Did Pampered Chef Charge Me Twice for My Order at Conference?

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Discussion Overview

This thread centers around participants' experiences and frustrations regarding billing issues with Merrill, specifically related to orders placed at a recent conference. Many express dissatisfaction with the timing of the charges and the overall service provided by Merrill.

Discussion Character

  • Opinion-based
  • Anecdotal
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant shares their experience of receiving a late charge notice from Merrill for an order placed at a conference, expressing frustration over the delay and the use of a conference cash card that had no funds left.
  • Another participant expresses disbelief that it took so long for Merrill to process the charge, suggesting they would personally absorb the cost if faced with a similar situation.
  • Several users mention their lack of confidence in Merrill's services, citing issues with timely processing and shipping, and expressing a desire for alternative vendors for Pampered Chef logo items.
  • One participant recounts a personal experience of forgetting to cash a check, noting that they felt responsible for the oversight and did not expect others to cover the cost.
  • Another participant questions the legality of Merrill's delay in billing, suggesting that there should be a time limit for processing credit card charges.
  • One participant expresses disappointment in the quality and sizing inconsistencies of the products received from Merrill, advocating for better communication regarding sizing and quality standards.
  • Another participant encourages direct communication with the home office regarding the issues raised, emphasizing the importance of addressing concerns directly rather than relying on forum discussions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ among participants regarding the responsibility for the late charges, with some expressing a willingness to pay while others feel the delay is unacceptable. There is no clear consensus on the best course of action moving forward.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects a range of personal experiences with billing and service issues related to a specific vendor used by Pampered Chef consultants, highlighting varying levels of frustration and expectations among participants.

Who May Find This Useful

Consultants who have experienced similar billing issues with Merrill or those considering placing orders through them may find the shared experiences and viewpoints relevant.

KellyTheChef
Gold Member
Messages
7,533
Guess what I received in the mail today?

A letter from Merrill saying my order FROM JULY AT CONFERENCE was not charged to my card till now...and now it was declined cuz it was my $300 conference cash card which doesn't have any money left on it!!

Now I owe them $37....

I do understand that it is a valid charge...I am just frustrated that they are just now telling me about this. A couple of months ago when others were getting told the same thing...I looked into my charges and I really thought that all of them went through. Ugh.

Thanks for letting me vent.:yuck: :cry: :mad: :yuck: :cry: :mad:
 
Man, that's ridiculous. Frankly, if I discovered today that I'd failed to put through a credit card charge or cash a check from four months ago, I'd eat the cost.
 
I agree
raebates said:
Man, that's ridiculous. Frankly, if I discovered today that I'd failed to put through a credit card charge or cash a check from four months ago, I'd eat the cost.

I agree. And it has happened to me once. I forgot to cash a check and when I went to deposit, I lost it. :rolleyes: After about 6 weeks I found it and I didn't cash it. It was only $24 and some change thank God. The customer was thankful and insisted I take payment, I said no thanks it was my fault. So she booked a show!! $500 show, not bad!!

Debbie :D
 
How could it possibly take them this long to catch this???? I have to be honest, I've stopped dealing with Merril...I have not heard good things about them from other DS reps either. many companies use them and are not impressed. They are expensive...don't seem to work in a timely fashion, their shipping is screwy...wish we could use someone else.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #5
I am losing more and more faith in them. The ONLY reason I ordered anything at all was cuz I was at NC and could actually TRY IT ON...and then shipping wasn't too bad from orders there. Otherwise, I refuse to use them. I really wish we had a second choice for clothing and printed PC items.
 
Okay, all you HO snoopers, please pass along the comments. Thanks.
 
Kelly, don't rely on HO reading your message here... send them an e-mail directly and send one to Jean Jonas as well. 4 months for business building materials is bullsh**. And HO is always telling us to use logo items to build our businesses!
 
KellyTheChef said:
Guess what I received in the mail today?

A letter from Merrill saying my order FROM JULY AT CONFERENCE was not charged to my card till now...and now it was declined cuz it was my $300 conference cash card which doesn't have any money left on it!!

Now I owe them $37....

I do understand that it is a valid charge...I am just frustrated that they are just now telling me about this. A couple of months ago when others were getting told the same thing...I looked into my charges and I really thought that all of them went through. Ugh.

Thanks for letting me vent.:yuck: :cry: :mad: :yuck: :cry: :mad:
Write them a very polite letter, informing them that failure to transact business in a timely fashion is their problem and not yours. Further, tell them (very politely) to go pound sand. Make sure you CC home office.

If they give you any more grief, have you lawyer sent them the next letter.
 
Can they legally wait this long to bill you? Isn't there any sort of time statute of limitations for a CC to be processed? I'd look in to it if I were you.
 
finley1991 said:
Kelly, don't rely on HO reading your message here... send them an e-mail directly and send one to Jean Jonas as well. 4 months for business building materials is bullsh**. And HO is always telling us to use logo items to build our businesses!


I believe you are correct - I'm sure they try to keep up on threads that obviously affect them but don't have time to read everything - send them and e-mail or call directly if you want your opinion heard.
 
Funny that this post came today..I JUST received a letter from Merrill TODAY w/ an invoice for my purchases at conference and the letter stated that when they ran my credit card it was DECLINED. Gee, ya think???
Anyone who is getting these invoices or calls from Merrill, are you making restitution or are you paying it? As much as I don't want to pay it, I still purchased from them, so I"ll end up paying it EVENTUALLY, but I don't think it's right!
 
This sounds like a job for a lawyer. I know that I'd definitely consider 4 months unacceptable and unrealistic for a charge. They can't charge your card until the items ship (or aren't supposed to), but is there a law about the time frame they have to process payment AFTER shipment?IMO, Merrill was completely unprepared for the volume of consultants and orders through their area. Which was mind-boggling, considering that it wasn't their first year at a PC Conference. They MUST have seen the lines at VIP last year. Why wouldn't they assume that they would have the same number of customers and orders?
 
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  • #13
Funny...while every one else was replying here...I was busy typing up my email to HO and Merrill. Here's what I wrote. Sorry it is "rambling"...I am so MAD that I can't even think straight!

Dear Pampered Chef and Merrill Corp~

I just received a letter from Merrill Corp this afternoon stating that I owe them $37.05. Back in JULY while attending National Conference I placed a couple of different orders. My final piece to be delivered was the quilted jacket. I received this back in EARLY AUGUST. Why wasn't my card charged then? Why am I getting this nonpayment letter THREE MONTHS LATER??? This is ridiculous. If I was that inept at following through with Pampered Chef orders for my customers, Pampered Chef would terminate my contract.

I do NOT understand why I am just now being told that this charge did not go through...or why the FIRST letter I receive includes a threat for collections. The reason the card was declined is because I had used my $300 conference cash Visa to purchase my orders. I (mistakenly, obviously) thought that all of my charges had gone through, so I used up the last of the cash that was available with a supply order for Pampered Chef business supplies.

I am NOT happy that we only have one choice in companies to purchase PC logo items of clothing and logo paperwork. We need at a MINIMUM of one other vendor. Merrill has crazy sizing (my ordered items range from a medium to an XL) and the quality is not consistent. At conference, there was a beautifully crafted black sparkle 3/4 length shirt in a medium. It didn't fit, so I looked for a large. The large was made from a different company and was OBVIOUSLY not made as well. The quality of items needs to be consistent. Sizes in specific measurement (if they MUST range so drastically) should be listed for each item. (Example- small shirt measures 30" across the breast, 29" at waist, and is xx" long.) If you are going to have different manufacturers for different styles...and for different sizes like my example above...you should tell us EXACTLY what the size runs! Or...allow PRE-PAID returns...Something. I am so disappointed in The Pampered Chef's decision to allow only ONE choice of a logo vendor. Why should Merrill give a whip about taking care of us and treating us right...if they know that we have NO OTHER OPTION than to buy from them?

I can't even go back and verify that my charge card was never charged for this, because the PC Gift VISA company can't print out my statement.

I am so upset and disappointed right now,
I would appreciate a response from both Merrill Corp and Pampered Chef regarding my email.
Thank you.


Who has Jean Jonas email? Is it just [email protected]??
 
I'm glad you did this, Kelly. I assumed you would address this with both Merrill and PC. (My comment about the HO snoopers was a joke that obviously fell very flat. :o )
 
Kelly-Did you not get a phone call like some of the others who posted a while back? I didn't. I thought since I didn't hear from them AT THAT TIME when everyone seemed to be getting their calls that I was ok..I had long ago cut up that card, so I have no idea what the card number even was or anything. I think it is crazy!!!!
And you are right in your letter, what would happen if you didn't put a PC show through for 4 months? I think PC would have serious issues with that if customers started calling about it! I'm curious to know if you get any kind of response.
 
Hey Kelly - you don't have to sugar-coat it! Tell them how you really feel! LOL.

Seriously, I think you got your point very clearly explained to them.
 
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  • #18
That address must be right...I just forwarded my email to her and got an "out of office till Tuesday November 13th" message.

Rae~

I know that HO reads over this site...some of the snoopers probably already read what I wrote. But...I know that a personal email will get a lot more accomplished!

I seriously hope HO adds another vendor for us. This is getting so old.
 
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  • #19
chefsteph07 said:
Did you not get a phone call like some of the others who posted a while back? I didn't. I thought since I didn't hear from them AT THAT TIME when everyone seemed to be getting their calls that I was ok..I had long ago cut up that card, so I have no idea what the card number even was or anything. I think it is crazy!!!!
And you are right in your letter, what would happen if you didn't put a PC show through for 4 months? I think PC would have serious issues with that if customers started calling about it! I'm curious to know if you get any kind of response.
no. no call!
 
There is an option on CC under Home Office emails for Lisenced Merchandise Vendor Comments. I'd copy it there too if I were you. If you don't hear anything in a few days I'd also send it through USPS mail with a Return Receipt request.
 
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  • #22
pamperedlinda said:
Hey Kelly - you don't have to sugar-coat it! Tell them how you really feel! LOL.

Seriously, I think you got your point very clearly explained to them.
Linda~

Thanks for the MUCH NEEDED LAUGH!!

OK...I am done whining now...
 
Oh yeah, one more thing....how ironic that it was timed to arrive to you on a Friday afternoon of a holiday weekend.....now you'll probably have to stew and worry about this until Tuesday.
 
Last edited:
cute graphic Kelly
 
raebates said:
I'm glad you did this, Kelly. I assumed you would address this with both Merrill and PC. (My comment about the HO snoopers was a joke that obviously fell very flat. :o )

Sorry Rae, but we were just talking a bit on another thread about the fact that HO does read what is on here so I thought you were serious!

I'll try not to do THAT ever again! :p ;)
 
Janet, you should know by now to never take anything I say seriously. ;)
 
raebates said:
Janet, you should know by now to never take anything I say seriously. ;)

Yup, hence why I'll NEVER do that again! ;)

It's just been a long day yesterday and today and I'm too serious. :cool:
 
See, for me, the longer the day, the less serious I get. I guest that means that together, we're perfect. Right?
 
raebates said:
See, for me, the longer the day, the less serious I get. I guest that means that together, we're perfect. Right?

In our little delusionary world, sure! ;)
I normally get giddy too but I'm tired from traveling and still mellow about a friend dying...I'll be much better after sleep.
 
While we're talking about Merrill...did anyone buy one of the Ribbon purses at conference? I bought one and am on my second bag. Because of the shoddy construction the lining is ripping from the bag. I don't overstuff it they just didn't manufacture them well. My girlfriend took the lining off and re-enforced it then sewed it back together for me. I like the purse, but my goodness! It is ridiculous how much it cost for the quality of product. Anyone else have any issues with this bag?
 

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