Your example made me laugh in commiseration. One time at our local US post office I was trying to return an item. I didn’t have packing tape at home, and asked the lady if they had some I could use. She read me the riot act about how they have to pay for it, and I should have had my own. I kept myself from reminding her that I PAY FOR HER TAPE with my taxes, and I said I’d take my package home and buy some. She grudgingly gave me some tape. Grrrrr.
3 Likes
It’s not a person @chamekke , it’s the system that is set up. The watchmaker said to send it labeled parts with zero value. I was not going to send a $15k watch anywhere without insurance. And that’s where the issue is. In all of canadas infinite wisdom if I insured it for that they would hit the watchmaker for VAT on $15k. Hence, I would have to use one of their “agents” for a large fee of course. Nope, to blazes with them. If I were closer I would have just worn the watch over the border and delivered it to him. 
Just another government bleeding citizens because they can’t improve infrastructure.
It’s too bad. I worked with oil & gas folks out of Calgary for 10 years. They were the greatest people to work with.
3 Likes
Thank you for explaining, @StevesTrail . I agree, that’s just appalling. I’m sorry you went through that. So infuriating.
1 Like
I’ve have bought a number of things from international sellers and have never had to pay any duties at all.
Depends on the factors I mentioned, especially item price (and brand), and service of delivery.
woke up this morning to find out that the Anglo silversmith BISBEE BOB has now been designated as Navajo.
4 Likes
Oh, Nativo-Arts. Where every item is “Important!” “Drop dead fab extreme (seriously, they really said that 
)!” Or… “One of a kind!”
6 Likes
@Ziacat OMG, they must have a stack of thesauruses in their office to keep coming up with all the descriptive words they use!
4 Likes
My favorite was “sexy”
2 Likes
Oh my. I missed that one 
I wonder if they are using some kind of e-commerce site that randomly adds modifiers and other generic “excited blurb” content to the basic descriptions. For example, a local thrift shop with an online component has just started adding some rather peculiar adjectives to jewellery pieces that don’t obviously merit them – such as Calm, Substantial, Periodic, Textured and Blazing.
Maybe it’s an AI thing?
6 Likes
That’s quite possible. I think they’ve been using descriptions like this for a while. They’re not terribly reputable.
3 Likes
Caveat emptor for sure. People need to learn not to be swayed by the puff words and colour text. I joke with my husband that if he wants a simple chicken sandwich at the café, he should buy one, but not just because it has the word Tuscan stuck in front of it
4 Likes
I came across an online seller’s description the other day that made me chuckle. Part of the description ~ … not Native American made but made with the Native American Spirit!
Sheesh.
6 Likes
Distasteful. But I guess honest about not being NA made?
2 Likes
Could well be AI generated language. Very soon the product images themselves could be completely AI generated.
One of the most serious casualties is unquestionably human creativity (or lack thereof), as awkwardly expressed in the stilted, reflexive, mechanical descriptions used to sell products that the sellers themselves don’t seem to understand, appreciate, or really even care about.
Why bother with troublesome design, product creation, and creative marketing when you can simply do an AI search for keywords, key phrases, and salable products, have AI generate your ad copy, product design and marketing materials, and even generate a website for you, while you, 22 years old, functionally, and creatively illiterate, sit in front of a mirror with a smartphone in hand, taking selfies in your cutest outfit to post on instagram for your 200,000 followers who are actually 98% bots.
It’s reminiscent of the Internet revolution in the late 90s, early 2000s, but on steroids, supercharged, and much, much darker in terms of it’s observable destructive effects on human creative drive, intellectual capacity, and spiritual well being.
10 Likes
I don’t know if you ever watched Person of Interest years back, but I’ve been watching the reruns, and it was scarily ahead of it’s time, with “the machine” watching everything…
1 Like
Technology and internet have been a tremendous force for sharing knowledge and the organization of resources, and ideas, but sadly have also become an agent of spiritual and intellectual entropy. Especially among the young.
My wife commented this morning over breakfast how those growing up and reaching adulthood in the 60s, 70s, 80s and into the mid 90s are among the last generations to have had the privilege of functioning in an analog world.
How fortunate many of us are to have had that experience.
8 Likes