Lately ... as most of you know, I have really been focusing on my website www.TheStorageChef.com where I have Food Storage ideas, Action Plans for Emergencies and also my 72hr Kit guide.So today, I get an add from the Space Bag people ... you know the storage bags where you vacuum out the air and have a secure waterproof container for your items. The offer was not only for the standard $19.95 for an order AND a second ... but 3 orders for the $19.95.
I'm thinking, well, I was going to get some anyway for my personal 72hr kit for the clothing to make more room. I do try to catch all the fine print and I know that they are making money by upgrading when they talk to you. I decided to order online so I wouldn't have to actually battle the phone operator for the order.
I dutifully declined the three attempts to upgrade and enter my credit card info ... then comes the kicker! I knew it was coming, but I didn't expect it to be shipping that cost as much as the product! I'm talking a full $19+ ... making my order double what I wanted to pay!
I was already past the point of no return ... they had already gotten my number. BUT to their credit, they did allow me to print the page with a customer service number for changes, cancellations, or just questions. I did have to wait for 30 minutes for the paperwork to process ...I called an hour later to cancel and never even talked to a real person. The automated call was channeled through a process that kept offering me a discount of some sort ... first an upgrade to faster delivery, second a 20% discount on the product (a whopping $4), and I kept pressing "0" for decline ... finally the last offer was to remove all shipping costs and refund it back to my card. Well ... that was what I wanted in the first place.
So the moral of the story is to stick to it, decide what you're willing to pay. It is better for them to sell the product and eat the shipping. The end result is ... I get my 3x the order for $20 and no shipping. I don't have to go find the product at the store ... even though I know it's there.
I wonder how much extra we spend when we could have had it at a lower price?
Warmest Regards,
Chef Tom Heintz
That's great. I've learned that in the years I've been with sales. If the customer complains long enough, they'll get it for the price they want. I also got that email but never responded to it. I'd be interested to know the quality of the product once you receive it.
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