Rant #1,888: Looking For a Video Game System In All the Wrong Places

As if I don't have enough things to get frustrated about ,,,

My son enjoys to play video games, and he has always found them to be relaxing to him.

I guess everyone has their pleasures--as described in yesterday's Rant--and this one is his.

And that is why, so many months ago, when he heard about the new Nintendo Switch--a gaming system that you could both play on your hime TV and continue to play as a convertible portable device--he felt that it was something he had to have.

He really enjoys the Mario family of games, so this was a natural for him.

the problem is that he may want the gaming unit, but as it has been for past gaming units--such as Nintendo Wii--their initial availability is limited, all to pique interest in the device.

So, like we did with the Wii, we went about trying to get this thing, going from store to store looking for it, and coming back empty handed.

We have been persistent, looking for this unit both in brick and mortar stores and online, but to no avail.

Finally, abuut a month ago, while waiting for my son to finish work one Sunday afternoon, I went online to amazon.com and found the Switch at a price that was pretty much what they were selling it for in stores when it was available, plus tax, and I didn't tell my son, but I ordered it for him, with the estimated delivery date on April 17.

We spoke about the Switch many times since then, and I told him that I was still looking for it, and that he would get it soon, never letting on that I had already ordered the device for him.

The weeks came and went, and we still talked about it, and all the while I felt that I was boosting my son's anticipation for the device by telling him that he would have it, but I didn't know when.

Again, I never let on that I had ordered it for him.

I checked the order's progression each and every day on amazon, and I was assured that it was on its way.

April 17 came this week, and to my chagrin, we had not received the unit.

I know how funny the mail can be, so I gave it a few days to arrive, but as of yesterday, it had not yet come.

I contacted amazon with this problem, and I got an almost immediate response--

The seller had left the amazon platform, and could not be reached.

As you could imagine, I was quite upset. The anticipation of getting this thing had built up over many weeks, and now I know that the seller was pushing a sham, and that I had been taken for a ride.

But amazon is as reputable a company as there is on this planet now. I have had some dealings with them about merchandise in the past, and they have always rectified these situations very quickly.

And they did it this time too.

Once I alerted them, within minutes, I was given a full refund.

They kind of gave me a light scolding for ordering from a third-party seller rather than directly from them--the price was simply better from the third-party seller, and why have them up there if they are unscrupulous to being with?--but my money was returned quickly.

That is all fine and good, but the bottom line is that my son still does not have his gaming unit, and my search has to begin again.

Sure, it is really not as important as other things are, but to my son--who still does not know that I was thisclose to getting him what he wanted--he still doesn't have this thing that he so much wants to have.

The bottom line is that my search goes on posthaste, and I hope to soon get him exactly what he wants.

He is a good kid, and he deserves to get what he wants.

And one day, my search will be fruitful.

I guess there are no "sure things" in life, even when it comes to video game units.

Have a good weekend. I will speak to you again on Monday.