1st International Barnes Table Tennis Tournament

So a couple of weeks ago I ordered a table tennis table for the back garden. Table tennis is always fun because people generally think they are better than they really are and tend to get a bit competitive. Just right for when your having a barbecue and a few beers with some friends on a sunny day. I asked for it to be delivered last Saturday. Maybe I'm getting too cynical, but it didn't really surprise me that having spent all day waiting for it - it didn't appear.

So I shot off an email to the supplied address asking when to expect it or if they couldn't say, give me details of the delivery agents and I'll contact them direct. It's kinda important to know - it's not like they can pop it through the letter box or hide it behind the bin. The silence was deafening. So having had no reply for a couple of days I rang them up asking why they still hadn't contacted me to say when the delivery was scheduled. They said they would ring me back with the information. They didn't. So I rang back the next day asking for answers. They said they would ring back in 15 minutes. 2 hours later I rang back pointing out the difference between what they were saying and what was happening. They got a supervisor over - they said that the person who should have rung me had now gone to lunch. I asked why no one could just tell me when it was going to be delivered? She said she would ring me back in 5 minutes. She didn't. Eventually I got a call from someone who sounded very sulky saying there were delays because of Easter and it would be delivered in the middle of next week. So, no question of an apology for ludicrously bad and ill mannered service. I didn't bother asking why Easter has caused such a run on Table Tennis tables. Perhaps Jesus rose again to have a couple of matches?

Anyway, it appears that I will get the table soon and we can set up the inaugural Barnes International (well if Irish Marcus turns up) Table Tennis Tournament. I bet they are getting worried down at Wimbledon. (Incidentally the company behind the bad service is Argos-Sport.com if you want to avoid them.)