Pros and Cons of online shopping

I got a fair amount of gifts via the web this year. Items that were sent directly from Amazon arrived only three days after their estimated delivery. I could see by the tracking function that the late delivery was solely in the hands of the Chicago USPS.

A third party purchase via Amazon which had an estimated delivery of the 5th is still not here and for two days has said (in the tracking function) that it is in Elk Grove processing. The USPS also has a function that says it will email you when a status changes etc. on your package. I signed up right away and guess what, three moves and no emails. Shocking, I know. The hilarious part is that the item is by far the tiniest and cheapest item I bought, with shipping it was less than $20.

My final item is via ebay, so I have some hope that it will arrive by Christmas, especially since I ordered it on the 28th of November. However it is coming from Scotland and I've been warned by the sender (after I paid) that they wont consider it lost or missing until a month after it was mailed. So when I say "some hope" I mean I'll be praying to the Gods of Kobol.*

Anyway, bottom line, online shopping is easy but leaves you a little anxious until all deliveries are in, shopping in a store makes you cranky but when you get home you are done and have it all.


*I've been watching a lot of Battlestar Galactica, hence the joke about Kobol. I think half of the ten of you who read this would have gotten that without me explaining but the other five would think I've lost my mind. Much like the Golden Compass I chose to explain the hard stuff up-front so there isn't any confusion about my intention or meaning. So say we all.