Donald Pliner boots #1

I am still struggling to organise all the pending stuff. One aspect about holidays out of town is the fantastic feeling of evasion. Just before leaving you realise there is a multitude of things to be taken care of, and the last days are usually very stressing. Then you leave out excited and exhilarating about the coming days. When you’re back and your mind is starting to work in a mechanic way you realise that there has been a lot of things pending which need to be taken care of.
Before departure I have been intensively enquiring an eBay seller from whom I have bough a pair of knee high boots from Donald Pliner. The last day before departure I have posted neutral feedback on this transaction. Despite the very good communication with the seller and the excellent feedback she had, I had to leave a mark for my discontentment; after all I have been waiting almost 3 months for the boots and did not get anything. Some times eBay transactions can be tricky.
Back in town I have checked my mailing box and found there was a note left there for 12 days from Postal Services. Regretfully, it came on the day I left and so I only got it now. I went to the post office to find what it was about but I suspected it would be about the boots. I had to go to another post office out of my area since in the summer they change opening and closure times and divert the mailing between other post offices. Bad luck, when I got there it was closed. The day after I run to the post office before going to work and got disappointing news: the parcel has been sent back to sender in the United Sates. Apparently the due time for collecting the parcel has expired the day before. Shit happens.
I went to work and sent an e-mail to the eBay seller stating it; the fact is I was not expecting the boots almost 4 month after payment. I haven’t got any feedback from her yet but I would really like to get those boots. The thing is I will have to cover the expenses she might have from getting back unclaimed mail plus shipping costs. I will have to work this out and see how much I will have to add so that she can re-send the boots. This might come up to a point it's not worth to try the process again. I really feel I have been very unlucky this time.
I have almost 300 transactions on eBay and despite the number I must say I have had very few problems with lost parcels or frauds. I would say I had 3 problems or maybe 4 with this one. But, you must bear in mind that the transactions I made represent much more than 300 items, since when possible I try to combine several items on the same transaction in order to reduce shipping and handling costs as well as costs derived from issuing payments. From these few less fortunate transactions I've learned that the rule is avoiding surface mail by all means. Surface mail is obviously cheaper than air mail but it will take very long time and it will bring a lot of problems. And this was exactely what happen with the parcel containing the boots. I do not know why but it must have been a lack of communication (or the seller tried to save money getting my payment for air-mail dispatch and sending surface) but I would never ask to send the parcel surface. When I found she has sent surface I got really worried and know I have the proof about my worries.
Let’s wait and see what happens; and I still have my rubber corset held on Customs for taxation. It’s a good thing the Euro is stronger than the Dollar but a simple transaction between an European country and United States might as well be a pain in the ass.