Newegg Fly Infestation!

[Eluros]

Greetings,

I'm not sure where I should post this, so hopefully off topic will work.

The tl;dr is at the bottom, but I'd appreciate it if you'd stick around for the story.

I ordered a bunch of hardware for an HTPC I was building from Newegg, and got it in on Thursday of last week. It was one "order", but came from several warehouses. Shortly upon opening everything up, we were beset (feel free to replace "beset" with attacked, assaulted, etc) by large amount of flies, with the same sort of coloration as the one in this picture:

http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/mutant_flies/ebony.gif

I didn't want to call Newegg about it, but we're still going through them like wildfire. I killed 38 of them on my lunch break today. I haven't thrown the boxes away, in case we need to return any parts, but I'm starting to think I may need to. I called Newegg and they said that they'd forward it to their logistics department and see what they could find. I'm not necessarily looking for compensation, but if I throw the boxes away and need to send something back (if there's a significant hardware problem covered by warranty, as sometimes happens), it seems fair to me that they'd need to cover the packaging, since the original packaging seems to have been infested.

I've used Newegg for years and have had nothing but great experiences, so I'm sure the CSR I spoke with knows I'm not trying to pull a fast one on them. It's an odd situation. We've replaced the garbage and vegetables (although there weren't any flies hovering around either), and hope at this point that we're killing them faster than they're reproducing.

A few conversation topics around the issue:

1. Have you ever had something like this happen, with Newegg or another online store?
2. Any recommendations that can speed up the fly catching/killing process? Currently I'm spraying them with window cleaner (they flock to windows, not to walls), and killing them with paper towels, which I then flush down the toilet, much to our plumbing system's chagrin.
3. If Newegg contacts me and asks what I think they should do to make this right, what do you think? Ask for shipping compensation? Ask that they provide boxes if I need to send anything back?

tl;dr: A Newegg box (I don't know which one) had a massive amount of flies, and now we're infested. Any thoughts on the issues that this brings up?

Thanks for your responses!

Edit: I have come to learn that they were flies, not fruit flies. Apparently, there are household flies that aren't fruit flies. I learned something new today.

EDIT 2: UPDATE HERE:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=32265073&postcount=43

 

[Newbian]

Did said flies have small cameras on them to watch you and feed the data back to newegg as part of their new feedback system?

:sneaky:

 

[Saint Nick]

1) Put small amount of OJ in a glass (like 30mL)
2) Cover OJ glass with saran wrap and poke two small holes in it
3) Let sit overnight, or however long you want really. Occasionally changing out the OJ for fresh OJ (or sugar water if you need to, doesn't mold)

They get in, but can't get out. Problem is that they reproduce very quickly so you need to make sure you're emptying it out often.

 

[Exterous]

Did you use their guaranteed 3 day shipping?

 

[richardycc]

Are they fruit flies or regular flies? Fruit flies are tiny, the one in the gif is just a regular fly.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

Don't blame Newegg for your filth.
Take a bath, you dirty motherfucker.

 

[Fritzo]

It's their new shipping method. The flies carry the package to your door.

 

[Eluros]

1) Put small amount of OJ in a glass (like 30mL)
2) Cover OJ glass with saran wrap and poke two small holes in it
3) Let sit overnight, or however long you want really. Occasionally changing out the OJ for fresh OJ (or sugar water if you need to, doesn't mold)

They get in, but can't get out. Problem is that they reproduce very quickly so you need to make sure you're emptying it out often.

Haven't heard of that, but it makes sense. OJ has a pretty strong scent. I'll talk to my wife and see if she's open to trying it.

Did you use their guaranteed 3 day shipping?

Nope. The packages left on Monday and arrived on Thursday. Not bad for the cheap shipping option.

Are they fruit flies or regular flies? Fruit flies are tiny, the one in the gif is just a regular fly.

Well, they look like the ones in the gif, and they're very large. I suppose they're regular flies. I didn't realize there's a difference.

 

[Saint Nick]

Yeah, if they are regular house flies, that OJ trick may or may not work, especially since they are bigger. Fruit flies are real tiny, kind of like gnats.

Also, apple cider vinegar is another option instead of OJ.

 

[Eluros]

Yeah, if they are regular house flies, that OJ trick may or may not work, especially since they are bigger. Fruit flies are real tiny, kind of like gnats.

Ah, well, there we go. I learned something new today-- and on an off-topic messageboard! The world is a strange and exciting place, indeed.

(Thanks for the clarification.)

 

[paulney]

Demand a $20 GC, don't settle for $10.

 

[paulney]

Fruit flies have a very short lifespan. Unless you give them rotten fruit or wine to feed on, they'll quickly die off themselves.

 

[JTsyo]

If using water for the trap, adding soap to it will reduce the surface tension of the water adn the fly will sink in when it tries to land on the water.

The OJ trap works pretty well. Guess they follow the smell in but don't have a way to find the exit.

 

[Exterous]

Demand a $20 GC, don't settle for $10.

Well - if he spend $300-500 it should clearly be $45

Better yet - charge $1 per fly

 

[polarmystery]

Those flies help you overclock

 

[brblx]

yeah, the OJ thing should work for gnats. i kept getting them in my house, and every time i would search out the source....then realize, oh, a glass of something or other has been sitting on my desk for a day....AHHHHHH ITS FULL OF FLIES KILL IT.

this happened twice, then they seemed to disappear. i think i may have committed accidental but convenient gnat genocide.

house flies? you's is fucked. get a housecat that likes to eat bugs.

 

[shocksyde]

My bro ordered some olive oil from Amazon. He opened the box and a few bees flew out. One stung him. He called Amazon mad as hell and got all sorts of credits for future orders. Even though it wasn't their "fault," they're lucky he wasn't allergic.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

ill need to see a current pic of your kitchen before i draw any conclusions

 

[Red Squirrel]

Get a cat, problem solved.

 

[Wangstang]

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Flag-Bra.../dp/B001MA4C8S

Those work wonders...and you can get them at Target, Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart and most grocery stores.

Wes

Edit to add...I just placed an order for a hard drive from newegg...I hope they don't include the free fly's.

 

[Eluros]

Well - if he spend $300-500 it should clearly be $45

Better yet - charge $1 per fly

My bro ordered some olive oil from Amazon. He opened the box and a few bees flew out. One stung him. He called Amazon mad as hell and got all sorts of credits for future orders. Even though it wasn't their "fault," they're lucky he wasn't allergic.

Interesting... you don't think it's unreasonable to request some sort of gift card for it? We're obviously spending money (paper towels and spray cleaner) to fix the problem, and my wife is picking up some fly paper after work, so I guess it's reasonable to ask to be compensated for the cost.

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Flag-Bra.../dp/B001MA4C8S

Those work wonders...and you can get them at Target, Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart and most grocery stores.

Wes

Good idea! My wife called and told me that she would be grabbing some fly paper on the way back from work, so hopefully that'll do the trick.

And, to the person who said they wanted a picture of our home... nice try.

 

[Raizinman]

How do you prove these flies came out of the box and not your home? Also, is the normal house fly really that dangerous? They are everywhere and get into every home. Nobody seems to die or have major problems with house flies. A fly swatter or a can of bug spray is about all that is necessary. Actually, opening a window that faces the sun will have them normally flying right out. Many of the products sold by NewEgg or other computer suppliers are drop shipped from the manufacturer. Likewise, many packages are not sealed well and the flies could have come from the FedEx or UPS warehouse. There are just too many factors to definately say that NewEgg was the one responsible for flies in your house. Not worth even complaining about.

 

[Eluros]

How do you prove these flies came out of the box and not your home? Also, is the normal house fly really that dangerous? They are everywhere and get into every home. Nobody seems to die or have major problems with house flies. A fly swatter or a can of bug spray is about all that is necessary. Actually, opening a window that faces the sun will have them normally flying right out. Many of the products sold by NewEgg or other computer suppliers are drop shipped from the manufacturer. Likewise, many packages are not sealed well and the flies could have come from the FedEx or UPS warehouse. There are just too many factors to definately say that NewEgg was the one responsible for flies in your house. Not worth even complaining about.

I certainly understand your point, and don't want to make a big deal out of it. However, I disagree with you for a few reasons:

1. Before opening the boxes, we had not observed any flies. A disproportionate amount of flies was not observed around garbage or food, and after disposing of the garbage and food (veggies in a bowl) the problem has barely lessened.

2. We're talking about massive amounts-- if, 4 days later, I'm able to find and kill 38 on a 1-hour lunch break, you know the quantity we're talking about is not insubstantial. I'm not complaining about there being a few critters taking a ride in a box. I'm talking about what would easily be a total of at least 100 flies.

Putting both of those together makes it seem reasonable to me to contact Newegg, if only to make them aware of a problem.

 

[Wyndru]

You probably have maggots somewhere. If you didn't see them in the box, I doubt the flies came from newegg.

I had this issue earlier in the summer, I never saw the maggots, but they had to be somewhere, because the flys kept coming. After a week they disappeared. I figure something died in a wall or right outside the house somewhere or maybe the source was compost outside my house, etc, etc.

But if the box caused an infestation you should have seen maggots in it.

 

[cavemanmoron]

Get a cat, problem solved.

bazooka??? bubble gum,
nah RAID!

http://www.vote29.com/newmyblog/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RaidTriple.gif