Is it Me, Only the US, Worldwide or ????

What is it now with the United States or is this world wide? No matter what one does, signs up for new service, orders something from a store, makes a purchase from a store, etc. there are issues. In fact, those high priced items that used to last for decades last 1-2 years, and at the time of purchase, they want to sell you a service contract. Sounds like planned obsolescence.

Just about everything that we have been involved in over the past few years, has required extra time to look into the issue, send letters, send emails, make phone calls, and spend too much time attempting to correct issues that shouldn't have happened in the first place. The following is a representation of the companies where many hours and sometime months were required trying to resolve simple issues: USPS, Verizon, Comcast, HughesNet, Directv, PayPal, eBay, Columbia, numerous blind/shade related companies on line, local contractors, FatWallet, and many more. Most issues have been resolved, but it takes so much time out of ones day and is frustrating, that one doesn't want to get involved in having to make a new purchase even when needed!

This wasn't going to be an advertisement for gemstone purchases but a real question as to what is going on with services, quality of products, rebates and just getting what one orders. In discussing the issues above, I realize that with gemstones, one has a lifetime guarantee with us, they still look the same after hundreds of years, and the service at All That Glitters is wonderful... So what started out as a lament for the good old days or stating issues encountered, ends up showing how these issues won't happen when making All That Glitters purchases!...