It's resurfaced! Creating Keepsakes is back to sending out instructional DVD's to subscribers and requesting they either send them back or pay for them. Here's my PSA on this matter because, at least when I received mine 2 years ago, CK fails to inform you ANYWHERE of the law. Here's the law: LINK.
You neither have to pay for OR send back their DVD despite what they say. Personally, I think it's dishonest to not inform you of that - at least in small print. They are hoping that YOU don't know the law and will feel obligated to do one or the other. I feel insulted that a company would send something with the HOPE that I'm too stupid to know I don't have to do what they request. And as if the first letter with the DVD wasn't bad enough, in a couple of months, they send ANOTHER letter reminding you that you've neither paid for nor sent back their DVD and requesting AGAIN that you do one or the other.
I wonder how many women obediently coughed up their money (and therefore signed up for a subscription to these they didn't know they signed up for) OR packed their toddlers into the car to drive to the Post Office so they can stand in line for 15 minutes to mail back something they don't know they could keep? Oh, and if I remember correctly, the postage back would be at YOUR expense. At least send me a postage paid envelope if you REALLY do intend to "send it to someone else".
Really, I find it amazing that CK keeps kicking itself in the rear. They just went through the VERY damaging Hall of Fame controversy and have suffered a sharp decline in subscribers and this mailing already angered a bunch of people 2 years ago (it was the thing that made me not renew) so WHY IN THE WORLD would they do something that ticked people off AGAIN? They need to take their fingers out of their ears and LISTEN to scrappers - or at least treat us with enough respect so as to NOT assume we are stupid and blind.
Probably five years ago, I emailed CK saying that their magazine had gotten TOO complex. I mean, some woman had CROSS-STITCHED Winnie The Pooh on the border of her page. It was over-the-top. I wish I had saved their reply - it made me laugh. The reply was essentially, "We are not a magazine for EVERY DAY pages, we are a magazine to showcase those SPECIAL pages." Okay, that's not what I assumed. Why would I have a magazine subscription for something I would only do once in a great while? What's the point? It was sort of right then that the pedestal started crumbling for me. They completely jumped the shark for me with their December issue about 4 years ago when they decided that black and dark were THE Holiday scrapping trends for that year. The issue was depressingly full of dark photos with low light and black cardstock. It was the anti-thesis of the Holiday Season.
I credit CK with being one of the first magazines for the industry - but that's in the same way I credit Creative Memories for introducing scrapping to the masses. But, both of them have, at times, been horribly out of touch with their core. CM has caught up with digital scrapping (but ignored a TON of trends before that) but CK is struggling to please people right now. And, another round of DVD's isn't going to help...
You neither have to pay for OR send back their DVD despite what they say. Personally, I think it's dishonest to not inform you of that - at least in small print. They are hoping that YOU don't know the law and will feel obligated to do one or the other. I feel insulted that a company would send something with the HOPE that I'm too stupid to know I don't have to do what they request. And as if the first letter with the DVD wasn't bad enough, in a couple of months, they send ANOTHER letter reminding you that you've neither paid for nor sent back their DVD and requesting AGAIN that you do one or the other.
I wonder how many women obediently coughed up their money (and therefore signed up for a subscription to these they didn't know they signed up for) OR packed their toddlers into the car to drive to the Post Office so they can stand in line for 15 minutes to mail back something they don't know they could keep? Oh, and if I remember correctly, the postage back would be at YOUR expense. At least send me a postage paid envelope if you REALLY do intend to "send it to someone else".
Really, I find it amazing that CK keeps kicking itself in the rear. They just went through the VERY damaging Hall of Fame controversy and have suffered a sharp decline in subscribers and this mailing already angered a bunch of people 2 years ago (it was the thing that made me not renew) so WHY IN THE WORLD would they do something that ticked people off AGAIN? They need to take their fingers out of their ears and LISTEN to scrappers - or at least treat us with enough respect so as to NOT assume we are stupid and blind.
Probably five years ago, I emailed CK saying that their magazine had gotten TOO complex. I mean, some woman had CROSS-STITCHED Winnie The Pooh on the border of her page. It was over-the-top. I wish I had saved their reply - it made me laugh. The reply was essentially, "We are not a magazine for EVERY DAY pages, we are a magazine to showcase those SPECIAL pages." Okay, that's not what I assumed. Why would I have a magazine subscription for something I would only do once in a great while? What's the point? It was sort of right then that the pedestal started crumbling for me. They completely jumped the shark for me with their December issue about 4 years ago when they decided that black and dark were THE Holiday scrapping trends for that year. The issue was depressingly full of dark photos with low light and black cardstock. It was the anti-thesis of the Holiday Season.
I credit CK with being one of the first magazines for the industry - but that's in the same way I credit Creative Memories for introducing scrapping to the masses. But, both of them have, at times, been horribly out of touch with their core. CM has caught up with digital scrapping (but ignored a TON of trends before that) but CK is struggling to please people right now. And, another round of DVD's isn't going to help...
6 comments:
wow, I have just discovered your blog and I will be a regular reader from now on ... thanks! lots of great info here.
Thanks for the "warning"! I will refuse the package & return to sender ~ UNOPENED!
Yes, I got the infamous package last time, then the threatening letter when I didn't return the DVD nor cough up the $$. In the fine print somewhere, it was clear to me that I didn't really have to do either. You just have to read it. But, I agree, it's weird that they would do this again after all the backlash it caused last time, even on their own CK Message Board. Guess the $$ they make is worth it...
I will be linking this article to my blog - let's get the word out!
great and sound advice thankfully they don't do that over here (GB) yet! but i am finding that the mags here are seeming to be out of touch with me it's comforting & a little upsetting to know its happening there as well! adding you to my feeder too
thanks for the warning hope others find you too before its too late for them. seeeya hugya *G*
I blogged about this without naming the company that did it very recently because I am one of the folks who just got a DVD in the mail. I was not aware that I didn't have to mail it back or pay. The envelope they include for the mail-back, btw, is postage paid. It's still sitting here on my desk -- I haven't done anything with it and don't want the stupid thing.
But it royally irritated me. I was glad to read this post. Thanks for the info.
I don't understand how they think this is a good idea. I didn't get the original mailing 2 years ago and was not aware they'd done it before. If everyone complained last time, WHY DO IT AGAIN?
I got one too and just recently got the dreaded second letter - guess what - I tossed it!
I don't even get the CK magazine (I agree its not for the everyday scrapper)- I get another magazine that they own apparently.
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