When it comes to shopping for Christmas and birthdays, I'm the kind of person that when I see something in a store that will suit somebody I know I'll pick it up and put it away. Generally it makes life easier, as I'm not rushing when it comes to having to get a gift for someone when the time is needed. It also helps spread the spending out throughout the year.
But I don't always do this, and yesterday afternoon on December 23, I was getting a few things for my Mom at the Bay. Her birthday is in early January so I got some stuff to give her both for Christmas and for her birthday. Without giving away what I got her, I will say that the gifts are items that will match and compliment some home decor items she bought herself earlier in the year. After I paid for everything, I had to wait for the salesperson to wrap them up to help protect them for their journey home with me. When all was said and done, there were four bags that I had to take to my car. They were a bit bulky and heavy, so I took three of the bags to the car first, leaving the last bulky bag at the sales counter. I could've taken them all but they are fragile and I didn't want to risk having them hit each other or hit obstacles en route to my car. The sales lady did offer to help me by carrying the last bag herself to the car with me, but there were other people in line and I told her that she should probably help them as I could easily make two trips. This is something I've done many times before, so I didn't think it would be a big deal.
In hindsight I should've taken her up on her offer as when I came back about ten minutes later, the last bag was gone. The salesperson asked her coworkers if anyone had accidentally taken it to the back or to the office they have access to, or even if they accidentally just put the stuff away. None of that was the case and she herself checked those areas to be sure. Ultimately it seems likely someone else in line took the package - either by accident or on purpose.
After going back to my car and bringing what bags I did have back, we went through the receipt to find out what was missing. She checked their inventory and replaced two of the missing items and refunded me for the other four items they didn't have. So now I have an uneven amount of the items I was going to give Mom - two incomplete sets. So those will be her birthday present as I'll have to get them somewhere else. There is a small bonus in this in that it will give me time to figure out how many she has in the set of what these belong with as I made a best guess.?But it's also inconvenient as I had wanted to give these now missing items to her for Christmas and what I'll now be giving her for her Christmas are the items that I had wanted to give her for her birthday (if that makes sense). Oh well.
If someone took the bag of my stuff on purpose then that's pretty bold of them as there were security cameras and it was fairly busy. If they did it on purpose they'll find the items to be somewhat odd - they are unique and will look odd next to the other items people might have of this type. On the other hand I don't know if they will be able to return the items as they don't have a receipt - but if they do return them (say to another Bay) I'm guessing all they'd get would be store credit.
If it was an accident though and someone took it as maybe their bags were placed next to it during their purchase then hopefully they will return it. The ladies in this department did take my contact information so I could get the set I had initially purchased if this was the case and the bag gets dropped off.
Ultimately this wasn't a nightmare but it definitely was a bit of an inconvenience as it ate up a huge chunk of what little time I had left to get to the last place I wanted to go to yesterday. Certainly a first world problem.
Time for me to get some sleep now, I have to get up early and wrap some gifts and then deliver them. Then I'll be meeting my mom and will see the movie Jackie in the afternoon before going home and having a restful Christmas Eve. Happy holidays and merry Christmas to everyone who reads this, I hope you have everything you need for the holidays and get everything you want. Take care and be safe!