As we know, I'm a big fan of online shopping; for it’s convenience, thriftiness and minimal–effort–requiredness.
But, like most things in life, it doesn't always work out as planned.
And if it seems to be good to be true, it probably is.
Allow me to explain. Two months ago- just as temperatures were starting to drop in Australia– I got online and purchased, extremely cheaply, two small fan heaters from a country in the Northern hemisphere, where– and hence the total genius of my plan– it is currently summer; and, naturally, heaters are cheap.
Brilliant! Right...?
Wrong.
After the first shipment of heaters didn't arrive at all, the next shipment took another two weeks, so it was eight full weeks– one whole month into winter– before fore–mentioned electrical appliances finally showed up.
Finally. TinyTrainTown temperatures were already dropping below zero at night, and the heaters were specifically to take the edge of cold off the kids rooms or my ’study’ (the outdoor laundry where I write blog posts on my iPad and smoke copious amounts of cigarettes. If only the wifi reached down here I'd be set.).
Have you already spotted the major fail? Clever you. Don't rub it in.
Why yes, electrical appliances from the Northern hemisphere do have Northern hemisphere power plugs.
Which don't fit in Australian outlets.
It's also extremely difficult to find adapters to go INTO Australian plugs, unless you happen to be in a country that's not Australia.
So... in the end, two small fan heaters, plus their adapters, cost me $75. Had I have just bought the from Woolies with my weekly shop, it would have been more like $40.
To add insult to potential frostbite, safety standards in the country of manufacture of these over–priced, energy–sucking fan heaters differ greatly from those here in Aus and that the concept of a cut of switch so the whole house doesn't catch fire should they tip over, I think it safe to call this.....
Major. Fail.
Obviously, if I'd been shopping with an Aussie site- say, an online coupons site- this never would have happened. Like them on FaceBook here. And don't let this turn you off online shopping– one person’s stupidity is not the e–commerce’s fault.
* This edition of "Stupid Things Lori Does" is sponsored, obviously- I'm imagining you picked that already.
***
You may have seen on Twitter... my chickens, Ethel and Lucy, who I was unreasonably emotionally attached to, had a run in with the neighbor's dog yesterday and definitely came off losers- they're both dead, and I'm heartbroken.
I know, I know- just a pair of stupid chooks. But I loved them and I wanted to keep them and the universe should have at least given me that- two stupid chooks. It's not a lot to ask for, really.
More on the Chook Tragedy, next week.