Why Do Really Exciting Things Always Screw Up!!?

Let's go back a few weeks to when I played GOW with the guys from work. I come from a PC gaming background, and have always struggled with the XBOX experience. But when I played GOW, oh, the wonder! It was fantastic, and was good enough to want me to buy an XBOX 360, GOW, and the XBOX LIVE Gold pack!

So I cashed in my American Express points, ordered my vouchers, made sure they updated the mailing address (since we have moved to the new offices, and some mail has been disappearing), and then flicked the "anxiety" switch as I waited for the 10 working days to tick down... well, you probably know where this is going.

So it's been 10 days, and still no vouchers, and as I've grown accustomed to the "the more it matters, the greater chance it won't go smoothly" approach to toys, etc, I picked up the phone and called American Express.

Before I go into the conversation, why is it that it's almost a inverse care curve with things like this. I mean, I can't even begin to explain what it's like rushing home every night, hoping the vouchers are there, only to find they are not! If I was prone to swearing on my blog, you'd have to cover your eyes. I mean, I have my brand new, shiny, unwrapped GOW copy with my headset and XBOX Live sub sitting on my desk at home, and the only XBOX 360 experience I have at the moment is the picture of the controller I cut out of the Harvey Norman catalog last week in a last, desperate attempt to get a fix!

So onto my call. I ring the customer care number (trust me, the irony is not lost) and ask, very politely according to Kleefy, where my vouchers are?

"Oh, so sorry Mr. Lemphers, they were sent to your old work address."

No sh!t!!!? Didn't think that might happen. Maybe that's why I got the lady who took my call the first time to update my address first??

"Oh, she did, but for some reason, it didn't work."

Great. So American Express have added poltergeists and other supernatural phenomenon to the possible responses as to why things don't work right! Why didn't she just say,

"Sorry Mr. Lemphers, but our regular delivery man has taken extended leave to stalk the soul of a young girl!"

So at this point I'm gazing at the ceiling asking myself, wtf do I do now!? So I ask them if they can send them to my home address, and if I have to wait another 10 days before calling them to find out if the CEO has been indicted for voucher theft!?

"Oh, um, you'll have to wait another 10 days...is that ok?"

Is that OK!? No! NO IT'S NOT OK! I WANT MY VOUCHERS LIKE COOKIES AND I WANT THEM NOW!

Anyhoo, so I now must endure another 10 days minimum to get my greasies on a new XBOX 360! Oh the humanity!