Beware of Online Shopping! My Post Office Experience

I like shopping online because generally prices can be cheap. Shopping online allows you to find prices of many suppliers, thereby increasing competition. The fact that these suppliers don't need to pay rent on a store means that they can pass the savings to the consumer in the form of cheap goods. However, there is a major problem with online shopping that I will share with you.

I like online shopping because I don't have to deal with people. I can order something online and have it delivered to my door. It is extremely convenient.

However, one day I ordered some mugs online. I waited about two weeks and the mugs never came to my house. I emailed the supplier and asked why my mugs were taking so long, and they replied by saying that their supplier came to my house but becaue no one was there the mugs went to my nearest post office. I just had to go to the nearest post office to pick up the mugs.

Because I work full-time, I am often not home, so apparently I needed to sign the courier's package to acknowledge that I received it.

I was annoyed that I had to go to the post office. I purchase things online because I want the convenience of not having to drive to an actual place, and now I have to drive to the post office! I went off the post office and told the woman there that I had a package for me. I told her approximately when it should have arrived. They asked me for some reference number. I didn't have any reference number. The supplier didn't give me one. After about five minutes, during which the woman rummaged around, I finally got the mugs. The woman at the post office was extremely rude as well! At least when I shop at a physical store the person there is very kind to you because being rude to a customer is not good business. When an online store sends a good to a post office, it is incredibly difficult because post office employees are government workers who cannot be fired regardless of how bad their customer service skills are.

This incident scarred me for a while, and for about a year now I have stayed clear of buying things online. How in the world can this problem be solved? I don't want to have to go to the post office again but I still want the cheapness and convenience of buying online. I don't know what to do!