So Long, Farewell

Every day the e-death toll rises. While I'm not a sentimental person, I've recently begun to mourn the loss of some wonderful sites. These sites were more like e-friends, trusted shopping buddies, who I knew would always come through for me.

For instance, eToys never missed a birthday or holiday. I always knew I could count on eToys to deliver gifts to my niece and nephew in California. Always on time, always the right gift, and always wrapped. eToys even suggested age-appropriate toys when I was buying for friends' kids and had no idea what to get. This past summer, when I discovered it was my 2-year-old neighbor's birthday on the actual day, I rushed out to KB Toys. With aisles of Barbies and Fisher Price toys staring me in the face, I was at a loss. I asked the salesperson for help, but she turned out to be useless, mumbling something about dolls in Aisle 3. I walked away with a gift, but when Katie opened her present, her parents looked at me like I'd given her a set of encyclopedias. With eToys, I would have known that 2-year-old girls love Pokemon.

In the same way, Petstore.com always came through for my Bedlington terrier, Pepper, when she was a puppy. The one pet store in Hoboken was half a mile away, and since I didn't own a car, it was too far to carry dog food. But Petstore.com offered a wider selection and delivered to my doorstep. I even set up an automatic cycle where dog food would be delivered every two weeks. Problem solved. Whenever I needed leashes, toys or anything else, a few clicks and a few days later the package would arrive.

I've had my share of online mishaps, and there are a few sites I don't miss. For instance, I silently cursed Pets.com every time I took Pepper out to play in the snow with the other dogs. I had ordered snow boots because her paws get so cold that she starts limping after ten minutes in the snow. That shipment, which also included dog food, never arrived. Customer service kept promising it would come, but after three calls and being placed on hold endlessly, I decided to forfeit the $20. That's when I found Petstore.com.

My husband once ordered a pair of sneakers from Boo.com, which never arrived. The online customer service was so terrible, that he could never get through to them. Ironically, at the time, the company he was working for had built the site. Eventually, he cancelled the order and trekked out to a bricks-and-mortar store.

Experiences like these make me appreciate how dependable eToys and Petstore.com were. I trusted them and now they're gone. All I have to remind me of their existence are magnets on my refrigerator.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in The Net Economy.