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[randrews]

I was getting really worried about my XO, what with all the stories here of DOA laptops, boxes being stolen (or just empty), and of course the general unresponsiveness of OLPC. I called FedEx a few times, spent about half an hour on hold with OLPC last night trying to get an order number (finally gave up at 8, having never talked to anyone), and I had stopped even checking for a package.

Came home a little early today, before my apartment office closed, and I decided to check one more time since I figured I'd feel stupid if it were there and I didn't get it (I was expecting it to be left on my doorstep, of course, even though I live in an apartment. FedEx once left a box of clearly labeled chocolate bars on my doorstep in July, in Houston!).

Since I'm posting this, you can probably guess it was there. The box actually had a laptop, and the laptop actually works, and is pretty neato.

So everyone reading this forum and panicking, don't. Things will probably be okay. Have patience. If it's not there by Tuesday, get your child a nice card and some chocolate and explain that OLPC couldn't find its bottom with both hands and a map, but they'll have it in a couple weeks.

It's just that the horror stories are more likely to be posted, is all.

[decibel]

I was getting really worried about my XO, what with all the stories here of DOA laptops, boxes being stolen (or just empty), and of course the general unresponsiveness of OLPC. I called FedEx a few times, spent about half an hour on hold with OLPC last night trying to get an order number (finally gave up at 8, having never talked to anyone), and I had stopped even checking for a package.

Came home a little early today, before my apartment office closed, and I decided to check one more time since I figured I'd feel stupid if it were there and I didn't get it (I was expecting it to be left on my doorstep, of course, even though I live in an apartment. FedEx once left a box of clearly labeled chocolate bars on my doorstep in July, in Houston!).

Since I'm posting this, you can probably guess it was there. The box actually had a laptop, and the laptop actually works, and is pretty neato.

So everyone reading this forum and panicking, don't. Things will probably be okay. Have patience. If it's not there by Tuesday, get your child a nice card and some chocolate and explain that OLPC couldn't find its bottom with both hands and a map, but they'll have it in a couple weeks.

It's just that the horror stories are more likely to be posted, is all.

With all the cynical pessimists posting of late, it's refreshing to read about positive stories like yours. Thank you.

[randrews]

Also should mention: my box had packing tape covering the bottom, and stickers covering the laptop icon (the 1, XO, and arrow were all visible though). Maybe Brightstar figured out that labeling a box "hard-to-get Christmas thing inside!" and leaving it on doorsteps was a bad idea, and fixed that problem...

[decibel]

Also should mention: my box had packing tape covering the bottom, and stickers covering the laptop icon (the 1, XO, and arrow were all visible though). Maybe Brightstar figured out that labeling a box "hard-to-get Christmas thing inside!" and leaving it on doorsteps was a bad idea, and fixed that problem...

Interesting. I hate to imagine theft occuring on the FedEx side of things.

[AuntiMame]

I hate to imagine theft occuring on the FedEx side of things.

decibel,
the vast majority of workers at UPS/FedEx/where-ever are honest and decent folks. But during the holidays all of these companies hire temp staff to cover the amazing overload of work. And stuff sometimes intentionally wanders away. Sometimes its delivered to the wrong address, and sometimes it just ends up in the "lost luggage" area.

At my work, the only time we've ever had packages disappear in transit was during an December/Xmas rush. Just a couple of weeks ago I had 15 LCD monitors vanish off the face of the earth.

Aunti

[meloukhia]

Yeah, any kind of theft is not coming from FedEx. Stuff gets lost in transit in the holidays a lot because of the high volume of shipping going on, and someone might walk by and notice a neat thing on the porch, but FedEx drivers are pretty honorable people, even though they aren't represented by a union so they don't get the same benefits that UPS/USPS do. The penalties for theft are just not worth the gain.

[Infamy]

You might even find that outfits like UPS and FedEx contract out some of the holiday load...which might introduce bad apples. Who knows

[JB]

Randrews,
I'm glad to hear that you got your laptop!  Hope you have fun with it.

Don't tell the rest of us to be patient and wait.  It never hurts to be proactive, and it also give me something to do while I wait.

[Alex Guichet]

Another safe and happy XO arrives..

[randrews]

Don't tell the rest of us to be patient and wait.  It never hurts to be proactive, and it also give me something to do while I wait.

Better than telling you that the whole purpose of G1G1 was to get laptops to the third world, and you should feel guilty for even wanting the laptop you paid for, right?

Every time I read a comment like that, it increased my rage.