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Author Topic: My laptop shipped after all...to the dude across the street.  (Read 11490 times)

My laptop shipped after all...to the dude across the street.

millsey75
Commenter

Posts: 8


February 05, 2008, 08:52:07 PM

I made "great progress" in my personal saga to find out where my G1G0 is today. 
For those interested, its a bit long... so stick with me. I'll abbreviate as much as possible.

FedEx tracking said my package was delivered on 12/26 with "Left of front porch.
No signature...signature service not requested".  I was out of town for the
holidays, and when I return, no laptop on my porch.

I filed a lost package claim 2 weeks ago with FedEx and got my response yesterday. 
They said the package was "properly delivered to the correct address".

So on my fifth call to OLPC tonight (4 promised call backs over the past
month... and no call backs), after a few minutes, I was given the old
"supervisor will call you back routine".  So after saying that my last 4 calls
ended in that same promise, none of which were fulfilled, and declining yet
another, there was about a minute of uncomfortable silence after I asked what
else can be done.  Unfortunately nothing...

...but for the sake of finding any reason to stay on the phone (after all I
waited on hold for 30 mins), I did ask him to tell me the information they have
about me in their system.  Ok, so no surprise, no record of my last 4 calls, but
I did find that the address they have in their system was 1 number off from my
actual street address (3444 vs 3443).  I asked if this address was from my
original order and he said yes.  Now I've been entering my address in web forms
for over 10 years, and have never to my knowledge entered it incorrectly.  So I
don't think I would've entered it wrong on nolaptop.org (I'm especially careful when entering something for which I'm paying $425 for) - but it's not outside
the realm of possibility.

So I scurry across the street with big dreams in mind of presenting my niece and
nephew their xmas gift, only 6 weeks late.  So after exchanging plesantries, I
tell him the story, and with me standing on the porch, he calls his wife to
figure out what she did with it.  He hangs up and says.. "Oh well... it was
delivered around xmas time.  Yeah, it sat right here until a week or two ago, so
we had FedEx pick it back up". Being a bit skeptical, I gave him the benefit of
the doubt. The fact that my XO was within 50 feet of my front door for 6 weeks
made me both nauseaus yet excited with hope that I might see it soon.

 So I scurry back and immedidately call FedEx.  So apparently when a package is
rejected by a recipient, the information on the return is stored on the original
tracking number.  But lo and behold... FedEx has no further information on the
tracking number after the delivery on 12/26.  They have no record of the pickup
or return.  So I stop, take a deep breath, collect my thoughts, and head back
across the street.

I told our friendly neighbor of my call to FedEx, and he immediately tries to
dial up his wife... and this time she doesn't answer.  So the next thing our
friend says is something like "...did FedEx tell you about any legal
recourse...".  So that tells me I've found the culprit.  My XO is still sitting
in their house, has been hocked for $50 at a pawn shop, or has been sold (or
still for sale?) on eBay.  He says, "well, I don't know anything else... my wife
took care of this.  I'll have her call you...".  So with many other things to
say (but realize not the time to say them), and the pit in my stomach growing
ever deeper, I give him my number, tuck my tail, and head back home.

Ok, so now it looks like I now have multiple parties to fight with.  And I'm
kind of stuck what course of action to take next.  How do I keep up the fight
with OLPC/Brightstar?  I've gotten absolutely nowhere with 5 calls to them. They
are completely blowing me off and I feel any more calls to them are a waste of
time. I do still consider this their fault (how do you deliver a LAPTOP WITHOUT
A SIGNATURE?Huh?)
, but if I have to talk to one more "donor services" rep at
OLPC, I just might hang myself with my telephone cord....

...or... do I file a police report for a possible stolen property? Is it
considered stolen if its dropped on their porch and no one claims it for 6
weeks?

With the hope that if someone, anyone is still reading about my sad, sad tale...
I beg anyone with advice/suggestions, please forward them my way.  Thank you in
advance!



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#1 Re: My laptop shipped after all...to the dude across the street.

WhatsHisName
Commenter

Posts: 13


February 05, 2008, 10:59:04 PM


Suggestion: Post your comments in the G1G1 forum at http://en.forum.laptop.org/

That's the official OLPC forum.  OLPC volunteers monitor the forum and often offer assistance to  people like yourself.

They also have a tendency to belittle those who complain, which results in someone belittling them, which results in... Well, you get the picture.  Kind of like the Monty Python skit about someone wanting to have an argument.

BTW, your situation sucks even worse than mine.

Day One G2G0
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#2 Re: My laptop shipped after all...to the dude across the street.

millsey75
Commenter

Posts: 8


February 06, 2008, 07:12:48 AM

Thanks WhatsHisName - I'll *try* to post a friendly message to the official OLPC board and see if that gets me anywhere.  I especially appreciate the sympathy since OLPC has none for me.

If anyone else is in a similar situation and has any other advice, please let me know. Thanks.
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#3 Re: My laptop shipped after all...to the dude across the street.

Sam3
Commenter

Posts: 7


February 07, 2008, 10:35:36 PM

That stinks. My only suggestion would be to contact a lawyer or maybe the police department and find out what recourse you may have. Maybe contact the local prosecutor's office?

That sure sounds like theft to me, I doubt if OLPC or Brightstar will do anything for you, you may get an apology. Pretty much if FedEx can show that they received no pick up instructions and you can show that OLPC shipped to a wrong address and that you tried in good faith to get the laptop, I think you may stand a chance with the law. If nothing else, if the people are anywhere decent, having a lawyer or the police contact them may frighten them and make them do the right thing.
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#4 Re: My laptop shipped after all...to the dude across the street.

DisappointedNovemberdonor
Commenter

Posts: 5


February 08, 2008, 08:08:33 AM

Presumably your name was on the package, wrong address or no...if it isn't postal theft its something close...I would collect your tracking information, Fedex correspondence that documents delivery and report it stolen (by someone, its their job to figure out who)  or... head over to the folks across the street and give them an alternative...among the alternatives, give/get (:-) me the laptop or I'll have to file a report with the local police to follow-up, because apparently it was stolen....which is probably what you will have to do...but remember...didn't it have your name on it?  Good Luck...
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Please don't insult me and excuse yourself for not delivering US laptops by referring to the plan to supply children in all parts of the world with a laptop...we are donors and know all about that...hopefully some child in some part of the world has received a laptop...but my grandson would like his

#5 Re: My laptop shipped after all...to the dude across the street.

Pierre
New

Posts: 4


February 10, 2008, 10:46:26 AM

Isn't Fedex that should ensure proper delivery ? At least they should collect a signature. They did it for me. I mean this could happen to any package. Sound strange that Fedex's process would be that loose.
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#6 Re: My laptop shipped after all...to the dude across the street.

Chris G
Commenter

Posts: 5


February 10, 2008, 01:17:39 PM

If all eles fails small claims court is a way to go cheap, and with everything pointing to your XO being ship to an address that is not yours but with your name on the box  shoud be easy. Let the people that got the XO know this is a action you will take.
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CG's XO

#7 Re: My laptop shipped after all...to the dude across the street.

millsey75
Commenter

Posts: 8


February 11, 2008, 02:01:20 PM

Thanks to all of those interested in my sad tale.  But it could very possibly have a happy ending.  For the full saga with updates... check out the thread on the OLPC help forum at:

http://en.forum.laptop.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=151654

I highly recommend anyone having issues with receiving their XO to join that forum and contact the user "Infamy".  He/she has been the only one from OLPC to respond to my cries for help and has been extremely helpful.

Good luck to all!!!
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#8 Re: My laptop shipped after all...to the dude across the street.

LesleyT
Master Contributor
***
Posts: 281



WWW
February 11, 2008, 05:43:31 PM

dang....
I would file a police report.
AND a report with Fed ex.
AND light a bag of dog poop on the neighbors doorstep.

Fed Ex gave your laptop to someone else.  That's THEIR PROBLEM!
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#9 Re: My laptop shipped after all...to the dude across the street.

LaPaglia
Senior Contributor
**
Posts: 196


February 11, 2008, 08:32:20 PM

FedEx delivered a package to the address on the box. No signature was requested so they didn't get any. FedEx is not at fault on this one. They did what they were contracted to do. deliver a package to an address without a signature.


The fault lies with someone else not FedEx.


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