A recent eBay episode

I'm going to relate a recent episode with an eBay seller.
I decided to get a permanent drill for use around the house. I've always wanted to try a DeWalt drill . I've heard good things about the brand for years. Following my policy of spending more for better for long term use, I shopped all the deals on eBay for deals that interested me.
   I decided, from the first to get a battery powered drill with  battery and charger. I narrowed down the search to one seller and won the auction. I paid immediately, as I always try to do and began the wait. I noticed the seller was taking a long time to ship. I decided to be patient. Things happen and shipping can get delayed. I once had a shipment returned to the shipper due to damage in transit.
   I waited and waited. Finally, I decided to end the deal and shopped for another similar deal and won again. At that point, I had two deals out and the money sent to both.
   I was given a date by eBay as a deadline for the shipper to ship. That deadline arrived and the first seller had not shipped and had not responded to any of my messages. eBay granted me a full refund, shipping included  for the first deal. I left a negative feedback rating. I felt I had no choice.
   Meanwhile, the second seller had shipped and the item arrived. Immediately, I ended the deal with a request for a refund. The reason? The seller had advertised a package like the one I had bid on the first time, as new. I examined the item and  noticed immediately, the item was very used. The drill base had initials melted into the plastic and the charger had a name (that did not match the initials) painted on the bottom of the charger. Out of curiosity, I plugged in the battery and began charging the battery which had a weak charge. Immediately, the flashing light indicated a bad battery. Frustrated, I boxed everything up, printed the eBay supplied shipping label and shipped the package back to the second seller. By this time, I had received a message from the first seller apologizing profusely for the delay. He explained he had been in the hospital with the flu. I expressed my sympathies and declined his offer to send the item. Now, after sending the second item back, I contacted the first seller to ask him if the offer was still open. He agreed but told me he needed for me to close the complaint since eBay had locked his account. I don't know if that was the problem,  but I new the closing complaint would end my ability to protect myself should the seller fail again in shipping. I told him, I was sympathetic to his problem, but the money issue was his problem and not mine. He said he would go ahead and ship using his bank account. I tried to help him with the negative rating I left y logging an explanatory 'follow up' rating. I also sent him a link that would allow him to request a feedback revision and told him I would cooperate in any effort to remove the rating.
   I eventually got a refund from the second deal and received tghe drill package from the first seller.
   The price was good and the drill came with a set of DeWalt bits as well. The set was much closer to new than the previous item. In fact, after a brief cleaning with a wet rag, there was little to indicate the drill set was used. Not only that\, but the first seller's deal was cheaper by a few dollars and included the bit set. An excellent deal.
   A post note: the second seller was self named Maui Pawn Shop. He may or may not have been a pawn broker. Don't be impressed by titles. The requirements for becoming a pawn broker do not include ethics examinations.

brand spin offs of the '90s, buying policy

   In the mid 1990s, major brands in the consumer marketplace began developing and marketing versions of their products for the economy minded buyers. One example is Chaps. The Polo/Chaps brands were both good products. However, one was designed for the economy class and therefore was not quite the same as the original and, therefore, did not have the same 'prestige.'
   That was the  thing. Companies were marketing their names and not their products. In some cases, the lesser product was still an excellent buy, as in the case of Chaps polo shirts. They were a very good deal. In other cases, the lesser product would be a prestige item only. None of the quality associated with the original would pass to the spin off.
   I noticed several changes over time in a couple of products of interest to me.
   Overall, I have a hunch that people are getting less for their money now.
   What does not occur to anyone is that the companies with the famous brand names, originally got their fame through their products. Eventually, over the decades, the brand may have changed hands or the management changed and the market took precedence over quality. Eventually, the company survived on its name. There had to be some quality, of course, but not the peer rating the brand once had.
   There are valid reasons to spend money on a brand item. Longevity. A lot of products look good but will not last. Some may last a while but are poorly designed, fit-wise and ergonomically. Style. Some products may fulfill the other criteria but are, quite frankly, ugly, garish, generally of poor taste.
   These qualities do not often occur in inexpensive products. You may end up buying several lesser items for the same cost as a more expensive , better made item.
   If this sounds like work, it can be. It can be some fun sometimes. Surfing eBay for a good deal can be exciting, especially when you find the item. I once found a well known brand (think twins) kitchen knife in a local thrift store for fifty cents. The knife retailed for almost a hundred dollars on the manufacturer's website. The knife could be found for less, but not much. I enjoy using the knife when I cook.
   Needless to say, success at this approach requires a lot of knowledge and research. Even then, there will be an occasional mistake due to incorrect or outdated information or some other seemingly trivial event. There's money to be saved, but the work involved can sometimes equal the difference in price.
  This approach can quickly become exhausting so the technique is reserved for certain types of items. I'm not so picky about the t-shirts I wear, among other things. A good Winter coat, cookware, tools in general, including kitchen tools, and Art and food and drink can be improved with some effort. Again, there's a trade-off in time versus money.

A new wrinkle in online 'grocery stores'

   Earlier this month, I placed another order from Jet.com. This time there was something different.
   A new category had been added. Everything in the new category had one thing in common. When the goods arrived, they would be 'Cold Packed.'
   This meant, that, now fresh foods would be available to online shoppers. Meat, dairy, salads, fruits, bakery goods including French bread, were, for the first time, available.
   There was a brief description of how the delivery would work.
   A combination of ice packs and dry ice used together in large insulated bags with a sticky cover flap would get the goods delivered. Add to this the 2-day shipping and online fresh food would now be a reality.
   I waited with anticipation. Previously, Jet had always been happy to refund damaged goods promptly and in a friendly manner. The cold packed goods carried a caveat: no returns. Understandable since fresh perishable foods were involved. Who would be able to resale a head of lettuce after several day in the back of postal vehicles? Cream and milk would sour by the time they were returned.
   The delivery arrived. The time was the stated two days, but, the shipment was a day or so in preparation before the actual ship.
   Among other things, I had ordered a ready-to-eat box of fried chicken, a steak, Greek yogurt, and ice cream.
   A total of $81.+ for fresh foods. When I say fresh foods, I'm using that as a synonym for perishable foods and therefore 'cold packed' goods.
   I ordered a couple of prepared salads to go with the chicken for a picnic style meal. The prepared salads, e.g. cole slaw, came in plastic tubs. Both were damaged. Ice is hard and hard on, plastic and other relatively delicate materials. The damage was minor and the food very edible. The biggest casualty was the guacamole in a plastic bag inside a pasteboard cover. The bag had been punctured and the dip squeezed like toothpaste over several items. The least damage occurred to a container of ice cream. The product had softened on the upper half inch of the upper surface, the inner area remaining much firmer, though not hard. The chicken, on the other hand was frozen solid as a rock.
   I found one other issue with the order. A package of 24oz of ground beef had been replaced by a 16oz package of ground veal. Taste-wise, the beef is more robust in flavor, the veal more delicate. The latter might be used in a gourmet preparation (read: subtle flavors). I actually enjoy veal. I had not eaten veal in so many years, I had forgotten to check on availability.
   I contacted Jet and was generously refunded the cost of damaged items as well as the substituted item. They remain one of the best run stores, online and off, especially when ti comes to customer service.