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四 UPS失踪事件
拿到包裹号,我们立即就上网查,结果是查无此号¥%—*—……!!??一会加州LEO的电话就到了,号前面还要加一个1Z,一试,果然,先是从圣##发件,然后到洛杉矶,然后……我靠,邮件状态异常,在终点分拣失踪!
加州LEO和我同时发现这个消息,他又立即给我们电话,表示他要问讯UPS,在他以前的UPS使用经历中,从来没有这样的事情发生。我媳妇和我面面相觑:看样子还没有折腾到头。
我们的心思都飞到洛杉矶去了。谁可以告诉我们究竟发生了什么?
星期二一天的等待在失落中结束。LEO不断和我们保持联系,告诉我们洛杉矶反馈的结果,相关的人员告诉他,他们也没法解释邮件是如何失踪的。一次次输入包裹号,结果都是令人失望的邮件异常失踪的消息。
我发现自己在这种情况下并不特别难受,安慰我媳妇,这类事,在国内太常见了,我们可以相信的只有熟人圈子里的一些人,“不要和陌生人说话”是我们的准则,也许,美国也是一样的,环球同此凉热吗!
晚上,接到加州LEO的一封MAIL,内容如下:
First let me say how very sorry I am. As a photographer myself, I understand how much this camera means to you and how disappointed you must be.……
I assume you may be wondering if you are somehow being tricked. I know I would be wondering about this if I were in your place. Also you are new to this country and things like shipping theft may be unknown to you. So you may want to share this email with your American co-workers. In fact I suggest that you do so. I really hope that I am just over reacting and the package will be found tomorrow and sent on its way. But my instinct and cultural knowledge say that the package has been stolen by a UPS employee. I believe this is a real problem in the United States. If I am right and the package is stolen, I believe UPS will try to get out of paying promptly. Eventually they will pay the insurance money, but that certainly isn't doing you any good. Unfortunately, I have already spent your money to buy a new Canon EOS 5D, or I would just return it to you and take the loss myself.
The only thing I can think of to make this right for you is to send you my new 5D until they pay the insurance. Then I would send you $2540 and you would return my 5D. That is a painful solution to contemplate but I will think about it. Now you can understand how truly sorry I am that this has happened. Needless to say, I will do everything in my power to get your camera to you.
我想我对你唯一能做的就是把我的新5D寄给你用,一直到保险赔付了,我还你的2540刀,你再还回我的5D。这绝对是个痛苦的解决办法,但我还是要作,现在你该了解我对发生这样的事情有多抱歉。无须多言,我会尽全力让你得到你的相机。
Tonight I am going to start researching shipping theft. I'm always saying the Internet is a wonderful tool for research - now I will put it to the test. Questions to answer: What is the size of shipping theft in dollars/year? What is the typical wait time for reimbursement for insured packages? Are there any special web sites where people tell about their shipping loses? (If not I may make one.) What are the most effective strategies for getting paid quickly? What percentage of "lost" packages are ever found? That should give me some ammunition tomorrow.
you can call me any time, day or night, to talk about this.
加州LEO, 你真是地道的活雷锋,话说到这份上,简直就是%¥•#¥%!!!!!
我们觉得,这事情越来越好玩了,买玩具的过程,简直就是一出活剧。谁也说不准在UPS接下来究竟会发生什么事,但最坏的结果也就是相机被偷,真是这样的话就再说了。回了个MAIL安慰他:Whatever happened, I feel happy to make friends with such kind of person as you. I believed that US is a respectable country before I came here. Even now, I haven't changed my idea. I really like your camera. It took me two months to find 1Ds camera at a very good price. I feel sorry to hear the bad news today. But I think we can solve the problem eventually. Maybe we can find the packge tomorrow. 天知道明天会发生什么,情不自禁双手合十,默默祷告,但是心里觉得很“温暖”,也许,生活中有意思的一面往往就是由这些曲折繁复架构的,这是未曾有过的体验,在国内绝对不会干的事:寄2万块给一个素不相识的人,买一个精密仪器,寄到半路失踪了,美国的诚信,我们在考验你。
从凌晨开始,4点,5点,6点就不停地查包裹单号,依旧是异常状态,看样子是没戏了。早餐后,再打开UPS网络,哇塞!我的包裹找到了!
上面显示包裹被从新安排从洛杉矶出发,奔向我的怀抱。
从LEO回MAIL的时间看,他也是在凌晨就不停察看,一有消息就给我们报告了:“Visualize me singing "I so happy, so very very happy" - that is how good I feel. Leo”
LEO,我们可以想象你的快乐,因为我们自己就被这种感觉包围着。
接下来的网上跟踪就变得简单了,从洛杉矶到达拉斯,从达拉斯到奥南多,从奥南多到###,google 上一查,离我们就4英里了。
星期四,在住处守候,度日如年,电话问询说上午9点到,结果一直拖到下午3点,不过没关系,一切看起来都是烘托最后效果的插曲。
UPS的大车终于到来,一个一尺半见方的纸箱送到我手上。一个人,定定神,手洗干净,工具准备好,现在,开始开箱。
我必须再次向加州LEO表示敬意,要是在中国,我一定要请他吃饭,哪怕远在乌鲁木齐。包装太仔细了,所有细节都无可挑剔,我甚至怀疑我没办法将这些东西象他那样重新包起来。
这些说到底都是枝节,就要拿出机身了,这才是关键。头一天晚上,我仔细地将LEO展示的机身照片看了一遍,LEO表示机身外观几近完美,照片上的确如此,现在,即将展现面前的实物究竟如何?
10分钟后,我终于从狂喜的状态中释放出来。真是太棒了,简直就和新的一样。些微痕迹,根本不值一提。果然是1系列的机器,立即上手,配上我的大老黑,和小黑,很是协调。试拍一圈快门,效果,完美的工作状态,感应器有灰,不过不影响拍摄。这正是我梦想了几个月的机子,今天终于得偿所愿。
LEO关心地询问包装的情况,我告诉他一切完美,他高兴地说:今天是个好日子,晚上,他也会拿到他的新5D,他也正在兴奋等待。
我要寄些中国特色的小东西给他,LEO说,更高兴的是能看到用这台相机拍得片子,看样子还得用些心思摆弄摆弄呢!
我的EBAY购机的经历,终于以荒唐冲动开始,以感动信任圆满收场。
一点感想:
回想整个EBAY购机过程,不仅仅是一次简单的网上购物,因为特殊的情境,也阅历了一次激烈的文化冲突。我想自己是一个典型的中国人,对于熟悉的朋友,家人,是值得信赖的,而对于陌生人,我们扪心自问,并不觉得有什么责任可言。80年前,罗素在他的《中国的问题》一书中就指出,中国人对于社会责任没有认同,有的只是家族责任。我们的传统是从祖先崇拜的儒家传统中来得,也许我们的文化传统中缺少构架西方文明的两希传统之一希伯来文化传统的精髓:立约。我在 EBAY上购买1DS的经历从制造毁约的愤懑开始,到感知履约的快乐结束,这只是一个开始,或者,我们所有人可以一起努力,让网友ZCPLAYER所说的:“关注国内eBay会发现很多看似热门的东西成交几率很低。市场没有良性运转,规则不完善,消费习惯差异,诚信问题堪忧。问题无数。形成美国eBay 这种卖家省心赚钱,买家高兴省钱的情形还有待时日。”这样的时日早日到来。 |
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