Pampered chef is holding us hostage

"burt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I saw your original message and the replies about being
forced to go to a party.

Just *how* is one *forced* to attend one of these asinine
parties? By gunpoint? Geez, act like a pushover and you get
treated like one.

Quoted message said:

And if you do feel like you should buy something, there are
90 products in the catalog for $10 or less (ever seen a
princess house catalog- nothing under $35) there are
several really cool things that only cost a dollar. deb

Your forgetting the insanely expensive shipping and
handling. I bought one of those sudsy pump things (doesn't
work, btw) and ended up w/ an almost $5 charge just to place
the order! Never again. ~Kat

"The early bird gets the worm, the second mouse gets
the cheese."

"burt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I saw your original message and the replies about being
forced to go to a party. I have been a PC consultant for 3
years. you should never feel obligated to buy something
you don't want. Nothings worse than calling someone 3
months after the party and their stuff is still in the
box. but there is usually something for everyone, even for
people who don't cook. And if you do feel like you should
buy something, there are 90 products in the catalog for
$10 or less (ever seen a princess house catalog- nothing
under $35) there are several really cool things that only
cost a dollar.

I don't recall anyone saying that they were forced to go to
a PC party. Someone argued that since they lived in a rural
area they had no other option. Of course anyone posting to
Usenet has thousands of options to buy quality merchandise
online. Second, you say that no one should feel obligated to
buy something. While this technically true, it is a fact of
human nature that when you go to a sales party at someone's
home and are offered food and drink, there will be some
sense of obligation. That's just how most people are wired.
You don't have to put anything in the collection plate at
church either, but there is an implied obligation to give
just as there is an implied obligation to purchase at a home
sales party. You also say that there are items for people
who don't want anything, but feel they should make a
purchase, so you are acknowledging that people often do feel
some obligation to make a purchase. Frankly, I think it
would be better to charge a $10 cover charge and give people
a $10 credit toward a purchase. At least it would frame the
"party" in the correct light.

[email hidden] (burt) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I saw your original message and the replies about being
forced to go to a party. I have been a PC consultant for
3 years. you should never feel obligated to buy
something you don't want. Nothings worse than calling
someone 3 months after the party and their stuff is
still in the box.

I have PC stuff I bought in 1998 and it is still in the box.
Wanna buy it back?

-L.

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 20:36:25 GMT, "Vox Humana" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"burt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I saw your original message and the replies about being
forced to go to a party. I have been a PC consultant for
3 years. you should never feel obligated to buy something
you don't want. Nothings worse than calling someone 3
months after the party and their stuff is still in the
box. but there is usually something for everyone, even
for people who don't cook. And if you do feel like you
should buy something, there are 90 products in the
catalog for $10 or less (ever seen a princess house catalog-
nothing under $35) there are several really cool things
that only cost a dollar.

I don't recall anyone saying that they were forced to go to
a PC party.

It was the person who was accompanying her friend who
was going, or something like that. She felt compelled
to accompany her friend, I think that's what they meant
by "forced."

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

In article <[email hidden]>, "Vox Humana"

Quoted message said:

"burt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I saw your original message and the replies about being
forced to go to a party.

(snip)

Quoted message said:

I don't recall anyone saying that they were forced to go
to a PC party. Someone argued that since they lived in a
rural area they had no other option. Of course anyone
posting to Usenet has thousands of options to buy quality
merchandise online. Second, you say that no one should
feel obligated to buy something. While this technically
true, it is a fact of human nature that when you go to a
sales party at someone's home and are offered food and
drink, there will be some sense of obligation.

Yeah -- I'm obligated to be pleasant and not embarrass my
host/ess. Nothing else.

Quoted message said:

That's just how most people are wired. You don't have to
put anything in the collection plate at church either, but
there is an implied obligation to give just as there is an
implied obligation to purchase at a home sales party.

Lutherans receive an offering; Catholics take up a
collection. "-) I mail my offering checks to the church --
they prefer it so they're not sitting with a lot of cash
after Sunday service. What I do or do not put into the
offering plate is of no one's concern. One of my sisters
writes one check per year that covers her weekly pledge
for the year.

Why do I feel no such obligation? I can very politely say
there's nothing I need right now, thank you.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> updated 3-29-04.

"projectile vomit chick" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"burt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I saw your original message and the replies about being
forced to go to a party.

Just *how* is one *forced* to attend one of these asinine
parties? By gunpoint? Geez, act like a pushover and you
get treated like one.

Your boss is holding one. The company is planning to lay off
workers. Sure, go ahead and say no, especially if you can
live on unemployment.

It's amazing how many people in authority (not just bosses
but ministers' wives, mothers-in-law, etc.) coerce people
into going to this kind of [censored].

wd40

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I saw your original message and the replies about
being forced to go to a party.

Just *how* is one *forced* to attend one of these
asinine parties? By gunpoint? Geez, act like a pushover
and you get treated like one.

We were tricked into one. New neighbors moved in across the
street, a nice young couple. A few month later he mentioned
they were going to have a housewarming party. We were sent
an invitation and went with a gift. We knew some of the
other there since the new owners were from our neighborhood
originally.

About a half hour into the gathering it becomes a Pampered
Chef party. Instead of leaving, we continued to chat with
some of the neighbors, but most all of the women joined
right in. My wife and I thought it was about the tackiest
thing we had seen in years. Ed [email hidden]
pages.cthome.netedhomeOpen ↗

"Bubbablue" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"projectile vomit chick" <[email hidden]> wrote
in message

news:<[email hidden]>.-
..

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"burt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I saw your original message and the replies about
being forced to go to a party.

Just *how* is one *forced* to attend one of these
asinine parties? By gunpoint? Geez, act like a pushover
and you get treated like one.

Your boss is holding one. The company is planning to lay
off workers. Sure, go ahead and say no, especially if you
can live on unemployment.

What an unlikely scenario.

"Curly Sue" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Vox Humana said:

"burt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I saw your original message and the replies about being
forced to go to a party. I have been a PC consultant
for 3 years. you should never feel obligated to buy
something you don't want. Nothings worse than calling
someone 3 months after the party and their stuff is
still in the box. but there is usually something for
everyone, even for people who don't cook. And if you do
feel like you should buy something, there are 90
products in the catalog for $10 or less (ever seen a
princess house catalog- nothing under $35) there are
several really cool things that only cost a dollar.

I don't recall anyone saying that they were forced to go
to a PC party.

It was the person who was accompanying her friend who was
going, or something like that. She felt compelled to
accompany her friend, I think that's what they meant by
"forced."

But what I don't get is why these folks that feel put
upon feel the need to be polite to someone that treats
them rudely.

projectile vomit chick said:

What an unlikely scenario.

Are you kidding? This scenario occures all the time. At one
company I worked for, one dept head who was pushing his ppl
through Scientology ...or EST, or one of those bogus new age
brain rot things. When several rebelled, they were "let go".
The whole thing evolved into multiple lawsuits. I "had" to
attend an 8 hour day planner seminar which is just more new
age pap hooked to a lifetime consummer product. And what
about corporate charities? I was expected to designate a
portion of my check to United Way and had to attend
corporate pep rallies for UA. Non-givers were frowned upon.

If you've never had to put up with this "scenario", count
yourself fortunate. It's most definitely "likely".

nb

notbob said:

I was expected to designate a portion of my check to
United Way and had to attend corporate pep rallies for
UA. Non-givers were frowned upon.

Funny. I was given the task of recruiting for United Way one
year for my group. They couldn't have picked someone who
disliked that 'charity' more. Okay, fine ... so I went to
the meeting, they had some guy from AT&T shilling for them
and explaining how UW overhead was only 8% compared to all
other charities, blah blah blah. I had to bite my tongue to
not say, that's 8% ON TOP of the other charities. You want
to donate to a certain charity, donate directly.

Stunning to find out the CEO was living high on the hog, can
you believe it? Whoda thought. There's a shock.

But yes, it was pushed at work, donate your fair share. 1%
of your salary. In another lifetime, jerks. And, to make
it worse, the United Way somehow (let me think, can you
say KICKBACKS?) coerced companies to not let other
charities solicit there. Hmmmm. What sway did they hold
over the company? Let me think ... FREE CARS AND TRIPS for
the top brass?

What a ripoff.

nancy

Quoted message said:

I have PC stuff I bought in 1998 and it is still in the
box. Wanna buy it back?

-L.

Probably not. Depends on if you have something wonderful
that's not availiable anymore. put your stuff on e-bay. your
unused stuff will quickly find a happy home somewhere and
you'll have a little extra cash to go buy some candles or
tupperware. deb <<<<------ I love pc

In article said:

Quoted message said:

I have PC stuff I bought in 1998 and it is still in the
box. Wanna buy it back?

-L.

Probably not. Depends on if you have something wonderful
that's not availiable anymore. put your stuff on e-bay.
your unused stuff will quickly find a happy home somewhere
and you'll have a little extra cash to go buy some candles
or tupperware. deb <<<<------ I love pc

Quoting from your earlier message:

Quoted message said:

Nothings worse than calling someone 3 months after the
party and their stuff is still in the box.

So, I guess there *is* something worse that that. I like the
guarantee of quality and value you're pushing--if it's
worthless [censored], put it up for auction and it will become
someone else's problem. A ringing endorsement.

Mike Beede

On 22 Apr 2004 21:35:28 -0700, [email hidden] (burt)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have PC stuff I bought in 1998 and it is still in the
box. Wanna buy it back?

-L.

Probably not. Depends on if you have something wonderful
that's not availiable anymore. put your stuff on e-bay.
your unused stuff will quickly find a happy home
somewhere and you'll have a little extra cash to go buy
some candles or tupperware. deb <<<<------ I love pc

What's Pampered Chef? I'm guessing it's a brand. I thought
it was a cooking show I didn't know about every time I saw
those subject headers.

Practice safe eating - always use condiments

sf said:

Quoted message said:

What's Pampered Chef? I'm guessing it's a brand. I thought
it was a cooking show I didn't know about every time I saw
those subject headers.

Nah, that's Iron Chef. ;-)

Pampered Chef is a company that sells overpriced kitchen
gadgets via multi-level-marketing home party sales.] Think
Tupperware, candles, baskets, and all the other things your
co-workers have asked you to buy at inflated prices to help
their secondary businesses become successful,
i.e. to give them more spending money at your expense.

They try to convince you that the prices are high because of
the "exceptional quality". No one mentions the many levels
of managers who get a percentage of the selling price.
That's how a $5 Target kitchen tool can sell for $40.

gloria p