Just lately, my spouse and I went out to do some Christmas buying. We additionally grabbed some lunch whereas we have been out, introduced dinner house, rented a film, and acquired a recreation to play the following day. It ought to have been a chill weekend, but it surely wasn’t. In 2023, because of grasping billionaires and big, shitty firms, shopping for absolutely anything is a horrible expertise.
As human beings studying the web in 2023, I’m certain you all are properly conscious of how shitty it’s as of late to purchase…something. So this put up isn’t meant to level out some hidden fact or reveal some new a part of the world you weren’t conscious of. As a substitute, I’m simply drained and needed to guarantee you all that, sure, it’s dangerous on the market, it’s getting worse, and all of it sucks. It sucks a lot.
Buying on-line or on the retailer is horrible
First, even earlier than we headed out to purchase some items and different gadgets, I used to be on Amazon making an attempt to get another gift-shopping executed. I hate Amazon. However most of the time, out right here within the Midwest, it’s the one choice for some particular gadgets. Nonetheless, it sucks. Utilizing Amazon now, in 2023, is like operating by way of a maze of lure doorways and pretend gadgets. Is that actually a PS5 controller within the particular colour I would like? Or is it one of many many fakes and dropshipped imposters? It’s a must to test the vendor and the worth and hope that what you order truly arrives and isn’t broken earlier than it will get to your home. Or stolen off your porch.
Maybe, like we did, you resolve to say “Fuck Amazon!” and go to native shops or brick-and-mortar supercenters to choose up your gadgets. Good luck! I regarded on-line for a specific merchandise and located it in inventory at a retailer in my space. But after I received there, the merchandise I’d been informed was in inventory was…not in inventory. Once I requested one of many only a few overworked employees members on the retailer in regards to the merchandise, all of them appeared far too busy and drained to reply with something greater than “Possibly subsequent week?”
Ultimately, we did discover a few of our gadgets, however our trials and tribulations weren’t over, as we then found, like standard, that a lot of the checkout strains have been closed. The Goal we have been at had round 20 of them, however solely two have been open. Two staff have been being compelled to take a look at and take care of tons of of Christmastime customers. It was not going properly.
So we went to self-checkout, solely to find lengthy strains on account of some machines not working. One individual was in control of managing the machines and all of the folks utilizing them. It was additionally not going properly.
And to be clear: none of that is the fault of the overworked, underpaid staff desperately making an attempt to make a residing whereas being yelled at by Karens for coughing or not smiling sufficient. Don’t take away from this exasperation that I’m mad on the employees at Taco Bell or Goal or something like that. I’m mad at their bosses and everybody above them who’re slowly squeezing us all right into a paste that they will scrape off of their boots and throw away as soon as we run out of cash.
Anyway, as soon as we received out of the shop we made just a few extra journeys. And it was the identical story. Shops felt naked, with most gadgets relegated to on-line retailers, whereas overworked workers who’re anticipated to keep up far an excessive amount of without delay did what they might as vacation customers descended on them like ravenous predators.
Shopping for the rest sucks, too
Throughout all of this, we stopped to seize some lunch at Arby’s. We discovered, nonetheless, that the road on the drive-thru was 20 vehicles lengthy. So we went some other place: a neighborhood Taco Bell that’s normally not too busy. And it wasn’t, fortunately, however inside I discovered one individual operating the place. Not solely is that this harmful, it’s a horrible option to handle a quick meals joint. We went to order our meals, however their programs at that location have been down and we didn’t have money on us. The only employee urged we use the app to purchase the meals and pay that manner. The longer term fucking sucks.
After we received house, we tried to observe a film. But it surely wasn’t obtainable on any streaming companies so we’d must lease it, although Roku and different web sites stated in any other case. So we determined as an alternative to observe a film I already owned however that we hadn’t watched, solely to be taught that Vudu was down that night time for some cause.
Once I went to observe the movie on YouTube utilizing my Moviesanywhere account, it had been disconnected for safety causes. So we stated fuck it and opened MAX to observe a cooking present we get pleasure from. However that particular present wasn’t loading for us, even when every thing else labored. It’s nice paying for apps that by no means work!
Ultimately, we gave up, opened YouTube, and watched some random nonsense. Whereas we did that, my spouse tried to purchase a recreation on Xbox, solely to be confused by all the varied editions and bundles. And after I helped choose the correct one, the app crashed and we simply went downstairs and used the console to purchase it anyway.
It’s wild how horrible it’s to purchase something at this time. All of us have much less cash than ever and companies have greater than ever, and but, they nonetheless demand even extra. And now, they don’t even thoughts how transparently clear it’s in 2023 that every one they need is that cash. They don’t care about their staff, their prospects, or the buying expertise in any respect.
As a substitute, we’re compelled to hop by way of an increasing number of hoops, as costs rise and the easy act of shopping for one thing turns into more durable and shittier with every passing month.
At this price, I think about by round 2025 or so I’ll must spend $200 on a small quick meals order made by one one that maintains a thousand robots making every thing in a tri-state space.
I say, fuck that. Let’s outlaw billionaires, take their cash, and make this world a greater place earlier than all of us get crushed by the wealthy. That sounds significantly better to me.
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