Sorry to hear of your travail. In my last IR order one item was omitted -- A cheap, clear plastic breast pocket tobacco carrier with a built-in sifter. Old style and better alternatives available, sure, but a nostalgic item for me. I phoned IR and was told by a polite, informed woman that they were in stock, but had stains on them that had bled from the packaging ink. She promised to send one as soon as the replacement shipment arrived. A couple of days later a blemished one arrived in a #10 envelope with a note explaining that this was the pick of the damaged litter and there would be no charge. As promised, the replacement arrived a week or so later. So IR made nothing on that transaction, but I was favorably impressed with their willingness to make good effort to correct my minor problem. My .02 -- Training telephone reps is a constant battle. That's why we've all heard the message -- "This call may be recorded for training purposes." Phone reps can be clueless how they come across to callers when they try to be folksy or funny. It's a job that requires training and frequent refreshers. Screwing up can have major consequences since customers are quick to take their business elsewhere these days, and internet message boards are readily available to broadcast customer dissatisfaction. I agree that a note to IR may at least turn this into a learning experience for someone there. I think this problem could have happened anywhere, except possibly Nordstrom, which doesn't cater to pipers, unfortunately. I hope you're shown more respect next time, Brother.
