Ann bought a coffeemaker for her mother for Christmas, which was very thoughtful. She got a great deal on it from Overstock.com, which was very savvy of her. Now she’s had to buy a more expensive replacement coffeemaker from a brick-and-mortar store, which was very irritating. Overstock, you see, has had some problems getting items to customers. The e-tailer first notified her that her package had been stolen. Cool: no hurry. Then the replacement package went missing, too.

Don’t forget to check tracking information of online orders to make sure gifts that are sent directly to the recipient actually make it there. I ordered a coffee maker for my mother on the weekend of Black Friday from overstock.com, sending it directly to her house with instructions not to open it. Soon after I sent it, overstock sent me tracking information for the package. Shortly after that, overstock sent me an email explaining that the the package and many others had been stolen, but they would send me another. No problem; it’s a Christmas gift. I got an email in mid-December giving me tracking information for this second coffee maker. I didn’t bother even to read this email, assuming it would arrive in plenty of time. Well, there was a tracking number, but no package. It wasn’t until I arrived at my parent’s house two weeks later that I found out that this package had never been sent. I called overstock, and they offered me a refund or replacement, but it wouldn’t arrive by Christmas. I was stuck buying a coffee maker at the last minute, at a much higher cost than the Black Friday deal I thought I got.

So remind your readers to double-check those tracking emails to make sure they arrive.

Consider yourselves reminded, readers. Ignore the e-mails that retailers send you at your peril. Though in this case, it sounds like Overstock should find a new delivery service.

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