Amazon.com has FINALLY shipped the Sidekick I ordered last week. Despite assuring me online that it would arrive yesterday, an email from their customer service rep reveals that their fulfillment center was closed November 28 to December 2. My friends thought I was a heartless bastard for thinking they should have been working over the Thanksgiving Holiday, but I just wish they would have been upfront on their website that no orders from the past week would be shipped until today.

And now I’m being hassled by Orbitz.com: after shelling out a ridiculous sum for plane tickets to see my folks at Xmas (and having to pay an additional $20 for my tickets to be mailed to me, since my local airport can’t do electronic ticketing), they emailed me today to tell me they don’t believe my address is valid and I have to call them (long distance on my dime) to verify it before my tickets are sent. No option to confirm via email, on their website, or through a 1-800 line.

After these and other recent online ordering experiences, I’m frankly less than impressed with e-customer service and can’t wait to move somewhere where I can actually do business with real people in real stores.