Oh, what a let down...

If you can cast your minds back a little. I posted about my Becky page making the finals in Round 3 of the Creative Reflections / Scrapbook Trading Competition.

I picked up my parcel from the post office with great enthusiasm, but only to be let down.

In the package was a Fiskars Shapeboss for embossing. Now if I was an embossing freak, I would have jumped for joy and you now the rest. Alas, it was more depressing than anything else.

As far as their details for the competition goes here it is:

Being one of the finalist you would get products to the value of R500 from Creative Reflections and R500 from Scrapbook Trading. Instead a got the above to the value of R289.00 excl vat...

I would consider this in poor taste and with the International status that this competition has, as the final winner wins this huge prize plus a trip to attend CKU in the States, amongst other things.

I would have been far happier with Scrapbooking products to the value of R1000.00 as they had printed in black and white. Which would have been far more useful to me as a "Scrapbooker". Now I have a dust colletor of note instead.

Below is the contents of my email to them:-

Hi there,

Not sure who I should be speaking to about this, but I collected my parcel from the Post Office today and was very disappointed as to what was inside.

As far as I was aware you advertised the prizes being a value of R500.00 from Creative Reflections and R500.00 from Scrapbook Trading. The parcel I got consisted of a Fiskars Shapeboss, which I for one know it retails at about R300.00.

If this was supposed to be my prize, then it is very disappointing. For a competition of this calibre and which has International status, one would have expected a decent prize for that value. I would have expected papers and products that a Scrapbooker could have used. I am not an embossing freak, so this tool is of no use to me…

If this competition was held in the States, I can guarantee you that the product I would have received would have been far more substantial than this. It would have consisted of nice new papers and products and embellishments on the market for us to use in our scrapbooks.

I feel like sending this article to Creating Keepsakes to show them what prizes South African’s give in return. You really need to take a relook at this and take a page out of what prizes Creating Keepsakes giveaway!!!

Regards from one unhappy entrant in the competition.

Just waiting for their reply.

**EDITED**

Reply received on the 23rd June 2006 and this is what they had to say...

Hi Sophia

Yes your mail was read and we had a meeting regarding this issue. As my time, as I imagine yours also are limited daily I regret not having gotten back to you sooner!

The matter has been dealt with and Lara from our marketing department will be in touch to rectify the matter. We are aware that some of the prizes have not been sent out.

As for the prizes themselves – I suggest you donate them to a friend who is starting out, a charity or someone that can use it better than what you can. I am aware that you girls are unhappy about the prizes but there is nothing I can do about it now. We have taken into consideration your comments for the next time around and will source prizes that will hopefully satisfy everybody.

Due to this problem Louise has decided to give you girls vouchers to spend on what you want. We will be sending out e-mail in the near future to inform everybody about this – so please be patient.

Should you not find this satisfying please let me know and I will do my best to help.
Yours in the spirit of scrapbooking
Jowilna Nolte

This was my reply back...

Hi Jowilna,

Thank you so much for getting back to me. I really appreciate it.

Please can they bear in mind that I am from Durban, and don't come up to Joburg, so I am really not sure how I would spend the voucher.

So, obviously getting scrapbooking products posted to me would be far easier.

Thanks again for your quick response.

...and this was their reply.

Hi

It's only a pleasure. Please understand that we are trying to accommodate all you girls. We wil figure something out with regards to those of you who will not be attending the Convetion.

So, let's see what the future will hold on what we get back!!!

- a very sad and disappointed fan.