UPS encounters act of god

It seems that god doesn't like Creative, myself or UPS. The Creative debacle continues as anything and everything that can happen will, in this simple return/refund/exchange procedure. This is the first time a package has been delayed because of : ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS (on ground transport).



Hurricane Ike has flooded northern Illinois to the point that trucks cannot pass through the state :

/O.EXT.KLOT.FL.W.0102.000000T0000Z-080918T1048Z/
/DSPI2.3.ER.080913T1515Z.080915T0500Z.080918T0448Z.NR/
1004 AM CDT TUE SEP 16 2008

...FLOOD WARNING EXTENDED UNTIL LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT...

THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR
THE DES PLAINES RIVER NEAR DES PLAINES.
* UNTIL LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT...OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED.
* AT  945 AM TUESDAY THE STAGE WAS 8.1 FEET.
* MODERATE FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 5.0 FEET.
* FORECAST...THE RIVER WILL CONTINUE TO FALL TO BELOW FLOOD STAGE BY
WEDNESDAY EVENING.
* IMPACT...AT 8.5 FEET...FLOOD WATERS AFFECT RESIDENTIAL AREAS OF BIG
BEND DRIVE, MASON LANE, RIVER ROAD, AND HOWARD.

/O.EXT.KLOT.FA.W.0012.000000T0000Z-080916T1945Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
725 PM CDT MON SEP 15 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS EXTENDED THE

* FLOOD WARNING FOR URBAN AREAS AND SMALL STREAMS...
IN ILLINOIS...
LIVINGSTON COUNTY...
NORTHEASTERN FORD COUNTY...
IROQUOIS COUNTY...
DEKALB COUNTY...
LA SALLE COUNTY...
EASTERN LEE COUNTY...
OGLE COUNTY...
COOK COUNTY...
DUPAGE COUNTY...
GRUNDY COUNTY...
KANE COUNTY...
KANKAKEE COUNTY...
KENDALL COUNTY...
SOUTHEASTERN LAKE COUNTY...
WILL COUNTY...
IN NORTHWEST INDIANA...
NORTHERN BENTON COUNTY...
JASPER COUNTY...
NEWTON COUNTY...
PORTER COUNTY...
LAKE COUNTY...

* UNTIL 245 PM CDT TUESDAY...345 PM EDT TUESDAY...

* AT 725 PM CDT...825 PM EDT...FLOODING CONTINUED ACROSS MANY
LOCATIONS IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA...ESPECIALLY
NEAR RIVERS...STREAMS AND CREEKS. MANY RIVERS HAVE CRESTED OR ARE
NEAR CREST...BUT FLOOD WATERS WILL BE SLOW TO RECEDE TONIGHT AND
TUESDAY MORNING.

NO NEW SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL
DAYS...WHICH WILL ALLOW FLOOD WATERS TO CONTINUE TO RECEDE.
HOWEVER...LARGER RIVERS WILL REMAIN IN FLOOD THROUGH MUCH OF THE
REST OF THIS WEEK.

A FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN
REPORTED. DO NOT DRIVE OR WALK THROUGH FLOODED AREAS.

Thankfully, this is only a 1 day delay and I am expecting the Xen X-Fi to arrive tomorrow. It arrived in NJ at 11:52 EST. It is just another day in the long, long, long process of getting this newly released product returned and exchanged for a working one. Since I purchased the Creative Xen-Fi back on 7/15, I have only spent approximately 2 weeks with the product. The product has spent approximately 3 weeks in shipping and another 3 weeks in Creative's support limbo. This does not bode well for a product, especially a newly released one. We'll see how long this one lasts, as there will not be a second time. If it breaks again I would like a refund and not a retry. Lets see what happens ....