Online shopping is great – until it goes wrong
Is this happening to a lot of people or just my mum? For many folk they already know that if you want a thriving high street then you have to use it.
However, for some, the idea of driving to the nearest town centre and strolling around is not an option for 2020.
For my mum she’s had to turn to the internet for present purchasing assistance.
Unless of course we all fancy something from the local butchers wrapped-up and under the tree!
Or something from the Coop.
The issue with the internet purchase is the ease in which you can make a mistake – often with brilliant results if you’re my mum.
Over the last week this has been a regular occurrence.
The ingredients required are: a mother; a good quality smartphone; the internet and a credit card.
Mum got a parcel in the post. It was some delicious biscuits.
The incredible thing was that they were the same biscuits she’d bought for Cousin Tony.
She called me with delight: ‘Did you send me some lovely biscuits?’
No.
She explained that she loves these biscuits and would like to find out who they’re from.
The mystery goes on for between a few hours and one working day.
Further enquiries reveals that SHE is the sender of the biscuits.
She bought them and delivered them to herself.
You would think that once was enough to establish a change in internet purchasing technique.
However, she also delivered to herself some lovely flowers (for Barbara in Yorkshire), a 1970s puzzle of sweets and confectionery (Cousin Peter who’s puzzle-obsessed) and a North Face T-shirt in a size small (for Nephew Daniel who, even if the address was right, is a champion swimmer and his arm wouldn’t fit in a size small).
All of them, other than the T-shirt, were met with delight, followed by disappointment, frustration and lastly, anger at the internet for not releasing that she’s made this mistake before.
The issue is of course that the credit card address has to be input and then a different address chosen for the delivery destination, if required.
I liked the idea of being cross with the internet – this mathematical algorithm that we now depend on.
It’s now so clever that when it’s not clever it feels similar to that problem of not being able to find a parking space.
‘Oh come on the internet! I want the quickest way to get home, not the nearest place to buy a gnome!’
However, be careful what you wish for.
A few days ago Google crashed.
It was only for half an hour but it was enough to act as a stark reminder of how dependent many have become.
Here’s a great tweet that sums it up nicely: ‘I’m sitting here in the dark in my toddler’s room because the light is controlled by @Google Home. Rethinking... a lot right now.’
Was it a glimpse of the risks involved with switching everything over to the mystery of the
web?
Many put a lot of faith in ‘The Cloud’. Amazon had a similar bump in the road.
When their system crashed a lot of people with robotic vacuum cleaners had discs of black plastic that weren’t sweeping anymore.
Web-enabled doorbells became regular door bells again. I’m not saying this is like The Terminator and we’re all plugged into Skynet, but it is a useful reminder.
It’s similar, but not quite the same as the high street.
That can’t suddenly disappear for half an hour then come back.
It’s slower than that and just as thought provoking.
A few days ago Google crashed… it was enough to act as a stark reminder of how dependent many have become