My Cluster F*ck Part Two

Thursday Late Afternoon : So, cluster f*ck cell phone is resolved.

Thursday PM : My hot water tank finally said enough is enough. I called around and of course nobody would be able to come out right away, most were saying not until this Saturday.

I called Lowe's, ya know, they advertise same day installation. The salesman took all my info, quoted me a price (higher than the others I got, but not by much) and said sure, we can get someone out tonight. I gave him my charge card number and we were good to go. Well worth the extra bucks to get it handled right away. So I wait, and wait, and watch the sun go down. Just after sunset, I get a call from a woman, acknowledging my purchase from Lowe's and wanting to schedule delivery and installation. Hu? What?

I explain to her that I was promised installation today. Silence on the other end. I told her I was going to call my salesman back and then get back with her. Salesman assured me there was a misunderstanding because they have a contract with the installers that guarantees same day service. A few minutes later I get a call back from the same woman, saying someone was on their way. Ugh, I bet I just PO'd someone off. Do I really want him installing this late? By contractual force?

He shows up ... rather nice guy too. No 'tude, whew! So we go downstairs and he points out the things he needs to do to bring it up to code. WTF? This house isn't old enough to be out of code. But indeed, the codes have changed since 2001.

OK, so and additional $260.00 to bring up to code and what's this? He is reading the order faxed to him from Lowe's, they didn't add the permit ... another $45.00. That brings your total to $939.00 lady.

I will take cold showers before I pay that much for a hot water heater. No way, a standard 40 gallon tank?

So I tell the guy, it's not going to happen. He said if I had called his company direct, he could have saved me some money. I said, well I am not taking this one and tomorrow I plan on calling around again. I will call your place, just so Lowe's doesn't think your intent was to take this job. He gave me a quote right there on the spot, everything included, in writing, for $550.00. What a big racket mark-up Lowe's has.

I called Lowe's back and explained I wasn't no way in hell prepared to pay the extra, non disclosed fees and they said, no problem, they'd credit my card back.

I have cold water. He will be here before noon on Saturday. For a $389.00 savings, I can take fast cold showers.

To Be Continued ...

After yesterdays cell phone cluster f*ck ordeal ... I began a new hot water heater cluster f*ck. Before I go on with that story ... I will lighten the read by sending you over to Sunshine's site to vote in her celebrity look-a-like contest.

I entered my photo with a celebrity photo as did others. Have fun, check us out and vote for the one that most resembles their celebrity. *Is that a sneaky way of saying, hey get your butt over there and for for me?

I'll be back later with the rest of my story and an update on the voting polls =)

My Definition of a Cluster F*ck:

Saturday: Phone dies, no service, go to Ver*zon, they say it's a bad phone, plays with it for a few minutes, gets service. They don't have mine in stock so they will order new replacement, but Monday is a holiday, so it will go through Tuesday, ship Wednesday, receive Thursday ... at my work address.
Saturday night: No service
Sunday: Go back to Ver*zon, it is working again.
Sunday night: No service :::Light Bulb Brain::: ... I drive to Ver*zon parking lot, yes, service is on.They have a frickin tower in their building.
Monday: Labor Day, no service ... I thought they were closed (found out later they weren't)
Tuesday: 9:00 AM Waiting at door for them to open.
Tuesday: 9:01 AM I explain, through gritted teeth, two weeks ago I disconnected my home phone, I must have a phone. They put in an order to ship overnight, guaranteeing delivery by Wednesday 10:30 AM.
Wednesday: 12:30 PM, no phone, call Ver*zon, verify it was shipped, get FedEx tracking number.
Wednesday: 12:31 PM, call FedEx, verify they tried to deliver item, no one was home. HOME?????


Wednesday: 12:32 PM, called Ver*zon, oops, they didn't request overnight phone to go to work address.
Verified that the Thursday phone (first one ordered Tuesday) would go to work address by 10:30 AM.
Thursday: 11:00 AM, no Phone
Thursday: 11:01 AM, (biting tongue) Call Ver*zon, get tracking number.
Thursday: 11:02 AM, call FedEx, verify attempt was once again made to HOME ADDRESS.
Thursday: 11:03 AM, poor FedEx lady, heard foreign noises coming through my gritted teeth while biting tongue. Thankfully, she called the driver, explained I was less than a mile away from the home address, and he brought it to me.

I have never had a problem with Ver*zon before, no horror stories, no bill problems, no bad phones ... so I think all of the above is one cluster f*ck of six years of my loyalty to them, served to me at once.

Came home tonight, hot water heater completely broken ... you would not believe what happened next.
I'll continue tomorrow ... oh yeah, it beats out Ver*zon!