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.

Confessions of a Complainer

Once upon a time, a child loved to complain about things in hope of changing the world. She would find fault in all kinds of products, services, (people), foods, stores, etc. Anyway, this was before the technological era heralded the concept of email. So how was this child supposed to complain? To whom would the complaints be directed? She went with the times.

The child began to write letters by hand and mail them out (using a stamp) to the appropriate companies. Since the child's voice was rather youthful, calling the companies wasn't much of an option. Scorn would not have been appreciated. Writing was an excellent alternative to calling, and so that's what the child did.

Believe it or not, I actually did that as a kid. I wrote tons of letters spewing forth every problem I ever had with any product. Lids that wouldn't close, lids that were too hard to open, shampoo that was too runny, toothpaste that seared off my taste buds, toys that fell apart, fruit cocktail that didn't include 1 of the ingredients, etc. Were those fun times! I would sit waiting excitedly for return mail. Sometimes I actually got coupons or a canned response. But I was missing that human response. What a pity that I couldn't talk to those pea-brained reps myself. I was deprived of long, twisty-turny conversations with Raj and Mohatma. I didn't know about the feature on most sites called live chat! Imagine!

Has anyone ever done anything like that as a child?

Recent case studies (Gloating opportunities)

This post will highlight some of the most recent incidents where I've practiced what I preached. Maybe you can learn a thing or two (I certainly did), or perhaps you'll find some motivation to make that overdue phone call to Amazon. Here's what happened:

1. I am a longtime buyer of Dole Cole Slaw that comes in a bag. You buy the stuff, add your dressing, and voila: you got yourself an excellent cole slaw (if you use my recipe, that is). Lately I noticed that the shredded cabbage pieces are very large. In fact, each piece was about 3-5 times larger than it has been in the past. I decided I'm going to call Dole. I issued my comment (I did not want to make this a complaint) and the guy said, "Thanks for letting us know. As our way of thanking you, we'll send you some coupons for replacement products." 
2. On Friday I called Nestle (who owns Wonka candy) with a simple question: Why do they not produce the Tangy Taffy bars with crystal-like glitter on top, like they have in the past? The woman explained to me that they DO still sell them, but only in the cherry flavor. As a way of thanking me for taking the time to inquire, she also said that she'll mail me some coupons for different candy products. 
3. I received a photobook I had ordered from Shutterfly. I'm glad I carefully screened the pages because two of them had a mistake. The printing didn't bleed to the edge of the paper. I definitely did not have them appear like that in my project. So I called today and a woman with an unpronouncable name added to my account a credit for a free photobook and free shipping! So in essence, I got $37 just for calling! I am so excited so she didn't simply say, "Ok, we'll reprint your book for you." because this way I can make a NEW book! And my heart won't bleed from the non-bleeding pages.

General Statement about Buying #4

Basically, this post is an all inclusive word that might just be the most important thing you've seen all day:

ASK!

People expect us to look for bargains. It's built into our nature as a human being, and nobody's immune. Why be the full-price payer when you don't have to? So what do I  mean by "ask"? Basically, this word should infuse you with enough confidence to feel the world is yours. Stores exist because of you, the buyer. Believe me, if you weren't shopping, they wouldn't be open. They want you. And they'll do (almost) anything to make sure you stay a happy buyer at their place. So now that we've established how valuable you are, read ahead to see what you can do with your special powers as a customer. 

Manufacturers, companies and stores all have stashes of funds and leeway for special circumstances. I'll give you an example. Last night I bought an item on Amazon and used my Amazon Prime Student to get myself free 2-day shipping. Being that the order was transmitted after midnight, the date was May 9. Two-day shipping, for anyone who can add, is the 11th. I check my order status today and see that the estimated ship date is May 13! Why? So I engage Raj from India in a livechat discussion and he says that it's because the item was out of stock. Um, it was not OOS when I bought it. So I told him that and he bored me with useless info that didn't help one bit. I innocently ask whether he can upgrade my shipping to 1-day (which normally costs an extra $3.99) to compensate. Of course he said "Yes" (well, not exactly yes but "I have changed your order to reflect 1-day shipping, at no cost"). See, that's the thing. Amazon will NOT go broke if they "wasted" their $3.99 on me. In fact, Raj encouraged me to come back soon! How do you like that?

What does this teach us? We ASK ASK ASK! Don't be afraid to ask for stuff like shipping upgrades, free samples, free shipping, free anything, replacement products (you heard about that already!), longer return periods, warranties, bigger refunds (remember the Ralph Lauren nightshirt story?), etc. Remember, the stores WANT you and their sole function is to serve you! Hopefully that's enough of an ego boost to combat any embarrassment you might experience while begging your way through buying.

General Statement about Returning #1

Let's assume you buy an item and it breaks down an unreasonably short while after the purchase. The 90-day warranty of the store you purchased it at is long over, so you can't return it. What to do? 

1. Contact the store where you purchased the item and ask for a refund. This should have nothing to do with their return policy. If an item is defective, there is no reason why you should have to live with it.
2. Next, contact the manufacturer of the product and tell them about your defective product. If they get nasty on you, you have my permission to act that way, too. Mention to the company that you don't understand how they ensure customer satisfaction. As a last resort, remind them that if they don't honor their product, you will never again buy their items.
3. Either the store or the manufacturer might ask you to return the product so they can send you a new one. That is your goal. They usually won't, especially if it's a heavy item and they rather not go through shipping fees. If they ask you to pay for return shipping, ask them why it's your fault that the item broke. 
4. Sometimes, if you play this right, you may get a reimbursement and a new product (instead of just a new product - which you had originally paid for at one point). 

True example of this in action: I bought a nice, sleek digital scale on Amazon using gift cards (see this post about maximizing gift cards). It broke after 6 months of light use (we aren't a family of elephants), much to my dismay. I sent identical emails to Amazon and to Ozeri (the maker of the scale) saying: 

I purchased this scale and understand that this is out of the return period, however, I really do not think that a scale of such caliber should just stop working after about 6 months! We keep it perfectly safe and out of harm's reach and suddenly the scale began to go haywire. The numbers just dance on the screen and it turns on by itself and reads really weird amounts. If you stand on it, it either says EEEEE or just keeps flitting through numbers. I think it's ridiculous that this should happen so fast. It is not a battery issue because I have replaced them with brand new ones. 

Please let me know what you can do about this.

Within 24 hours I received an email from Amazon that they credited my account with the full $16.58 and another email from Ozeri that the sensor was broken and they'll ship me a new one. So in essence, I got a scale for free :)