A Toys R Us Exchange

ME:
Hello. I am writing to you about a recent experience I had with the Toys R Us store in Nanuet. I was there last night and was treated quite rudely by a supervisor. I paid with my purchase with 2 manufacturer's coupons and then a gift card. The supervisor had rung me up and when I reviewed the receipt, I noticed she had entered in a wrong coupon amount. Instead of a $10 off coupon and a $20 off coupon, she entered in two $10 off coupons, leaving out $10. I went back to her and she grumbled and sighed as if her carelessness was MY problem! She deliberately made everything take twice as long so I should have to waste even more time there. I was very displeased. Additionally, I had purchased two helium balloons and the woman blew them up. One balloon was filled with air completely, while the other was clearly missing air. When I asked her politely if she can please fill it all the way, she says "Ma'am, the machine stops automatically." First of all, that is bogus. Second, if the machine stops by itself, why would the first balloon be filled to the correct capacity, while the second one (same size balloon) not be? When I asked her to please try to fill it more because I am sending this balloons out of town, she said ok and she sighed and scowled some more. That is no way to treat a customer and I was left with a bad taste.

TOYS R US REP:
(long boring part omitted) On behalf of Toys “R” Us, please accept our sincere apologies for the difficulties you encountered regarding the associates behavior. Clearly, the lack of service and general disregard you received from our store staff is unacceptable. Be assured, the “R” Us Family does not condone this behavior and we take these matters seriously. We would like to assure you that your concerns have been forwarded to the appropriate individuals for review. They will deal directly with your local store team to ensure that your concerns are addressed and handled appropriately.

In order to escalate this to are head courters I will need you to provide me the city and state where store is located. I greatly apologize for the behavior you have witnessed, which was completely beyond uncalled for. I also wanted to take the time to apologize for the delayed response. Thank you for your time and patience in this matter. (rest of boring part omitted)

ME:
It's this store: (address omitted).

TOYS R US REP:
Thank you for your response, I have located the correct store due to your help. I will be documenting your concerns and your bad experience to our head courters for appropriate action to take place. Thank you very much for your voice in this matter!

ME:
No compensation or anything?

TOYS R US REP:
I would be more than happy to replace the $10 dollars for you. In order to send you a $10 Gift card I will need you to provide me with your physical address. Thank you for your time and patience.

A new Keurig brewer for me!

We've had a Keurig Special Edition coffee brewer for about 2 years and we use very often (i.e. at least 5 times a day). Last week the brewer just stopped brewing so we called Keurig and they said they'll replace the item immediately (a $150 value), provided that once we receive the new product we will send back a small part from the defective model to prove that it's damaged. On Friday UPS delivered a brand new updated model of our brewer.

Devorah's Experience

My friend Devorah sent this email to Safety First when she experienced problems with one of their products:

I purchased the stove knob covers and am very satisfied with it. It's so great. They are easy to put on and they're made in a way that I can open it simply but my curious toddler is still unable to open them to reach the oven knobs no matter how hard he tries. I was surprised when recently, one and then a second knob cover broke. I thought they were made in a way that they are heat-resistant and wouldn't break that quickly. They should be able to handle the normal wear and tear of being opened and closed regularly. However, both of them broke at the hinges. Is there any way I can get new ones? I believe that a product coming from a company as reputable as yours should last more than just a year and a half. If this product is made to keep children and toddlers away from the oven, it needs to be strong enough to handle regular use of being opened and closed every couple of days. Please respond at your earliest convenience. Thank you.

She then got this response:

Thank you for contacting Dorel Juvenile Group Consumer Relations. We apologize for any delay in answering your email. I do apologize that you have had some issues recently with your oven locks. Technically this type of product has a 90 day warranty with a receipt. If you purchased this product a year and a half ago, there would be no warranty left on this item. Do you have a receipt showing the purchase of these oven locks? Even if you are outside of the 90 day time frame, we can see what options are available for you with a receipt.

Luckily Devorah bought them from Amazon so all she had to do was find the order and send the confirmation to the company. Once received, they replied:

Thank you for contacting Dorel Juvenile Group Consumer Relations. We apologize for any delay in answering your email. We have ordered a new set of stove knob covers for you at no charge. Please let us know if you have not received them in 5 to 9 business days.

A success story if I ever saw one.

Beyond Google Offers

Have you ever bought a deal on Google Offers? Their daily deals are similar to Groupon, Jewpon, Plum District, and all those other daily-deal sites I can't keep track of anymore. Basically, you pay X and you get X + Y. Or in non-math terms: pay $5 for a $10 giftcard, pay $20 for $50 worth of services, etc. Amounts vary per deal.

Anyway, if you're like me and you find a deal for a store you usually frequent, you buy the deal. But they come with an expiration date - GRRRR! So one find day back in December, I bought a $10 for $20 worth of stuff at Toys R Us, through Google Offers. I love toys! Two weeks ago I noticed that I had never yet used my deal and it expires April 15th! So April 15th shows up and I have NO idea what I want, but I do have an idea...

I add a $20 Toys R Us gift card to my cart and proceed to check out. I enter in the $20 off code and VOILA! It actually works on gift cards! Gift cards never expire so I can decide what I want whenever I'm in the mood. Btw, 99% of coupon codes and deal codes don't work on gift cards. So it pays to try it when you've got nothing else to lose.

Create-a-discount

I walked into a toy store last week hoping to find something exciting. I noticed a display of toys on a 50% off shelf so I naturally gravitated towards that part of the store. On the bottom shelf I see a torn, dented box of Lego City. I bend down to assess the damage and decide it's not so bad. It doesn't even look like there's that much missing from the actual Legos. I was with a friend so I told her to leave the store if she'll get embarrassed by what I plan to do next. She laughs and moves to the side while I walk up to the checkout counter with this bashed-up box of Lego. I explain to the man that this is really damaged but I would consider buying it if he can give me a discount on them. He's like "Yeah, it looks bad so I'll give it to you for cheaper." Before he can think of anything, I blurt out, "I'll take it for $5!" Let's bear in mind that Lego City sets like these run about $40, so if it was in the half-off bin, it would be about $20. To my pure delight, the guy says OK! So I walked out with a $40 box of Lego for 87.5% off! When I got home I saw that only about 5 actual Lego pieces were missing. Nobody's gonna notice.

Glaceau Vitamin Schtick

Here we have a lip balm scented to match the actual tastes of Vitamin Water! They really resemble each other, as far as my keen sense of smell is telling me. These were introduced about 3 years ago to the public (before that time they weren't available for purchase, just to people who contacted customer service and happened to receive them like I did in 2008). Anyway, I'm beginning to think that they've stopped production of these since I don't see them in the stores I used to find them at (i.e. Walgreens, Shoprite). Last week, the only decent online stores to carry them were Drugstore.com and Amazon. I chose to purchase at Drugstore.com since I was able to make use of my ShopRunner privileges and receive these in 2 days, without paying for shipping.

PROS:

• They smell delicious.
• The texture is a creamy, non-opaque stick that glides on smoothly like Vaseline.
• You never get chapped lips if you apply it in the morning and at night.
• They have a hidden use (explained below).
• Last a long time.

CONS:

• Hard to find.
• They come sold in packs of 3 that don't necessarily include the flavors you want.
• Not very cheap ($6.99 for a 3-pack) as opposed to other brands of scented lip balm.

So what's the hidden use? This may shock you, but I have tested this and it worked. Behold, the Vitamin Schtick can be used as HAND SALVE! Yes! Here's what happened: Last week I was at work and needed a chapped skin remedy immediately as my hands were all cracked (I don't know how it happened overnight). All I had with me was some of this stuff. Since I had about 1 use-worth left in the tube, I figured I'll try that on my hands. It glided on perfectly and best of all, my fingertips stayed clean (you know how greasy your fingertips get after applying a salve?). I used it like I'd use a glue stick. My skin felt so moisturized and rejuvenated afterwards, and pleasantly scented (not strong like other hand products). I just suggest you use a separate one for hands and lips :)

Shipping Reviews

I'd like to talk about the shipping quality of different online stores. It might actually change your mind about where you shop!

• Amazon: there are different shipping speeds, availability depending on whether you have Prime or not. Student Prime is easy to get if you have a .edu address (once the year is up and your Student Prime term is up, start a new Amazon account and use your .edu address once again!). Free trials are often available as well. Amazon has free 2-day shipping with Prime purchases and free 3-5 day shipping if your standard un-Prime order is at least $25. 2-day shipping comes with UPS, 3-5 day shipping with USPS (and sometimes UPS). Tracking numbers are always sent to you upon shipment. 
• Endless.com: Free 2-day shipping on everything but some items will ship overnight (new styles, and other shoes). It will show up on your Review Order page.
• Oldnavy.com, Gap.com, etc.: Free shipping on orders of at least $50. If your order is less than that, you can easily bump it up by adding an expensive item and then returning the unnecessary stuff to the store. Shipping can take a few days.
• AE.com (American Eagle): Free 2-day shipping with ShopRunner. They very often have free shipping events that last a few days or more, so it's best to wait a bit. Otherwise, orders of $100 or more ship free. You can do the same thing as you would with Old Navy or GAP but there's more to lay out in this case. There's also free returns via ShopRunner, or you can return it whenever you want at a store.
• Tommy.com (Tommy Hilfiger): Shipping is free for orders over $150 and they hardly ever have free shipping deals. I usually wait for a really amazing discount and then the $7.50 shipping cost is justified. They package items very nicely and shipping is quick.
• Landsend.com: they always have free shipping codes. I've made at least 30 orders there in my lifetime and never once paid for shipping. Returns can be easily done at a Sears whenever you want. The free shipping, however, can take over a week to arrive.
• Shoebuy.com: Everything ships free but it can take about a week for your stuff to arrive. The packaging isn't spectacular so sometimes the shoe box itself may come dented (not everyone minds).

Crayola's Customer Service

I've had many interactions with the customer service folks at Crayola, and each of them was very pleasant. Crayola really stands by their products and will refund you one hundred percent if anything goes wrong. I've had the tips of jumbo crayons snap off when falling from the table, markers that dried out while capped, and black markers that weren't truly black. Each time I called to voice my concern, Crayola was glad to send me reimbursement coupons so I can buy a new product in the store. And they were so happy to help. They wouldn't just send me a coupon in an envelope like any other company would do, but instead they sent me a colorful card with an apology and wish for "a colorful future"!

I decided payback was due so here's what I did. I recently found a slick deal for the Crayola Glow Station, which is a very unique and highly fun toy. The list price is $39.99 but I paid about $7 for it on Amazon once (as of today it's $14.99 there). Anyway, we pulled it out for the kids to play last night. By the way, the toy is exceptionally enjoyable for all ages over 4. I decided to make a video describing the various things you can do with the product, and here it is:

I figured I'll send this as an appreciation email to Crayola. I did, and later today I received a reply from them that read:

Thank you for sharing your video with us!  I am happy to learn that you enjoy using the Crayola(R) Glow Station On the Go.  Our company receives hundreds of letters and e-mails each week.  Most are inquiries for product information.  Few people take the time to write and share their thoughts and experiences with us.We appreciate your contact and are sending several complimentary cents-off Crayola product coupons.  You can expect to receive the mailing within 12 business days...

UPDATE: You've go to hear just how cool Crayola is! They did not send me "cents-off" coupons, oh no! They sent me a $10 off and $20 off coupon that I can use on any Crayola product!

Powerstep Orthotics

Not every story I have ends happily and lucratively. Here's one example of a complaint that met a dead end. Last winter I bought Powerstep orthotics (shoe inserts) for my EMU boots because, as I said in my EMU review, they have zero arch support. These blue orthotics (I bought the Pinnacle model) feel really comfortable and padded. Underneath the foamy padding is a strong metal arch that supports the foot nicely. I was quite happy with them until one day I noticed the top material lining was beginning to peel. After about two weeks, the inserts were totally peeled up for about a half inch. I just cut off the loose flappy piece of material and tried to ignore the annoying feeling. Then the boot season ended.

I pulled them out again for this season's EMUs and re-noticed the peeling orthotics. I sent the company an email telling them what happened and upon learning that I got them last year, the woman was totally unwilling to help me. She claimed that while they do guarantee their products, complaining about it a year later isn't going to cut it. Maybe she's right.

Now I know that when I'm not happy with a product, don't wait until the next season to deal with it. Email or call as soon as you notice a problem.

Staples $15 off $15

There's a deal going now, as I write this. Load your Staples.com cart with at least $15.01 worth of products and then enter the coupon code 25172 which deducts $15 off your order! Then, choose the site to store shipping method so you don't need to pay anything. I've just completed three orders that included: Crayola color pencils, Pilot G2 pens, paper trimmer, and paper clips (as a slick filler). That's over $45 worth of stuff, for about $3. An awesome day.

Ukala Sydney High boot

Pros:

• Very good quality suede that feels thick and smooth.
• The merino wool lining doesn't make your feet feel hot.
• Depending on time and place, they may be stylish.
• Much cheaper than very similar UGG boots.
• The sole is made of a very lightweight foam so you don't have to expend extra energy while walking. It's also very smooth and has no grip.

Cons:

• The sole is lightweight, but it looks like the type that will erode quickly.
• The fur sticks to your legwear for quite a while until it becomes matted down.
• There is a seam running down the back that will eventually dig into your foot once the fur becomes thinner.
• There is absolutely no arch support.
• Although they're called "high" the reach to about 4 inches below the knee. 
• The pink logo patch on the back is kind of tacky and childish.

As you must have read, I got these boots as replacements for the original EMU boots that became defective. Ukala Sydney is a new line of boots under the EMU brand. The boots definitely look nice, but they lack some basic features (e.g. an arch, smooth seams inside, heaver sole with more traction). They're not very practical either since they're made of seude which stains very easily. I recommend using a suede leather protector (spray) to prevent snow and snow-salt from leaving white marks (that don't come off, no matter what you do). In short, they're really not worth $79. As a free boot, sure, but otherwise no way.

What's the deal with a free trial?

If a company wants to sneak money out of you, probably the best way would be to offer you a free trial. You sign up with your credit card information, receive 14 days or 30 days of some premium service which may or may not be worth it, and then you cancel before you actually get charged. But what's if you forget to cancel? You get charged some enormous fee like $79. That's how they make money. There is absolutely no argument you can stand on if they charge you because you don't cancel. They make it even easier for themselves by this oh-so-nifty feature called "auto-upgrade" -- let your account upgrade to the paid membership without you lifting a finger! How cool is that?

Uh, not so cool. So what I suggest is this: Do sign up for free-trials whenever you want, but set yourself an alert/reminder on your phone, computer or other device (or a paper calendar) so you don't forget to undo the membership. If there's an auto-upgrade feature, turn it off. If they ask "are you really really really sure you want to turn off auto-upgrade" just say "yes I'm very very very sure."

So why sign up for these free trials if you will anyway cancel them? Two reasons:

1. You get a taste of that premium service (e.g. free two-day shipping, access to more features, unlimited whatevers).
2. Once you're in their system, you're more likely to receive more promotions. Now read below to see what happened to me.

Last year I was buying college textbooks on borders.com because they usually have excellent coupons that work on textbooks (most bookstores have coupons, but very few allow theirs to work on textbooks). My order was below the minimum required to receive free shipping, but I noticed a green running-man icon with a message on the side: Receive free 2-day shipping. Learn more! I click it and discover something called ShopRunner, which is a service that offers you free 2-day shipping for several stores, but you pay some huge amount each year for it ($79 -- which is still wayyyy more than the price of all my orders per year shipped). They do offer a 30-day free trial, so I signed up. I made sure to cancel before I was charged. 

A few weeks ago I got an email from ShopRunner saying something like "Oh, we miss you, come back back for a free full year on us!" I never would have received that had I not done the 30-day trial first! So now my freinds, family members and I are happily using ShopRunner (free 2-day shipping) at all sorts of stores like Toys R Us, American Eagle, Borders, etc. 

What's so cool about ShopRunner besides for the free shipping aspect? Many times, if you have a promotional code, it works for EITHER free shipping or a percentage/dollar amount off. Not both. But if you have ShopRunner, and the promo is for 40% off, you can get the best of both worlds.

Be a dope, it's fine!

Sometimes it really pays to act like a dope. Like you don't know anything. Immature, slow, stupid, foreign etc. These tactics work. Here's how to apply them to certain situations:

Remember my Amazon promotional credit story? So my account's got around $18 in promotional credit as of today. Their credit is divided into different categories and you can get promotions in either one or several of them. I have the $18 in each category, one of them being "Kindle editions". This means you can use the credit to buy e-books readable on Kindles and many other devices. I wanted to get an e-book version of a book that only was published electronically so I figured I can use my promos, right? Wrong. Apparently, as I later found out, the credit works only on e-books sold by Amazon, not by another publisher. Of course I only find out after I was charged.

They don't give you any "review your order" page when you buy e-books so I was charged as soon as I hit the Buy button, which isn't cool if you asked me. I get a charge for $3.99 instead of $0! I contacted them immediately and they explained that the book has to be sold by Amazon for me to be able to use the credit. After explaining, I donned my dopey mask.

Me: But I didn't know this before buying the book!
Him: Ok, so I can cancel your order if you'd like and you won't be charged.
Me: But see, so now I have $18 in credits and I never buy e-books so what am I going to use it on? I was hoping to use some of it now!
Him: I'm sorry ma'am blah blah blah policies blah blah blah. I can cancel your order if you'd like.
Me: Aww, so now I'm gonna be left with tons of promotional credit? (as if that's a bad thing)
Him: Let me contact the supervisor...
(supervisor shows up to the chatroom)
Sup: I can cancel your order if you don't want to be charged. (yeah, I know)
Me: But can you maybe refund me the $3.99 and then deduct it from my promotional credit?
Sup: What I can do is credit you the $3.99.

Conclusion: I am left with an e-book that cost me $0, without digging into my credit stash.

An EMU interaction

First, it's pronounced EEM-yoo. EMU is a manufacturer for all kinds of stuff like suede jackets and wool boots. Their boots look much like the UGG-style boots, but they're slightly cheaper. I bought a pear of  them last winter, retail price $99. I paid $79.20, but that's another story. A lot happened since then but basically I had issues with them. Here is the first email I sent to EMU: 

Last winter I bought the Women's Nelly Boot in black suede. I wore it maybe 15 times and I am extremely disappointed with what happened. You see, there is a hard seam running down the whole back of the boot, from the inside. The fur lining covers that but if you press your finger onto the fur, you can definitely feel that thick seam. After wearing it a few times, the lining (the white puffy fur/wool) became more matted down (which, I was told, is normal) and now the seam is totally coming through. It's so uncomfortable and the seam is digging straight into the back of my foot and giving me red bruises. This is not what I expected when I shelled out over $90 for "quality" boots. Something is wrong here. It's winter season again and I would have definitely bought another pair had this not happened. Now I'm stuck with uncomfortable and unwearable boots which have no use. Please tell me what can be done about that. 

After TWO weeks I get a reply saying that I need to officially fill in this whole complicated-looking claim form. The form had me provide pertinent and not-so-pertinent information, along with several photographs of the boots, the soles, and the area that has the problem. Ever try sticking a 18-55mm lens down the shaft of a boot to the heal? It doesn't work. I had to roll the boot shaft down and then use my feet and hands to keep it in place while I shot the picture. I completed the form and sent it back with my photos. A week later, which was today, I receive a nice email that totally overjoyed me: We have reviewed your case. Unfortunately, we no longer manufacture this product. We will be sending a replacement of similar value today.

That's no problem for me! She then sent me a link with a picture of the new boots and I must say they're quite acceptable. More than acceptable even. I can't wait to receive them! What do we learn from this, readers? Complaining gets you someplace, when you do it right :)

Another meaning of "ask"

Remember when I asked you all to ASK ASK ASK? Well, that referred to asking for refunds, discounts, etc. But here's another reason why you should exercise your right to ask. Ever been to a store where they had like every brand of the product you wanted, just not the one you were looking for? For an educated consumer like me and yourself, I can imagine you becoming frustrated. Especially when you have a coupon for Brand A and all the store carries is Brands B, C, D, E all the way through Z. Just our luck!

My goal was to purchase a leather conditioner and cleaner to use on my new Coach watch (that sports a white patent leather strap). I had researched the problem of "dye transfer", which basically refers to that ugly phenomena where colors of clothing seep into leather and make it their home. I had that happen to my Coach shoulder bag and it wasn't pretty, but at least it was only on the back of the bag, the part that hugs my hips. I didn't want this to happen to my white watch strap so I read online what can be done about it. Many people on the forums I read recommended two products by Apple Brand, a conditioner and a cleaner.

So I went to the shoe repair shop where they sell these leather care products. They had every type of item imaginable but of course no Apple Brand cleaner or conditioners. I asked the man if he carries them at all, and if so, when he will get them in. He told me that he doesn't sell this particular brand, "But you know what? My salesman is coming tomorrow at noon so if you let me know what products you want, I'll have him get them for me... and I'll give you a nice discount." Just what I wanted to hear. So I went online and found the product information for him. I hope to visit there soon and find the item!

Buy first, look last.

Of course you're supposed to first look at the price, and then buy (or don't, if you choose not to). But sometimes, the opposite order works to your advantage. When?

Lots of sites these days have a "lightning deal" feature (I borrowed the term from Amazon). These are deals that are available for a very short time only, but at a pretty good discount. Sometimes an amazing discount. Obviously, everyone rushes to buy them so by the time you've finished deliberating whether you want it or not, it's gone. And that shouldn't be happening to you.

What I suggest is this: Once you find out a deal is in the horizon, keep the page on which the deal will be displayed open in your browser, before the deal is available for purchase. If you know when the deal will occur, excellent. If not, refresh periodically. Amazon, for one, shows a countdown timer near the mystery item so you know when to be prepared. Then, as soon as the deal is announced, CLICK THE BUY BUTTON! Don't worry, you will still get to review your payments and stuff later. If you don't click Buy, the item will not be in your cart.

Once it's in your cart, most sites will not pull it out again, but just in case, hurry through the sign-in and checkout process. There will always be a page for you to review your order and hit "submit". Now is when you can think! Think if you want the item, if it's valuable to you, and if the sale price is worth it. Sometimes, the deal may appear awesome, but it isn't really. So double-check.

Once completed, there's just one more thing you ought to do: gloat.

Back again... with an Amazon success story!

Hi, I'm back after a pretty long hiatus. Anyway, lots has happened... I'm not sure what to say first!

Let me begin with a recent story, one that happened last week Thursday. Sometime during October I received an alert from Slickdeals.net announcing an Amazon MP3 $2 Promotional Code giveaway which anyone can earn just by tweeting a message. Of course I snatched up the opportunity. I watched as the $2 was added to my account. I then bought a song that cost $.99 and waited for the email receipt to show up in my inbox. When you redeem a song credit, the receipt total would normally show $0.00. This time, however, I noticed that they actually charged me for the 99 cents!

I immediately phoned customer service to find out what on earth happened there. Julie had no idea what was going on but she did assure me that she will credit my credit card for 99 cents. That works, and I hung up satisfied. The next day I wanted to download another song and I see that the rest of my Amazon MP3 credit is gone! I called them again and the John said he will give me a $2 promotional code that will expire in 2020. Great!

This Thursday I figured I'll redeem the two songs and my credit shows $0.00!!! What is wrong with their system?? It can't seem to hold on to my promotions! I called up a third time and spoke with I-forgot-who and really told her how frustrated I am. I can't seem to download a single thing because my promotions are vanishing faster than iPads on their release date. I was on the phone with her for like 7 minutes while I explained to her that I deserve some sort of remuneration for the frustration I had to experience. She understood, and then gave me $7 into every digital Amazon section: Kindle, MP3, Software, Apps for Android, and Instant Video! Plus, $7 in regular promotions that can be used to purchase any non-digital item sold by Amazon. So, in essence, I pulled $42 with minimal effort... all from a $2 promotion that went awry. Moral of the story: ASK ASK ASK for compensation. And be willing to stay on the phone for a while.

A limerick about cashback

I love splurging—but not at full price! 
So, a store that gives cashback is nice.
Using money I'll earn
From the sprees, I'll return
To that store and buy more in a trice.

Return of the Bath & Body Works hand sanitizers

A while ago I posted a review on the Bath and Body Works hand sanitizers (like Purell). I decided to revisit it today because of an experience that happened today.

I was in the supermarket today and picked up a chicken. When I touched it, I felt wetness on the outside of the wrapping. Of course that grossed me out because it might have been raw chicken juice (e.g. E. Coli, salmonella, etc.). I whip out my B&BW sanitizer from my purse (the scent was called Rockin' Cotton and it's a blue gel), and generously apply it to my hands. I almost passed out from the heavy assault on my nasal receptors.

When I got to the car, my hands still smelled even though it had long dried. What's especially annoying is that I had applied earlier today a different Bath and Body Works product: Dark Kiss body mist. The war between Rockin' Cotton and Dark Kiss was on! But our villainous Rockin' Cotton easily won the battle within seconds. Now I reek of Rockin' Cotton! B&BW should have more sense than that.

Let's say someone actually likes Rockin' Cotton, ok? The sanitizers obviously have much more of a potent scent than the body mist scents. Do they want people to buy sanitizers ($1.50, often on sale for $1.00) instead of body mist ($14) or eau de toillete ($29.50)? They would lose out in a big way.

So maybe if I mentioned to them about the strength of sanitizers, they would lower their intensity. What do you think? Oh, and by the way, the hand sanitizer effect isn't mitigated in the least by washing your hands with soap and water. It's equally as strong now as it was 3 hours ago -- blech!

Certain Dri - Does this antiperspirant really work?

Pros:

• It eliminates or drastically reduces sweating.
• Applied at bedtime so you never get your clothing dirty.
• Doesn't stain clothing.
• Low cost in relation to its efficacy: about $4 to $7.
• Lasts a while (at least 3 months).
• Does not have to be applied every night.
• Does not need to be re-applied after showering/swimming.

Cons:

• It stings and itches like crazy the first few usages.
• Only begins to work after about 3 to 6 applications.
• It cannot be applied immediately after showering or shaving.
• Its consistency is that of water so it may drip down if over-applied.
• It doesn't have a deodorizing ingredient so if you do sweat, you're not guaranteed to not produce an odor. (simple logic)
• Hard to find in local brick-and-mortar stores (easily found online).

I've never heard of Certain Dri until this spring season. I had just run out of my usual antiperspirant (AP henceforth) and was looking to try something else. After researching quite a bit online, I found some nice reviews of Certain Dri. Since it's affordable, I figured it doesn't hurt to try (it did, as I learned later on!). I was so stunned by how well this product works. 

Certain Dri is unlike any other type of AP because it doesn't stay at the skin's surface, but rather is absorbed into the pores during the night when your sweat glands are pretty much inactive, unless you suffer from nightmares. That's also why it never washes off. Certain Dri takes a few days to kick in because it's building up a concentration. You might find yourself wishing you could claw out your armpits because of the itch. It's not dangerous and it will go away! It's particularly itchy/burny after shaving, so don't use it on those nights. If you find it too drippy, use a tissue pressed to the bottle as you apply it. To combat the lack of deodorant in this product, simply apply a deodorant in the morning or use a body mist. You can buy one that has no AP in it, as to not overdo anything. This way you don't sweat and you smell nice.

To test Certain Dri I decided to do some vigorous exercise. After rollerblading for 25 minutes in 80-degree weather last Friday, I did not feel an ounce of sweat under my arms. You might wonder how this can't be dangerous if you're blocking your pores. Aren't you supposed to sweat? The thing is, your body compensates for the clogged pores by your arms and instead the sweat will find any other area of your skin to make its entrance. You're not shutting down your sweat system. It's perfectly safe in that respect. 

Bottom Line: This product works! It's affordable! Ever wondered how Prez Obama can claim he doesn't sweat? Ten to one he uses Certain Dri.