Horrified: Unauthorized Advertisement of My Business Found

[SusanBP0129]

:cry: I just got this email!! I DID NOT advertise myself!!! I use craftlister.com to find events and someone must have listed me.
I'm horrifed.


Hi Susan,

It has come to our attention that there is an advertisement of your business on the following Web site:

http://www.craftlister.com/search/site_search.php?KeyWords=gadge&PageType=Search&Submit=TRUE&x=1

According to the guidelines mapped out on page F-21 of the Consultant Business Guide, “Other than through your Pampered Chef Personal Web site, you may not promote or advertise your business on any other Web site, Internet directory, search engine, etc.”

It also states on page F-20 that in addition to the ban on linking to Personal Web sites, “any other form of advertising on the Web is prohibited.”

Please remove this advertisement or request the removal of this advertisement by September 29, 2007. Copy me on all correspondence that may be sent to this site requesting removal of this ad. Please be advised that if we do not receive this information, it may result in the disabling of the Individual Ordering option on your Personal Web Site.

We trust that you want to abide by the guidelines and we look forward to your compliance.

Consultant Career Solutions is here to help support your business, should you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Donna Jasinek

Specialist, Consultant Career Solutions

Solution Center

The Pampered Chef, Ltd.

 

[chefann]

AW- that stinks.

Sure are a lot of people listed on that search result page, though. Several with pics!

 

[finley1991]

Contact them ASAP and get it removed. Then e-mail HO and let them know that you've done it. If you e-mail craftlister, copy HO on it as well. Don't worry... you'll get it cleared up!

 

[SusanBP0129]

I am trying to figure out how it got listed!! It's making me NUTS!!
I just deleted my whole profile and unsubscribed. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cmdtrgd]

They are usually very nice about this. Just be willing to work with them as fast as possible and let them know you didn't know about it.

 

[cmdtrgd]

WOW!!! There are a lot of listings for PC on craftlister!!!

 

[finley1991]

WOW!!! There are a lot of listings for PC on craftlister!!!

Wow! You're not kidding! I punched PC into the search and 338 results came up!!!! HO certainly has their work cut out for them!!!!!!!!!!!

With that... Susan, clearly you are not alone. I'm sure deleting your profile will work. Be sure to revisit the site to be sure you're not on it any more.

 

[Kodeysmom]

guess what i also go the email!!! I was totally stunned. i did not put PC in my profile!!

 

[janetupnorth]

Just e-mail them and ask to have it removed. State in your e-mail that you are unaware of how it got there but PC has notified you that it is against policy and you need to have it removed. Contact that lady at HO that you have done that as they requested.

Good luck!

I wouldn't stress, they probably just got around to that site and you are one of many!

 

[janetupnorth]

I recognized a few cheffers names on there so I'm guessing many will have to take care of this.

 

[ginamkiely]

Wow! You're not kidding! I punched PC into the search and 338 results came up!!!! HO certainly has their work cut out for them!!!!!!!!!!!
QUOTE]

Make that 337... I had my website address in my profile not knowing I wasn't allowed to do that. I just deleted it. Thanks for the warning everyone.

 

[PC_CPR]

Wow, I just went to check the site out (never seen it before) and it's down for maintenance! What a coincidence!

 

[Ginger428]

LOL...me 2, just went there......

 

[crystalscookingnow]

That stinks, Sue. I'm sure HO will help you get everything figured out.

 

[Ginger428]

HO had to see all those other people who are there....I hope everything works out ok....

 

[Loriann]

Same thing happened to me. I called Louis at CraftLister and asked him why my information is out on the web. I only subscribed to Craftlister so I would be notified of craft shows in my area so I can make my business a success!!
He said the information is entered when we subscribe to CraftLister - he removed Pampered Chef from my entry - that should take care of the problem.

I'm going to take a minute here to complain though - this is the 3rd time I've received one of these threatening emails from PC which just stresses me out. First time, I advertised in a local neighborhoods newsletter (not online) and to be "helpful" they added my information to their website. Second time, someone who had purchased PC from me began selling it on eBay - I was contacted and told I can be "fired" if I continue selling to this person (she only bought from me a couple of times). How the H**L am I supposed to be held responsible for someone elses actions?? Now this violation for the craft lister thing. All of these "violations" have happened in the past 3 months.

This is ridiculous and I've about had enough of these threatening emails. I'm running my business honestly and ethically and have been successful. I work a full-time job and have two young kids...I dont' have time to deal with this c**p too, not to mention the stress!!!

Okay just had to vent!

 

[finley1991]

Second time, someone who had purchased PC from me began selling it on eBay - I was contacted and told I can be "fired" if I continue selling to this person (she only bought from me a couple of times). How the H**L am I supposed to be held responsible for someone elses actions??

That's a tough one! How can we control what our customers do with our products?? Surely if you had known you wouldn't have sold to her... although how do you do that? "Sorry I can sell to you if you sell it on e-bay?"

All of these were out of your control and thankfully they've been taken care of... just a big pain for you and stressful. Hopefully it won't happen again...

 

[PCwithStay-C]

Did you just sign up for craftlister?? I signed up about 2months ago, should I unsubscribe? I get an email from them every week about upcoming events!! A little nervous now!!

 

[Loriann]

I signed up about 2 years ago when I first started my business. Just call or email Louis and ask him to take Pampered Chef out of the name. He said it was set up like that so people having craft shows could find vendors.

It's such a great way to find craft shows in your area. I've had a lot of success with it!

 

[Stampaholic1961]

I'm going to take a minute here to complain though - this is the 3rd time I've received one of these threatening emails from PC which just stresses me out. First time, I advertised in a local neighborhoods newsletter (not online) and to be "helpful" they added my information to their website. Second time, someone who had purchased PC from me began selling it on eBay - I was contacted and told I can be "fired" if I continue selling to this person (she only bought from me a couple of times). How the H**L am I supposed to be held responsible for someone elses actions?? Now this violation for the craft lister thing. All of these "violations" have happened in the past 3 months.

This is ridiculous and I've about had enough of these threatening emails. I'm running my business honestly and ethically and have been successful. I work a full-time job and have two young kids...I dont' have time to deal with this c**p too, not to mention the stress!!!

I totally agree with you. Back when it was still possible to do a Google search for PC websites someone who I had never heard of listed my website. I got the threatening letter from Richard. I had no idea the person had done this but I was threatened with losing my business if he didn't remove it. How can I control what someone else does? What if he hadn't taken it off when I asked? It was very, very stressful! There's got to be a better way to handle this type of situation. Maybe a nicer notification to begin with then progress to the "threatening" one if someone doesn't make any steps to correct the problem.

 

[janetupnorth]

I feel for those whose information accidentally got on the internet, but this is truly a case where you are suffering because of those who purposefully put their information out there and try to get away with stuff. How many sellers have we seen on E-bay with TONS of stuff. HO has to have some verbiage that is somewhat forceful for many of these people because they'd flat out ignore it otherwise.

If you are sure you didn't nothing wrong, don't stress out - it is usually those with a conscious that take things so personally. Just try to get it resolved as soon as you can.

 

[stacywhitlow]

How did you check? I have gone on Craftlister as well and receive his email. I have never checked back. Would I be listed even if I don't have a paid subscription? Guess I better go check.

 

[Loriann]

Janet Up North -

I've done NOTHING wrong I can assure you!!!!!!! It is stressful to have to spend time sorting out these problems. I'd rather spend that time working my business. That was incredibly rude of you to write!!

Tell me how someone can be held responsible for another's actions when they buy from you and sell on eBay???? Short, of having everyone at a show sign a disclaimer it's impossible.

 

[chefheidi2003]

Janet Up North -

I've done NOTHING wrong I can assure you!!!!!!! It is stressful to have to spend time sorting out these problems. I'd rather spend that time working my business. That was incredibly rude of you to write!!

Tell me how someone can be held responsible for another's actions when they buy from you and sell on eBay???? Short, of having everyone at a show sign a disclaimer it's impossible.

Loriann, I think that Janet was referring to the consultants that we have been seeing recently selling PC products on Ebay. I am sure that she didn't mean it as a personal attack on you and she didn't mean customers who turn around and sell our items on Ebay. I do understand what you are saying though, and I don't blame you for wanting to spend more time working on your business rather than trying to straiten this out but unfortunately there are some consultants who purposely go against the rules and advertise online and they also go against the rules and purposely sell on ebay, and that ruins it for the rest of us who have your advertisement accidentally put online.

 

[dannyzmom]

Loriann, I think that Janet was referring to the consultants that we have been seeing recently selling PC products on Ebay. I am sure that she didn't mean it as a personal attack on you and she didn't mean customers who turn around and sell our items on Ebay. I do understand what you are saying though, and I don't blame you for wanting to spend more time working on your business rather than trying to straiten this out but unfortunately there are some consultants who purposely go against the rules and advertise online and they also go against the rules and purposely sell on ebay, and that ruins it for the rest of us who have your advertisement accidentally put online.

I agree. Janet doesn't do personal attacks - she was not talking about you, Loriann.

 

[Vicks]

Loriann, I think you may have misread what Janet said.

She was saying that if you know you didn't do anything wrong - try not to stress too much over it. (Yeah, I know, it's hard.) It's the people that DO go by the rules and DO care and DO have a conscience that take it personally, because we have been obeying the rules and care about our businesses. It's the people who don't care and purposefully break the rules that simply don't care about getting a notification from HO, nor think twice about breaking the rules again.

I agree, we certainly can't be held responsible for what others do without our knowledge. Maybe in the case of other people listing us or putting PC in our profiles, they could be a little more 'nice' about it. How are we supposed to know what all is out there? In the case of eBay, there's no way we can control what our customers do. I don't see how we can be held accountable for that at all. I wonder how they even could link us to a specific auction anyway. How would they know we were that person's consultant? I just can't see how we could be "fired" because of someone else's choice to list on eBay.

JMO,
~Vicks

 

[chefheidi2003]

In the case of eBay, there's no way we can control what our customers do. I don't see how we can be held accountable for that at all. I wonder how they even could link us to a specific auction anyway. How would they know we were that person's consultant? I just can't see how we could be "fired" because of someone else's choice to list on eBay.

JMO,
~Vicks

There was recently a consultant selling PC items on Ebay...she had a link to her PWS on her auction page. Technically customers can sell PC items and we can't stop that but we as consultants can not.

 

[janetupnorth]

Janet Up North -

I've done NOTHING wrong I can assure you!!!!!!! It is stressful to have to spend time sorting out these problems. I'd rather spend that time working my business. That was incredibly rude of you to write!!

Tell me how someone can be held responsible for another's actions when they buy from you and sell on eBay???? Short, of having everyone at a show sign a disclaimer it's impossible.

Loriann -

I was not being rude to you. I was saying that you were unfortunately having to deal with those who sell on E-bay and then don't heed HO's warnings. I was referring to a past case on here when Kristin tried to politely warn one and they plastered her stuff all over an internet board and threatened her...

 

[janetupnorth]

Thanks for the rest for trying to clear that up for me!!!! I was downstairs sending out my monthly PC newsletter and just got back to PC.

I am very sympathetic to fellow consultants who accidentally get their stuff out there. There is a lot more to the www than we see everyday and very hard to keep up with the technology. People do stuff with our information daily. I was just stating that because of those who blatantly break the rules, HO has to be tough to try and be fair to the rest of us.

...and Carolyn, thanks you were right, I don't do personal attacks, but I do apologies...

Loriann - sorry if you took that wrong...intended as stated above...siding with you, I apologize for it coming across to you as wrong.

 

[rennea]

I was referring to a past case on here when Kristin tried to politely warn one and they plastered her stuff all over an internet board and threatened her...

Good lord, I missed this one, poor Kristin

 

[BethCooks4U]

I, too, got one of those emails early on and I didn't put my website out there myself either.

I think the tone of the email is meant to get us to take it seriously and to act on the discovery. BE SURE to copy Richard on all correspondence with the site. If they don't remove it at least you have proof that you did everything you could. He can then take it from there.

If you are totally innocent it is very obvious to HO and they will work with you. If you aren't innocent they will still work with you. edit: universal you here - not directed at anyone.

To avoid getting the email, check all sites you know you are on and make sure you are in compliance. TELL your family and friends and businesses you deal with that your site cannot be linked (my son linked me and he proudly let me know he was helping me - and he had it off seconds after he told me). If nothing else, it's an excuse to remind all those people that you do PC - might get some business from it!

 

[finley1991]

To avoid getting the email, check all sites you know you are on and make sure you are in compliance. TELL your family and friends and businesses you deal with that your site cannot be linked (my son linked me and he proudly let me know he was helping me - and he had it off seconds after he told me). If nothing else, it's an excuse to remind all those people that you do PC - might get some business from it!

Also, you could google yourself and see if anything regarding PC comes up.

 

[poohritz]

I got the same thingI got that same email. Oh well I took care of it, if you create a crafter account letting people know what you are. I had no specific pampered chef logo or info, just generic kitchen stuff that is what they got me on. oh well lesson learned.

 

[erinyourpclady]

Also, you could google yourself and see if anything regarding PC comes up.

I recently started doing this on a regular basis...just in case. I usually google Pc and my name or PC and my website to make sure!!

 

[pamperedtara]

I got that same email. Oh well I took care of it, if you create a crafter account letting people know what you are. I had no specific pampered chef logo or info, just generic kitchen stuff that is what they got me on. oh well lesson learned.

I got the e-mail today as well. How can they "get you" if there is no reference to PC. How can we be advertising PC if we haven't listed PC in the profile??

I find this very disturbing that someone is going to this much trouble to find "violators of the policy." Personally, I think it is a retaliation by someone who has been reported for ebay selling. It took some serious digging to uncover the craftlister profiles. AND I never would have even known about craftlister without the recommendation of the outstanding training CD that I purchased from HO, "Booths Build Business"

As someone who is honestly trying to build my business legitimately, it is a slap in the face to be lumped in with those who are trying to beat the system.