[ot] Cook's Illustrated sends unrequested book

[Jj]

A couple of months ago Cook's Illustrated sent me a book I
did not request (Best Recipe: Baking Illustrated). I called
them and got a label from them to ship it back, which I did.
I just got a past due invoice yesterday.

Though I will be calling them on Tuesday, I'm a bit peeved
about this process I have to go through.

Has anyone else received a book from them, unrequested?

[Curly Sue]

On Sun, 04 Jul 2004 16:05:42 GMT, JJ <jj@nospam.net> wrote:

>A couple of months ago Cook's Illustrated sent me a book I
>did not request (Best Recipe: Baking Illustrated). I called
>them and got a label from them to ship it back, which I
>did. I just got a past due invoice yesterday.
>
>Though I will be calling them on Tuesday, I'm a bit peeved
>about this process I have to go through.
>
>Has anyone else received a book from them, unrequested?

No, but if you buy the annual compendium they send it to you
automatically unless you send in the decline card.

Maybe you bought something from them previously?

I think you can "refuse" stuff if you didn't order it and
the post office will send it back without going through the
hassle of arranging shipping.

Sue(tm) Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

[Donna Rose]

In article <40E82AD5.D125056E@nospam.net>,
jj@nospam.net says...
> A couple of months ago Cook's Illustrated sent me a book I
> did not request (Best Recipe: Baking Illustrated). I
> called them and got a label from them to ship it back,
> which I did. I just got a past due invoice yesterday.
>
> Though I will be calling them on Tuesday, I'm a bit peeved
> about this process I have to go through.
>
> Has anyone else received a book from them, unrequested?
>
>
>
Not from them, but during my one-year membership with the
Cooking Club of America, I received an unsolicited book, or
rather a package that previously contained a book - by the
time it got to me, it was damaged and empty. I called them
to tell them I never requested anything from them and they
said "Oh we just thought that it would be something that
would interest you - you're under no obligation to keep it".
I then informed her that I couldn't keep it if I wanted to
as I didn't actually receive it, just a damaged box. They
cancelled my invoice and I never heard another word from
them about it.

Had the book actually been in the package, I would have been
annoyed that I would have had to make a special trip to the
post office to return something that I never ordered in the
first place (the box was too big for a mailbox). I seem to
remember reading something somewhere about not being
required to pay for or return anything sent to you
unsolicited, but I'm not sure about the specifics.
--
Donna A pessimist believes all women are bad. An optimist
hopes they are.

[Ben]

JJ wrote:
> A couple of months ago Cook's Illustrated sent me a book I
> did not request (Best Recipe: Baking Illustrated). I
> called them and got a label from them to ship it back,
> which I did. I just got a past due invoice yesterday.
>
> Though I will be calling them on Tuesday, I'm a bit peeved
> about this process I have to go through.
>
> Has anyone else received a book from them, unrequested?

Do they have your SSN or credit card details etc.? What
can they do?

--
"What passes for wisdom may only be eloquent foolishness"

Cheap long distance calling using Onesuite
(http://www.onesuite.com (http://www.onesuite.com/)).
2.5 cents/min anywhere in the U.S., to Canada or the U.K. No
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for 20 free minutes.

[Petey The Wonde]

Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
>Has anyone else received a book from them, unrequested?

Yes. Three separate times. I asked the post master and he
told me that if I didn't order it, it was a legally a gift.

Don't feel bad for them, as if they made a mistake and you
should return
it.

Send them a note saying "Thanks for the gift." You'll
feel better.

[Peter Aitken]

"Curly Sue" <address.in.sig@nyc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:40e82b65.17172912@news-server.nyc.rr.com...
> On Sun, 04 Jul 2004 16:05:42 GMT, JJ <jj@nospam.net>
> wrote:
>
> >A couple of months ago Cook's Illustrated sent me a book
> >I did not request (Best Recipe: Baking Illustrated). I
> >called them and got a label from them to ship it back,
> >which I did. I just got a past due invoice yesterday.
> >
> >Though I will be calling them on Tuesday, I'm a bit
> >peeved about this process I have to go through.
> >
> >Has anyone else received a book from them, unrequested?
>
> No, but if you buy the annual compendium they send it to
> you automatically unless you send in the decline card.
>
> Maybe you bought something from them previously?
>
> I think you can "refuse" stuff if you didn't order it and
> the post office will send it back without going through
> the hassle of arranging shipping.
>

In my experience CI is notorious for sending you things you
did not explicitly order but somehow agreed to as part of a
subscription or something else you got from them. It's one
of the reasons I cancelled all my dealings with them.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

[Mike Beede]

> >Has anyone else received a book from them, unrequested?
>
> No, but if you buy the annual compendium they send it to
> you automatically unless you send in the decline card.
>
> Maybe you bought something from them previously?
>
> I think you can "refuse" stuff if you didn't order it and
> the post office will send it back without going through
> the hassle of arranging shipping.

It's better than that. If you're sent something unsolicited
in the U.S. mail, it's yours to keep. No obligation. The
company will (almost) never tell you this when you call
about it--you have to mention it yourself. Then they'll
usually say that "in that case please accept it with our
compliments."

Note--this doesn't apply to book clubs--you agreed to the
policy when you joined. That doesn't sound like what's going
on here, though.

Mike Beede

[Christine]

"Peter Aitken" <paitken@CRAPnc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:E5XFc.110846$2o2.6026259@twister.southeast.rr.com...
> "Curly Sue" <address.in.sig@nyc.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:40e82b65.17172912@news-server.nyc.rr.com...
> > On Sun, 04 Jul 2004 16:05:42 GMT, JJ <jj@nospam.net>
> > wrote:
> >
> > >A couple of months ago Cook's Illustrated sent me a
> > >book I did not request (Best Recipe: Baking
> > >Illustrated). I called them and got a label from them
> > >to ship it back, which I did. I just got a past due
> > >invoice yesterday.
> > >
> > >Though I will be calling them on Tuesday, I'm a bit
> > >peeved about this process I have to go through.
> > >
> > >Has anyone else received a book from them, unrequested?
> >
> > No, but if you buy the annual compendium they send it to
> > you automatically unless you send in the decline card.
> >
> > Maybe you bought something from them previously?
> >
> > I think you can "refuse" stuff if you didn't order it
> > and the post office will send it back without going
> > through the hassle of arranging shipping.
> >
>
> In my experience CI is notorious for sending you things
> you did not explicitly order but somehow agreed to as part
> of a subscription or something else you got from them.
> It's one of the reasons I cancelled all
my
> dealings with them.
>
>
> --
> Peter Aitken
>

Southern Living does the same thing. Dumped them!

Chris in Pearland, TX

[Jj]

Peter Aitken wrote:

> In my experience CI is notorious for sending you things
> you did not explicitly order but somehow agreed to as
> part of a subscription or something else you got from
> them. It's one of the reasons I cancelled all my dealings
> with them.

That's what I'm concerned about. Though I love their
magazine, if they are that predatory, I'll drop my
subscription.

Thanks for the confirmation.

[Penmart01]

>I think you can "refuse" stuff if you didn't order it.
>
>Sue(tm)

Of course you can, what's to think. Actually postal law
says you can keep stuff you didn't order *without paying*.
Ever so often I receive things in the mail I never
ordered... if I immediately recognize it as such and it may
have some intrinsic value I simply mark it "Return to
Sender", even if I opened it I re-tape it, and leave it for
the postal carrier (the sender is required to pay return
postage), or if I open it and it has no value (no printed
matter has value) and I don't have a use for it I toss it
in the trash, if it's something I think I may have a use
for (very rare) I keep it.

If you receive unrequested printed matter through the US
mail it's yours, a free gift.

---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =--- ---= Move
UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without
tribulation." Sheldon ````````````

[Penmart01]

> Donna Rose writes: I seem to remember reading something
> somewhere about not being required to pay for or return
> anything sent to you unsolicited, but I'm not sure about
> the specifics.

http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/merch.htm

Receipt of Unsolicited Merchandise

A company sends you a gift in the mail--a ball point pen,
a key chain, a tie. But you didn't order it. What do you
do? If you are the type of person this company is looking
for, you may feel guilty about accepting the item without
paying for it. Don't feel guilty! It's yours, and you are
under no obligation to pay anything.

You, the consumer, may only legally be sent two types of
merchandise through the mail without your consent or
agreement:

Free samples which are clearly and conspicuously
marked as such.

Merchandise mailed by a charitable organization that is
soliciting contributions.

And in these two cases, you can consider the merchandise a
gift if you wish. In all other situations, it is illegal to
send merchandise to someone, unless that person has
previously ordered or requested it.

These rules are codified in Title 39, United States Code,
Section 3009. That section of the Postal Reorganization Act
of 1970 incorporates these protections for American
consumers and makes the mailing of unordered merchandise
unfair methods of competition and unfair trade practices
under the law.

If you do not wish to pay for unsolicited merchandise or
make a donation to a charity sending such an item, you may
do one of three things (in each case, by law, you have no
obligation to the sender):

If you have not opened the package, you may mark it "Return
to Sender," and the Postal Service will return it with no
additional postage charged to you.

If you open the package and don't like what you find, you
may throw it away.

If you open the package and like what you find, you may keep
it for free. In this instance, "finders-keepers" applies
unconditionally.

Furthermore, it is illegal for a company that sends you
unordered merchandise to follow the mailing with a bill or
dunning communication.

If you are aware of violations of the federal law
prohibiting the mailing of unordered merchandise, or if you
have personally had difficulty with such items--especially
if you are sent statements demanding payment for the merchandise--
you should contact your local postmaster or the nearest
Postal Inspector.
---

---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =--- ---= Move
UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without
tribulation." Sheldon ````````````