Can I share something mildly annoying that isn’t a big deal, but still managed to surprise me? But I want to start by sharing something else first.
I recently bought something online (phone case) that needed to be returned, so they sent me a return shipping label by email.
I contacted the Lutheran Center and asked if they could print the return label for me as I don’t have a printer. They said sure. When I went to pick it up, they said “Oh good, you’re just in time for our presentation on senior scams & swindles!”
I had no place else to be so I said okay. I sat there and tried to look thoughtful as a retired bank security manager lectured us on different cons and how they target seniors. I inwardly sighed and thought “This kind of stuff doesn’t happen to me, I’m too savvy.”
Okay, jump to this week. I drink my fair share of coffee, and for the last couple years have used a subscription service from Keurig. Once a month they send me my month’s supply of k-cups. I get three 24-ct boxes and two 10-ct boxes. With a 10% discount & free shipping, it costs around $45.00.
This past Thursday, I got my order. Exactly one hour later I get an email notice from Keurig:
FOR OUR COFFEE SUBSCRIBERS ONLY! CHANGE YOUR NEXT ORDER TO ‘SHIP NOW’ BY MIDNIGHT TOMORROW AND SAVE 30% OFF YOUR ORDER!!*
I thought “No thanks, I just got this month’s order—and I already have plenty in stock as it is.” But I couldn’t stop watching that countdown to midnight clock. You can’t beat an additional 30% discount.
I changed my May order to SHIP NOW.
So here I am, a couple days later with yet another case of k-cups. But when I checked the invoice to see how much I saved… there’s no 30% discount! It’s $45.00, the same price I always pay!
I went back to that 30% email and noticed that asterisk in the promo. When I read the fine print at the very bottom, it said The additional 30% discount only applies to Starbucks coffee products.
Wait, what? I’ve never ordered Starbucks products—why did they hide that in the fine print? To see if yahoos like me would double their order? Well, they got me.
It’s no big deal, I just have to remember to cancel my next order before it ships automatically in May. But I still feel like they tried to pull one over on me, a loyal customer at that. Have you ever encountered a “soft scam”?
It happens to the best of us, you know. Even us so-called savvy types.
Hi Doug, that darn fine print! It happens to us all. At least it is something you use. Glad to see you drink Tim Hortons coffee!🇨🇦 Take care!❤️❤️
ReplyDeleteRobin
Haha thanks Robin--and yes, Tim Horton's is my after-dinner coffee, my No.1 favorite brew. You Canadians do it right. :^)
DeleteThis is Gigi Hawaii. Hey, it really does help to read the fine print in contracts. My sister lost tons of money because of it.
ReplyDeleteGigi, so sorry to hear that about your sister! I'm going to remember that for the future, thank you.
DeleteThis kind of thing really angers me.
ReplyDeletea: You are a loyal customer
b: The company abused your trust and pulled a fast one on you.
c: You now have an extra month of products on hand, and have spent additional funds this month that you did not expect to
If it were me, I'd complain immediately and request to ship back the extra order at the company's expense. I realize this will be a hassle for you, but only if enough customers do the same thing will the company realize its ways need to be corrected.
Additionally, I'd see if there are alternative sources available than dealing directly with this company.
Best of luck!
Chad W
Chad, thanks very much--I didn't want to come across as petty, but 100% agreed with everything you said. I AM writing them an email today. 👍
DeleteI would be furious! As Chad said, I would complain LOUDLY and demand that they give me the discount anyway OR threaten to cancel your subscription. I'll bet they give it to you. (Now, I can't say goodbye without a healthy eating comment, Doug. That's a LOT of coffee stuff for person don't you think?)
ReplyDeleteThanks Don! As a matter of fact, I am composing an email right now to send out today. I think the subscription is a good deal, but now I don't trust them fully. And you're right, it's a lot of coffee. But I never go thru the entire supply, I don't drink more than 3 cups a day. 🙂
DeleteYes, soft scams have gotten me too. Shutterfly says everything is 30% off but in the fine print there are 1,000 exclusions to the "everything." What a pain! At least you'll have plenty of coffee. :)
ReplyDeleteReally! Wow I had no idea this was so common. Thank you Margaret, I'm getting a real lesson here today. 🙂
Delete3 cups a day! My gosh. And yes, those misleading ads have gotten me too.
ReplyDeleteYes Debby, 2 in the morning and 1 after dinner... too little? Too much? :^) Anyway, thank you for your feedback and I'm sorry but surprised you've gotten conned too, you seem pretty wise to this stuff.
DeleteI definitely am suspicious and approach everything as if it were a scam...I investigate things carefully. Where I get bitten is just as you did. When it happens with a familiar vender, someone I've been dealing with right along. And yes, whoever said that you should have asked for a return label is exactly right. I am willing to bet that had you done this, you would have gotten your 30% discount.
DeleteThanks Debby, I honestly feel just the same way here. I suspect everyone and everything, so when I let my hair down so to speak and get taken it's a very real surprise. Anyway, yep I should've asked for the label but figured I'd be drinking it anyway... eventually. Felt good to vent about it here though. 🙂
DeleteAs a police detective, my son takes reports for all kinds of scams. Yours was minor compared to most. Scammers send emails that look real, but if you look at the address closely - it will have extra punctuation, etc. Even a period in the middle of the word is easy to miss and means it is a scammer. And just because it says it's from Macy's or Kohls or Kuerig or Shutterfly doesn't mean it really is. Lying is not a crime. He has taken reports from residents that have given scammers access to their savings accounts and lost tens of thousands of dollars.
ReplyDeleteThis really needs more attention on the federal level.
Thanks Miss Merry--oh I think I'm pretty good when it comes to those emails from phony Target, Macy's, etc. I ALWAYS check the From. But I knew this one was really from Keurig, which is why I suppose I trusted its content without question. I just wish I knew why they did it.
Delete"Lying is not a crime" ... IMO it should be.
DeleteAgreed, Rian--that's outright fraud!
DeleteI have no recall of having been taken in by a soft scam - likely because I don't very often order anything on-line. I'm still very much a bricks and mortar shopper. Now, my daughter ordered something from Temu and when it arrived discovered that it was half the size she expected.
ReplyDeleteI do get spam/scam e-mail on the daily. I've learned to look specifically at the return address as a few of these look pretty darn close to the real thing. But after years of working with the government, I've learned NEVER to click on a link in an e-mail. Instead I go to the company's website.
Saying all that, I can see how the small print could be easy to miss. As you say, it's a good thing it's something you use regularly.
Thanks for sharing Maebeme--you know, I honestly miss shopping old school, bricks & mortar. If I could buy these k-cups locally, I would. But the ones available at my own market are $5-6.00 more a box, it's just too much. Anyway, you're so right--I would never click on a link in an email. But I do need to remember to read the whole message the next time before closing it down and jumping to buy whatever.
DeleteDug, I don't like the fine print either, but at least you got something you would have ordered anyway. Just remember to cancel May's order. I have to do that occasionally with Amazon. Used to use Keurig's monthly order until they stopped carrying the k-cups we use (Dunkin donuts Columbian). Now we get ours monthly from Amazon. I'm not sure that small print is a soft scam, but IMO it's a bit unethical.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rian, a bit unethical is spot on and I would've ordered these in a month anyway. BTW, I used to subscribe to these thru Amazon too, but Keurig has that rewards program where I can earn a free box of coffee every 5 orders. Ah well!
DeleteGlad it wasn't a worse experience. I really like your coffee mug colors/design - goes great with your kitchen! Kim in PA
ReplyDeleteThanks Kim, and I'm glad someone noticed that, haha--I saw that in a Pendleton Blankets catalog 20 years ago and got it since I couldn't afford their pricey blankets. It's where I store peppermints or cough drops. :^)
DeleteGo get 'em, Doug! I hope your email gets you some satisfaction. If it doesn't and they have an 800#, call and whine a bit, make them feel sorry for you and if you sound sympathetic enough maybe they'll offer you some type of compensation on your next order. Yep, I've missed fine print a few times myself and I've returned items and stopped transactions when I have. It ticks me off and I'll return something even if it embarrasses me to do it.
ReplyDeleteHa, thanks Bobi! I actually wrote a couple emails--one was pretty harsh, the other I aplogized--trying to find a middle ground here but I will do it by tomorrow. I know it's not a big deal but I really am a long-term customer.
DeleteIt’s frustrating how companies can sneak those “soft scams” in, especially when they target loyal customers who are just looking for a good deal. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a limited-time offer, and the fine print often gets overlooked. Your experience with Keurig feels like a classic case of bait-and-switch, where the initial offer sounds too good to pass up, but the details are buried in small text. I’ve no doubt many people have found themselves in similar situations, thinking they were getting a better deal only to realize they weren’t. It’s a reminder that, no matter how savvy we think we are, these things can still catch us off guard. I shared a new post; you are invited to read.
ReplyDeleteThanks Melody Jacob, nicely said--and I'll be sure to check you out. :^)
DeleteYou need to ask for a return label and tell them you didn’t realize that it really wasn’t 30% off and that you don’t want it, and that if they ever send another misleading offer you will cancel the subscription. Gigi in Toronto
ReplyDeleteThank you Gigi, you're right and that's exactly what I should've done. But I already sent an email last night (saying I was keeping this order but wasn't happy how I got it) and was told I'd be hearing back from someone today.
DeleteThey are always hiding things in the small print. “Damnit Jim, I’m a doctor, not a lawyer.”
ReplyDeleteHaha thanks Bones--you are so right :^)
DeleteI obtain my coffee from a nearby coffee shop who source it (overseas and northern Australia) and roast it themselves.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I realise with your long covid this isn’t an option readily available to you, so I understand your buying online.
Incidentally, Starbucks was a total failure when they tried to start in Australia, especially here in Melbourne, because of our coffee culture and superior coffee to theirs. It seems that during the brief time they were here their only customers were American tourists.
Thanks for sharing Peter--I'm sure yours is delicious. Well, I always just bought my ground coffee from the market (in those metal cans) before Keurig came along. I like buying it online, it's very convenient (and I love having each cup fresh brewed). As for Starbucks--too funny. I hate that stuff, it's acidic, overhyped, overpriced swill! I prefer Canadian over ours y'know. :^)
DeleteUgh, that “soft scam” vibe is too real! Your k-cup story reminds me of a time I got tricked. I saw an ad at the local feed store for “50% off all bird seed bags” during their spring sale—perfect for my backyard feeder, right? So, I grabbed two big bags, dreaming of cardinals and finches flocking in. At checkout, the total was $30—no discount!
ReplyDeleteI pointed to the sign, and the clerk casually nodded at some fine print I’d missed: “50% off applies only to 50-lb bags purchased.” I’d picked the 25-lb ones and already paid with my card. Not a total lie, but they definitely counted on me rushing in without squinting at the details. I kept the seed anyway—guess I’m the sucker who keeps the birds happy!
Thanks very much for sharing your story, CCM--I'm sorry you got soft-scammed but this is such a good example of this sort of thing!
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