My husband and I once tried to network our three home computers together... it was a day wasted. We tried lots of times and lots of ways. Being two computer-savvy people, we were very disappointed in ourselves. I could really use this book!
My husband and I once tried to network our three home computers together... it was a day wasted. We tried lots of times and lots of ways. Being two computer-savvy people, we were very disappointed in ourselves. I could really use this book!
While both sides did make mistakes, it happens all the time!! However, namecalling is never okay! This is a business trying to make money and in these economical times ~ word of mouth goes a long way!!
Listerine- lots of alcohol in it has been linked to cancer of the mouth
ACT mouthwash plus toothpaste= lots of flouride which is linked to many diseases including cancer
Xylitol- not a lot of research about it or its side effects. Results are anecdotal.
Lots of bad info here especially recommending products that are associated with cancer. Results are anecdotal and not supported by any research.
Be very careful when using cancer causing substances because of anecdotal utterances by dentists and bloggers
...always use credit-cards for first-time purchases with a vendor I do not know. There is no chargeback option for Paypal as there would be with Visa or MC.
I have been burned before by using Paypal with a vendor who was out of stock on an item, then never delivered, then stopped communicating. I was out about $60. Paypal said it was not the type of transaction they protected (whatever that means).
So until I have ordered and feel comfortable with a vendor, it's credit-cards only.
The whole concept of Paypal's confirmed addresses makes the address-confirmation unnecessary. I agree with some that shipping confirmations are nice, but many smaller vendors do not have very sophisticated systems and do not provide them.
The rudeness is inexcusable, although we don't know what communication from the buyer prompted it.
The vendor is at fault for not presenting the buyer with a confirmation of the address shipping to along with the order summary before processing the order. That is a very basic concept in online shopping carts.
Most people would not know to change or update their paypal addresses unless presented with that data.
I can understand a small business not being able to eat the costs of an order. Depending on the business it can be a significant loss. The name calling was still way out of order.
I have had problems with Amazon vendors not shipping products and not wanting to tell me why. But Amazon will step in and issue a refund if the vendor refuses to hold up their end of the deal.
Feedback on Ebay does still work to a certain extent in figuring out the bad apples.
Wow this sounds great- maybe then I'd be on a more equal footing with my geeky other half (and I wouldn't have to wait for him to get home from work to help me!)
I know this is an older article now and the bickering has seemingly settled down by now. But a lot of people were saying "prove it," so I'll give you a glimpse into my life in Naples, FL, surrounded by all these more...afluent people.
Now, I admit off the bat that I have a number of advantages here. I am NOT trying to support a family, only myself. I have a college education and will likely not be in this situation for long, at least not when the economy turns around. I have an 11-year old car that was paid for in cash and is still in great shape. I have a bicycle, albeit a little old and rusty in some spots. It still works just fine, though! I also have a (small) emergency fund built up to cover some minor disruptions.
Anyways, working two part-time jobs (totalling +/- 40 hours/week) and earning $7.25/hr, I pull in roughly $1050/month after taxes, social security withdrawals, etc. My housing expenses include $350/month for an apartment that I share with one other individual and $80/month for utilities (electricity and, to my consternation, cable). Water is included in the rent.
Food sets me back an average of $146/month and transportation about $60/month to fuel up my car--to and from work mainly. My bike and my own two feet are there for most everything else. Car insurance, due to the car being in my mother's name to save money until I turn 25 (I send her the check every month), runs me $26.95/month for liability coverage. A cell-phone costs me $10/month (look into Net-10 and other prepaid phones if you are like me and hardly ever use the thing). I also set aside $20/month for clothing to replace used-up shirts, pants, or to save for new shoes. I usually don't spend that $20, but it's there just in case I need to swing by Goodwill.
Lasty, I am paying five different student loans, which total $166/month for minimum payments on a standard 10-year plan.
If you total the numbers up, my monthly expenses add up to $858.95, leaving me about $200 extra/month, which I use a little of for "fun," a little of for short-term savings (to cover family birthday and Christmas gifts and cheap regular auto-repairs), and some for long-term savings (retirement savings and a new to me used car fund for when this one finally croaks). Anything I have left over goes towards paying that little bit more down on my student loans.
As I said, I have nobody to support but myself. However, I also have a few "luxuries". If I could convince my roommate to drop the cable, I'd have a little more money for savings, as well. I could see getting two people by on my budget if not for some of my savings and if we stretched things a little more. Just maybe three if I didn't have these student loans, but I'm not so sure about four!
Add LOCK YOUR CAR to the list of things to do. Really motivated thieves will still break in but it ups the game. They have to take the time to pop locks or break windows and both call attention and take time. Someone just opening a car door and getting in does not.
I recently purchased an item online and paid with paypal. A similar thing happened to me with the address... my parents' address showed up. I haven't lived there or had anything shipped there since summer 2004! I caught it because the seller sent me a confirmation detailing the transaction and shipping address. I was able to email them back and they sent the item to MY house which I was thankful for, but it wouldn't have been so bad since it's my parents and not some strangers.
Based on this, I think it should be seller's responsibility to send such a confirmation to their customers if they choose to sell products online and especially if they use paypal. I think it really firms up the terms of the agreement between seller and buyer. And of course it confirms the transaction which is great not just for address confirmation, it may also aid in fraudulent activity.
I think it's completely unacceptable for anyone in retail, or customer service in general, to call a customer a b****. Way out of line. What a shame for them to have lost on a potential repeat customer.
This is how PayPal works! You issue the payment, usually on a screen that asks you if your information is correct (provided by PayPal). Then the company ships to the PayPal-certified address.
You've no right to foist even a little bit of the blame off on the seller. They didn't "make assumptions." They took the information you provided and used it. That you didn't keep it up-to-date is, I'm sorry, not their fault.
It's a pretty poor way of doing it to post it under the guise of "being wary of small Internet businesses" or "examining our expectations of a business". My expectation would be that they would assume any information I provided was correct, and that I should assume any responsibility for it being so.
I too wish I had more of the old ugly stuff! I grew up the grandaughter of a carpenter/antique refinisher. He would go to auctions and find peices to refinish. He had soooo many antiques, although he would resell most. My parents house is full of old things like an old ice box that they use for storage in their living room, and a huge, I mean HUGE wardrobe made out of beautiful dark wood. They aren't in perfect condition as they have been actually used for the last 40+ years but they are so wonderful. I just can't bear to pay the outrageous prices for new furniture peices that are sure to not last long with the abuse 3 kids can dish out, when you compare them to the real furniture that used to be made.
I have the most comfortable chaise lounge that was given to me for free! But it is a 70's burnt orange color ;) The couch and loveseat we bought new 8 years ago, and they already look like crap. I am not buying a new set again. When I can't take looking at these anymore I am going to refinish/recover them.
I just think that most times that "ugly" stuff has so much more character than the others...it is filled with life, love, memories...you can't buy that!
I can appreciate the author's stated intent, but I don't think your article tracks with that intent - at all.
There as plenty of stories out there about bad customer service from large companies as well - try reading through some posts at Consumerist.
If you have an axe to grind, use your own blog to vent about it. I'm surprised Wise Bread doesn't have some kind of quality control method to avoid this type of situation.
To those who said I made the mistake in this case, it's true. I learned a $40 lesson that when you move, you need to think of EVERYWHERE to update your address, not just the most obvious places.
The point I'm trying to make is that we consumers these days are pretty spoiled -- we are used to being "always right" and having companies make sure we get what we paid for even if they end up losing money on the deal.
When dealing with smaller businesses we need to keep in mind that individual entrepreneurs may not be able to afford to eat the loss, or don't want to. So we need to be on our toes and not take for granted the kind of information doublechecks and procedures that bigger businesses have included in their sites.
I think what I also learned in this case is that -- although I would never assume that all or even many entrepreneurs have a bad attitude and a nasty mouth -- the self-employed can't be fired and you never know what you're going to get when you venture out into the world of small merchants.
Oh, and p.s. to the person who pitied the new occupants of my old apartment -- me too. Especially since my prevoius landlords only use the place as somewhere to stay when they're in the city, so they might come back after two or three weeks to find the expired worms in their foyer. At least it's been cold out!
How often have you ordered a product/present/gift/... for someone and wanted it shipped to your home/your office/their home/their office?
I know Amazon can offer to do this, but many small retailers can't. It's not uncommon for retailers to require that you ship to your credit card's confirmed billing address.
This was Carrie's fault. The company gets an order with an address; they can't spend all day checking and double-checking. Additionally, Paypal's protection policy requires that sellers only send to confirmed addresses, so a new address would have opened the seller to risk of fraud.
Furthermore small businesses don't have the margins or volume to give product away. Carrie's insistence on free goods is unreasonable. Hence the name-calling--rude, but perhaps true.
I have read some of the comments and I have to wonder why are you attacking the writer. She is sharing her story on the need for redundancy in everything you do and the need for small business to respect the right of consumers. At the least she is sharing a bad customer service experience. Yes this is as good a forum as any to share her story.
She did what many of us would do. She googled a product, selected a company, ordered.
This happens everyday. The problem is the company assuming that the address on her Paypal was up to date, as well as the address she wanted the product shipped too.
How often have you ordered a product/present/gift/... for someone and wanted it shipped to your home/your office/their home/their office?
If you look at it from this point of view, then you see something different.
Yes, she should have caught on a little quicker that there was no where for the address to be inputted. I don't hold her blameless.
But she is paying not only for a product (the worms) but a service (the shipping) as well which calls for the company to be more proactive.
That still doesn't excuse the rude behavior of the company by referring to her as B(*^^%.
My husband and I once tried to network our three home computers together... it was a day wasted. We tried lots of times and lots of ways. Being two computer-savvy people, we were very disappointed in ourselves. I could really use this book!
My husband and I once tried to network our three home computers together... it was a day wasted. We tried lots of times and lots of ways. Being two computer-savvy people, we were very disappointed in ourselves. I could really use this book!
This could be useful as we are looking at homeschooling, and my son loves the computer as a teaching tool.
While both sides did make mistakes, it happens all the time!! However, namecalling is never okay! This is a business trying to make money and in these economical times ~ word of mouth goes a long way!!
Listerine- lots of alcohol in it has been linked to cancer of the mouth
ACT mouthwash plus toothpaste= lots of flouride which is linked to many diseases including cancer
Xylitol- not a lot of research about it or its side effects. Results are anecdotal.
Lots of bad info here especially recommending products that are associated with cancer. Results are anecdotal and not supported by any research.
Be very careful when using cancer causing substances because of anecdotal utterances by dentists and bloggers
I could really use this book.
...always use credit-cards for first-time purchases with a vendor I do not know. There is no chargeback option for Paypal as there would be with Visa or MC.
I have been burned before by using Paypal with a vendor who was out of stock on an item, then never delivered, then stopped communicating. I was out about $60. Paypal said it was not the type of transaction they protected (whatever that means).
So until I have ordered and feel comfortable with a vendor, it's credit-cards only.
The whole concept of Paypal's confirmed addresses makes the address-confirmation unnecessary. I agree with some that shipping confirmations are nice, but many smaller vendors do not have very sophisticated systems and do not provide them.
The rudeness is inexcusable, although we don't know what communication from the buyer prompted it.
i would love to win.
Seriously though, the name calling is not necessary.
Since this is a small company, it's possible that they can't afford the refund.
But in reality, even with big companies some of us have experienced some bad customer service. I know I have.
Thanks for doing your share in preserving our environment :-)
I would love this
The vendor is at fault for not presenting the buyer with a confirmation of the address shipping to along with the order summary before processing the order. That is a very basic concept in online shopping carts.
Most people would not know to change or update their paypal addresses unless presented with that data.
I can understand a small business not being able to eat the costs of an order. Depending on the business it can be a significant loss. The name calling was still way out of order.
I have had problems with Amazon vendors not shipping products and not wanting to tell me why. But Amazon will step in and issue a refund if the vendor refuses to hold up their end of the deal.
Feedback on Ebay does still work to a certain extent in figuring out the bad apples.
I'm going to add it to my amazon wishlist in case I don't win :)
Wow this sounds great- maybe then I'd be on a more equal footing with my geeky other half (and I wouldn't have to wait for him to get home from work to help me!)
I know this is an older article now and the bickering has seemingly settled down by now. But a lot of people were saying "prove it," so I'll give you a glimpse into my life in Naples, FL, surrounded by all these more...afluent people.
Now, I admit off the bat that I have a number of advantages here. I am NOT trying to support a family, only myself. I have a college education and will likely not be in this situation for long, at least not when the economy turns around. I have an 11-year old car that was paid for in cash and is still in great shape. I have a bicycle, albeit a little old and rusty in some spots. It still works just fine, though! I also have a (small) emergency fund built up to cover some minor disruptions.
Anyways, working two part-time jobs (totalling +/- 40 hours/week) and earning $7.25/hr, I pull in roughly $1050/month after taxes, social security withdrawals, etc. My housing expenses include $350/month for an apartment that I share with one other individual and $80/month for utilities (electricity and, to my consternation, cable). Water is included in the rent.
Food sets me back an average of $146/month and transportation about $60/month to fuel up my car--to and from work mainly. My bike and my own two feet are there for most everything else. Car insurance, due to the car being in my mother's name to save money until I turn 25 (I send her the check every month), runs me $26.95/month for liability coverage. A cell-phone costs me $10/month (look into Net-10 and other prepaid phones if you are like me and hardly ever use the thing). I also set aside $20/month for clothing to replace used-up shirts, pants, or to save for new shoes. I usually don't spend that $20, but it's there just in case I need to swing by Goodwill.
Lasty, I am paying five different student loans, which total $166/month for minimum payments on a standard 10-year plan.
If you total the numbers up, my monthly expenses add up to $858.95, leaving me about $200 extra/month, which I use a little of for "fun," a little of for short-term savings (to cover family birthday and Christmas gifts and cheap regular auto-repairs), and some for long-term savings (retirement savings and a new to me used car fund for when this one finally croaks). Anything I have left over goes towards paying that little bit more down on my student loans.
As I said, I have nobody to support but myself. However, I also have a few "luxuries". If I could convince my roommate to drop the cable, I'd have a little more money for savings, as well. I could see getting two people by on my budget if not for some of my savings and if we stretched things a little more. Just maybe three if I didn't have these student loans, but I'm not so sure about four!
Add LOCK YOUR CAR to the list of things to do. Really motivated thieves will still break in but it ups the game. They have to take the time to pop locks or break windows and both call attention and take time. Someone just opening a car door and getting in does not.
I recently purchased an item online and paid with paypal. A similar thing happened to me with the address... my parents' address showed up. I haven't lived there or had anything shipped there since summer 2004! I caught it because the seller sent me a confirmation detailing the transaction and shipping address. I was able to email them back and they sent the item to MY house which I was thankful for, but it wouldn't have been so bad since it's my parents and not some strangers.
Based on this, I think it should be seller's responsibility to send such a confirmation to their customers if they choose to sell products online and especially if they use paypal. I think it really firms up the terms of the agreement between seller and buyer. And of course it confirms the transaction which is great not just for address confirmation, it may also aid in fraudulent activity.
I think it's completely unacceptable for anyone in retail, or customer service in general, to call a customer a b****. Way out of line. What a shame for them to have lost on a potential repeat customer.
This is how PayPal works! You issue the payment, usually on a screen that asks you if your information is correct (provided by PayPal). Then the company ships to the PayPal-certified address.
You've no right to foist even a little bit of the blame off on the seller. They didn't "make assumptions." They took the information you provided and used it. That you didn't keep it up-to-date is, I'm sorry, not their fault.
It's a pretty poor way of doing it to post it under the guise of "being wary of small Internet businesses" or "examining our expectations of a business". My expectation would be that they would assume any information I provided was correct, and that I should assume any responsibility for it being so.
I too wish I had more of the old ugly stuff! I grew up the grandaughter of a carpenter/antique refinisher. He would go to auctions and find peices to refinish. He had soooo many antiques, although he would resell most. My parents house is full of old things like an old ice box that they use for storage in their living room, and a huge, I mean HUGE wardrobe made out of beautiful dark wood. They aren't in perfect condition as they have been actually used for the last 40+ years but they are so wonderful. I just can't bear to pay the outrageous prices for new furniture peices that are sure to not last long with the abuse 3 kids can dish out, when you compare them to the real furniture that used to be made.
I have the most comfortable chaise lounge that was given to me for free! But it is a 70's burnt orange color ;) The couch and loveseat we bought new 8 years ago, and they already look like crap. I am not buying a new set again. When I can't take looking at these anymore I am going to refinish/recover them.
I just think that most times that "ugly" stuff has so much more character than the others...it is filled with life, love, memories...you can't buy that!
I can appreciate the author's stated intent, but I don't think your article tracks with that intent - at all.
There as plenty of stories out there about bad customer service from large companies as well - try reading through some posts at Consumerist.
If you have an axe to grind, use your own blog to vent about it. I'm surprised Wise Bread doesn't have some kind of quality control method to avoid this type of situation.
To those who said I made the mistake in this case, it's true. I learned a $40 lesson that when you move, you need to think of EVERYWHERE to update your address, not just the most obvious places.
The point I'm trying to make is that we consumers these days are pretty spoiled -- we are used to being "always right" and having companies make sure we get what we paid for even if they end up losing money on the deal.
When dealing with smaller businesses we need to keep in mind that individual entrepreneurs may not be able to afford to eat the loss, or don't want to. So we need to be on our toes and not take for granted the kind of information doublechecks and procedures that bigger businesses have included in their sites.
I think what I also learned in this case is that -- although I would never assume that all or even many entrepreneurs have a bad attitude and a nasty mouth -- the self-employed can't be fired and you never know what you're going to get when you venture out into the world of small merchants.
Oh, and p.s. to the person who pitied the new occupants of my old apartment -- me too. Especially since my prevoius landlords only use the place as somewhere to stay when they're in the city, so they might come back after two or three weeks to find the expired worms in their foyer. At least it's been cold out!
I blog at www.shopliftingwithpermission.com.
As I understand the situation, there are three kinds of yeast I might be interested in raising:
* baker's yeast, which you describe here. This yeast produces abundant CO2, needed to cause bread to rise;
* brewer's yeast, used for making beer, which produces Ethanol up to about 6%, at which point the yeast is killed by its own waste (the Ethanol);
* wine yeast, used for making wine, which thrives producing Ethanol up to 20%. This is quite expensive;
Do you know if brewer's or wine yeast can be similarly maintained?
Thanks. I love Wisebread!
I know Amazon can offer to do this, but many small retailers can't. It's not uncommon for retailers to require that you ship to your credit card's confirmed billing address.
This was Carrie's fault. The company gets an order with an address; they can't spend all day checking and double-checking. Additionally, Paypal's protection policy requires that sellers only send to confirmed addresses, so a new address would have opened the seller to risk of fraud.
Furthermore small businesses don't have the margins or volume to give product away. Carrie's insistence on free goods is unreasonable. Hence the name-calling--rude, but perhaps true.
I have read some of the comments and I have to wonder why are you attacking the writer. She is sharing her story on the need for redundancy in everything you do and the need for small business to respect the right of consumers. At the least she is sharing a bad customer service experience. Yes this is as good a forum as any to share her story.
She did what many of us would do. She googled a product, selected a company, ordered.
This happens everyday. The problem is the company assuming that the address on her Paypal was up to date, as well as the address she wanted the product shipped too.
How often have you ordered a product/present/gift/... for someone and wanted it shipped to your home/your office/their home/their office?
If you look at it from this point of view, then you see something different.
Yes, she should have caught on a little quicker that there was no where for the address to be inputted. I don't hold her blameless.
But she is paying not only for a product (the worms) but a service (the shipping) as well which calls for the company to be more proactive.
That still doesn't excuse the rude behavior of the company by referring to her as B(*^^%.
thank you for the chance to win something so helpful!
by extension, that makes you even more helpful!
i would like to read this book!