As I’m sure most people would, I almost just hit Checkout but happened to see the text below. I am also sure I would have caught/removed it from the check-out page but maybe not. I did complete my order without ‘package protection’ but am sending an email and probably won’t order again unless their response is acceptable.
Edit: I’ll probably send the email after I get shipping confirmation :)
See, this is why they get away with it.
In the 1950s, before I was born, my dad was a child of about 8 years old.
My grandfather was a traveling vacume salesman. He’d travel the country, and sell vacumes door to door. There’s 365 days in a year, and he was generally home for about 14 of those days. Never together. Just an average of about 1 day a month he was home. Sometimes 2 days, but not back to back.
My grandmother wanted to spend some time with her husband, whom she loved deeply. So she requested he take a vacation with her, and their 4 children. So he put in the time off request, and was granted a 3 week break in the upcoming summer.
Now my family, both grandparents, and all 4 of their children are all white. But our last name is a name that you would assume is a black persons name. I still think it seems like a name that can be any race, but I’ve been consistantly told by black people, that I shouldn’t have my name, because I’m white. So I guess the common consensus is that my name is a black name.
Back in the 1950s, the way travel worked was very different. Today, you log onto a travel website, you book your own hotel, you compare deals, ect. Back then, none of that. Instead you could use a real estate agent which cost more, or you could do what my grandfather did. He went to the library, requested information on books about Myrtle Beach resorts. Then from there he called the hotel directly. When he talked to a hotel in Myrtle Beach City, they told him they would sent him an information packet in the mail. He would need to select the dates, the number of rooms, and number of guests. Which would be 6. Then the information packet would tell him how much his stay would cost, and he would use the postage included envelope to mail back his check, and a letter written to the hotel manager requesting stay. He mailed it off. A week or two later he gets what he thinks is his acceptance letter in the mail confirming the reservation. Instead he gets his check back, with the word “VOID” stamped on it. And a letter from the hotel manager.
My grandma says she never seen fury in his eyes like that. This normally quiet, calm, individual who just wanted peace and quiet got a burning red rage in his eyes, and screams at the top of his lungs.
Couple things. First, my grandfather never raised his voice. He never demanded anything. He never cursed. And he NEVER NEVER NEVER ordered my grandma to do anything. If anything he felt it his responsibility to ask what she needs.
My grandma, nor my dad, nor my aunts knew what just happened. They just knew he was pissed, it came out of nowhere, and they were now scared. They didn’t get a chance to see the letter before he snapped. So you can bet my grandmother just ran to get the camera, and the kids came barreling down the stairs thinking they were in trouble.
I’ve seen the photo. The best way to describe it was an angry man, and 5 other terrified indivuduals all fake smiling. In the background was the house they lived in back then. Big beautiful house. Not a mansion, but big enough that some poor people might think it’s a mansion. 5 bedroom with 2 living rooms.
They take the photo and without saying a word my grandfather stormed inside to find this old timey quill and ink. He hand writes a reply. In cursive. Using a quill and ink which is VERY apperent that it’s not standard cheap ink pens.
And a week later, he sent them that hand written letter, and the photo. They went on that vacation at a different hotel.
That hotel was torn down in the 1970s. My grandpa said his three greatest accomplishments in life were 1) Marrying my grandma 2) Sending that letter 3) Living through Normandy. In that order.
My point is, you can always seek alternatives. By still buying the product anyways, you’re actually doing harm by writing the letter now. At this point it only serves to prove to them that it’s worth it. They can trick the majority, but also even the people who aren’t fooled may not take the $2 worth of scam…but they’ll still buy the product. This just proves there is no downside for them.
Will you alone make a difference by not buying the thing? No. But you also have no principal in the situation. You’re mad, but still giving them money, so why would they stop? Maybe if more people in this world still held to their principals, collectively we start telling the world that they don’t run the show. They can stop scamming, or go out of business.
But by still buying the product, you give all that away.
I love this story, thank you for sharing
Friend, since this story is so important to your personal history, you may want to memorize the spelling of vacuum for future retellings. Just a friendly heads up. All good things to you.
Thank you for sharing this story.