What A Slacker!

Don’t Use Cash at Spencer Gifts They Suck

Add comment June 26th, 2008

OMG! I will never, ever, ever (and might I add ever) buy anything from a Spencer’s Gifts store again, I picked up a toy for a friend the other day and it turns out he no longer needed it so I went to return it.

Check out this scam, they will no longer give you your cash back. I had no idea they had changed their policy to something so ridiculous. (Tiny sign in the store was hidden behind junk on their counter.) Maybe they are heading toward bankruptcy like Sharper Image. So I guess the next thing Spencer’s will try to pull on me is telling me my store credit in the form of the gift card (they forced on me) is no longer valid.

Really what kind of rip off is this? I paid in cash I should be allowed to get cash back. I would understand if I was returning something that was used or opened, but the toy was unopened mint in package with the receipt!

When a company reduces their customer service to zero it is usually a sign they aren’t doing well and could care less if you ever come back. I for one will never set foot in another Spencer’s Gifts since they in essence stole my twenty bucks.

So I beg of you do not buy anything from this rude retailer. But if you have to be sure to pay with your credit card so you can get your money back or at the very least issue a charge back on the card when they refuse to give you your money back.

Now I am stuck with twenty dollars credit at a store I never wish to set foot in again. Maybe I should sell it on ebay with a full explanation as to why it is for sale for less than the value along with a warning about buying from Spencer’s at all. Even if it does not sell at least I will get people to notice how stupid a no cash refunds policy is for a big company like Spencer’s Gifts is.

OMG They Should Be Called PainPerPost

Add comment May 29th, 2008

PayPerPost is a really good way to make a few extra bucks each day writing sponsored posts, but sometimes they can be a BIG pain in the butt. I recently wrote a really great post about something I feel passionately about and just because I link my post to the companies and products involved in the legal case PPP decided it was a sponsored post. Well guess what? It was not!

The post entitled The Litter Box Wars: LitterMaid vs SmartScoop is completely my content and not sponsored (although I would have liked a 500 word article to have been sponsored it was not). I completely adhered to their rules that “each PayPerPost post must be immediately preceded and immediately followed by at least one non-sponsored, original content post”. (Duh, did that!) Yet they won’t pay me for the sponsored post I did for them.

Maybe they need to take another look at the post. Or maybe we bloggers aren’t allowed to have an actual opinion unless they are dictating it to us? This lawsuit is against a company that I admire and I feel strongly about. So strong in fact, that I took it upon myself to utilize SocialSpark.com to help get the word out via a BlogUBack Spark on the site. Now I am left wondering if they will pull my blog Spark from that site? Are we not allowed to get people to help us fight the fight through their system? We’ll have to wait and see.

Oh and for the record this post was not endorsed by PPP in any way shape or form (just in case they try to pull this same crap on me for my next “job” with them.

The Litter Box Wars: Littermaid vs SmartScoop

Add comment May 28th, 2008

Littermaid vs SmartScoop - it is the self-scooping litter box wars I’m talking about not a review of the expensive cat boxes. (But if you want my opinion the SmartScoop wins the review hands down so lets hope they win the legal battle too.)

For a quick run down OurPets, a company that makes great pet products introduced a self-scooping litter box, the SmartScoop last year and the makers of the Littermaid box, Salton, Inc. felt the need to squash any competition before word got out that they don’t really care about pets they just want your money over and over again.

OurPet’s was founded in 1995 by Dr. Steve Tsengas with the goal of promoting pet health, well-being and owner & pet interaction. [taken from OurPets.com]

While Salton, Inc. and its subsidiaries are leading marketers and distributors of a broad range of branded small household appliances. Salton markets and distributes small kitchen and home appliances, pet and pest products, and personal care products. [take from Salton’s website]

Which of these companies do you think has your cat’s best interests in mind and which one do you think is only out to make a quick buck? If the company’s mission statements alone don’t convince you maybe you need to take a look at the products themselves.

The SmartScoop as a large litter area it is two inches longer than the Littermaid’s usable area, which is rather important if you have a huge cat like mine. The SmartScoop is also a little higher, which can reduce the litter scattering from your cat’s digging.

The SmartScoop has a much less expensive waste bag to replace over the Littermaids plastic containers. Which raises the whole environmental issue. SmartScoops bags are biodegradable Littermaids are not (nor are they recyclable, but who would want to clean them out to recycle them any way?).

The most noticeable differences lie in the motor and the fact that it is outside of the box and removable on the SmartScoop not on the Littermaid. Which one do you think is easier to clean? I’ll tell you from experience, the SmartScoop! Since the motor is removable it is also replaceable too. That’s right if the motor goes bad you can replace just that part not the entire box.

OurPets stands behind their products, does Salton? I don’t think so. A friend of mine had gone through 2 Littermaid boxes in two years yet she could not get them repaired or replaced through the company. She finally gave up on self-scooping boxes as her experience with the Littermaid has soured her to any automatic box even one of superior quality like the SmartScoop.

This brings me to the costs. These boxes are not cheap, especially when you have to replace the entire box a $200 a pop. The SmartScoop retails for around $150 and the replacement costs are much less than that. Supplies for the SmartScoop are much more cost effective too.

As you can see the SmartScoop wins that battle but can it win the war? Maybe with our help the little guy can come out on top. Spread the word, let your congressman know how you feel about the waste of money and resources this type of litigation can be, above all else express your opinion to Salton and ask them why they are so afraid of a little market place competition. If they are as good as they think they are they should welcome some competition.

Besides I thought a person or company could improve on a current invention or patent and then claim the patent on the new and improved item (at least that’s what the infomercials tell me). So how can they really claim an infringement unless the product is exactly the same? Personally, I think they are over reacting and should go sell George Foreman Grills and forget the lawsuit, which will cost them more then if they simply welcomed the competition. Perhaps someone in their corporate offices did not do the math right or maybe they can simply throw away 1.5 million in the hopes of saving a half million dollars from a little healthy competition. Heck, if they have that much money why not throw some my way? Or better yet replace my friend’s boxes!

Boris says: What’s All The Fuss Over A Place to Poop any way?

Please Ban Newspapers In Public Places

Add comment January 6th, 2008

We need to enact a ban of newspapers in public places. They are just too big and violate other personal spaces on buses, trains, planes, and even in waiting rooms. They just should not be allowed in crowded public areas. Sitting in a full waiting room I was constantly being nudged and annoyed by the person next to me as they flipped through their paper with no thought to the person 2 inches away from them. It is even worse on a plane. The last time I flew some where I was next to this guy who first of all showed how annoyed he was to be next to me then proceeded to fully open is paper over both his plane seat and mine! He was on the aisle but he just had to stick his paper right in front of me. Man I hate middle seats on a plane.

The average seat is about 15 inches and the average newspaper is almost twice that. How can someone reading a paper in public help but aggravate the person next to them? There would not be a need for a ban if the average human being was considerate enough not to push their paper into the face of the person next to them, but they are not.

Heck, a magazine is even pushing it in closer quarters, so please think before you spread your wings completely. The person next to you might want to read the same thing you are.

Warning to Accident Victims

Add comment January 5th, 2008

If you are the victim of an automobile accident in the state of Pennsylvania do not go to CVS pharmacy to get your prescriptions filled. They will fill your prescriptions. I found this out the hard way.

Last night when I took my prescription in and asked if they could bill my auto insurance due to an MVA the girl behind the counter didn’t even pause then she simply said CVS does not bill auto insurance and as she handed my prescription sheet back to me she said she could not even fill the prescription now that she knew it was because of a car accident.

According to her it is against CVS policy to even fill a prescription if it is for a car accident. Can you believe that? I could not! I did not get any further explanation that night I was just sent away without my Rx.

I called CVS the next day and they confirmed that due to some law in PA CVS will not fill accident related prescriptions. I still do not know what that law is, but I do know other pharmacies will still take your money when CVS won’t. So if you live in PA and find yourself injured in a car accident stay away from CVS pharmacies they won’t help you. In fact why not stay away any way? I know I won’t ever go back even though they added five dollars to my rewards card. It will never be used at least not by me.

Can We Start Testing Drivers Please

Add comment January 4th, 2008

Coming home tonight I was cut off yet again. A few days ago a big black Dodge pickup tried to share my lane with me. I was in the passing lane trying to go around him. Guess I did not go fast enough and perhaps I was in his blind spot. I don’t know. All I do know is he started coming over and would have smashed me against the concrete median had I not slammed on my brakes. Lucky for me nothing was behind me at least not tailgating me that is. So no accident.

Tonight I basically relived that experience. I’m on the highway in the right-hand lane when a black jeep in the passing lane decides it needs to exit. The driver can’t slow down and let me pass. No, She has to come over and try to take out my front end. I could not slow down quickly this time so I had to put up with her sharing my lane twice as she tried to push me out of her way so she could get to the exit. When She finally gets in front of me she drives half in our lane and half on the shoulder. Quite honestly I don’t think she knew how to drive. Someone needs to stop her before she hurts someone namely me! I am starting to think that all drivers should be required to pass a driver’s test every five years before they can have their license renewed.

Take the Phone Away From Your Ear and Pay Attention

Add comment January 3rd, 2008

Get off the freaking phone people! Why do people think their phone conversations are more important than their own safety and the safety of others? The dangers are everywhere from people driving while talking to walking out in front of moving vehicles.

Many states have already made it illegal to use your cell while driving. Wish they would include hands-free headset talking in those laws as well. Even though they are not holding the phone in their hands their brains are not on the driving. I see people driving too slow for traffic, swerving into other lanes and almost rear-ending other drivers all the time. I really hope that Pennsylvania enacts a no cell phone law soon.

I believe NY has even made it illegal to cross the street while using a cell phone. Not a bad idea. Heck, just the other day I was pulling out of my parking spot and out of nowhere this guy on his phone punches the back of my car. I had looked both directions and directly behind me before starting to back out. He should have seen my car was moving and the reverse lights before stepping behind my car. But the idiot was too busy talking on his phone to be aware of his surroundings and of what was going on. I am glad I did not actually hit him, but it would have served him right for not paying attention.

I even believe that our recent accident was caused by the other driver using his phone and not paying attention to what he was doing behind the wheel when he made that left hand turn right in front of us. If I could prove that I would be suing his ass.