STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Yana · Dooney & Bourke

LUcky mag giveaway winner - last update, DISAPPOINTING

Hermes

that is horrible! and the expense of getting notarized on top of it! I would contact the person that told you to resend the affidavit, and them you would like reimbursement for the two notary services you had to pay for to fruitlessly send two affidavits. ridiculous!

Boots · Gucci

That really sucks! What did the editor say when you contacted them again? That they still have no records?

I would contact them more more time and indicate that you expect more than just the prize owed to you for all the time and trouble you've put in so far. I would also mention that you frequent a shopping/clothing message board in a kind of "off handed yet will totally bad mouth Lucky all over the boards if I have to" sort of way. Some times letting them known that one little problem can create a lot of bad word of mouth for them works.

pinkkitty · BCBG

Post a message about what happened to you on Lucky's message board- on their Facebook & Twitter too. Be ruthless. Then file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and send Lucky a letter in writing. I know it's time-consuming but it will work if you don't relent. Something like this happened to me (not with Lukcy) and it took 1 year for me to get what was owed to me, but I still got it- something better, actually.

Good luck!

Yana · Dooney & Bourke

I really wanted to get out of in graciously...you know, I thought maybe not to renew the subscription. I contacted the editor TWICE, there is "contact editor online" option, so G-d only knows in which junk mailbox it'll end up - no response.
THe one who contacted me re-assuring that I need to re-send the affidavit & the prize will be sent - that was after I replied to that message announcing me a winner, which I understand isn't from Lucky but from InStyler Iron, the company that gives out the prize. He also told me that didn't see my messages, since the e-mail I replied to ( & it says, if you have problems opening up, please contact us, reply to this e-mail....) ISN'T IN USE MUCH! They check it once in a blue moon!!! So, I contacted them twice more - NOTHING!!!
It's not really about the prize, really I don't even own a hot iron for hair, never used one, but about just acknowledging the magazine reader/subscriber/member! I"m so disappointed....

Suasoria · Chanel

First of all editors rarely get involved with marketing and promotion issues, so they will be useless.

Honestly I would avoid the entire magazine staff and go to the manufacturer instead. Explain to them that you have been waiting 2 1/2 months and jumped through hoops and laid out money (for notaries)...and no product.

Tell them you are disappointed that they would do a cross-promotion with a media outlet as illegitimate as Lucky, and advise them to choose another magazine next time. Ask if they feel like "making good" on this promotion by having someone in their marketing department assist you in tracking down your missing prize. If they can't, ask them to reimburse you for the notaries.

Pinkkitty, no one from Lucky reads the Lucky message boards, so that unfortunately is no use. Lots of people post their "prize" horror stories and there's nothing anyone can do except say "well, that sucks."

NCshopper · Hermes

That sucks. But honestly, I'd let it go at this point. I wouldn't badmouth Lucky and I wouldn't threaten to either--I think it'd just make you look petty on their board and facebook site, etc. And I kind of doubt the BBB cares all that much--since you won a drawing, it's not like you paid for a product and didn't receive it--in their eyes, you didn't really lose anything.

The principle of it still sucks--you were promised something and didn't receive it--but at this point, I'd cut your losses and not invest any more time or money into chasing it down. hmm

Yana · Dooney & Bourke

Yeah, I thought so, never thought anyone from editors would pay any attention, but I"m not into threatening/trashing on any boards/facebook or any of that...Just sucks...i'm just trashing them here...:))))
Maybe Suasoria is right, it's probably not a magazine's fault, but the manufacturer, idiots...tell you to reply to e-mail that nobody checks....morons..
I was thinking of not renewing my subscription after it ends in Sep, but...what will I be left with....

Boots · Gucci

I'm known in my real life as the queen of complaint letters (I actually write them for family members when they are ticked off at a company.) And all I can say is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. You have to complain to the right people and do it in writing (not email.) Look up the magazine's corporate address and write the president a letter directly (you can also Cc Lucky's corporate office and the managing editor.) Tell exactly what happened, that you are out of pocket money for the notary and for your time and trouble. And ask for exactly what you want from them.

Believe me, the satisfaction you get from having your complaint acknowledged and reconciled is worth the letter writing.

Personally, I have only had one letter never acknowledged. Usually I get a gift certificate or at the very least a letter of apology. The only place that has ignored a letter is Ulta (hence my decision never to shop there again.)

pinkkitty · BCBG

NCshopper wrote:

That sucks. But honestly, I'd let it go at this point. I wouldn't badmouth Lucky and I wouldn't threaten to either--I think it'd just make you look petty on their board and facebook site, etc. And I kind of doubt the BBB cares all that much--since you won a drawing, it's not like you paid for a product and didn't receive it--in their eyes, you didn't really lose anything.

The principle of it still sucks--you were promised something and didn't receive it--but at this point, I'd cut your losses and not invest any more time or money into chasing it down.

BBB does "care" in that they will forward your complaint to Lucky and let Lucky know there has been a a complaint filed against them. That's all they will do. It's whether Lucky cares enough about the complaint to resolve it. The minute that company I dealt with found out a complaint had been filed against them, they called me and rectified the situation.

And no, you didn't pay for anything, but they are guilty of FALSE ADVERTISING. "Misleading ad" is a completely legitimate complaint on the BBB form.

And who cares if someone thinks you're petty or whatever? You're not. You're holding yet another multi-million dollar corporation accountable for lying to its customers.

I think Susoria is onto something- complaining to the manufacturer. The "giveaways" are deals they make w/ Lucky.

Boots is right- you have to complain to the RIGHT PEOPLE. I wrote a letter (not email, like she said) to both CEOs, and it was only after that and my complaint to the BBB that I got results.

-- Edited by pinkkitty on Monday 20th of July 2009 12:55:49 PM

Yana · Dooney & Bourke

Well, now you got me all fired up! I"ll start with the e-mail complaint to the manufacturer ( to that famous e-mail checked once in the blue moon) & then if nothing yet AGAIN, I'll write to the magazine! I have to fill up those hours I sit at home in this terrible heat....
THANX ladies for your support, really, I felt petty for complaining, but I'm happy that I have someone to share it with! THANX!

pinkkitty · BCBG

Boots wrote:
Personally, I have only had one letter never acknowledged. Usually I get a gift certificate or at the very least a letter of apology. The only place that has ignored a letter is Ulta (hence my decision never to shop there again.)

Boots, that is so funny. I've only written a few letter of complaints, and one of the two that was ignored was from Ulta as well!! What did you complain to them about? I complained that they had this coupon, and the disclaimer said, "Excludes Prestige products." Well, it turns out like 99% of the products they carry, even though they are different brands, the brands are owned by Prestige or some bs like that. Even Vincent Longo, which I was about to purchase until the annoyingly unhelpful saleslady said Vincent Longo was a "Prestige product." Yes, VL which makes the $50 Water Canvas foundation, owned by Prestige, which puts their name on 99-cent eyeliner pencils. Anyway, I complained that it was completely misleading because how is a normal customer to know that a product is "owned" by Prestige when "Prestige" is nowhere to be found on the packaging? The saleslady's idiotic answer was, "We will tell you" to which I responded, "Yeah, after you've LURED us into your store with coupon that's of no practical use." Anyway, they never acknowledged my letter of complaint. I too will never shop there again!

Boots · Gucci

pinkkitty wrote:

Boots wrote:
Personally, I have only had one letter never acknowledged. Usually I get a gift certificate or at the very least a letter of apology. The only place that has ignored a letter is Ulta (hence my decision never to shop there again.)

Boots, that is so funny. I've only written a few letter of complaints, and one of the two that was ignored was from Ulta as well!! What did you complain to them about? I complained that they had this coupon, and the disclaimer said, "Excludes Prestige products." Well, it turns out like 99% of the products they carry, even though they are different brands, the brands are owned by Prestige or some bs like that. Even Vincent Longo, which I was about to purchase until the annoyingly unhelpful saleslady said Vincent Longo was a "Prestige product." Yes, VL which makes the $50 Water Canvas foundation, owned by Prestige, which puts their name on 99-cent eyeliner pencils. Anyway, I complained that it was completely misleading because how is a normal customer to know that a product is "owned" by Prestige when "Prestige" is nowhere to be found on the packaging? The saleslady's idiotic answer was, "We will tell you" to which I responded, "Yeah, after you've LURED us into your store with coupon that's of no practical use." Anyway, they never acknowledged my letter of complaint. I too will never shop there again!

Very similar to my complaint! I had level 2 or 3 (can't remember) on the points program and was supposed to be able to use it to get any "salon product up to $10." Well I search the entire salon section and found exactly 1 product under $10.00 (it was a travel shampoo) So I tried to use the points to get something from the regular hair section. They refused to do it at the counter, even though the sales person and the manager couldn't find anything to use the points on in the salon section either. Then the manager told me that I should use it to take $10 off of something in the salon section. So instead of getting something free, I had to use it to give them more money? I wrote to the corporate offices and sent in my points certificate in with it. I felt like it was a bait & switch scenario.

I actually feel justified in my Ulta dislike now that I know they have a history of ignoring customer complaints.

-- Edited by Boots on Tuesday 21st of July 2009 02:27:14 PM