Tuesday's Update for Linda (noon)

[mypreciouspups]

Originally Posted by Miao

I think generally, people are so used to going along with the majority, and the majority of participants are within the USA, so it's almost inconceivable that it would take longer than the USPS/UPS shipping times as a lot choose either method to ship theirs. I know, it hasn't been even 2 weeks yet since the deadline to ship out. Heck, I'm not in the ge nor have I ever taken part, but I am still waiting for a parcel myself from a YT member for 2 little articles of doggy clothing where I didn't get an ETA but was told it was "packed and ready to be mailed" on May 25th when the payment was received via paypal (US$5 charged for shipping so I'm assuming USPS Priority). And this is being shipped within the USA... But I was going to wait for aother 3 or 4 days when it's clearly been 3 weeks or maybe a month before speaking up. LOL

I hope the G/E stays fun for everyone. Since I wasn't participating, I was reading some of the posts to try to share some of the joy of the giving and receiving with everyone and get a better feel for it... but for one, I think I might be a little relieved that I did not participate though the beginnings of it certainly does seem fun!

I was in the states. in flrorida till this past monday.. gave ample posts and made a thread on shipping to canada..
In fact I got people at random to get hold of my buddies to ask if they were going to be home.. so I would know if I needed a signature or how to ship.. I did that because as a member signing up for the GE it was my responsiblity to make sure my buddie got there parcel safely and on time..I got a message my buddies parcel was dilivered.. knowing she was home from pervious pms.. and it was sitting there.. so I found her phone number and called her to say.. your parcel is at the door.. she thanked me as it could have sat there for days she said.. she had been at the pool with the dogs so they did not alert her to the postman..
It is very easy to ask questions when we do not know the how;s, or the why;s.. no question is dumb if you do not know the answer..It is not only canada.. it is shipping within the states.. it is the responsibility of the buddie to ensure the gifts arrive safe and ontime.. I did my part.. I did my shopping.. I read the post made by my buddie.. I look for direction..as this was my responsiblity... with that said.. other canadians have taken part.. and although I am canadian.. there was indeed ample time for a parcel to ship to me while in florida.. in fact if that was me.. I would have made sure parcel went to florida.. for I would have saved money alone in the shipping costs..
anne

[rbelland]

Anne, I am so sorry you are having to go through this. I too don't believe that there are any excuses for not being responsible for our packages. What a mess you are having to deal with.

[Gypsy & Me]

Originally Posted by Breeze

I'm so sorry, hugs.

Here are the rules for the timelines:
9. Estimated Time Windows - Gift Exchange Timeline

You will have 10 days to 2 weeks to Sign-Up to be a participant in the Gift Exchange. You will receive Secret Buddy info within a week of gathering all the information from new participants. You will have 2 to 3 weeks to shop, prepare your package for delivery and to deliver it.
You have 1 week after the deadline for your buddy to receive their gift.

10. Not Receiving a Gift - If you have not received your gift within 2 weeks of the posted deadline, please PM us to let us know. There will be action taken. It is not fair to you if you have sent out a gift and did not receive one in return. YorkieTalk guarantees that you will get a Gift per Gift Exchange as long as you follow the rules. Every single participant in every single YT Gift Exchange thus far has received a gift.


I think to prevent this from happening again the tracking numbers need to be sent to Admin by the shipping deadline (on this exchange May 31st).

If not everyone who is participating has sent a PM with this info by then, then Admin and the wonderful YT members who ship out the replacement gift so every yorkies receives one would know to send the package sooner.

Then receiving buddy would not have to wait weeks after everyone else got their gifts and perhaps get it before the two weeks were up when others were still getting their gifts.
Edited to add- Many of us change our schedules so we can be around for delivery, I would hate to have to do that for weeks, or have to worry about packages for that long.

Then the rules need to be changed to a more reasonable time frame for being received after the deadline because 1 week clearly isn't long enough. It's not been 2 weeks since the posted deadline until the weekend. They aren't waiting weeks after everyone else because I'm pretty sure there were threads this week from people that just received, same as last week and the week before.

As I'm aware all packages have been sent out and they are just waiting to be received. No one has not sent, one person was over the deadline and she posted and explained and one is just taking longer because it's coming further.

I'm glad people are able to rearrange their schedule to mail a package... not everyone has that luxury.

[Miao]

Originally Posted by mypreciouspups

It is very easy to ask questions when we do not know the how;s, or the why;s.. no question is dumb if you do not know the answer..It is not only canada.. it is shipping within the states.. it is the responsibility of the buddie to ensure the gifts arrive safe and ontime.. I did my part.. I did my shopping.. I read the post made by my buddie.. I look for direction..as this was my responsiblity... with that said.. other canadians have taken part.. and although I am canadian.. there was indeed ample time for a parcel to ship to me while in florida.. in fact if that was me.. I would have made sure parcel went to florida.. for I would have saved money alone in the shipping costs..
anne

For my previous posts on this thread, it was actually in reference to the other member who has yet to receive her box. Ting Ting's SB had made sure to keep contact with xxmxaxrxyxx one way or another and yet, I am not sure if FLDebra's post was directed at Ting Ting's SB or yours, but I was mainly referring to that one as I wasn't sure that you weren't already contacted one way or another about both of your SB's. The confusion and/or complications that followed afterwards is another story, however, I was only referring to identifying and/or notifying and contacting the recipient and keeping them informed. And I know I haven't read all of the posts regarding the G/E, however, the ones I have read and may have responded to, none of them had indicated that Mary was in contact, however, Gypsy&Me has confirmed a few posts back that she had contacted Mary about Ting Ting's SB status well before now.

[Miao]

Originally Posted by Miao

I think generally, people are so used to going along with the majority, and the majority of participants are within the USA, so it's almost inconceivable that it would take longer than the USPS/UPS shipping times as a lot choose either method to ship theirs. I know, it hasn't been even 2 weeks yet since the deadline to ship out. Heck, I'm not in the ge nor have I ever taken part, but I am still waiting for a parcel myself from a YT member for 2 little articles of doggy clothing where I didn't get an ETA but was told it was "packed and ready to be mailed" on May 25th when the payment was received via paypal (US$5 charged for shipping so I'm assuming USPS Priority). And this is being shipped within the USA... But I was going to wait for aother 3 or 4 days when it's clearly been 3 weeks or maybe a month before speaking up. LOL

I hope the G/E stays fun for everyone. Since I wasn't participating, I was reading some of the posts to try to share some of the joy of the giving and receiving with everyone and get a better feel for it... but for one, I think I might be a little relieved that I did not participate though the beginnings of it certainly does seem fun!

And thank god I did... I am so sorry... and see, I am glad I haven't named names as I am SOOOO embarrassed now. I can only blame so much on the hubby, but he had only just informed me that someone took our package mistakenly... rather, the delivery guy handed it to the wrong person (along with somthing else) and that was last week just as he escaped to another country. He is scheduled to return soon, so we can then hunt him down and make him spit out our goodies! I generally like updating ppl whether they're recipients/buyers or senders/sellers on status immediately and ETA's and what have you no matter if there's tracking or not. All for everyone's peace of mind whether or not it was requested for. Sorry for hijacking this thread to post my apology for an earlier embarrassing post.

[Breeze]

Originally Posted by Gypsy & Me

Then the rules need to be changed to a more reasonable time frame for being received after the deadline because 1 week clearly isn't long enough. It's not been 2 weeks since the posted deadline until the weekend. They aren't waiting weeks after everyone else because I'm pretty sure there were threads this week from people that just received, same as last week and the week before.

As I'm aware all packages have been sent out and they are just waiting to be received. No one has not sent, one person was over the deadline and she posted and explained and one is just taking longer because it's coming further.

I'm glad people are able to rearrange their schedule to mail a package... not everyone has that luxury.

Wow, don't we seem bitter, not everyone has that luxury either which is why it can be so hard. I don't think my post had anything in it to get this response from you.

Ok, what if a gift was "not" sent by a buddy how would anyone know??? It would be weeks later, after the two weeks were up and then a replacement gift would still have to be put together and sent (that also takes time).

A simple PM to Admin with tracking numbers could let them know sooner rather than weeks later. What's so hard about sending a PM, or sending your package in time?

In this case all gifts have been send out but what about next time? Would you like to be the one waiting, I think not.

[admin]

Some of the GE FAQ and Rules may need to be revised, as some of them were written before we had international participants in the YT Gift Exchange. As far as we can tell, each and every gift has now been sent out. Please remember there are gifts coming from as far away as the UK, and those gifts may take longer to arrive to you. One week probably is not enough time to wait for gifts coming from overseas. There may also be import issues, which may delay shipping, when shipping from the USA to Canada and vice versa. Thank you.

[QuickSilver]

Aw, people! It's the GE! It's completely optional and hopefully fun. Let's all try to give each other the benefit of the doubt.

Everyone, take a deep breath in.... and out. Let's see:

If your package is late, most likely your SB has sent it or has a reason that she hasn't yet. Things do come up, and (to use myself as a shining example), maybe she is waiting on a second set of gifts for you. People DO make mistakes about shipping, custom tax, etc. These mistakes can be corrected with a little patience.

For people who posted defending the sender's position or the receiver's position, I just see that we are all concerned that everyone has a good time. We all want people to be happy with the gifts they got, and we all want to feel good about what we sent. We are all on the same side, let's not forget that. After all, we all both bought and got gifts.

[Miao]

Originally Posted by Breeze

Wow, don't we seem bitter, not everyone has that luxury either which is why it can be so hard. I don't think my post had anything in it to get this response from you.

I think that's unfair and uncalled for. With the way this thread is turning out, I am not surprised that the parties involved are getting a bit riled up and of course, having their fun taken out of this... I have read the previous pre-GE threads on the positive of GE's and had thought this one time would be fun to follow all that GE was meant to represent to the majority who had posted their thoughts on the topic here and this other thread made it seem a positive thing to look forward to.

Originally Posted by Breeze

Ok, what if a gift was "not" sent by a buddy how would anyone know??? It would be weeks later, after the two weeks were up and then a replacement gift would still have to be put together and sent (that also takes time).

But that IF doesn't apply to this particular G/E yet, does it? The issues here aren't stemming from someone not having received theirs yet or not told to expect it still. It's still a little too soon to tell if it's even been lost in the mail let alone "not sent out" for either of the recipients left still waiting. So a replacement gift isn't the issue here... yet.

Originally Posted by Breeze

A simple PM to Admin with tracking numbers could let them know sooner rather than weeks later. What's so hard about sending a PM, or sending your package in time?

Okay, so I think I can safely assume this is not addressing mypreciouspups' SB(s) problem rather, it is addressing Mary's, in which case, as previous posts indicated and keeps getting overlooked with the heated emotions, Mary has been kept in contact period.

Originally Posted by Breeze

In this case all gifts have been send out but what about next time? Would you like to be the one waiting, I think not.

If this is directed at any specific person, I think we'd have to ask each of them themselves to find the answer as I can tell you what I'd feel, but I'm not even participating. And I thought we were still living in the present GE and not covering all of the future "if"'s. And if we're talking about next time, then maybe after this thread, for anyone who has read through it, might rethink many things.

[mypreciouspups]

Originally Posted by admin

Some of the GE FAQ and Rules may need to be revised, as some of them were written before we had international participants in the YT Gift Exchange. As far as we can tell, each and every gift has now been sent out. Please remember there are gifts coming from as far away as the UK, and those gifts may take longer to arrive to you. One week probably is not enough time to wait for gifts coming from overseas. There may also be import issues, which may delay shipping, when shipping from the USA to Canada and vice versa. Thank you.

Thank you admin for this post.. I would like to say I could not have done more.. I posted a shipping to canada thread which was right there for all to see and in the GE section.. I also posted to refer to it on my sign up post..

I simply cannot beleive that this happened to me last summer..
This year I made sure it was not complicated..(0r so I thought) being late is not a huge deal, but putting a larger amount on the customs forms is not required...we all know what doggie clothing and things cost..

I am not an ungrateful person, quite the opposite, I very much am appreciative to be thought of..
But some need to walk the walk before they can do the talk and judge me.. ask yourself.. would I like to pay duty on each parcel I recieve when it is not neccesary to do so..

This surely takes the fun away.. and if it has not happened to you as a person.. then how can some one basically say chill... why does it come back to make me look like the bad guy..If I ship from Canada to the States which I did last year.. I sent the parcel.. paid the extra cost of shipping and my buddie got their parcel on time without incident..

I just hope this never happens again to anyone.. this is my second time..

anne

[Gypsy & Me]

Originally Posted by Breeze

Wow, don't we seem bitter, not everyone has that luxury either which is why it can be so hard. I don't think my post had anything in it to get this response from you.

I don't think that comment was particularly called for either, I addressed the points you made in your post nothing more...

Originally Posted by Breeze

Ok, what if a gift was "not" sent by a buddy how would anyone know??? It would be weeks later, after the two weeks were up and then a replacement gift would still have to be put together and sent (that also takes time).

But all gifts "have" been sent so this is an non-issue.

Originally Posted by Breeze

In this case all gifts have been send out but what about next time? Would you like to be the one waiting, I think not.

Waiting isn't fun whether it's waiting for the package to be delivered to you or for the package you sent to be delivered to the receiver.

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

Aw, people! It's the GE! It's completely optional and hopefully fun. Let's all try to give each other the benefit of the doubt.

Everyone, take a deep breath in.... and out. Let's see:

If your package is late, most likely your SB has sent it or has a reason that she hasn't yet. Things do come up, and (to use myself as a shining example), maybe she is waiting on a second set of gifts for you. People DO make mistakes about shipping, custom tax, etc. These mistakes can be corrected with a little patience.

For people who posted defending the sender's position or the receiver's position, I just see that we are all concerned that everyone has a good time. We all want people to be happy with the gifts they got, and we all want to feel good about what we sent. We are all on the same side, let's not forget that. After all, we all both bought and got gifts.

I'm not defending the sender's position... I'm defending myself being as it's my package that is the one in question and right now I feel like I'm on the end of a backlashing just because shipping from the UK to the US is taking longer than expected. Everyone is pointing out how sorry they feel for the people waiting and saying about not sending in time, etc, but it's really not easy to sit here and read the comments without feeling bad that the shipping is taking so long when that's completely out of my control.

Originally Posted by Miao

I think that's unfair and uncalled for. With the way this thread is turning out, I am not surprised that the parties involved are getting a bit riled up and of course, having their fun taken out of this... I have read the previous pre-GE threads on the positive of GE's and had thought this one time would be fun to follow all that GE was meant to represent to the majority who had posted their thoughts on the topic here and this other thread made it seem a positive thing to look forward to.

I completely agree with your post. It's hard not to get riled with the comments about not being posted, etc. I wasn't going to do this GE but after several chats with other members, (mainly Kim and Cindy), I decided to join in after all but if there are going to be threads like this everytime then it does take the fun out of it.

I have PM'd Mary at the begining of the week and said her package was on it's way and I hoped that it got there before she left. I never directly said that I was her buddy, (guess it's no longer a secret now), but this thread is reading like no one has contacted her and the package hasn't even been mailed!

[QuickSilver]

I don't want to blame anyone, or say that this person should not have posted, or this person did or did not do everything right. I AM saying that I think we can all lighten up. Let's follow AnnaMelissa's example; she sent her gift very early, and did not get a thank you thread. She expressed some disappointment, but she threw herself a thank you party and gave her SB the benefit of the doubt.

I posted a thread that I thought was friendly, and someone posted that it "sucked" because it had no information on my SB or pictures. I felt prickly and defensive, but I decided to trust other people who said they were just teasing.

I'm not saying that I'm the greatest poster ever or anything, just, remember the Golden Rules for forums. Try not to take things personally, and try to be more polite and patient that maybe others are being. It really does sound like everyone has good intentions. Maybe there were mistakes made, which will always happen, or maybe someone doesn't have all the information about what's going on. Let's trust a little more, and forgive a little more.

[TOY]

Oh, dear! I never wanted it posted who hadn't sent because of the fact that once you hand it over to the men in brown or blue, it is totally out of your hands. The only reason I tried to keep up with the people who still needed to get their packages was because I was "trying" to comment on everyone's gifts and it got too confusing quickly. I found myself clicking through page after page to see if I'd already commented on someone's box only to do the same thing the next day. By watching my chart, I was able to see whose thread I needed to comment on and it eased my frustration. (Sorry to say that I have a few I haven't gotten to in the last few days because I have had other activities going.)

It distresses me to see the bickering and such on this thread since it has my name as the one who originated it. The irony is that I was trying to do something nice for Linda when I posted it. (I bet she wished her name wasn't in the title, too! Sorry, Linda).

This has been a wonderful experience for me but frankly the fussing does drain some of the joy out of it. I am still learning the ins and outs of the board and probably should have sent my comment to Linda in a PM. However, I did think that if there were errors in my system, then someone could amend the mistake.

My ramblings were meant to help me be sure I commented on each person's gifts and nothing else! Until a couple of days ago, I had no idea who had not had their "sent" box unveiled. I was strictly trying to be sure I commented when a box was celebrated. I didn't want the ones who got theirs later on not have people acknowledge their Yorkie's stuff.

I apologize if my interest and observations have contributed to anyone's anxiety and hurt anyone's feelings. I assure you it was entirely unintentional.

I would greatly appreciate it if Admin would close this thread. It has veered so far from its intent that it's hardly recognizable plus I never meant it to distress anyone. Next time I will know to send my musings in a PM. Sorry...

[Breeze]

Originally Posted by Miao

I think that's unfair and uncalled for. With the way this thread is turning out, I am not surprised that the parties involved are getting a bit riled up and of course, having their fun taken out of this... I have read the previous pre-GE threads on the positive of GE's and had thought this one time would be fun to follow all that GE was meant to represent to the majority who had posted their thoughts on the topic here and this other thread made it seem a positive thing to look forward to.



But that IF doesn't apply to this particular G/E yet, does it? The issues here aren't stemming from someone not having received theirs yet or not told to expect it still. It's still a little too soon to tell if it's even been lost in the mail let alone "not sent out" for either of the recipients left still waiting. So a replacement gift isn't the issue here... yet.



Okay, so I think I can safely assume this is not addressing mypreciouspups' SB(s) problem rather, it is addressing Mary's, in which case, as previous posts indicated and keeps getting overlooked with the heated emotions, Mary has been kept in contact period.



If this is directed at any specific person, I think we'd have to ask each of them themselves to find the answer as I can tell you what I'd feel, but I'm not even participating. And I thought we were still living in the present GE and not covering all of the future "if"'s. And if we're talking about next time, then maybe after this thread, for anyone who has read through it, might rethink many things.

Ok, so people can be snarky to me, and I can't say anything? Not ok in my books.

I was talking about the GE's in general and was not meaning any particluar situation, person or exchange. Period. Your assumptions were wrong.

I was suggesting an idea that can prevent this from happening in the future.

[Wabbit]

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

I don't want to blame anyone, or say that this person should not have posted, or this person did or did not do everything right. I AM saying that I think we can all lighten up. Let's follow AnnaMelissa's example; she sent her gift very early, and did not get a thank you thread. She expressed some disappointment, but she threw herself a thank you party and gave her SB the benefit of the doubt.

I posted a thread that I thought was friendly, and someone posted that it "sucked" because it had no information on my SB or pictures. I felt prickly and defensive, but I decided to trust other people who said they were just teasing.

I'm not saying that I'm the greatest poster ever or anything, just, remember the Golden Rules for forums. Try not to take things personally, and try to be more polite and patient that maybe others are being. It really does sound like everyone has good intentions. Maybe there were mistakes made, which will always happen, or maybe someone doesn't have all the information about what's going on. Let's trust a little more, and forgive a little more.

Well said Mercury!