Lying for a Free Piece of Stoneware

[lisasfuncooking]

I have this friend, (when she is not driving me crazy). She has hosted cooking shows and was also a guest at some. Everytime she orders something it is a huge deal and acts like she is doing me a favor. We share a lot of other friends so I have to try to keep peace. Anyway, yesterday I was at my best friends house catering her sons confirmation party. Without saying HI, she said, oh I have something for you. She takes out a plastic bag with pieces of stoneware. Trying to cook and serve, I just told her I would look into it. I asked her what piece it was and she said the square one. Not ever remember her buying one, I asked her if it was not the rectangular bar pan. I knew she had 2 of them. She insisted it was completely square. So I told her I had to check my records to see what show it was. She just laughed and said she was bad at keeping receipts. I just had this feeling like she was lying to me. She is one of the cheapest people I know, who
is always trying to get something for nothing.
When I told her I broke one of my stone pieces, she said, well you get them for free! I said no I didn't. I also explained to her that it was my fault and was out of warranty. She made mention how I could use another person's order to get one replaced. I told her I could not/ would not do that. Now she was really pissing me off!
The rest of the day, it was eating at me. I couldn't wait to get home to check my records. I looked at all my shows, even went through my written invoices for the past year. (That is how long I have been doing PC). And just to be certain she did not put it on a friends order, I checked every show she was at to see it ANYONE bought a 9X9 square stone. Sadly, I realized I have never sold even one. (Bar pans are my biggest seller). And the thing was I vaguely remember her once telling me someone gave her a piece of stone. Why I remember that, but couldn't remember what I ate for breakfast?
Just when I am about to send her an email, she sends me one........ that the one she had was not glazed like the one in the catalog. And could I get her the glazed one instead. RED FLAG- The current 9x9 is glazed cranberry. The one before that was glazed french vanilla. It is in the outlet section. That is what I have had for years. So I am thinking, the unglazed plain 9x9 stone must be very old. So even if she did buy it, it wouldn't be under warranty? Right? I am so aggravated that she would lie to me and take advantage of me. I mean, is it really worth it, just to get a free new stone?
I did send her an email that she did not buy it from me and chances are that it is not under warranty. Waiting to hear her response.

 

[smspamperedchef]

Oh my! Some "friend!!!" Good for you for standing your ground! Would love to hear her response to this.

 

[chefjeanine]

I would send her another note, if you have an website, and let her know that she can get that same size at a discount through the outlet.

 

[NooraK]

Tell her that since she did not buy it from you, her best bet is to call HO and try to sort the return through them. Let her know you would have to get authorization from HO anyway to do a return, and since you were not the selling consultant, they prefer that she call directly so they can ask her the pertinent questions.

 

[gailz2]

When friends try to "use" you, it makes you wonder if it is worth keeping them around. I'm also anxious to hear her response.

 

[jbondr]

I have had similar returns by "friends". I politely let them know that I checked my records and they didn't purchase that item from me. I point out that the item has not even been available since I have started with Pampered Chef. I give them the PC contact number but that is really all I can do with this item. This is a perfect time to remind them of our guarantee and return policies. Of course, I would like to report that everyone understands it from there on out, but some people just don't want to hear about it.

Some people are just difficult no matter what you do. There are people like this everywhere. You have to do what is right and know you handled it professionally.

 

[Nanisu]

I'm with Noora. Give her the 888 number and have her duke it out with HO. Sheesh.

 

[babywings76]

I am no longer doing adjustments for people after the 30 days, unless it's family. I don't like being the bearer of bad news. I don't like getting tangled in all the drama that can happen. I am now making sure to get phone numbers and e-mail for each person who places an order (you know, those outside orders where the host doesn't give you info usually.) I will make contact w/ every purchaser before the 30 days is up and see how they are liking their items and see if they have any questions or problems. I'll let them know that if something is wrong, I'll gladly handle things if it's in the first 30 days. But after that, I recommend they deal with HO directly, because HO will need additional information from them and that way if there are any new questions that arise due to HO's decisions, they will be able to address it then. But I'll gladly help them if they have any usage questions or need recipe ideas.

 

[emiscookin]

That's a good way of doing it Amanda.

 

[Sheila]

I just had a host bring out a broken stone, still in the box ... with dust all over the box. She received it 3, maybe 4 years ago broken & never did the return. She doesn't remember all the details of when or how she obtained it, but wanted me to get it replaced for her. She originally said that she hosted a show & her sister purchased it ... it arrived broken & she told the sister that she would take care of it but never did. When I started asking for the sister's name & address so corporate could look up the purchase & see if it's still in the 3 year mark, she changed her story about 4 times. Now she can't remember when or where the purchase happened or under what name/address it was purchased. I finally told her that she should probably call corporate. When they started asking questions, they might spur her memory and help solve the puzzle. Since I wasn't involved in any of it, I wouldn't know the answer to questions that she could probably answer.

 

[Sheila]

Oh, and she did it during her Cooking Show ... in front of all the guests. So while I'm standing there explaining the return policy & how PC will send a shipping label & pay for the postage in the first 30 days ... a guest pops up & makes a comment that Tupperware would replace it after this length of time. I pretended not to hear her & kept talking.

 

[lisasfuncooking]

I sent her an email letting her know that she did not order the piece of stone through me.
I did let her know that she could call HO, but I am 99% sure that it is out of warranty, even if she had the receipt. I know she does not and that she got it from a friend. I did let her know that it is in the outlet section through my web site. I also let her know that I will not send it to PC because I could not obtain a a return authorization # and was not going to spend the money in shipping, without the authorization #.
She usually responds to my emails right away, but have not heard from her yet.
Why would she waste my time having me search for her receipt, when she knows it doesn't exist. I would not jeopardize my relationship with PC nor my work ethic, just to get her something that she is not entitled to.
She has had a few parties, never listens to any of my host coaching ideas, then gets annoyed when her sales are low. When it is time to go over her host rewards, she gets whiny and complains ( I know she wants me to put my hand in my pocket) that it is not enough. Then refuses to spend any extra money for 1/2 priced items or host special.
I know she wanted to order 1 product, but I am guessing she won't now. The truth is, if she just took advantage of her host rewards when she had them, she would have saved a lot of money. I can appreciate not getting everything you want, but I really think she does this just to feel superior, like she is doing me a favor and I owe her. How many times she "checks in" to make sure I have her wish list. What's that about.....more like a hint.......hey Lisa, this is what I want, what are you going to do for me.
Even though I love being a consultant, I am in it for the $. I do have a family to support.
This is my business, I am not running a PC charity.
Sorry for venting, yes I know she is not a good friend, but we are part of the same group of friends, I just try to keep my distance.
BTW- I have nothing against being frugal. I myself am proud of my bargains. To me cheap can be a willingness to be dishonest to get what you want. I don't want to offend anyone.

 

[lisasfuncooking]

Just a quick note, I know I posted this before. She once showed up at my house early one morning with a different piece of broken stone. (A real warranty) I told her I would send it out the next time I was at the PO. A week later she asked if I did not send it back yet, she wants the broken piece so she could just glue it back together and use it. She didn't want to wait anymore. Yes, I was thinking GLUE-FOOD-HEAT!
So I wonder if she is going to try to do that will these broken pieces :yuck:

 

[PCJenni]

bless and release... she will find someone else to abuse instead of you. You will not change her, so you can only control yourself and how you react.

 

[dannyzmom]

Ugh - I got a HO lead call a few months back - she said she used to sell PC and she had a broken stone an dcould I get it replaced for her - we went round and round and she essentially was asking me to lie to get her a free stone - was she out of her mind?? She told me she called HO and THEY told her to tell me to just say it was broken from another customer who had one that was still under warranty. Hello?? Does she think I fell off the turnip truck yesterday?!?! I told her I'd check with HO and call her back. I called her a few days later and told her NO WAY and that she must have spoken to someone at HO who was sadly mistaken (personally I don't think she'd ever called HO)

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Ugh - I got a HO lead call a few months back - she said she used to sell PC and she had a broken stone an dcould I get it replaced for her - we went round and round and she essentially was asking me to lie to get her a free stone - was she out of her mind?? She told me she called HO and THEY told her to tell me to just say it was broken from another customer who had one that was still under warranty. Hello?? Does she think I fell off the turnip truck yesterday?!?! I told her I'd check with HO and call her back. I called her a few days later and told her NO WAY and that she must have spoken to someone at HO who was sadly mistaken (personally I don't think she'd ever called HO)

Um, yeah...because if HO would go to the trouble to tell her that, it seems like they would have just processed the exchange right then. Gheesh - some people.

 

[faolan447]

BTW- I have nothing against being frugal. I myself am proud of my bargains. To me cheap can be a willingness to be dishonest to get what you want. I don't want to offend anyone.

Being frugal does not mean being rude or dishonest. Being cheap also does not require dishonesty. This woman is just plain selfish and does not care about you at all. Keep the peace since you have mutual friends, but I would not do any more shows for her.

 

[DessertDivaFL]

I agree with Amanda. After the 30 day period, bless and release to HO.

 

[TheNewMrsRue]

When I told her I broke one of my stone pieces, she said, well you get them for free!

GOtta love the assumptions...Shoot, if we got it for free, there'd be a heck of a lot more "consultants" & kit nappers!!

 

[pcchefjane]

I had a high school friend (mind you we have been out 40 years this year) that send me a email in response to the one on the new Cool & Serve Tray that she had one just like it but rectangular and the lid was broken. I told her she had the old Chillzanne and looked on the replacement list and there wasn't a lid for it on there. I told her I would give her a 15% discount on this one but since PC hasn't carried those in over a year and she said that she had had it a number of years, it was out of warranty. Now mind you, she has known since almost the beginning that I sell PC (over 2-1/2 years) and now wants this replaced under warranty...By the way, Tupperware may have a "lifetime" guarantee BUT if you have a piece that came in black 10 years ago, they will replace it with whatever their "current color" is and some of those colors are downright ugly! They also change their color scheme every 6 months!