to click through to make my final payment. I felt good, in a short time my new *assaulter belt* would be here, a totally man-style belt if ever there was one. I was calling it my Christmas present to myself. 

If you're wondering, an *assaulter belt,* often also referred to as a *battle belt,* is a belt a soldier uses to attach their equipment to, things like: Spare magazines for rifle and sidearm, the gun holster itself, multi-tools, key-chains, flashlights, handcuffs, lock-picks and just about anything else required and small enough to be belt-mounted. They are super strong, a man can be dragged by it, have a secure but quick-release buckle and are generally very nifty things. They also hold one's pants up. I have a couple but it's time for a new one.

There I was on a popular shopping website ordering two of them, one in black and one in OD green (olive drab). I was happy with the lead-time thinking that was kind of fast considering the package was coming from America. *I clicked and paid.* They were fast to take my money but I didn't mind because they promised me they'd be fast to deliver my belts; I love it when a plan comes together. 

The nineteenth came and went. 

The twentieth came and went.

The twenty first came and went.

The twenty second came and went.

The twenty third came and went.

I think you get the idea. No belts arrived. No emails. No nothing...I wasn't pleased. 

I went to the website and looked up the tracking details on the twenty forth. Ah ha! It said the package was damaged and has been returned to the online shopping site's facility in San Bernardino, California...*On the seventh of November!* Assholes! So much for fast shipping and keeping me informed for that matter. The tracking message said I'd receive a refund within three to five days. Remember this is a message on the seventh I was reading on the twenty forth of the month. Hmm.

Today I went to the website to contact the company but of course the *contact us* link was not apparent; instead it was buried somewhere deep down where a logical person isn't ever going to look. I found it though and initiated a text-chat with someone who probably doesn't even speak English and after about ten minutes managed to get them to agree to a refund which the person said he'd initiate right away. That was this morning. 

So, as it turned out fast delivery wasn't to be. I mean, the speed at which they took my money left me feeling a little dizzy but...Yeah, it seems they're not so fast to return it. 

I'm annoyed; It's not about the items, I can get them just about anywhere. It's not about the money either to be honest, I don't really need it right now. I'm more annoyed about the way these big companies treat the little people...There's the owner sitting on his pile of 205.4 billion USD and here's me, and probably millions of other people, not able to get a timely refund for something they can't supply me! But we keep going back right? Well nah, not this little black duck. 

Anyway, this isn't a very good rant and I should have fired up; I don't tend to rant much anymore though. I guess there's little point to getting upset about it, I mean who cares what I think? Certainly not the owner of that massive online shopping company. Not shopping there is about as good a protest as I can make and maybe if a whole lot of others do so also someone may take notice. 

Maybe one day society will use the immense power they have to affect change rather than just lowering their own acceptable standards and feeding the gaping maw of massive corporate entities like this one; but that would take going without and society doesn't like to do that. I'd say companies like this one would change fast if society wised up and took action though - Meaning stopped shopping there.

Do you have an online shopping story to tell? A good or bad experience with the delivery, website, a return or refund? Share below if you have and would like to tell us about it.

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Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - *Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind*

<sub>Discord: galenkp#9209</sub>

<sub>The image is mine, not yours</sub>