Free?
I received a “free” $15 candle in the mail from a “sign up, sell and make money” pyramid company I used to do business with. I say “used to” because although they sent me a free candle (in a scent I can’t stand), they also kept my $60 credit that was MY money but they kept. What really ticks me off is the smarmy note on the bottom of the invoice:
“Dear Nan, We just wanted to send you a candle to say we are sorry. We are so grateful to have such wonderful customers as you. We really hope you enjoy this free gift. Thank you for being so patient and kind to us.”
Yeah, patient and kind while they tell me I can’t have my MONEY back because it’s been on their books too long. You can ship out a $15 candle but not a check? Bad job, Mel**uca, BAD JOB. This is a really bad business practice. Why didn’t they just cut me a check since it was always my money and never their money? You can bet if I took that long to pay them, they’d have been right on top of it!
I never wanted to sell any products; I just wanted to buy their awesome bath soap at a small discount. I was signed up to be a seller by accident so I called them on it and they said, “Oh well, we will credit your account of the money we were not supposed to take out in the first place but are keeping because you’re too nice to demand a check” (paraphrase mine).
Think I’m ticked? You bet I am. Seems that every time they sent me a letter saying,
“We haven’t heard from you in awhile, why not order something today” it actually meant,
“If you don’t call us and spend the money over the telephone by ordering something from us, we are going to keep your money.”
Worse, it also meant that if I didn’t call and order over the phone, my credit began disappearing with each letter. Mind you the letter didn’t state that. And I did order after receiving the letter – I just ordered online, not via telephone. BUT NEVER AGAIN.
I can only figure that if they do this to enough people – keep a credit that wasn’t theirs to keep – that they can all retire as billionaires.
Unfortunately I don’t think this type dirty-tricks business practice is going to get better (as evidenced by the recent mortgage company problems). You have to be on your guard when you shop for anything now days. You have to become a super savvy consumer and be wiser than those you do business with. You have to cross all the t’s and dot all the i’s for them. Wiser than the serpent.
It’s a shame but there it is. You can go thru the drive up of life, pick up your food and drive away with the bag half empty if you don’t watch out. I know! Ask me how I know, T**o Bell! Ask me how I know, Ha*dy’s. Ask me how I know, whatever the name of that new Chinese place is in Russellville!
AUGH! I live in the boonies. I don’t want to drive all the way home then find out half my order is missing from the bag. I also hate having to stop and check the bag in the drive up with people honking in line behind me – but there it is. I have to now. It sure has cut down on the places I eat out! Which is good, in a way – fast food is killer on the diet!
So where is the joy in this? Let me think… OK how about this? Joy are those companies who have trained their people so well, they don’t constantly mess up food orders. And while they are saying, “I’m sorry, I can’t give you your $60 back but I will send you $60 worth of Platinum Bar soap since it was always your money and never our company’s money in the first place.”
OK OK – Joy is living in a fantasy world – but is IS my world and I am very happy in it, thankyouverymuch! Don’t bother me now, I’m going to go soak in the tub and use the last of my soap ‘cause I’ll never, ever darken the keyboard of that online store ever again!!
You can only laugh at things like this ‘cause they sure aren’t worth crying over! You just gotta love it! And walk in love, walk in love, walk in love – and give away that stupid free candle or you will think of them every time you burn it!!
EnJOY your life! BE GRATEFUL AND JOYFUL!
