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How many of you received a DVD in the mail from PaperCrafts that you did not order? The two options they give you are 1) Send them $7, or 2) Return it to them.
I love PaperCrafts magazine, but I am disappointed in their tactics. The US Postal Service regulation says that anything you receive that you did not order is yourS to keep and it is mail fraud for anyone to send you something and then ask to be paid for it, or for you to have to take action to return it.
I called PaperCrafts and told them of my irritation about this mailing, and mentioned the postal regulation. The very nice customer service person immediately explained that their lawyers had looked over the letter and there was "no problem" with it, and that the $7 was really for "future" DVDs. And, she hurriedly volunteered to mark my DVD as "free". No where in their letter does it say the DVD is free, or that you can decline their offer and keep the DVD. They state that you can keep the bag of scrapping paper enclosed. You either have to mark a box to keep it and pay for it, or send it back (they do pay the postage, but still requires you to package it back up, take it to the PO, etc.). And, one of my friends did nothing with hers and PaperCrafts sent her a bill for the unpaid $7.
Just wondering how any of you have handled this mailing. If you want to use the DVDs, that's great because I'm sure they are very nice. It's just the point of misleading people into paying for something that they did not order nor want that really irritates me. What if every company out there started sending you things you did not order? I'm sure that's one reason the postal service takes such a hard stance on this point. They would be snowed under with deliveries and returns.
Bottom line--YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS UNSOLICITED PACKAGE.
One other point, if you agree to keep the DVD and send them their $7 (which is a "special" subscriber price), you are also agreeing for them to send you future DVD's at the "regular subscriber price", but I could not find anywhere in the letter how much the regular price is. I find this very annoying.
Thanks for letting us know. I have a papercrafts subscription and DO NOT want them to send me DVD's that I haven't asked them for first. I wonder if Canada Post has the same rule as USPS does. I'll have to check it out (hopefully I don't get it and don't have to bother!)
I got one, too, but from CK. We asked our postmaster and he said if you didn't sign up for it, you do not have to send it back. The senders are hoping you do, so they can send it to someone else, but you are in no way obligated to pay for it or send it back.
It's marketing. Many companies do it. Just take the bill, write on it "Unwanted - Do not send more", and send it back in the postage paid envelope. Consider the DVD a gift
the one I got from CK had a postage paid thing to send it back in. I just said I wasn't interested. I watched the dvd first though. Not very good, and I kept the free card kit that came with it.
the one I got from CK had a postage paid thing to send it back in. I just said I wasn't interested. I watched the dvd first though. Not very good, and I kept the free card kit that came with it.
I also received that one from CK with the postage paid sticker and returned it. I was quite irritated by the whole thing and after my subscription ran out I didn't renew with them.
I too received this and did nothing - got the first few bills and wrote back not interested - not returning due to unsolicited mailing - and kept receiving the bills so right before Christmas I - printed the the posting from the Postal Regulations regarding unsolicited mail = highlighted where it states that it does not have to be paid for -nor returned and mailed it to them with a note stating that if I received another bill that I would file a complaint against them with the USPO - so far I have not received anything else from them.
You DO NOT have to return these, or take any action. It's a marketing ploy and one I find very underhanded. They are taking advantage of your honesty and good will. Call them and tell them you are unhappy!!! And, let them know you do not intend to respond to this unsolicited, unwanted offer by returning their unordered merchandise, and certainly not with a payment (unless you really like it and want to accept their offer).
Marketing should include a letter describing the DVD and the offer, not the item itself. But once someone receives it, they may feel obligated to keep it and pay for it. That's what they are counting on.
As I said... love the magazine, but if this continues I will not remain a subscriber.
I too received this and did nothing - got the first few bills and wrote back not interested - not returning due to unsolicited mailing - and kept receiving the bills so right before Christmas I - printed the the posting from the Postal Regulations regarding unsolicited mail = highlighted where it states that it does not have to be paid for -nor returned and mailed it to them with a note stating that if I received another bill that I would file a complaint against them with the USPO - so far I have not received anything else from them.
For anyone interested, here's a link to the posting she's referring to:
I got one from CK about a year ago. I kept it and never did anything else about it. I may have gotten a "bill" once or twice (I forget, it was so long ago).
__________________ Michelle M
sahm of 3 boys - Dylan - 11, Logan - 9, & Justin - 7
I haven't sent the DVD back yet either. I have recieved 2 notices. I'm not sure I want to be bothered with returning it as I ripped the box when I opened it. I guess I should send pack the envelopes with a do not send me a mailing again.
Gee, I hope I get one. I will have no intention of buying it or sending it back though. If they want to be foolish enough to try this type of marketing, I'm smart enough to take advantage of it.
__________________ Sharon Rogers
My Blog: www.stampwithsharonrogers.com Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?
I got something last fall - I kept it (as is my right) and disregarded the letter and payment invoice. They followed up with a past due notice, so I phoned them and very nicely informed them that:
1. I did not request it be sent.
2. I will not be paying for it.
3. I will not be mailing it back - as it is my free gift, and their risk for sending it to me.
I told the CR rep that I will NEVER purchase anything that is sent to me in that manner, and that I disliked the marketing techniques used in this case. She thanked me for my input, but then closed with remarks that she would "take my name off the mailing list for any future promotions of this nature", which is totally fine by me.
Actually - now that I think about it, mine came from Creating Keepsakes, not PaperCrafts. But I think they both are Primedia, so prolly have the same marketing practices...
Just wondering how any of you have handled this mailing.
I received this as well, and threw the CD away. I never paid for it. I received a bill for payment of this....so I called their customer service representative and said that I did not ask for this, and will not be returning it because I threw it away. So she said that she would mark me as receiving this "Free" and said that the billing statements will now stop.
I didn't like this tactic either...it was extremely annoying....:twisted:
__________________ �Truth isn't mean. It's truth." ~ Andrew Breitbart (1969-2012)
Sharon, you won't be missing much if you don't get one. The dvd's aren't anything special, and the "scrapbooking pack" isn't either. I got this way last year and had the same reaction everybody else has stated. I don't support marketing like this, and don't bother even acknowledging them.
When I got reminder "bills," I just tossed 'em. They will only stop marketing like this when it's no longer effective. So I just completely ignore it. Oh, and the "scrapbooking pack" consisted of a couple of charms, a couple pieces of ribbon, and some bits of paper. None of which has ever been used.
I, too, received the unsolicited DVD from Papercrafts mag and I was extremely ticked. I resent being marketed in this manner.
However, that being said, I promptly returned it in the same packaging it came in with their prepaid postage and forgot about it. Until I started receiving letters from them saying that they haven't received the DVD or the payment. Since I had already decided to stop subscribing to them anyways I said *bleep* it.
But I am glad to read the other posts telling me of my rights as a consumer. Next time I get something unsolicited mailed to me this way, I will keep it or throw it and not give it a second thought.
I got one too! They haven't dared to bill me yet, but when they do, I'll let them know what I think of it. Maybe with enough of us complaining, they'll find this method doesn't work so well ....
My only concern about the repeated billing is that it might be picked up by a credit reporting agency and get put in my credit history. I hope that this is just "nuisance billing" and would not be reported, but in this age of instant digital information and personal data sharing between companies, you can never be sure. That's why I opted not to let it get to that point.
I can't remember how far back it was that I received a DVD and card kit from CK, too. I opened it thinking it was a gift as I have subscribed to CK for years. Then the note came in the mail stating they sent this and as long as I want to keep it I have to send the amount that was stated on the invoice in or I can send the DVD back. I wish I would have known that we are not obligated to pay for something that we didn't request that was sent to us. Foolish me paid them and wrote on the invoice, "Do not send any further DVD's unless I specifically request." It is a very shifty way to do business. I am very disappointed in the Primedia corporation for sinking to this level. What is next? I will keep my eyes open for the one from Papercrafts, as I am a subscriber to that magazine, too. Thanks for the warning and information regarding not being obligated.
My MIL worked at the PO for 25 years. I knew I didn't order it so I opened it, kept the goodies and threw the rest away. I decided not to renew my subscription and have thrown away all mailings since. I figured they were trying to get em to renew. Thank you for the heads up. I will open the next one and if it is a bill, I will call and let them know of my displeasure in their tactics. There are enough of us here, we could make them listen!!
T.
__________________ Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end (unknown)
Happiness-what an unhappy person wants by changing all but themselves.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiko
My only concern about the repeated billing is that it might be picked up by a credit reporting agency and get put in my credit history. I hope that this is just "nuisance billing" and would not be reported, but in this age of instant digital information and personal data sharing between companies, you can never be sure. That's why I opted not to let it get to that point.
That's my concern, too!
I got one of these from PaperCrafts last year and was just too lazy to send it back. I was irritated by the whole thing as well. I've received 4 or 5 "reminders" from them and have just thrown them away. It makes me angry that something that I didn't even want is my responsibility to return.
I got one of these as well, and a NASCAR one in my DHs name. I sent them back. I emailed PC Mag about it, saying all the things said in this thread. I NEVER got a response. I didn't re-sub to the magazine. That is not a company I want to do business with.
__________________ "The things that we're afraid of are going to show us what we're made of in the end" - Blessid Union of Souls
Wow, I haven't received one of these CDs, but I will certainly remember this if I do. I'm thinking...maybe I'll mail a card to all of the As in the phone book and say "you should pay me $10 for this card or mail it back" and see if people mail me money! Not really, of course...but I can see why it's not allowed by the USPO.
To trump this, my friend received an unsolicited laptop from Dell in the mail. She'd ordered a PDA...the PDA came and then this laptop arrived addressed to her. They must have printed off two labels with her address on it and slapped her label on someone elses computer! So, she got a free laptop. That would NEVER happen to me! Sigh. I tease her all the time about it.
They must not have a very good attorney if they were told they could do this, because it is obviously illegal. The article states "Federal laws prohibit mailing unordered merchandise to consumers and then demanding payment." My bills stated that if I intended to keep the CD that I was to pay for it, otherwise return it.
My dad expressed the same concern about me getting a bad mark on my credit, but if that were to happen they would be in hot water IMO. I definitely would file a complaint with the FTC if they did that.
Irks me to no end that they did that. It's not something I would expect of them. I'm very disappointed in their tactics.
Gee, I hope I get one. I will have no intention of buying it or sending it back though. If they want to be foolish enough to try this type of marketing, I'm smart enough to take advantage of it.
Several years ago I subscribed to Martha Stewart Living magazine and they send me a giant cookbook that I had not ordered. I did not pay for it. When they called to ask me about it, I said I did not order it and would not pay for it. No further bills or malings were sent.
How many of you received a DVD in the mail from PaperCrafts that you did not order? The two options they give you are 1) Send them $7, or 2) Return it to them.
I love PaperCrafts magazine, but I am disappointed in their tactics. The US Postal Service regulation says that anything you receive that you did not order is yourS to keep and it is mail fraud for anyone to send you something and then ask to be paid for it, or for you to have to take action to return it.
I called PaperCrafts and told them of my irritation about this mailing, and mentioned the postal regulation. The very nice customer service person immediately explained that their lawyers had looked over the letter and there was "no problem" with it, and that the $7 was really for "future" DVDs. And, she hurriedly volunteered to mark my DVD as "free". No where in their letter does it say the DVD is free, or that you can decline their offer and keep the DVD. They state that you can keep the bag of scrapping paper enclosed. You either have to mark a box to keep it and pay for it, or send it back (they do pay the postage, but still requires you to package it back up, take it to the PO, etc.). And, one of my friends did nothing with hers and PaperCrafts sent her a bill for the unpaid $7.
Just wondering how any of you have handled this mailing. If you want to use the DVDs, that's great because I'm sure they are very nice. It's just the point of misleading people into paying for something that they did not order nor want that really irritates me. What if every company out there started sending you things you did not order? I'm sure that's one reason the postal service takes such a hard stance on this point. They would be snowed under with deliveries and returns.
Bottom line--YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS UNSOLICITED PACKAGE.
A while back I got one of these packages from Paper crafts.
First of all the package that it came in was totally ripped up!
And inside the package said if I didn't want this CD to mail it back in the same package it came in. Well I couldn't do that.
I returned the CD in a different Envelope. Put insurance and DC on it.
Two months ago I recieved a Bill for $29.95 for the CD
I called Paper Crafts and ask WHY? I got a bill from them for something that I sent back to them.
I told them that their was insurance on it and DC too.
I told them to put in a claim on it. So far they haven't.
Two days ago I Recieved a Bill from a collection place Paper Crafts wanted their Money or the CD back.
GRRRR...........%#$@(!! I wanted to scream!!!!
I check the Post office and they have never filed a claim as of yet!.
So watch out!!
Wow. Thank you for this thread. I had no clue it was illegal for them to bill me for it. I got the DVD from Papercrafts a couple of months ago, already threw away the package it came in, and have since gotten 2-3 bills for it.
Now I know what to do. I never wanted the DVD, nor do I want it now.
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I also rec'd the package from Paper Crafts. Besides being illegal and annoying, the DVD is AWFUL. Skips around, lighting so poor you can't see the faces, sound fluctuates. Can't imagine that anyone would pay for it. So far I haven't rec'd. a bill but will keep the the info from the USPS just in case. Thanks for the assistance!
__________________ Margaret
"Life is a paradise for those who love many things with a passion" Leo Buscaglia
I can't remember how far back it was that I received a DVD and card kit from CK, too. I opened it thinking it was a gift as I have subscribed to CK for years. Then the note came in the mail stating they sent this and as long as I want to keep it I have to send the amount that was stated on the invoice in or I can send the DVD back. I wish I would have known that we are not obligated to pay for something that we didn't request that was sent to us. Foolish me paid them and wrote on the invoice, "Do not send any further DVD's unless I specifically request." It is a very shifty way to do business. I am very disappointed in the Primedia corporation for sinking to this level. What is next? I will keep my eyes open for the one from Papercrafts, as I am a subscriber to that magazine, too. Thanks for the warning and information regarding not being obligated.
This is what I did as well. Then they sent me another free one! UGH! I recognized the box and wrote "Return to Sender" on the box without even opening it and haven't heard anything since.
I got one last year from CK and after 3 or 4 notices to pay the 7 dollars or send it back in the orginal carton I sent in my 7 dollars. My husband said not to but its my credit I didn't want that mark on. And I told them not to send me any more, I then cancelled my subscription after 7 years, they weren't happy with that either!!
For those who are worried about your credit by not sending back the DVD and not paying, I wouldn't worry. I simply cannot image that a company as large as this would report nonpayment to credit agencies when they must clearly know that REQUIRING a return of an unsolicted product or REQUIRING payment for the unsolicited product is ILLEGAL!! Just think of the huge class action lawsuit they would be facing by making such reports.
Unsolicited DVD from PaperCrafts
