March 2. 2009 by admin.

An expensive way to spend your time.

We all know how annoying telephone solicitors can be and usually they are calling at the absolute worst time.  But fortunately just a minor annoyance and it doesn’t cost a thing to politely say no.

But then there’s the other kind trying to make a buck by getting you to phone their pay-per-call number.  They will leave a message saying that it’s very important, about a family member, or that you’ve won a prize.  When you call the number, you will incur excessive rates on your telephone bill and there isn’t much your phone company can do as these numbers are located internationally and services are provided by a foreign company.

There have been rumors that the charges to phone these numbers are upwards of $2400 per minute.  That seems rather steep but I’m refusing to test that theory for fear that it just may be true!

To protect yourself from telephone fraud, only return calls to numbers that are familiar or call directory assistance to find out the location of the area code.

Posted in Telephone Sales | Print | 1 Comment »

February 25. 2009 by admin.

Solia Flat Iron
folica.com

Who’d have thought that shopping for a hair straightener would be so difficult?  We own a good ol’ Conair and it’s held up quite well considering it’s being used by four of us each day, but I hear the one they use in cosmetology class is way better.  Problem is, nobody knows what brand it is!

And so I begin my hunt for the perfect hair straightener and am quickly overwhelmed with way too much information!  It appears that all flat irons are not created equal and the best brand was definitely in dispute.  After much ado, here are a few things to consider when purchasing a flat iron:

Plate material:  Ceramic and titanium plates with tourmaline - supposedly, plates with tourmaline produce negative ions which seals your hair, thus making your hair shiny and smooth while causing less damage.  I found this rather interesting, wouldn’t you say - tourmaline is a semi-precious gemstone!

Temperature:  Temps up to 450 degrees are recommended only if your hair is really thick and really curly.  For the average wavy haired lady, 350 degrees is sufficient.

Plate width:  Choose a wide plate for straightening if your hair is really long.   I wanted to use it for curls tool so thought the 1 1/4″ plate would be a happy medium.

Price:  Unfortunately, even flat irons are subject to being counterfeited.  Seriously, if you buy from someone other than a reputable dealer, you might not be getting the name brand you pay for.  Whether they work as well or not I couldn’t say, but personally - if I’m going to fork out $100 for a Chi, I want a Chi!!!

Reviews:  The first site I visited was for a Karmin flat iron.  Every review, thousands of them, were rated 5/5.  I’m a bit skeptical and find it difficult to believe that Karmin managed to please EVERYONE.  (And if they really did, I want to know how to do that!)

Reviews should be read with an open mind, paying particular attention to the negative comments.   Sometimes people just aren’t happy with the shipping time, the color, or the day of the week.  A lot of insight can be gleaned by reading these reviews.

Eventually, I came across folica.com with the intentions of purchasing a Chi iron but eventually settled for a Solia  flat iron.  The sale at the time was $83us.  This was for the flat iron, a stand, and a heat-proof pouch.  Orders over $100 to Canada would receive free shipping so I ordered 2 bottles of Biosilk hair serum.

I Love my Solia!

The Solia takes the same amount of time to straighten my hair as my old Conair but the most noticeable difference is that it lasts!  Usually a little bit of humidity and the top layer of my hair turns into a ball of fuzz.  The biosilk really helps keep the frizz down too, just don’t use too much!  With the thinner flat iron, I can also curl my hair into perfect ringlets which stay until the next wash.

Good luck in your shopping endeavors!   Let me know what you get, and how you like it!

Posted in Beauty, Hair | Print | No Comments »

January 14. 2009 by admin.

My husband and I have done a lot of shopping on ebay over the years.  My purchases are usually small – video games, books, jewelry supplies, etc.; but my husband, he likes to spend big.  He has been burned more than once however, twice the seller sent him something different than what was pictured.  This last time, when he notified the seller, my husband was accused of swapping the unit (a CRT picture tube) and trying to get a return on an old unit.  The seller has no conscience – he knows the truth.  We’re going through Paypal to get our money back but I’m pretty sure the seller has played this game before.

When purchasing from a new seller, always check out their feedback from customers.  Not just the numbers, but what the people are actually saying.  If lots of people say shipping is slow, then it’s probably going to be slow.  If everyone comments on the quick shipping, great communication, and wonderful product and packaging, then YAY, this is someone you want to deal with.

Rather than page through page after page looking to read the negatives, there is a simple online tool to filter them out at toolhaus.org.  Make toolhaus your best friend.

With regards to shopping online, a few phrases come to mind:

If it looks too good to be true, it probably is
Ask questions before you buy.  There are no guarantees that you will get exactly what you want, but asking questions can eliminate a lot of confusion.

A picture is worth a thousand words
Being a big fan of photography, I adore this phrase.  However, when shopping online, it is only true if the seller is selling you the exact item in the picture.  Often this is not the case.

Once bitten, Twice Shy?
One would think that after losing money to dishonest sellers over the years, perhaps we should shy away from online shopping.  Unfortunately, I can’t.   I have acquired so many unique items that can’t be found anywhere else and the convenience of shopping online when you live way out in the country just can’t be beat!

update: February 25, 2009:

After filing a claim with paypal, we were required to return the unit to the seller via courier with a tracking number.  After the package was delivered, we were refunded the purchase price of the tube.  Original shipping was not refunded and the courier fee came out of our pocket.  We were reimbursed $201 and paid just over $80 in shipping. ah well!

Posted in Online Shopping | Print | 1 Comment »

January 14. 2009 by admin.

I have been shopping on ebay for the past 7 years with only minor complications.  Small items never showed up and I never really worried about it too much.  But lately I have noticed that fraud is on the rise.  In December I bought and paid for dvds for my kids for Christmas.  They never showed up, we took a vacation, and arriving home I expected to find my postal box overflowing with packages.  Not so, the seller had left the building!

I tried to file a paypal claim but judging from his December feedback so had hundreds of other people and no more claims could be made on that account.

So, you would think I had learned something.  No, since the seller had thousands of feedback and had been doing ebay business for years, I figured that something really bad had happened to him which prevented him from fulfilling his obligations.  (Do you see the picture here – I TRUST people!)  Plus I owe my children a few gifts.

And so I decide to buy more dvds

Today while leaving feedback for other purchases (which were good, by the way – apparently buying bras and panties online is pretty safe ;), I notice that my new dvd purchases are not listed in my “Items I won”.  Hmmmm….I was pretty sure I had purchased them so off I go to find my paypal receipt.  I click on the listing link in the receipt and get this message:

This listing (230229476xxx) has been removed or is no longer available. Please make sure you entered the right item number.  If the listing was removed by eBay, consider it canceled.

Huh?  How can I consider it cancelled?   I paid for it!

Back to paypal I go to file another claim.  Hopefully I will have better luck this time but I’m not holding my breath.

It’s really sad you know, as an online seller myself I know that there is a lot of shoppers out there.  We should have the right to receive the merchandise we pay for.  Not get robbed from the comfort of our office chairs.

archived from January 2008

Posted in Online Shopping | Print | No Comments »

December 17. 2008 by admin.

Best buy of the week!

$9.99 at the Real Canadian Superstore

After only 11 months my son’s mp3/video player would not recharge so when I saw this Sylvania unit at the superstore for only $10, I had to give it a try.  I really wasn’t expecting much but have to say, this little unit sounds good!  The battery is fully charged in 3 hours and lasts about 4 hours of play time.  Not bad for another inexpensive ipod look-alike!

This little unit gets 4 out of 5 stars because it’s cheap and easy to use!

Review

Posted in electronics | Print | No Comments »

November 20. 2008 by admin.

How to cure your bank account!

Free Trial:

Plastered all over the internet is a beautiful girl’s testimony telling about Skin Perfection’s free trial and how great the product works – with before and after pictures to prove it!

Oh wow!

Who can resist a free trial?  Not me – I quickly signed up to receive my 30 day supply for only $4.95 shipping.

Ordering:

Should you change your mind while on the order page and hit the corner X, a pop up window will appear offering you an even better deal ($2.95 shipping).  At this time, I suggest you XXX outta there as fast as you can!  Unfortunately, I didn’t .

Spam:

Here are a few things you might like to know before ordering:

1) Your email address will be given out to third parties.

Even if you don’t complete the final payment step,  your email address is added to their data bank.

2) Your phone number will be given out to third parties.

Within 6 days of placing my order, I received three phone calls from a third party company to confirm my address and email on behalf of my recent order.  Included were offers to win free travel tickets, $100 gas vouchers, and free stuff from other companies. It may sound like a good opportunity but from past experience, I know that these offers just mean more spam.

The Real Deal:

On the 15th day from placing your order, your credit card will be charged $79.90 (us funds) for the supply of Skin Perfection which was supposed to be a free trial.  It’s not free, it’s only free to try for 14 days!

If you do not want to pay, you must return the product by the 15th day, which could be tricky if you haven’t received it yet.

Cancelling:

To cancel further shipments of Skin Perfection, the telephone number is 866-897-0664.

Here’s what happens when you try to cancel within 14 days of placing your order:

You will be offered a “Special Deal!”

Rather than be charged $79.90 for the “free” trial, they will waive that fee if you agree to accept another 30 day supply at half price.  After that, each 30 day supply is $39.95 for as long as you continue to use the product.

or:

You can keep the “free” trial and be charged $79.90

Conclusion

I am marking my calendar for December 20th to phone and cancel.   In the meantime, I look forward to sampling Skin Perfection for 60 days to see if the product is worth the headache or is just as bogus as their tactics.

Hmmmm….they also sell Skin Perfection Lift SP.  Whattaya think?  Should I order a free trial of anti-wrinkle cream?
Update:  I first ordered the “free” trial of Skin Perfection MD on November 15th.  As of December 20th, I have not received anything.  When I phoned them, they seemed surprised but did not offer to send a replacement.  They did however agree to cancel all future shipments.  sigh….live and learn.

Posted in Beauty | Print | No Comments »

November 19. 2008 by admin.

The Gift of Hope

Samaritan’s Purse not only organizes Operation Christmas Child,  but throughout the year are working to provide disaster relief, clean water, medical care, shelter, and more to families in need.

Every year, thousands of Canadians and others around the world shop for small toys, school supplies, and small items to fill shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.  These boxes are sent to children who may never have received a gift at Christmas before.  It’s a small thing to do that could bring a smile to the face of a child.

Many local schools and churches will organize the collection of shoe boxes or they can be dropped off at any Safeway or Greyhound location.

More information on packing gift boxes can be found at www.samaritanspurse.ca

Collection week in Canada for 2008 is November 24 - 29.

Posted in Uncategorized | Print | No Comments »

November 19. 2008 by admin.

Tip of the Week:

To make your tights last longer, leave them in the package and freeze them overnight before you wear them.  After washing, squeeze out the excess water, place them in a ziploc bag and freeze them again.  Freezing them strengthens the fibers so they’re less likely to run for no reason!

We can’t always avoid snags but can stop a run with a dab of clear nail polish or a shot of hairspray.

Posted in UnderWear | Print | No Comments »

November 17. 2008 by admin.

Is it the answer to acne?

Proactiv Solutions is one of the most popular acne solutions on the market today. Although it may prevent future breakouts, I don’t think it’s the answer for those already suffering from acne.

We received a pamphlet in the mail advertising a 30 day trial of Proactiv Solutions for $19.95 + $6.95 shipping to Canada. When I phoned, the customer service rep asked if I would like to upgrade to a 60 day supply for $39.90 + $8.95 shipping.   I agreed to this and the total of $48.85 Canadian funds was charged to my credit card.

When you order Proactiv, you become a Club Member and will receive the 3-step system products every 30 or 60 days with your credit card automatically billed accordingly.

After having Proactiv’s 3-step system for about one month, we decided to order some additional products from their catalog, which has everything from hair care, moisturizers, to make up.  Since Proactiv tends to leave skin felling dry, I needed to order a moisturizer to complement the cleansing routine.  I decided to try a few other products as well, which I will review at a later date.

I did have a bit of a scafuffle with the customer service rep on the phone as she gave me my total in US funds and the catalog I had said customers from Canada would be charged Canadian funds. She said they don’t do that as they are in the United States and that is their currency. Okay fine, I succumbed to that argument and was charged in US funds.

After using the 3-step system for 7 weeks, we have not noticed any visible improvement.   I have phoned to cancel any future shipments and that was easy to do.  In the meantime, we are still looking for a solution to acne.

Proactiv gets 3 out 5 stars for good customer service.

Review

Posted in Beauty | Print | 1 Comment »

November 16. 2008 by admin.

by Native Intimates, New York, NY

Here’s a great idea if you need versatility in your bra to hide or show off those straps.  The Every Way bra has loops all along the neckline and back band to attach the strap wherever you want. Get funky and make up your own style!

The cups are lightly padded and this bra can be shipped to your door from ebay for only $15.

If you’re a fashion junkie and willing to spend the money, Victoria Secret’s has the 100 way bra which comes with extra straps for even more versatility.

The Every Way Bra gets 3 out of 5 stars.  It’s a good value at $15!

Review

Posted in UnderWear | Print | No Comments »