The One-Star Temptation

The jacket reeked of a strong, stale perfume-like fragrance when I opened the bag.

Then I found a packet of mini waffles in the pocket.

That settled it.

The jacket had been used, returned, repacked, and sold to me as new.

I already owned five beautiful ones in different colors, and none smelled like this.

I was furious.

Then Amazon told me I could return it for free only if I took it to one of its preferred drop-off locations.

I tried another return reason.

Same result.

Another.

Same result.

Amazon had sent me someone else’s used jacket, taken my time, and was now asking me to spend more time or money fixing its mistake.

I will see justice done. I will. I will. I will.

Then I found the seller.

Aha. You.

For about thirty seconds, justice had an address.

Unfortunately, I kept looking.

The listing said Sold by Them.

But it also said Ships from Amazon.

Then I checked the plastic bag. The code identified the jacket as a returned item that had gone through Amazon’s fulfillment system.

Oh.

Not you.

That was deeply unsatisfying.

I had spent fifteen minutes investigating. In the end, there was nowhere appropriate to put the one star.

Still, I had options.

I could have given it to the seller anyway.

I could have given it to the product.

There was, of course, no convenient one-star button for the part that had actually gone wrong.

Someone other than the culprit could have paid for my bad experience.

But that would not have been justice. It would have been the opposite.

So I returned the jacket.

Despite still feeling a little annoyed, I stopped there.

Apparently, sometimes the only fair place to put your anger is nowhere at all.