It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Amazon has this nifty thing, where every day you can click on this gold box in the top corner and it takes you to the "deal of the day". Yesterday's deal of the day was a DVD set of all 3 seasons of Arrested Development for only $33.79, with Free Super Saver Shipping!!! Well, I'm sooo there! I click on "order", enter my card info to pay, and then I realize I have to edit my address. I edit, and try to complete my order but get an error message. Oh crap. I keep refresing the page, and nothing. I start looking for Amazon's customer service/help page. Not very helpful! They don't list their phone number, but rather you enter yours and they call you. Ok fine, call me. I get some foreign lady, yay for outsourcing =\ It goes like this:

Amazon: Hi, thank you for calling Amazon.com, my name is (something foreign), can I have your order number please?
L: Actually I don't have an order number, see I was trying to place an order but before I could receive confirmation the page crashed and I got an error message. I keep refresing and nothing, I just wanna make sure it didn't go through so I don't place a duplicate order.
Amazon: I see, Ok. Let's help you. Can I have your order number please?
L: (omg did you not hear me?!) Yeah, see, I'm not sure you understood, I don't have an order number, I was trying to place one but something happened and I got an error message. I just need to see if it went through or not, I do not want to place a duplicate order...
Amazon: (sounding really spaced out and not at all there) Yes, I see. Ok. Ok, can I please have your email address?
L: [gave her the email]
Amazon: Ok, I do not see any orders placed. Please try again in an hr.

I confirm with her that the order didn't go through, nothing was ordered. Ok. Hang up.

About 30 mins or so later, I try to place the order again. I only had 2 hrs before the deal expired! Ok, I clicked on everything I needed to click on, and I get an email confirming my order. SCORE!!

An hour later, I hear my email notification go off and it's an email from Amazon. I was about to ignore it, but decided instead to read it. Thank goodness!! It was a confirmation for yet another order of the same damn DVD set! NOOO!!! And this time, I'm being charged shipping! NOO!! I wanted Free Super Saver Shippping!!

I try to cancel it, but wouldn't you know it, yet another error message. ARGHHH!!! I try several times, and nothing. I do the call thing again. My phone rings, I wait for someone to get on the other line and it goes like this:

Amazon: Hi, thank you for calling Amazon.com, my name is Nette (nette?, did I hear right?), can I have your order number please?
L: [gave order #]
Amazon: Ok, How can I help you?
L: Yeah, I'm trying to cancel this order, because you see, I had already placed the same exact order an hour ago, and now on this one I'm being charged shipping. I don't even know why this order was placed. I called before and was told no order had been placed.
Amazon: Yes, ok. I see. I will cancel this order.
L: Ok, so it's cancelled? Because it says it's shipping tomorrow and can't be cancelled once it ships.
Amazon: It's cancelled.

I get an email shortly after from Amazon, not confirming the cancellation, but asking me to rate this customer service experience. I went to my order page on Amazon.com and both orders were still there. I kept refreshing, and both were still there. After like 10-15 mins, the second order changes from "Not yet shipped" to "Shipping soon". NOOO!!!! I try to cancel it and it says it can't be cancelled once it begins the shipping process. NOOO!!!! I went to the email to rate my customer service experience and clicked NO when it asked if my inquiry was settled.

Third call of the night to Amazon. This time I get a guy, without a foreign accent. FINALLY.

Amazon: Thank you for calling Amazon.com, this is Jay, can I have your order number please?
L: [gave order #]
Amazon: Ok, how can I help you?
L: See, I called an hr ago, and supposedly cancelled this order. Now it's being shipped and I can't cancel. Well, I don't want it! I had already placed the order and wanted the Free Super Saver Shipping, which this second order does not have, and I was willing to wait a week for that. Now this second one is being shipped tomorrow and I have to pay the shipping?! (I tried my best not to be a bitch, but I did sound desperate for help)
Amazon: Ok, let's help you. [clicks things] Oh ok, yes, I do see here my fellow associates made some notes. I do see also that in the last call you attempted to cancel the second order. Unfortunately, my fellow associate did not cancel it correctly and now it's being shipped. I can't cancel it, I'm so sorry!
L: Um, no, unacceptable. I should not have to pay for this! I mean, I tried to cancel it, it didn't do it and now I'm being charged!
Amazon: You are right, I completely agree with you! You should not pay...
L: Well, yes that's very nice of you, I appreciate it, but it doesn't help me much if I'm still getting stuck with this.
Amazon: Well, you can refuse the package, and then we can reimburse you?
L: I won't be home when they deliver, plus it doesn't make any sense for me to refuse a package that I am going to accept next week! What can I do?? (I swear I was being nice)

After kinda going back and forth on how to fix this, my new best friend Jay offers to give me a $10 credit, and use part of it to pay for shipping and the rest I can use on any future orders with Amazon. He then cancelled the first order, so now I can get my order sooner instead of next week, and I still got the free shipping, plus credit for a future order! YES! I'm happy again!!! I thanked Jay, and answered YES on his customer service experience email.

And that was my Monday night. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!