How Can Home Office Do This??????

[chefkristin]

This weekend is Tax Free weekend in MA! This email just came out today!!

Dear Consultant,

In order to perform scheduled maintenance, The Pampered Chef public Web site and Consultant’s Corner will be down from Saturday, Aug. 11 at 6:00 a.m. to Sunday, Aug. 12 at 12:00 noon CT. The following key components will not be available and you should plan accordingly:

• Submission of Consultant Agreements
• PamperedPartner and PamperedPartnerPlus

Personal Web Sites will be available for host and guest general access, but customers will receive a maintenance page if they try to submit individual orders, Consultant Agreements or wedding registry purchases.

Thank you for your patience while we perform necessary maintenance.

The Pampered Chef

The Pampered Chef, PamperedPartner and PamperedPartner Plus are registered trademarks.

What is up with that?????? :thumbdown:

 

[dannyzmom]

Pretty insane timing if you ask me.

 

[chefkristin]

I am on hold with HO right now. Not that it will do any good.

 

[pamperedbecky]

I KNOW, that's a HUGE bummer. Especially because they'll be announcing what sounds like some kind of bonus for new recruits!!! They won't be able to log on to sign up the majority of the weekend. That's a VERY long range of time to be without the websites.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I agree that it is a very long time but we have advance notice that it will be down so we can announce it - just tell your guests to visit the site after noon on Sunday for the latest info.

We can still use PP and P3 for shows - no worries there. Just can't submit them. There are no promotions going on right now that would be affected. I think they tried to choose just such a time to do the update.

... and I would bet whatever they are planning for new consultants will be there when they get back up.

 

[chefkristin]

I agree that it is a very long time but we have advance notice that it will be down so we can announce it - just tell your guests to visit the site after noon on Sunday for the latest info.

We can still use PP and P3 for shows - no worries there. Just can't submit them. There are no promotions going on right now that would be affected. I think they tried to choose just such a time to do the update.

... and I would bet whatever they are planning for new consultants will be there when they get back up.

I agree Beth but it is supposed to be tax free all weekend here in MA and not just Sunday afternoon. Well I can't do anything about anyway :cry:

 

[dianevill]

It sounds like guests can still go to your website and enter in orders, just not individual orders. How about telling your guests that instead of submitting "individual orders" on your website, they should type in your name as the host as if you were doing a show (so you would set up a show under your name on your PWS). That way, the orders will come to you, and you can either submit them as individual orders after noon or put together a nice little show for yourself?

 

[BethCooks4U]

I agree Beth but it is supposed to be tax free all weekend here in MA and not just Sunday afternoon. Well I can't do anything about anyway :cry:

I don't understand what tax free weekend has to do with the website being down.

If you were planning on people going to your website to order, just tell them to email or call you instead or extend the tax free offer for another day.

EDIT: The email from HO does not say that our websites will be down. It says PP/P3 and agreement submission and online ordering. Sounds like they can look at the catalog and call/email you with their order.

 

[jrstephens]

I don't understand what tax free weekend has to do with the website being down.
QUOTE]

If it is like AL's tax free weekend anything purchased that weekend you do not have to pay taxes on it at all, so, the orders submitted would not recquire taxes to be paid on them. Our is just for school supplies and clothes though. I wish it was everything!

 

[Shawnna]

They had a tax free weekend here in Oklahoma this year...first time ever...but it was only for clothes and shoes.

 

[Cindycooks]

I dont get the big deal either since our personal websites will be working - at least they let us know ahead!

 

[pamperedpals]

I dont get the big deal either since our personal websites will be working - at least they let us know ahead!

Our email stated: Personal Web Sites will be available for host and guest general access, but customers will receive a maintenance page if they try to submit individual orders, Consultant Agreements or wedding registry purchases.

I do agree with the previous poster to have a catalog show under your name for them to place their orders.

Good luck, we dont' have anything like this in Washington.

 

[quiverfull7]

Tax free weekend in North Carolina is on clothing, shoes, school supplies and computers and computer accessories. It did not apply to PC products at all from what I understood.

 

[baychef]

I realize it is a pain and an unusually long time for the site to be unavailable. Fortunately, we can submit and use the site the night before and then Sunday afternoon. I am sure if we had that opportunity in our states, we be jsut as frustrated. Good luck with HO...at least you are voicing your concerns to them too. They may not be aware.

 

[pckelly]

Tax free is not on everything, only school supplies, clothes, computers. Not groceries or personal items etc.

 

[finley1991]

Tax free is not on everything, only school supplies, clothes, computers. Not groceries or personal items etc.

So if it's not on foodstuffs and personal things.. why is the website being down an issue? I guess I'm not understanding the crisis.

 

[chefmeg]

I would really check your states tax website for what is and is not tax-free. we had a tax free weekend last weekend, and a great majority of things that are orderable on-line ARE tax-free, BUT the lists are very specific....I just wouldn't have thought it applied to PC!

 

[yummybytes]

As an FYI for MA...

Massachusetts 2006 tax-free holiday weekend

On the weekend of Aug. 12-13, 2006, Massachusetts will hold a "tax free holiday weekend," where customers can avoid the 5 percent Massachusetts sales tax while shopping for some goods.
Here are some guidelines for the upcoming tax-free weekend:

The Massachusetts 5 percent sales tax will be waived for most goods that cost $2,500 or less. The sales tax is exempt for tangible personal property bought for personal use only. Motor vehicles, Meals, gas, and tobacco products remain taxable. Airline tickets and sporting events are considered services, and thus remain taxable. Bundled goods -- such as computer packages that include computer, monitor, and printer -- only qualify for the tax exemption if the price of the entire bundle is less than $2,500. Prior sales and layaway items do not qualify. If an article of clothing exceeds $2,500, you receive a $175 deduction on the sales tax. For example, if you buy a dress for $3,000, you pay sales tax on $2,825. For coupon items, the sales tax applies only if the post-deduction amount is more than $2,500. For coupons applied to total purchases, the discount is pro-rated for each item sold. Internet orders paid for Aug. 12-13 are exempt.

Source: The Massachusetts Department of Revenue website.

 

[Kathytnt]

Our tax free weekend only includes clothing and school supplies not everything

 

[chefkristin]

Tax Free is on EVERYTHING in MA!

 

[smspamperedchef]

If you are offering some kind of "sale" for your customers please note as stated below that we cannot pay the sales tax for our customers.
This is what the Texas laws say so be sure to check your state. By the way, for us Texans our tax free weekend is: August 17-August 19th. There is a list of eligible items you can purchase tax free on your state's site. No kitchen items allowed! Sorry. I may offer some kind of "sale" though with tax included or something like that. Here is what the "rules" state:

A word of caution: If you sell items that do not qualify for the exemption, you may not advertise or promise that you will pay your customers' sales tax. Additionally, you are prohibited from advertising that you will not collect sales tax on items that do not qualify. You may advertise that tax is included in the sales price of the taxable items that you sell, however.

This weekend is Tax Free weekend in MA! This email just came out today!!

Dear Consultant,

In order to perform scheduled maintenance, The Pampered Chef public Web site and Consultant’s Corner will be down from Saturday, Aug. 11 at 6:00 a.m. to Sunday, Aug. 12 at 12:00 noon CT. The following key components will not be available and you should plan accordingly:

• Submission of Consultant Agreements
• PamperedPartner and PamperedPartnerPlus

Personal Web Sites will be available for host and guest general access, but customers will receive a maintenance page if they try to submit individual orders, Consultant Agreements or wedding registry purchases.

Thank you for your patience while we perform necessary maintenance.

The Pampered Chef

The Pampered Chef, PamperedPartner and PamperedPartner Plus are registered trademarks.

What is up with that?????? :thumbdown:

 

[MissChef]

You did get this today ChefKristen right? Sounds like your weekend won't be ruined after all! :thumbup:
Dear Consultant,


We'd like to inform you that the Web site maintenance originally scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 11 and Sunday, Aug. 12 has been postponed until later in the fall.

Therefore, contrary to yesterday's notification, the public Web site and Consultant's Corner will be available this weekend.

We will give you advance notice of the next maintenance date, so that you'll have plenty of time to plan your business accordingly.

Thank your for your understanding, and best wishes for a successful August!

The Pampered Chef

The Pampered Chef is a registered trademark.

 

[MamaChef]

Tax free weekend in North Carolina is on clothing, shoes, school supplies and computers and computer accessories. It did not apply to PC products at all from what I understood.

Ditto in Tennessee....didn't affect any of my sales at all....although it would have been nice!!!

 

[chefkristin]

You did get this today ChefKristen right? Sounds like your weekend won't be ruined after all! :thumbup:
Dear Consultant,


We'd like to inform you that the Web site maintenance originally scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 11 and Sunday, Aug. 12 has been postponed until later in the fall.

Therefore, contrary to yesterday's notification, the public Web site and Consultant's Corner will be available this weekend.

We will give you advance notice of the next maintenance date, so that you'll have plenty of time to plan your business accordingly.

Thank your for your understanding, and best wishes for a successful August!

The Pampered Chef

The Pampered Chef is a registered trademark.

I did get it!!! I am very happy!!!!! :thumbup:

 

[chefkristin]

If you are offering some kind of "sale" for your customers please note as stated below that we cannot pay the sales tax for our customers.
This is what the Texas laws say so be sure to check your state. By the way, for us Texans our tax free weekend is: August 17-August 19th. There is a list of eligible items you can purchase tax free on your state's site. No kitchen items allowed! Sorry. I may offer some kind of "sale" though with tax included or something like that. Here is what the "rules" state:

A word of caution: If you sell items that do not qualify for the exemption, you may not advertise or promise that you will pay your customers' sales tax. Additionally, you are prohibited from advertising that you will not collect sales tax on items that do not qualify. You may advertise that tax is included in the sales price of the taxable items that you sell, however.

MA Taxfree is anything and everything under $2500.00!!!!!!