Yesterday morning, Monday, I discovered the GFI outlet in our main bathroom (see, I didn’t call it “Master bath”) popped and the reset switch would not reset it. Very inconvenient because that GFCI outlet controls both upstairs bathrooms. Well, I had things to do and I didn’t feel like driving over to either Lowes or Home Depot for one item. So I did what any normal person would do these days: I checked the Lowes and Home Depot website to get it delivered, just like Amazon. Home Depot had a Leviton GFI for around $18 with FREE next day delivery. That’s for me! Even cheaper than Amazon’s price for a Leviton. Oh, Amazon had cheaper ones, but they were unknown brands. At least Leviton is a well known brand.
So I ordered it with FREE next day delivery. $18 with free delivery! How can they make any money on this sale? So I sit back, chuffed with myself over the bargain. The next day I check on the delivery and UPS says “a label has been created” and expected delivery is the following day. Wait, this is the next day delivery getting pushed back a day. I am crushed and steamed at the same time. Here I thought I would get it the next day and immediately install it and we’d be back in business, baby! If I had only known, I would have just driven over there to pick it up myself.
However, who am I annoyed at more? Home Depot for getting my hopes up, or myself, for thinking that I put one over on them? That just annoys me enough to call HD customer service. I ended up talking to a nice lady who looked up my oder and said “yes, we didn’t live up to your expectations. Let me open a case number and try to get this expedited.” Thank you very much, nice lady.
So it’s now several hours later and I’m more confused than ever on this delivery. At 7:17 I got an email from UPS saying my package will be delivered on Tuesday by 7pm. But an hour before, at 6:15 I got a text and a link from Roadie.com saying my package from Home Depot will be delivered today by 10pm by their driver, Victor C. He allegedly picked it up at Beltsville, MD and will deliver it to me, here in Virginia, a 42 mile trip. I’m sure Victor C. picked up a lot more packages than just mine, but this poor guy is driving around the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area delivering packages in the rain, till all hours of the night when he should be home with his family, who are probably at home wondering just where the hell hubby/father Victor C. is.
By the way, I looked up this company, Roadie. It’s probably not as bad as driving for Uber or Lyft, but it’s close. These guys are independent contractors working for a UPS-owned company. I’m sure they don’t make the kind of money UPS drivers get and they surely don’t get any benefits. According to this, it sucks:
Roadie integrates seamlessly with UPS systems, enabling UPS customers to manage Roadie deliveries through their existing accounts and streamline billing processes. Roadie's network of drivers undergoes a vetting process, including driver's license verification and background checks. While Roadie offers a valuable addition to UPS's delivery capabilities, it is important to note that driver compensation and support have been points of criticism in some reviews. Potential drivers should carefully consider the associated terms and conditions before engaging with the platform.
By the way, my package was dropped off at 9:55PM. This poor guy is out there, in the dark, in the rain, still driving to make the rest of his deliveries. I understand that this is how the gig-economy works, but does that make it right? Now I feel guilty because I don’t know what the answer is to the question in the title above. I got my $18 GFCI outlet on time, as promised, but at what cost?
Harry S. Truman, come back, we need you!
