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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to push for more from this high street company that lied and humiliated me?

555 replies

redrugroffle · 30/05/2012 10:20

Sorry, name changing old timer to protect my RL identity on here (yawn, yes I know- please feel free to quiz me on MN howlers past and present)

I was shopping on a busy saturday in a chain. A lady approached me she was the manager.

She introduced herself and said she wondering if I would help her as she'd had no luck for the last hour and needed a candidate to take part in a radio phone in show- prizes/money going to charity and their staff and the chance to win an electrical appliance for myself???

I asked how long it would take and agreed as long as it would be swift as I felt a bit sorry for her Blush- I also asked what charity it would be for and whether it would be filmed? She was vague and said she wasn't fully briefed on the details. She then laughed and said that this was very much the "style" of their company. That they were very up on motivation for the staff, crazy competitions, incentives etc. I took this on trust and they are a very big company.

We went to her office and the phone rang on speaker phone- radio guy with jingles in background etc- asks me where I'm from, age, name etc.

It was then put on handset and I had to answer a few qs and agree whether or not to perform some silly tasks (think Chris Evans old style larking) some I did some I refused (every refusal got money for the charity)

Anyway- fast forward 20 mins and I cut ot off (as I wanted to go and was stretched for time. I'd won ££ for charity, 2 prizes for the staff and a prize for myself to be collected from the store on the following Tuesday and £3000 worth of stuff.

I was really pleased and as I fundraise for a local charity I asked if my prize could be donated to my chosen charity as well as thiers (I've got no need for another toaster of cake mixer Grin) I was told we will see on Tuesday.

I arrive on Tuesday (this place is a 55 mile round trip for me)

The manager looks solemn. She takes me to the office and tells me she's been stupid, it was a hoax, nobody was coming in.

She gave me a £20 voucher for my girl (it was her birthday) and asked me to leave. Sad

I've since called their customer services to demand an inquiry into her behaviour and to get some token for being humiliated, out of pocket and time.

They've not called me back.

They've said they're sorry but these things happen????

I've nobody except my close friend to asked and he advised me that he'd be going for the complete amount of things I was promised and to not compromise.

So your feedback would be greatly appreciated.

OP posts:
carernotasaint · 30/05/2012 22:18

Cly im sorry but i think Laurie Fairy Cake has a point. It could be a revenge thing because of workfare.
Sooner or later someone on workfare IS going to want to get their own back (even if thats not what has happened in this case) and you are deluded if you think that something like this wont happen because of this.

omletta · 30/05/2012 22:19

Polenta is rank!

wolvesdidit · 30/05/2012 22:26

You can make nice cakes with polenta.

VivaLeBeaver · 30/05/2012 22:29

Come racing back from work to see if the company has been named and am gutted it hasn't been.

MadeInChinaBaby · 30/05/2012 22:33

If you don't like polenta, you just haven't found a good recipe for it yet.

ScrambledSmegs · 30/05/2012 22:34

I made an amazing artichoke and goats cheese tart with polenta as the crust instead of regular pastry. It was amazeballs.

crunchbag · 30/05/2012 22:39

You could buy some nice wallpaper for £3000 and paste it with polenta

FelicityElectricity · 30/05/2012 22:41

Grin viva

VivaLeBeaver · 30/05/2012 22:45

Its all I've been thinking about all day. Giving someone CPR in a cardiac arrest and all I could think about was "which shop is it"

Honky · 30/05/2012 22:54

:) hahaha, that really made me laugh VivaLeBeaver!

StealthPolarBear · 30/05/2012 22:54

Thanks for the clarification op, sorry it got a bit lost among the polenta!

FelicityElectricity · 30/05/2012 22:55

I suppose repeating that in the right rhythm would help with compressions? Grin
Was the CPR successful?

Enragia · 30/05/2012 23:00

Oh FFs. Call the police. Hilarious. !!

Just move on FFs.
You aren't out of pocket

MrsKwazii · 30/05/2012 23:05

Baked polenta chips are delicious. You're welcome Wink

edam · 30/05/2012 23:09

I am not a lawyer. But the company is responsible for the actions of its employees as long as they haven't gone off 'on a frolic of their own', if I recall the wording correctly. The OP only got drawn into this hoax because the employee persuaded her it was true. So if OP has suffered a loss as a consequence of these actions then the company has to put it right. The OP will presumably then hand over any compensation or damages to her chosen charity.

Ooh, it's just like the Real Hustle, with the naive manager as 'the persuader'.

ThatVikRinA22 · 30/05/2012 23:12

i believe the op, actually.

just because she wont do what the majority want her to do does not suddenly make her story unbelievable.

she is posting what she wants to disclose - that that brings derision from those nosey bastards who just want to stick the boot in means nothing.

she wont name the company as it may hurt her case - and if id done silly things for charity that i later found to be a hoax id not be broadcasting exactly what i did either.

would love to know the outcome op. i believe you. and i believe no one in RL.

MyDogShitsMoney · 30/05/2012 23:12

This is more confusing than Gabby's triumphant return.

I'm going to bed, my head hurts.

I will leave you with this though.
radio car give away scam

redrugroffle · 30/05/2012 23:14

Stealth no apology necessary but thanks Smile

I'm not bothered about the talk of polenta. V. funny. Grin Suits me fine.

Viva you've taken my mind off the matter entirely and really made me laugh.

OP posts:
BurningBridges · 30/05/2012 23:14

Has Gabby returned?!

squeakytoy · 30/05/2012 23:15

I am betting Robert Dyas... high street store that sells toasters, food mixers, AND garden benches!

JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar · 30/05/2012 23:15

just because she wont do what the majority want her to do does not suddenly make her story unbelievable

Well said, Vicar.

redrugroffle · 30/05/2012 23:16

'Kinell Vicar, no you don't I'm shocked at you Grin in a nice way!

Anyway back to polenta or how slim Jessica Ennis' arse would look in a maxi frock....

OP posts:
JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar · 30/05/2012 23:17

Oh, x-posts. Glad you're ok about the polenta Blush

Housemum · 30/05/2012 23:25

Sainsbury's only had ready mixed polenta when I last went hunting for it - no bloody use if using it to coat chicken!
(shameless excuse of random polenta comment to mark place!)
OP - I feel for you, I get the impression your OP was in the heat of the moment, I'm sure you're probably not expecting £3k now but you do deserve a full explanation when they know what happened, a moderate charity donation and a voucher or payment to cover your travel costs.

MyDogShitsMoney · 30/05/2012 23:27

(yep, truly bizarre waffle about para Olympics in chat.)

Not saying I don't believe you by the way op. Just don't understand any part of it at all.

Not what happened, not why, not their reaction and not your reaction. Non of it makes one ounce of sense to me at all.

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