FYI - someone looking for freebies

[bthouse]

I got this email yesterday through my contact form on my website:

Hi,

I am have just started a special event planning/ boutique business. And one major component I am missing from my business is candles. What is a wedding without candle light? So, I am wondering if I would be able to sample one of your products? As, I am looking for a very high quality product. If this at all possible my mailing address is as follows:

Raechel Austin

369 Montgomery Ave.

Apt. 2F

Providence, RI 02905

So, I googled the address and found it was a PO box. Then I googled her name and found a whole thread on her on another message board. This was from about a year ago where she had asked many people the same thing, and many sent her samples.

I just googled again today and that board did not come up again

Anyway, just wanted to pass it on in case anyone else gets an email from her and warn you not to waste time and money sending her anything...unless you want to

Kathy

[HeavenScentU]

That name sounds familiar. It sounds like someone just wanting a few freebies.

[sudsnwicks]

Thanks Kathy! I had gotten the same email last night. Was wondering if I should respond. Now I know not to bother.

[sudsnwicks]

I just googled again today and that board did not come up again

Are you referring to this board?

http://www.wahm.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=308325&PN=1

[bthouse]

Are you referring to this board?

http://www.wahm.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=308325&PN=1

Yes, thats the one I found last night.

[clonefan80]

send her the link to the google info....nuff said

[southern.scents]

I Got The Same Exact Email.....It Went Straight To The Garbage.

[southern.scents]

send her the link to the google info....nuff said

I just sent her the link and told her how pitiful it was that she was scamming people out of product that they worked hard to produce.

Here is another email I got in the past week wanting samples. I just told this one that I would only send somehting if they paid for it and if they did decide to use our product then I would refund the price they paid....

Hi there. My name is Christie Amato and I am a cosnumer that is making

approximately 50 beauty gift baskets for an upcoming wedding shower. I'd

like to put products in the baskets that I stand behind and that I have

sampled myself and think they are great! Is there any way that you would be

able to send me a small sample of what your best products are before I

decide to purchase anything? I'd be happy to pay for the shipping, if that

makes things any easier for you.

-

Thanks in advance and have a great day-Christie Amato (PA)

[thesoapbox]

:embarasse Whew, I thought this was about me rofl! The Little Black Box has stopped shipping to Canada so I (with agreement of Kim) had decided to take over and create a box for the Canadian women and have been emailing businesses about participating.

I saw this and thought, uh-oh, I emailed someone's business from here and they think I am scamming them LOL

Glad it's some other crazy woman!

Angi

[schmoopie]

Any free samples going out this door have to provide a tax Id number and and address and phone number for a storefront.....(which we check)

No exceptions!! Usually though, we get calls, and I can actually talk to the buyer, get their info.... anyone who just contacts through the website, we have a wholesale package set up...... after we get their tax ID, they can purchase a sample pack. Money is not refunded upon ordering.....

IF it is a big account I will send free samples.... but only after all mentioned above is confirmed..

[bthouse]

:embarasse Whew, I thought this was about me rofl! The Little Black Box has stopped shipping to Canada so I (with agreement of Kim) had decided to take over and create a box for the Canadian women and have been emailing businesses about participating.

I saw this and thought, uh-oh, I emailed someone's business from here and they think I am scamming them LOL

Glad it's some other crazy woman!

Angi

I got an email from you as well and thought, oh oh another one LOL but at least you are legit

[thesoapbox]

Oh I am lol! I am not at all wanting a bunch of stuff from yall for no reason lol. I have too much already from the swaps...at least that is what my husband told me before he left ! I am just taking over the boxes that are shipped to Canada for The Little Black Box.

Angi

[blazerina]

Wow... I smell a BIG rat in that last one...

You got 50 guests to a wedding shower and you need freebies? But the kicker was the last part about shipping....

'Gee, I guess I could pay for the shipping if I really have to.'

Pahhleeeze. Even if she is legit she is greedy, lol.

[thesoapbox]

Yeah, I would just direct her to a website that has shower favors for sale

Angi

[madebymelanie]

She's at it again - I just received this email yesterday:

Hi there. My name is Christie Amato and I am a consumer that is making approximately 50 beauty gift baskets for an upcoming wedding shower. I'd like to put products in the baskets that I stand behind and that I have sampled myself and think they are great! Is there any way that you would be able to send me a small sample of what your best products are before I decide to purchase anything? I'd be happy to pay for the shipping, if that makes things any easier for you.

-Thanks in advance and have a great day-Christie Amato (PA)

[itsmejeffd]

I, too, want free samples from everyone on this board. There is no reason for this other than I want stuff for free. In fact, I'm not even willing to pay for the shipping. To top it off, you need to include $1 in each shipment.

TIA

p.s. Don't make me wait.

[thesoapbox]

Only if you send me some bon-bons back !

I have not received an email like that but I do often get the boutique ones asking to put my stuff on their sites. I had offered free samples at one point if people joined my newsletter and thank goodness someone informed me about message boards that search out stuff like that cause I would have hated to doll out hundreds of samples lol!

I probably would ignore the email or put samples up on my site that would cost about $1.50 + shipping and then direct them there.

Angi

[CaliZona]

Beware! She is at it again. I just go an e-mail this morning.

[CaliZona]

Beware! She is at it again. Just a an e-mail this morning requesting free samples.

[Candybee]

I can think of a free sample I'd love to send her!

[GourmetSoy]

I just got this one again 2 weeks ago and sent her a nasty email to not even bother copying and pasting the same email to everyone because we already know who she is:) She's been doing this for a long time! No freebies for you!

She's at it again - I just received this email yesterday:

Hi there. My name is Christie Amato and I am a consumer that is making approximately 50 beauty gift baskets for an upcoming wedding shower. I'd like to put products in the baskets that I stand behind and that I have sampled myself and think they are great! Is there any way that you would be able to send me a small sample of what your best products are before I decide to purchase anything? I'd be happy to pay for the shipping, if that makes things any easier for you.

-Thanks in advance and have a great day-Christie Amato (PA)

[MichelleOH]

I recieved the same email a few weeks ago. I never responded.

[Bernadette]

Well...I just heard from her the first time a couple of weeks ago, but now she needs the samples to make Christmas baskets!!!! :laugh2:

[Janelle]

This is funny I got the same one back on Nov. 17th from Christie Amato (PA) see below.....

Hi there. My name is Christie Amato and I am a consumer that is making

approximately 50 beauty and bath gift baskets for Christmas gifts this

year. I'd

like to put products in the baskets that I stand behind and that I have

sampled myself and think they are great! Is there any way that you would

be

able to send me a small sample of what your best products are before I

decide to purchase anything?

I'd be happy to pay for the shipping, if that

makes things any easier for you.

Thanks in advance and have a great day-Christie Amato (PA)

My response to this ??? See below.....

Hi Christie,

I would love to send you some samples to try out, however we do not give

free product out. You are more then welcome to purchase something small

like tealights or votives to sample yourself off of our website. I'm very

sorry but I am not in the charity business, you wouldn't walk into Walmart

and ask if you could sample some of their products off the shelfs before

you purchased them and expect them to say yes.

So then I receive this email back.......

Thanks for your response, but I do like to sample something before I make

the committment to buy a large quantity. My goal is not be thought of as

a

charity type thing.

And my response to this........

Hi Christie,

I understand that you aren't looking for a charity type of thing, but even

as a business owner myself when I am looking for other items to put into

our gift baskets that we sell, I buy samples from other wholesalers. That

is just the respectful thing to do. I do not expect them for free,

especially from a small business who hand makes everything. You should

try Yankee Candle. They might send you some free samples. Thanks for your

time.

She must be pretty stupid because she responded to this that she was going to try them. :rolleyes2

[GourmetSoy]

I just got an email from her citing this message board and telling me that her emails are copywritten and defamation is illegal. Then I got another one with links to info on copywrite:) Here's a portion of her email since it's copywritten I won't post the entire thing...LOL!!!!:laugh2:She says she wanted all of us to know right?.....

"I would just like you and the other people who have so much time to write about me on-line that when I get samples that I don't care for, I actually do THE RIGHT thing and donate them to a woman's shelter in Doylestown, PA. You can even have the name of it, if you'd like.

It surely de-values the baskets that I make and the efforts to feel good about donating things that I don't care for to women less fortunate then us."

and here's my response back. Copied and pasted in full because I can

"You are well known on our message boards and we know that's where you get our email addresses from. You are a scammer plain and simple. I've gotten dozens of emails from you and you have never once said anything about donating to the less fortunate, that's a bunch of bull. You copy and paste your own email to everyone because you can't even take the time to type it out? You put the baskets together and WE make the products, you take the credit for YOUR gift baskets? Why don't you try paying for something and you wouldn't be known as a scammer.

It is within my right to warn others in my business from getting scammed. Threaten me one more time and I will turn you in as such. You've scammed our email addresses from those very message boards.

I can't take the post down now, nor would I do it if I could. I'm not the only one whose posted your emails on the boards and that's not only craft server. You're just mad that you've been found out. Like I said, I have every right to warn others in my business about something that will effect their business.

We work very hard for what we do for very little pay. We do it because we enjoy it, have a passion for it and like to make others happy with our products. When people like you are out there scamming for freebies it cuts into our bottom line. You think you're not paying for samples but we are paying for the supplies to make them and in some case to get them to you. I consider what you're doing as steeling. It costs us money!!!!

Do not ever contact me again, I've said it before and apparently you didn't listen. If you think you're doing good by donating candles and lotion or whatever you get from us, why don't you think about donating food or clothing. I'm sure they could use that much more."

what a bunch of CRAP!

Edited January 2, 2010 by GourmetSoy
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