Most of us have done more online shopping during the covid-19 pandemic than ever before. We’ve ordered all kinds of products that we could buy at a store. That’s been helpful. But it’s different with clothing and shoes. Even though a few retailers are still open, their dressing rooms are closed. So, it’s no different than online shopping. I’ve ordered more dresses, shoes, and sports outfits online than ever before. And half the time, they have to be returned. Online returns are a pain in the neck.

Many retailers offer free shipping for certain items. . Somehow, this lulls you into forgetting that they may have to be returned, and this could cost you . As an example: I ordered a dress, not realizing it came from Hong Kong. This meant a three week wait. When the item came, two things were wrong: 1. Although I’d ordered a size larger than normal, it was still too small . 2. The material in the dress was see-though. Yes, you could see the color of my underwear. Don’t they know women don’t wear slips anymore? It’s hard to believe anyone would keep a dress like this. Where would you feel comfortable wearing it? And so, I printed out an Amazon return label, and was told that I would be charged for return shipping. Only about 4.00, so not too bad.

Ordering shoes online is especially problematic is you have anything wrong with your feet. Only certain shoe styles accommodate annoying problems like bunions and hammertoes. But remember, shoes are heavier. You not only have to pay for shipping, you also have to pay shipping on returns. So, buying and returning a pair of ill fitting shoes can result in at least $10 bucks in shipping costs.

Online returns a pain in the neck. Shipping costs and waiting in line at the post office is the downside of online shopping.

Purchases are often disappointing. Online returns are a pain in the neck.

But it’s not just the cost that’s bothersome. It’s the time and effort it takes to repackage the item, tape it up, and find a place to return it. In our city, UPS is located miles away in a busy part of town. Sometimes they’ll let you return the item to Kohl’s—in the same part of town. First, you have to find a parking place. Then , put on our mask, walk through the store, and stand in line for service. Those lines have grown much longer during this pandemic. Other retailers let you use the Post office, which results in the same inconvenience.

I really miss shopping in the mall. The luxury of trying on three or four dresses or pair of shoes before making a decision. Knowing that what you see is what you get—not some distorted picture in an online catalog. Will department stores ever make a comeback? I wish they would, because online returns are a pain In the neck.

Why didn’t I realize UPS would be a zoo? Because of the pandemic, everyone’s buying all their stuff online, then returning half of it. In this case, my finger slipped on the keypad when ordering a jigsaw puzzle. Or maybe it was Amazon’s mistake. At any rate, we received two of the same puzzle. Since we couldn’t think of anyone who would want it, returning it seemed like the best move. I printed out a return label and drove to the store. It is usually a very quiet, uncrowded place, but not now. Beware of chaos at the UPS Store.

The only store in our city is five miles away. It’s an extremely small office, dark, with low ceilings. Remember, we’re supposed to avoid small, crowded, enclosed places now, right? Anyway, I drove into the parking lot and stopped to put on my mask and gloves. Looking in the window, I could see two people with stacks of packages to be processed by one clerk. I guess these were “pick up” items. I didn’t know about scheduling a pick up, but I do now. There were several people standing in line for the other clerk. It looked like I was in for a long wait.

Many customers not wearing masks at UPS store. Beware of chaos. — UPS clerks wear masks, but many customers don’t. Beware of chaos at the UPS Store.

I picked up the puzzle and Amazon return paperwork, and stood outside the door, thinking it would be safer to wait in the fresh air. I’d no sooner got there, when two younger people got out of their cars and proceeded to open the door. “I’m waiting in a line, here,” I said. Neither of them were masked. They glanced at me briefly, brushed past . and went on in.

Okay, I was mad. I took a few deep breaths to control my rage, but it wasn’t having the desired effect. Two things seemed very wrong here. #1 They weren’t wearing masks. Inside, both clerks were masked. Did these people not respect the health and safety of the UPS employees? #2 They had pushed ahead of me, taking advantage of the fact that I was social distancing. Now, it was even more crowded inside.

At that point, another woman got out of her car. She looked at me and said, ‘I forgot my mask.” Went back to her car, returned, and stood at a safe distance behind me to wait her turn. Well, at least there are some decent people in the world.

As the two offenders left the store after completing their business, I went into crabby old lady mode. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” I said. But they weren’t. Not in the least.

What goes through the mind of the unmasked during this coronavirus pandemic? Do they think they’re immune because they are younger? If so, they should look at the demographics on the department of health website. The majority of cases in our state of Indiana are with people age 20 to 60. Worse yet, do they not care that they could be infecting their fellow human beings? Don’t they have any respect for the store clerks who are risking their own health to serve them every day?

Beware of chaos at the UPS store.

Tag: UPS

ONLINE RETURNS A PAIN IN THE NECK