Zhai is going to tell you a story, a story about Mailboxes and Company.
This story begins with Zhai needing textbooks for the school semester. Zhai needs six textbooks, which would cost him about $100 each at the school bookstore. Zhai refuses on principle to pay this amount, and could not afford it anyway. So Zhai searches for more reasonable options, and finds used versions of the previous editions of the books on Amazon.com at around $10-20 each.
However, there is a Difficulty. Zhai lives in one of those places where it is not safe to leave packages lying around. Zhai could rent a mailbox, but Zhai does not want to arrange some monthly contract just for a one-time round of shipments. While browsing mail services on handy Yelp.com, Zhai discovers a place called Mailboxes and Company, which apparently allows people in Zhai's position to receive packages without renting a mailbox, at a nominal fee of $3 per package.
Visit #1 by Zhai is to the location that used to be at 792 Bay Street. Zhai is informed by a nice woman that this location is closing in a few days, BUT, there is another location over at N. Point Street that can be used for this purpose. Zhai is told to go there, seek out a man named Adam, and show his government issued identification and all will be well. Pleased, Zhai makes the short and pleasant walk from Bay to N. Point and does so. Zhai meets Adam, who tells Zhai that he does not even need a show of photo identification at this time, just remember to bring it along when picking up packages. The fee turns out to be a significantly less nominal $5 per package, but this is still far more economical than purchasing new books, so Zhai is at this point satisfied.
Zhai goes home and orders the books that he needs.
Visit #2 by Zhai occurs the following week. This time, Zhai meets a very attractive younger girl, who has two packages waiting for him. Zhai flashes his ID, pays his fee, and has not only two of his expected items but a lovely smile from a pretty girl. Zhai feels quite pleased with Mailboxes and Co.
Visit #3 by Zhai occurs several days later. Zhai again encounters Adam, gives his name, and learns there are no packages waiting for him. This may seem too routine to mention, but it is important for later.
Visit #4 by Zhai occurs the following week, again meeting Adam. Zhai gives his name, and Adam pauses and eyes him with an unfriendly look, and then says "Ohhhh, so that's YOU." Adam has apparently received and returned two of Zhai's books because he "didn't know who he was" and "there was no phone number on the label". Zhai tries to explain that, when ordering from merchants online such as Amazon, there is no mechanism by which you can request that your phone number be placed on the shipping label and therefore this was an unrealistic expectation on Adam's part. Zhai makes the further point that he has been here three times in the space of two weeks, and has actually successfully picked up two packages just a few days prior. Adam responds testily "Well, that wasn't me. That was someone else who works here. I wouldn't do that." In spite of all this huffing and puffing, a sort of reconcilliation is made - Zhai will have his items sent again, and now that Adam knows his name he will receive them without requiring a phone number be present because he "recognizes you now". Inexplicably, Adam actually has one of the books on his shelves, so Zhai leaves with three of his five books secured. Zhai is at this point a bit perplexed and frustrated, but he shrugs his shoulders and rolls with it. Perhaps Drug Dealers and other Nefarious Types have tried to take advantage of good shopkeeper Adam in the past, and this is his reason for being so draconian about the contents of shipping labels. Zhai figures he may have been typecast as a Street Punk or somesuch because this is the Marina and Zhai does not look or dress anything like a yuppie. Zhai is a bit insulted by this, generally speaking, but has also become used to it. So Zhai leaves in generally good spirits and makes arrangements with the booksellers to ship again.
Visit #5 by Zhai is about two weeks later (the books are being sent by Media Mail, which is quite slow). Zhai encounters Adam again, who says he has nothing for him.
Just after Visit #5, later that same day, Zhai gets two emails from the booksellers whom he is expecting the books from. It seems they have both been returned to sender, yet again. Zhai wonders why Adam both broke the covenant that they had made previously, and did not volunteer the information that he had returned the books yet again during Zhai's visit earlier in the day.
Zhai is at this point on his way to investigate, and will report the results of his findings, but in the interim highly suggests you do not use the unreliable and flaky services of Mailboxes and Co.
And that is the story so far. read more
