No buying toiletries in February challenge!

Babafette

topbargainhunter wrote: »

How infuriating! We've had problems like this with gift experiences, they're happy to take the money in the first place but then it's always a chore to get the "experience" out of them when you've already parted with the cash. My sister in law also had a lot of trouble with a makeover and photo shoot one.

I would start with writing out exactly what happened and when, get all your facts right, then start editing it with how it has made you feel, inconvenienced you, and the financial loss. Then ask someone else to read it to see if you've missed anything. At the very least you want your £79 back and an apology. :mad:

Thanks. I was gutted - I've had a rough couple of months and I was really looking forward to it. I was nearly in tears when I arrived at the store. I don't even know who it was that called me and despite the fact I asked the caller to meet me at the nails inc counter, nobody was there. I have sent a complaint to Debenhams because the concession was in their store and there were other issues which were too long to mention in my post above. I also intend to send an email to nails inc and Activity Superstore who administer the experiences. I'm just not that great at putting things into words and forcing myself to sit down and write.

Yorkielass

Phew finally caught up - that'll teach me not to come on all weekend!

I did manage to use some bits up though:

• Johnsons facial wash 3in1 - WIBA? no didn't like the feel of the product, a bit too gel like for me - and now I've discovered clean mary I'll stick with that!
• Molton Brown sensual hanaleni moisture bath and shower (I think!) - WIBA? No not at £17 although I do love the smell and the bubbles, although last night they didn't last long at all. I've had one bottle of this as a pressie from my brother and one from my mum over the last couple of years and if I got another one I wouldn't say no - next stop lush bubble bath bars/bath bombs for me I think!
• Soap and Glory hair supply - WIBA - yes I love this, was one of the S&G products I bought early on full size just to try and I love it once in a while, was a little bit left in the one in the bathroom so I used it after my bath. I think I've got 3 more in my stash so won't need to buy for a while

Went to Wilko on Saturday and stocked up on some carex on offer (not something I hoard and we had an almost empty bottle at each of our 4 sinks - now there are 3 new bottles out and one bottle with the bits from all the others typed in ) and got some more cotton wool pads whilst I was there as I'm nearly out. Got bodyform too and they've got the lip glosses on them again I do like the 2 of these I've got already but I don't need anymore (although I did need the pantyliners) so not sure what to do with them now.

So not too bad....

Yorkielass

It was interesting reading so many posts about things bought in boots with a voucher and then with an extra pound or so added, I used to follow the boots threads religously and one thing that always struck me was people saying they kept buying things to 'cover up' the bargain - surely doing that negates the bargain in the first place!

Last year, just before I started the 100 day challenge on DFW (which was my 'light bulb moment' with regards to cosmetics) I had used 5 skincare vouchers in Boots to buy 5 lots of Olay face stuff - goodness knows why as I never use the product and had other similar ones. Each one cost me nearly £2 as well as the voucher so I'd ended up with 5 products I didn't really need and £10 down (not to mention making sure I'd spent £5 5 times to get the vouchers in the first place.... - although to be fair sometimes people left them in our staff room at work and I'd pick them up that way)

Anyway I still had the receipts so I took all 5 back to Boots unused with the receipts and they refunded me the money I'd spent on each one - so nearly £10 onto the giftcard I'd been using for the money I'd made selling things. Since then I've only used a couple of No7 vouchers and only towards things OH and I actually needed.

topbargainhunter

Babafette wrote: »

Thanks. I was gutted - I've had a rough couple of months and I was really looking forward to it. I was nearly in tears when I arrived at the store. I don't even know who it was that called me and despite the fact I asked the caller to meet me at the nails inc counter, nobody was there. I have sent a complaint to Debenhams because the concession was in their store and there were other issues which were too long to mention in my post above. I also intend to send an email to nails inc and Activity Superstore who administer the experiences. I'm just not that great at putting things into words and forcing myself to sit down and write.

It's a huge pain to have to write a complaint out, but take it from me you'll feel a lot better once you've done it. If nothing else it vents your anger and writing it all down, gets it out of your system so you can stop fretting about writing it anymore.

My bad experiences have been with Activity Superstore too, so if anyone's thinking of buying from them, my advice is don't bother! The recipient of the gift will have nothing but hassle which is not what you want when you're buying a present for someone is it? :mad:

Babafette

Might seem like a daft question, but does anybody know what Boots do with unopened returns? :huh: Do they just put them back on the shelf or bin them or discount them or what? I have considered taking some more bits back, but I don't like the thought that they might be wasted. If they just resell them that's fine, but I hate the idea of throwing perfectly good items away and would rather keep them myself.

Bronnie

lostinrates wrote: »

I don't think its about the size of the stash but the fact we have a; more than we need and b: are sometimes spending money that might be better spent elsewhere.....for some people its credit cards, for others savings. Most of us are using more than usual to deal with the stash and yet still only running out of some items. There is nothing wrong with using things like BOGOFs when it works out prudent: there is something financially not right, when we have more of a product we can use in, say..the season i9ts designed for ...so heavy moisturiser in winter, or showergel in 6-12 months! This is not prudent and is rarely monesaving as our skins requiremnts change with seasons/years and as new developments are made we want to enjoy the benefits of those too.


:T:T:T

I don't think its all about the toiletries/cosmetics for some contributors but other things, and hopefully by dealing with the problem of unnecessary expenditure or under indulgence, or hoarding here the benefits will spread to the areas of their lives where they will feel a truly life enhancing benefit.

I forgot to say earlier, the hotel had Crabtree and Evelyn La source products,I would take pride in having left the unused little bottles and soaps, but, aart from the soap the products left me cold. I was relying on a hotel bottle of conditioner for hair styling on Saturday night, but the La Source was extremely light.

I had some of the C & E La Source Hand Therapy Cream ( a full size tube, but a magazine freebie) disappointingly, I have to say I was seriously underwhelmed!

Did anyone get the sachet of 'mystery' shower gel in January's She magazine. Someone passed the mag on to me and I felt reluctant, but duty-bound to use up the sachet. It was part of a comp to guess brand of this mystery product (Answer in February's mag, anyone see it??), it smelt a bit appley to me.
Apparently 84% of the She VIP Beauty Panel would recommend it to their friends . Count me in the other 16% then:cool:

So this weekend I used up the sachet (2 showers :undecided) and a small Excell 10 conditioner, DD didn't use. Pretty dull eh? Deserve a treat tonight I reckon! Going with my Bodyshop "Divine Calm" Lavender and Chamomile Shower Gel and body lotion I think, which I love and am not racing to use up! Tantalisingly close to being able to start my new jars of P&P. Facing my demons and have an-unsold-on-ebay jar of cheapy rose body cream to use for feet. Will keep trying on ebay with the other 3 sets!! Happy to have sold a half-used-no-longer-loved bottle of perfume yesterday for £7 anyway

Bronnie

Babafette wrote: »

Might seem like a daft question, but does anybody know what Boots do with unopened returns? :huh: Do they just put them back on the shelf or bin them or discount them or what? I have considered taking some more bits back, but I don't like the thought that they might be wasted. If they just resell them that's fine, but I hate the idea of throwing perfectly good items away and would rather keep them myself.

I'm sure they'd go back on the shelf where poss or to the clearance store, maybe.
When my DD had a Xmas job at Boots in 2008, they were extremely generous in giving out freebies to the staff as incentives, for getting customers to sign up to Advantage cards or achieving sales targets etc. They often had a box of stuff and if Staff met the target, could chose from it, so maybe some returns end up there. She was only there a few weeks on a Saturday and one day came home with a huge (about 10" tall) bottle of DKNY Summer. She was a student at the time and was delighted with the freebies.

joesaunt

Well, I went into Boots for a sniff of the S&G shower gel, didn't like clean on me at all, but do like the clean, girls body wash. SO I bought one, I needed shower gel and wanted to try the S&G stuff. Walked past the "reduced" shelf just before the check out and saw a S&G heel genius marked at £2.50, couldn't resist, I am getting quite low on foot cream anyway, and still got a 1/3 off at the checkout, paid £1.66 for it :T

I did need shower gel and I have only got enough foot cream for the rest of the week, I have been using up my stash since August, so feel really pleased with myself.

belfastgirl23

babafette I'm pretty sure that your gift voucher doesn't go out of date per se. I know they have dates on them but I have heard that they are effeectively money and it doesn't go out of circulation. So you should (hopefully) be able to use again.

Very annoying though, I'd be expecting a big apology, cancelling 15 mins before is no use at all!

Babafette

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

babafette I'm pretty sure that your gift voucher doesn't go out of date per se. I know they have dates on them but I have heard that they are effeectively money and it doesn't go out of circulation. So you should (hopefully) be able to use again.

Very annoying though, I'd be expecting a big apology, cancelling 15 mins before is no use at all!

Thanks belfastgirl. Unfortunately the voucher did go out of date on 30th November. Nails Inc head office arranged the original appointment for me to allow me to use the voucher in December. The concession I wanted to use never answered their phone and refused to accept the voucher at first because they had never heard of it. See, I told you all it was a long story!! :rotfl: