#142 Gallup NM get microwave

We stayed at the USA RV park which was a full hook up. This is the town where we were to get our new microwave. We left the petrified forest and went to the next stop which was Gallup New Mexico about 2 hours away. This was the place where I had the factory ship the microwave. It’s a very long story that I have I will insert a little further down. I just want to say the whole microwave story is over-the-top crazy.

We stayed at a little RV park that was a kind of a glorified parking lot, but it was spacious enough. It was around $30 and it was a full hook up. We needed a little break because we had been on the boondock trail for a little while. It was good to have some civilization. Two nights turned into three just because of the microwave fiasco. After the microwave story, we were just grateful to have it in our possession and we moved on down the road. Gallop is not full of interesting or natural beauty areas. We didn’t do anything in terms of touristy stuff.

The microwave story

I thought I would tell a little story about a microwave. I'll start with the RV that came with a microwave and I saw it was an Amana radar range. This spooked me because that was the name they used when they first introduced it in 1967. When I first used it wondered if the guy who sold me the RV took the 2008 oven out, took it to his house, and gave me grandma Gerties microwave from 1967. Maybe he assumed I wouldn’t notice till after the ink was dry and I was in another town. I later found out that it was very modern like 2008 and it’s a combination microwave and convection oven. It didn’t seem to cook properly so I replaced it before we ever left Wilmington with a new combination Convection oven/ microwave. It had been working fine but for 6 months now it throws a code of like error 21 or something. It won't work again until you unplug it wait a while and plug it back in. I assume this reboots its computer. We did that for quite a while and about a month ago it kind of just stopped heating food when it was in microwave mode. I knew it was this time so I looked online and I think I knew this but a convection/microwave combo costs about $500. This is a hard pill to swallow especially since this one lasted a whole year. I looked around for a better deal and after quite a lot of looking, I found something for 200 that's a little smaller in size that is designed for RVs on the Walmart website. The item was out of stock so I looked at who makes it and contacted them directly. The company was named Apollo and to my surprise, they are a made in the USA oven.

The countertop version would cost 200. The more I investigated I realized that if you buy the trim-out kit that fits in the RV to make it safe it's about $500. That would make it not a deal. I talked to you the gentleman at Apollo manufacturing. I hope he doesn't read this but it was a little like talking to Mr. Kimball from Green Acres or actually like talking to me.

It was a Saturday morning and he kind of was trying to talk me out of buying the product because he listened to me describe my situation and he said oh well this will never work in an RV. You'll have to get the other one we sell and it's much pricier. I said no I'm fine with the one that's made for countertops. I will most likely just build a shelf that will allow adequate ventilation and we'll call it a day.

He acted like well we’ll sell it to you but only if you promise to use it only on a counter. I told him, Scouts honor. With the solemn oath in place, he says I can take the payment now if you’re ready.

I told him I would estimate where I'm going to be in a week and he could ship it there. He said no it's going to take us about a week to process it and get it ready to ship. Dan will call you then and you tell us where to ship it. in so I said that sounds fine. Around Monday I got an email that said we have deposited your money and your ship date is two weeks from now. I kind of thought geez that's not what we discussed but whatever. I figured there's no reason to contact him right away I waited the full two weeks I had got an email at about that two-week mark. It said hello your order has been shipped. I gave him a call.

I called the company to protest a little as we do not have an actual address. I left a voicemail that said you know guys this is not cool because you're not supposed to ship it. Your guy Dan is supposed to call me to verify where we are. I called the next day and got a person and they looked at the order details. He said it wasn't physically shipped we send an email that says that. It just means it has a shipping label that was printed and the automated system sends an email even though it hasn't physically left the factory. It looks like we're about a week out. I paused and thought hey that’s makes so much sense, Not

I ended up speaking to Mr. Kimball, the same gentleman that made the sale.

I've already been waiting two weeks and it looks like another week I said are you guys are kind of busy or what's the deal. He said we have orders to manufacture and ship out 400 microwaves so yes we are quite slammed.

I got the feeling it was a small company in America which is kind of refreshing. Maybe they got a lot of responses and haven't quite figured out how to meet the need yet.

Remember when I went directly to this company because I was trying to avoid a long wait from Walmart. Another week goes by and I get an email that says your microwave has been shipped and here's your tracking number. This time I called again and was able to reach the same gentleman and I told him I don't know what's going on but Dan didn’t call and you're not supposed to ship it till I give you a good address.

It’s on its way to way to Porters Neck Road in Wilmington even though we’re in New Mexico. Since it had left the shop at 3 in the afternoon he said he felt like he could be rerouted to wherever. This was a Friday afternoon and I looked at where I thought we would be in about 3 to 4 days and that's it he was called Gallup New Mexico. I gave him this info and he said I will reroute it and turn it around so that it does not go to North Carolina and I was relieved. I went on about my weekend and just figured if we got to Gallup New Mexico on a Wednesday that be plenty of time for any package to get there. When we got into town and settled into the RV campground. My tracking number said it was at a fed ex store so I made it my business to rush across town to pick up the microwave before they close at 5:30. When I got there they said I see no such delivery. I said that kind of sucks so I gave him my tracking number. He said it appears that it will be here Friday. I said why does it say it's here? He looks at me and acts like that does suck huh? This is probably longer than I had desired to be in Gallup New Mexico, but frustrated, I said okay. Are you sure? After all that then I called corporate FedEx and ask them the same question and they said that it was scheduled to be in Wilmington North Carolina today, Wednesday. I said that's not even possible but it was.

There had been some foot-dragging by someone either the customer or FedEx but it was never really rerouted. This was all so stupid. I continued to talk to FedEx and by now I was a little testy. During the conversation, I started realizing it was the manufacturer's fault and not Fed-ex.

I apologized for my hasty accusatory tone and everybody was happy. They are used to customers and they rarely apologize so, in the end, we were buds again. Now I just wait for a couple of days for it to arrive in Gallup.

I didn't really want to be in Gallup this long but there is that acceptance thing. I checked back with the local FedEx store where it was supposed to arrive and asked him if everything's on track for Friday. She said that to the best of her knowledge the destination was Wilmington North Carolina and I said oh my god, no. We went round and round and they didn't seem very confident. I called FedEx corporate again and they assured me that it is on the way to New Mexico and this young lady is confused. I was following the tracking number and it had made it across from Wilmington to Kansas to Colorado. If this was Thursday night and it’s in Colorado then it should be in New Mexico the next morning. I called the local FedEx store and they said so it’s in Albuquerque now. I assumed it will it be there around noon. I called the local FedEx store just to confirm and she said all its not going to come here at all there is no such record of that at this destination.

I told her that I knew it was in Albuquerque and that I was pretty sure it was coming to her store but she said well maybe if you called corporate they can contact the driver and find out where it's supposed to be delivered

To review, this local store is the shipping address.

I called corporate and initially, the person acted like we really don't know anything about drivers. Where they are and all is just beyond our ability. I was on hold for a while and I already had my speech planned because I was going to tell them and this Fed-ex lady, Sarah my mind.

My speech was: you got a GPS on that truck and a GPS on the belt clip of the driver so you know where the truck is and you know where the driver is standing all the time. It frustrates me that you're telling me that we don't got that kind of technology when I know it’s a lie.

I was kind of loaded for bear whenever I came back from being on hold and then they prevented me from this long speech because they said we talked to a supervisor they're going to talk to the driver and get right back to you.

I was hoping for a good outcome.

My hope was if I could get this thing done I could check out of the RV park and not have to stay another night.

As the phone call ended, I looked across the way and at a strip mall and I saw a FedEx truck. I said hey, you know that might be my guy. I zoomed it over there and parked and said hello sir, I wonder if you could help me. Of course, he looked at me like oh my god I'm kinda busy here. I said I’ve been trying to get my package. Could you see if you might have it on your truck? He seemed willing to help. He looked on his manifest and he said I've got your package. I'm on the east side just starting my route and it is buried in the middle of the truck. I’ll have to make a few deliveries then when I can get to it I'll give you a call.

This was very refreshing in so I figured it would be a couple of hours but within about half an hour I had received a phone call saying it if you can meet me across town in 15 minutes I'll hand it to you. I met him of all places at the UPS Store at a strip mall. There in his loving arms was a cardboard box with my wonderful microwave. After about 30 days of issues, I finally had it in my back seat. I went back, checked out, and was allowed to leave Gallup.

As soon as we were at our next stop we used the new oven in both modes and it worked great.

I didn’t leave a review. The product worked well and as advertised. I was disappointed in the shipping and communication from the manufacturer. A little aggravated by the whole process but we have a microwave that works. For now, it will live on the counter. Soon I will make a shelf for it 18 inches above the range.