Stuff delayed - AGAIN!

I can't believe it!


Just heard from the shipping company that our stuff will not arrive until the beginning of next week. We paid beaucoup dollars for the 'best' shipper so we would get our things!


Here is the nasty note I wrote to our contact:


Morgan:
Just heard our stuff won't even arrive in Antwerp until monday at the earliest thats the 20th - Thursday the 23rd will be 2 full months of waiting for our stuff. In an earlier email you stated it would probably take at least an additional 2 weeks from arrival to get through customs and get on a transport to our home. This means we will be waiting probably at least 2 and 1/2 months for our items from when they were picked up in Philadelphia.

When we hired Sea and Air International over other shipping companies (at a MUCH higher rate than others) it was soley because you said you would gaurantee arrival at a quicker rate. Others said they could not get it to us until the end of October, we found this unacceptable and chose your company instead.

Not only will my (3, 5 and 7 year old) children not have their homemade Halloween costumes. I do not have proper winter clothing for them or blankets to keep them warm at night. They and my husband have been sleeping in sleeping bags on the floor for over one month.

This situation is not what we were promised - or what we paid a premium for. We believe we should recieve financial compensation for this inconvenience.


Please advise,
Rebecca Dhondt


Anyway - I am livid - and very stressed! I was counting on getting that stuff.

1. we are cold
2. we are tired of sleeping on the floor
3. I am throwing a party next weekend and I needed my cooking pots and costumes etc..,
4. Kids have 2 weeks off school starting next Friday and I was counting on us having our toys/crafts and amusements to play with during this break. Now what am I supposed to do with them for 2 straight weeks?


OK - I am now going to whine a bit MORE - feel free to skip this.


In France you only get paid once per month and since A only worked 8 days in Sept that means (except for the tiny bit that this paid us) we will be completely out of work/pay for over 5 months - and need to hang on until Nov. We don't have health insurance yet (until André gets his green card/carte de séjour finalized) and I have strep throat for the 4th or 5th time this year. There is NO way we are going to be able to travel or adventure etc... for the forseeable future. Anouc (Zander's new best friend) can't come to the Pumpkin Party which is devastating Zander so much he has been destroying something every day (cut up tablecloths, smashed glasses etc..) and Griffin is still not potty trained. Our fridge doesn't work, we can't afford to replace it, Callie and Zander are peeing their beds at night and when it is pouring rain, your sleeping bag doesn't dry too well and we have no extra linens. We have broken so many of Olivier's things it is insane - and can we afford to replace them? No. I am going to have to beg our French friends for the supplies to throw this party (Oh, hey, remember that party I wanted you to come to? Well, can you give me pots, and pans, and a table, and chairs, and tablecloths, and hmmm.... a ladle or two, a decent peeler, a butcher's knife etc...., etc.... so I can actually have it?)


ARGH!


Anyway - off to the doctors to get my antibiotics (again!)


Rebecca