This marks Day Five without a fully-functioning bathroom thanks to Wayfair’s dismal installation service, so I want to again strongly dissuade anyone from ordering from Wayfair, and most importantly I adamantly advise against ever utilizing their installation service, in this case Angi. 

We ordered a mirror/light/medicine cabinet for our bathroom, which arrived fully assembled at 4 feet wide, 32 inches tall, and 115 pounds. It looks like a great item, and I also paid for the installation service. We took out the original light and cabinet on Wednesday night, for the scheduled installation on Thursday morning at 7:30 AM. After no one showed, we got a text at 8:30 from the Angi “Pro” saying they weren’t coming. I rescheduled for Saturday morning, and tried to impress upon Angi and Wayfair that this would require at least two people to install. They argued that I would have to order a second ‘pro’ to come and pay for that out of pocket. They also said it might be good to wait until Saturday to see if one person could do it. 

On Saturday, the second ‘pro’ arrived and indicated there was no way one person could do that job (DUH), and that this was far from the first time that Wayfair ordered for one person to do a multiple-person job by Angi. So here we are, medicine bathroom cabinet and light resting on our bathroom floor, and Andy and I unable to see anything or lift it up ourselves since he just had hernia surgery. 

Once again, don’t buy anything from Wayfair (this was my second or third purchase from them, and now last), and definitely do not waste your money on their installation service. 

(Update: see the original post at the first link above for how they are rectifying this.)

While our entry into March has been one of a relatively calm and quiet lion, I’m certain there are several meteorological roars coming before winter departs later this month. Before that, here is our weekly recap for your enjoyment and perusal.

Suzie and I shared a flowering onion in our hometown of Amsterdam, NY.

A man of a certain age running out to get the mail in his underwear in the middle of winter. (See also ‘This Is Me.’)

Cheerful glimpses of hope in the grocery store.

The pendulum of light brings out the bloom of this beauty.

Shirtless male celebrity heat.

A day of leaping deserves an exclamation point!

Move. I’m gay.

A long and slow recuperation.

Swath of snowdrops.

Beware of the woeful Wayfair and equally-awful Angi.

Father Time tricks and treats.

If only… a dangerous frame of mind indeed.

Ten March seconds.

The light of aural heaven – Madonna’s ‘Ray of Light’ celebrates another year of majesty.

The annual pussy drop.

Dazzlers of the Day included Daniel W. Green, Ari Shapiro, BJ Gruber and Barbara Smith.

Earliest harbingers of spring, pussy willows make their annual appearance in this blog post, paving the hopeful path for spring weather and fun-in-the-sun to come. As much as I enjoy these fuzzy fellows, I don’t bother with a pussy will tree in the yard – they demand too much water and this is their only big show – the foliage that follows is basic. Still, I love finding them in the market at this time of the year, along with all the forced daffodils and hyacinths and tulips. 

Andy has already been talking of opening the pool come next month – as we have bumps dit up into April over the past few years – a happy extension of pool season when it’s usually too fleeting. Last year I didn’t spend much time in it, so maybe it’s time to get back into the wet swing of things… and these pussy willows would more than likely agree.

A lazy post, as I’m scheduled to be taking a break in Boston this weekend, and pre-populating posts is tedious business at best. Let’s take a look back at ten previous March 2 entries on this blog, assuming I was so consistent. 

In began in black briefs on March 2, 2014, and in white briefs as well. 

On March 2, 2015, it was the weekly recap with a naked male model.

Holy fuck, I cooked a duck on March 2, 2016.

Playing the numbers game on March 2, 2017, and a quokka.

A 15th anniversary of this very website took place on March 2, 2018.

A sneak-peek of a Madonna Timeline featured her ‘American Life’ album on March 2, 2019 while the Jonas Brothers returned with this ‘Sucker’. 

March 2, 2020 featured this lion-hearted recap.

An attempt a these Ogunquit oaties opened March 2, 2021, and Dr. Angela Davis was Dazzler of the Day.

Red and gold flowers bisected winter blue for March 2, 2022 and Ariana Debose was Dazzler of the Day.

On March 2, 2023, winter blues looked beautiful and Russell Tovey was Dazzler of the Day. 

A while way back, our bathroom mirror/medicine-cabinet/light source became unhinged and let go of two of its mirrors, leaving storage shelves of toiletries and medication and cuticle oil (three scents!) on disagreeable display. The other day, a Wayfair ad for precisely the item I was looking for – a modern mirror/medicine-cabinet’LED light – went on sale for about $600. (Don’t even ask the original price.) After scouring the specs and comparing with some other offerings online and in person, I decided this one looked like the best of the lot, so I read through the fine print of the “professional installation service” they offered as that’s always a concern. The policy read as such:

This item requires installation. We recommend adding professional installation so you can enjoy your item quickly, conveniently, and safely.

This was a big item. 48 inches wide, 32 inches tall, and 115 pounds. One person could barely lift the unwieldy thing, much less install it. At least, that’s what sense told me. Angi put the blame squarely back on Wayfair for not setting up the original appointment correctly. This is when Wayfair got involved.

I explained that I had purchased a professional installation, and assumed that that meant the requisite number of people with the requisite knowledge of installation would be sent. Sending one person with the task of a “mirror wall hanging” seemed to indicate they had absolutely no knowledge whatsoever of their own product, and no idea that it needed an electrical hook-up as well.

A long afternoon of text chatting with WayHelp Wayfair’s Social Media bot, who later became Alicia, Bill, Kallie and Jacob (I’ve got the screen-shot receipts to prove all this, and more) resulted in them unable to work with Angi to set up a two-person service, and putting it back on me to cancel the first rescheduled date, order a new one for two people and pay out of pocket, after which they ‘may’ reimburse me. I asked about the electrical aspect, to which they replied “What Angi would consider installation would be hanging the cabinet but not the electrical aspect.”

So they are planning to have one person hang this enormous item, not connect it electrically, and call it a day? That’s Angi and Wayfair’s apparent answer. I reiterated that this was an item that required electrical work – hello, it’s a light! In their own explanation of what they don’t provide it says, “For plumbing or electrical installations, there must be an existing line or the pro will be unable to complete your service.” There is an existing line right where the item is to be hung. But alas, installation is just hanging this thing, so Andy and I will have to find an electrician to do that.  (At one point one of them suggested that we have someone on hand who might help with the lifting – I’m out of town that day and my husband just had hernia surgery, so that seems dumb.)

We should have just done the work ourselves and not even bothered with the installation fee, but I’m waiting to see how tomorrow works out because I ordered this with the good faith that the product and service would be rendered as represented. The last that Jacob said was that “I think we can wait until March 2nd to see if this item can be assembled (installed) by one professional.”

Spoiler alert: it can’t. 

If I’m wrong, I’ll happily update this post accordingly. 

And if I’m right, I’ll also happily update this post accordingly. Watch this space!

And if by some miraculous miracle Wayfair and Angi decide to treat this customer with the basic services that have been purchased, then I’ll be happy to take down this post. Until then, the search engines for ‘Wayfair customer service’ or ‘Wayfair nightmare’ or ‘Wayfair awful service’ or ‘Angi fraud’ or ‘Angi terrible service’ or ‘Angi sucks’ can rev up for anyone considering a Wayfair installation service. 

UPDATE: Saturday morning, March 2, arrived, and with it the second ‘pro’ that Wayfair had hired from Angi. He was great – and he confirmed what I had told Angi and Wayfair multiple times: the item could not be hung or installed by one person. Well DUH! He also said that Wayfair and Angi had been pulling this sort of thing many times, only requesting one person for jobs which needed multiple people to complete. There’s much more to say about the chats I had to have with Wayfair and Angi, and if they fail to appropriately correct this maybe I’ll post those receipts. People love to read about such drama!

UPDATE #2: After several disappointingly rude discussions with Wayfair and Angi, on chat texts and on the phone, which took up two days of time and increasing aggravation, I requested the refund on the installation service, which I think (can’t be sure until it goes through) is happening. We will find our own installer, which only delayed our bathroom from being functional, but I simply don’t trust Wayfair or Angi to do this properly. I posted a new blog to give a quicker synopsis than this lengthy entry offered, and shortly thereafter I got a message from Wayfair saying the following:

“I have been speaking with my manager regarding your displeasure with the Angi installation service, and what was included. Wayfair, would be happy to help, with providing a discount on your order, so you could hire someone locally. I do see the Angi service was refunded ($72.35) already. We would be happy to issue a discount of 30% on that bathroom cabinet… which would have us issue a refund back to your card for $181.43. I look forward to your response.”

I thanked that final rep and said I appreciated their help. What baffles me is why they think paying me back $250+ is better than simply contacting their service company (Angi) and having them send two people instead of one based on my original request. I asked why there was such a change in tone and practice with this discount offer after days of questionable correspondence. They replied:

“On occasion, we do not always solve issues correctly, and do apologize for that! We looked at it from your perception, and too were frustrated that Angi left you hanging not once but twice. In addition, all the added time you have spent on this order, we felt a discount would be the best way to help. I do want you and all customers to return to shop with Wayfair.”

We shall see…