Last One....I promise

There are a lot of things I do not understand.
Today we will delve into the shipping from my Etsy debacle
After I wrote the post yesterday I received what I ordered.
It is awful. Fabric is all faded and 1 of the pillows is nothing like I ordered.
But I am not going back. It is what it is.
But what really confuses me is the tracking.

It shows that it began or originated in Hendersonville NC.
The woman says she lives and makes these in Omaha NE.
Hmm...

Originated in Hendersonville NC and from there they went to the DHL distribution center in Raleigh NC
From Raleigh, it went to the distribution center in Maryland.
This is where they sat for one week.
From there it went to another city to be transferred via USPS again in Maryland.
From Maryland post office it arrived in Virginia last evening.

Now if you drove that route folks would tell you that you are passing VA on your way to Maryland and that makes little sense. But none of this does make sense so why start now.

So she told me more than once that these come from her home in Nebraska where she makes them but not once did these touch ground in Nebraska.

I also can read the tag and something tells me she doesn't know the language on this tag. There are 2 tags. One in English and one in a language I am unfamiliar with. Not Spanish!

It stated on the order the following that I am copying here for you to read:

Overview

Materials

created and made when you order, double-sided print, mildew proof and waterproof, fully stuffed and sewn shut, outdoor pillow, Order by Dec 7 for Christmas Delivery

More

Handmade item

Made to order

So if they were hand made after I ordered how did they fly out of Nebraska to North Carolina with no tracking of such flight what so ever.
Something smells fishy. Because they didn't start in Nebraska. They started in a country overseas, probably China. Then DHL Int'l sent them to Hendersonville NC. The originating point in the US. From there, they went to Raleigh, Maryland and then VA. Whew. The quality is Walmart at best. Horrible.

Product not great, service was far worse.
While I do not like the pillows sent to me I am keeping them because she doesn't allow returns and who knows if I'd ever get the correct ones.

I will now only shop at well known online stores.
This woman was not transparent. She was prompt in answering questions but I shouldn't have had to ask most of them. For example, I had to ask for a tracking link.  Others just send me the link.
Lesson learned!!

To answer a few questions others have asked me.
I did not go to PayPal for a refund because I could see they were being held hostage in Maryland. I was going to give this another full week to get here, even though it is less than a 2 hr drive away. If I had not received them by the end of this week I surely would have just gone through PayPal.  I don't use my credit or debit card with people I don't know and this gal was certainly not someone to trust.

I am not returning them because they look like crap because I'd have to pay to send them back and she doesn't take refunds. Doubtful after my review she'd do an exchange.  So no point in it really. I am stuck with patterns I did not order. Honestly, I don't wish to go through this all over again and have to reorder and wait a month and all that crap. I think they would still be as bad even if I got the correct pillow pattern.

No more talk of this. I'm done. Thanks for letting me vent!

Now to  Rick's finished product.
Here is the deck he painstakingly worked on in 96+ degree heat.
He did a great job and even with some wonky issues that arose, it is complete with the exception of the job to cover/hide the air conditioner.
He has a plan he tells me.
I will await his plan. This ought to be good.

We have been enjoying it a great deal. We've had a few days reprieve from high humidity. I mean it's high but not 90% high right now. So people can go outside, breathe and enjoy your life.
Don't have as many flowers this year but it's all done, ugly pillows and all.

Rick took a few photos and a video which I can't seem to get from his phone to our computer. Here is a quick view of his work. Don't the floors look good?

 Izzy's favorite spot in the morning with the shade. Note how she is on the rug.

Yes, the floor does get hot for her and she will walk from rug to rug and it's kind of funny. Because in the morning I am on it in bare feet and I know it's not hot. But she takes no chances. 

 My favorite seat with my not so favorite pillow. Yes, the colors work but the design of this fabric is not my cup of tea. The other side and the tope are faded like they were used in the sun already.

Sea of petunias.  Yes, its late in the season so getting something good was difficult to find. But next year it will be better. Basil, geraniums and begonias are doing well.

 Rick's peppers. The light ones you are seeing are Cubanelles. Tons of jalapenos and hot banana pepper on the left.  

In the past, Rick made planter boxes.
Since they were 19 +yrs old they were done at the same time as the old deck they weren't in great shape.
This time we bought them. Got a great deal on hayneedle.com.
They came out of the box that horrible orange that you see the Begonias in by my chair. I stained the other two with a stain we had in the garage....AKA Rick's hardware store. The 3rd one I left orange. Don't love it but was tired that day and thought I'd do it another day. After it sat a couple of days I realized I didn't mind it as much as I thought and I'd live with it.  While the planter boxes look fine they won't last as long as Rick's previous ones did. Rick used better wood and pressure treated and they were lined but I don't wish to live here that long.
So by the time they need to be changed, I won't be living here.
That sort of made up my mind for me. Along with the budget.
These were far cheaper than anything Rick could make.

Now having said that you need to know that Rick could make cheap ones but he won't. He's a pain in the ass that way.
You can hear his big bellow now, "If I'm going to make them Margaret I am not going to do a half ass job!" 
If only the laundry getting into the basket was as important to him in "doing a good job" is.  I think there is only so much he can do. 😇