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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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:
Original poster
redrugroffle · 31/05/2012 09:45

wizard. I can answer that- or hopefully our messages will appear on the board within seconds. Grin

I emailed her and told her. Then went eeek.

OP posts:
limitedperiodonly · 31/05/2012 09:46

God. Is oracle part of the gang now?

Original poster
redrugroffle · 31/05/2012 09:46

I'm off now. I have a a stack of nipple tassles to repair and rabbits to buff.

OP posts:
OracleInAMonarchale · 31/05/2012 09:47
limitedperiodonly · 31/05/2012 09:48

Glad you cleared that up redrug. Or was it just to throw us off the scent?

MustControlFistOfDeath · 31/05/2012 09:54

What in the name of chuff is this all about?

idontbelieveanymore · 31/05/2012 09:58

Any more news Op? Do you expect anyone to contact you today with more information?

flamingtoaster · 31/05/2012 10:13

I think I know how Alice felt when she fell down the rabbit hole ...

fluffiphlox · 31/05/2012 10:16

I have ploughed my way through this thread and I am none the wiser, except for the fact that my views on polenta have been confirmed.
If this is a scam by a fake 'radio station', how do they make their money? It seems like a lot of effort by someone to con someone else. How many calls a day do they have to make in order to find a gullible store, how long do they have to spend on the phone to rack up profit on a premium phone line (if that's what it is)? I am baffled.
BTW, I once worked in retail and we would have been killed if we'd done anything like this without HO say-so. A disciplinary offence, scam by 'radio' or not.

MrsKwazii · 31/05/2012 10:43

storminabuttercup You buy a block of polenta, cut it into chip-sized chunks, brush them with olive oil and bake them in the oven until crispy. They are lovely. Also nice baked with rosemary or sprinkled with grated parmesan

catchafallingstar · 31/05/2012 10:46

guessing that when the thread gets to 20 pages all will be revealed.

I think it's a massive wind up.

I've read the 18 pages (there's time I wont ever get back...)

Off to think of a more elaborate and weird post...

WhosPickleisThatOnion · 31/05/2012 10:59

I read this all last night, hoping there would be an answer and alas! Only polenta.

SusanneLinder · 31/05/2012 11:16

I have been around forums a VERY long time, and this has got to be the weirdest thread ever.18 pages later and we are still none the wiser of what exactky went down.

GetTheeToANunnery · 31/05/2012 11:22

Marking my place! I NEED to know what shop it was Grin

Toaster24 · 31/05/2012 11:35

Polenta tastes like fluff.

limitedperiodonly Is Bill Oddie well endowed? Is he a good lover?

Inquiring minds want to know.

ThatVikRinA22 · 31/05/2012 11:36

well....this has moved a bit. it is the most surreal thread ever but i still believe its true.
in fact, its the sort of idiot thing i would do.

no word from the company yet then OP? id give them a time limit to set this to rights....
They may actually have a case to report to police here actually if they end up having to honour the "prank" - it is technically a fraud.

AlbertoFrog · 31/05/2012 11:41

Also marking my place ...

... whilst nipping off to add polenta to my shopping list.

MadeInChinaBaby · 31/05/2012 11:56

Poirot, polenta and the return of Gabby.

What more could we possibly want?

YouGoonie · 31/05/2012 12:01

I got up to the start of polenta which is disgusting yesterday.
Should I read the next few pages to find out what the story is about Bill Oddie

limitedperiodonly · 31/05/2012 12:03

toaster It wasn't me I tell you.

But working on the newsroom theory that kiss and tells are less likely to sue if you're nice about them, Bill was hung like a donkey and was the best lover I never had as well as being very generous with his tips on birdwatching.

You also have to describe the surroundings so your victim knows you can substantiate your story. So it was dark and the three-seater bicycle was a bugger to balance on.

Toaster24 · 31/05/2012 12:12

Grin Wink

I've heard the Goodies do anything, any time.

Housemum · 31/05/2012 12:12

Well, all this talk of shagging Bill Oddie has put me off lunch now...

ThatVikRinA22 · 31/05/2012 13:35

as well as my bill oddie crush i had a crush on kenneth williams too. and the bloke that played the aboriginal detective in Boney, and my favourite songs were Bernard Cribbins singing about digging his hole and the brother hood of mans save all your kisses for me....

i really must have been such an odd child! i remember being so gutted that my view of The Goodies was so obscurred i cried...but i refused point blank to be hoisted onto any ones shoulders in order to improve it.

hey ho.
im normal now.
i think.

DamnBamboo · 31/05/2012 13:38

Errr, hello all, excuse me...

Has the name of the shop been revealed yet?

(really can't be arsed to read from p9 onwards)

Toaster24 · 31/05/2012 13:41

DamnBamboo No... Anne Summers or Greggs are the best guesses so far.

VicarInaTutu I think you would have been shit out of luck with Kenneth Williams (assuming you're female).