Each year, I allow myself one paid subscription to a scrappy magazine. (Sometimes I cheat and buy a twofer if I really like the magazine, which really has nothing to do with my story. LOL) Since I'm mad at CK, last year I chose Paper Crafts. (which, turns out, is a subsidiary or sumthin', but again, aside from the point...) Flash forward to this year and my subscription runs out. They keep sending me the little notices, and I just throw them away.
The other night, my phone rang at 9 p.m. and the caller id says Ebsco Ind. :shrug: Don't know them, but answer the phone anyway. A man on the other end says "I'm so and so calling on behalf of Paper Crafts, and want to offer you a special deal..." He gives me the whole schpiel and I say no thank you. His whole tone was very condescending from that point on. He says "I don't understand why you think its smarter to buy it on the newsstand for $4.99 when you could pay just over $1. per issue now." When I started to explain how rude his tone was, HE HUNG UP ON ME! :-O A TELEMARKETER hung up on ME!
So, I've been fuming over this for two days. My first thought was "it'll be a cold day in hell before I EVER buy Paper Crafts magazine again." As I started piecing the facts together for my letter to Paper Crafts, the thought occurred to me that the caller id showed up as Ebsco, so I did some quick research. (Gotta love the Internet!) One of Ebsco's many services is telemarketing for magazine renewels. Okay, so, my beef is with Ebsco, right? And now, instead of having to write ONE letter, I'm having to write TWO. On the other hand, maybe thats a smart business decision on Paper Crafts part, to hire a telemarketing company that uses high pressure tactics to get renewels.
Maybe the moral of the story is that next time, I should actually use the caller id. I didn't recognize the number and shouldn't have answered. On the other hand, when you have 4 teens who are out of the house at any given time, you can't just IGNORE calls, KWIM?
I'm still very upset about the tone that the TELEMARKETER (which I'm sorry, I don't hold them in very high esteem ANYway) used when he called ME. So, I ask you, my scrappy friends, what would YOU do???
sorry you had such a bad experience. I would contact both companies. I would let Ebsco know that their employee was very rude. And I would let Paper Craft know what is going on too.
ReplyDeleteHAHA! There I was thinking you needed advice on which magazine to get, so in my mind I was already trying to run a list of magazines I liked, and was getting ready to recommend!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it's so infuriating when that happens! So sorry it had to happen to you! I sometimes get that kind of treatment from telemarketers who sell time share or ask me to avail of loans, and all that! Unfortunately, I am too lazy to even bother to write their customer service! Let other people get the same bad experience and their company would end up not getting customers at all, I say! Haha! In your case, I would suggest that since you're in the process of writing a letter already, just go ahead and send it to both companies. Let's wait and see what they would do about it!
Have a great weekend, Suzanne!
So sorry your weekend started on such a bad note! :o
ReplyDeleteI'd order BH&G Scrapbooks Etc! ;)
ReplyDeleteboycott them and order a different mag. :P
ReplyDeleteI wonder if they knew their hired telemarketers were treating their potential (and past) customers like that, what they'd think.
Not answer the phone next time. :)))
ReplyDeleteI am telling you that I would write 2 letters but whether I would sit down and do it is another story.
You are the customer, they want you back, they want your money, they should be kissing your cheeks not treating you badly. Forget them and go with Card Maker.
My sub with Papercrafts is up for renewal as well and I'm not renewing it because its a crappy mag, but now I'm not renewing it based on principal.
ReplyDeleteInstead of paying a telemarketing company to pressure me into buying the mag, offer me a cheaper subscription rate! (but I still wouldn't renew it because its a crappy mag....)
Ebsco won't care, you can complain all you like - they hire the people to be rude, they need that attitude because its a tough job and nice, polite people wouldn't last a week.
Save your money and get your inspiration online - thats my advice. :)
First thing I do in my letter to PC is admonish them for selling my name to a telemarketer. If they want your money, they should call themselves. I despise telemarketers as much as you! And the second letter to the TM company would have words to the effect that if they ever call me again on behalf of anyone they'd be hearing from my legal counsel.
ReplyDeleteSorry you had such an awful issue, but I understand about having to answer with teenagers out and about.