So, they deducted the $2200 from my account Sunday night, and I intended to call them Monday or Tuesday to ask for a tracking number for the shipment, but forgot to both days. I called them this morning and they not only gave me a tecking number, but advised that it was already out for delivery. I was shipped Monday, and was already in a truck in my neighborhood this morning at 10AM. Hooray!
Except that when I got home there was a note on my door saying they had been by and couldn’t deliver it without a signature & physically handing the packages to a human being. Oh, and that they would try again tomorrow between 10AM and 2PM, when I am sure to be at work. So, I called the number provided, gave the slip number, and spoke to a UPS customer service agent about trying to get my package. I advised that I was not able to have a neighbor sign for it, I was not able to have them redirect it to my work (since I couldn’t carry the 4 boxes totalling 230lbs home on my bicycle), and I couldn’t be home to receive it before 3:30PM any day. The “customer service” representative tried to tell me there was no way to guarantee a delivery time (Residential deliveries are made between 10AM and 7PM), and there was no way to send a truck out a second time, even though they are theoretically on the road for an additional four hours past the time I was talking about the problem. We went over these few things a few times, until the third or fourth time around that circle, she said she could contact my local station and have them call me to try to make arrangements. She said I should expect a call from them within an hour, and if I didn’t get one, I should call her back.
Forty-five minutes later, the UPS truck was outside my home with my packages. Five minutes after that, the local station called me to be sure I got the packages. I thanked them as much as I could before my phone cut out (see AT&T post, above).
So then I finished cleaning up the room in which the Bowflex is to live, and began unpacking the parts. I got 3 of the 4 boxes unpacked before I started constructing the beast (the 4th box is all the parts for the leg extension, assembled last). Now, don’t tell Bowflex, but I accidentally tightened one bolt too hard and snapped the head off, around step 12. When I got to Step 14, I was one bolt short. I called Bowflex and told them it was “missing” and a replacement is on its way. They also advised that I should be able to pick up a replacement at my local hardware store, since it is a standard sized bolt. I will see if I can get a chance to get to a hardware store before their replacement arrives.
After 14 steps, it looks almost like a Bowflex. I know it has solid construction, because everything that isn’t firmly welded together has been slightly overtightened by me. It looks good, so far. Hopefully it will be as wonderful as I hope when I get it together in a day or four.
