Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ignore the 'sticker club' letter

52 replies

Moominlandmidwinter · 28/01/2013 19:17

DD3 is five. Today, she came home from school with a white envelope in her book bag, addressed to MoominDD, class 1X. Inside was a letter stating the following:-

*Dear MooninDD

Welcome to the Sticker Club! Please send one packet of stickers to the person marked in spot (1) listed below. Move my name to the first spot and put your name in the second spot. Then send this letter to six of your friends,

If you can't do this within 6 days, please let my mum know as it would be unfair to the children who have participated so far. Within 2 weeks you should receive 36 packets of stickers! Its lots of fun and exciting to see where your stickers come from and it's always nice to get letters in the post!

Good luck and thank you for participating in the sticker club!

Your friend x

P.S. To the parents: Please take a little time for this cute project. It is worth it to see the smile on your child's face when they open their mail. To make it easier, we have included a blank letter for you to photocopy. Make 12 copies of the enclosed letter before you write on it, then mail it to 6 of your child's friends. Make sure to include one blank one with each letter for them to send on to their friends. Have fun!*

I hate, hate, hate chain mail, texts and e-mails etc! I don't want DD to have 36 packets of stickers, as she has a tendency to want to use them all at once and sticks them all over the house. I'm a bit Hmm about the school aiding and abetting in this by putting the letters in the book bags. Plus, my printer is out of ink and buying a new cartridge to print the bloody letters is an expense I can do without. DD isn't bothered.

WIBU to just bin the letter? Or do I need to hunt down the mother (who, last year, didn't bother to tell us if her DS was coming to DDs party, so we had to pay nearly £10 for him just in case). Or am I being a miserable old trout, who should participate in this blackmailing scheme?

OP posts:
Flisspaps · 28/01/2013 19:19

YANBU.

I though chain letters had gone out with the Ark. The only place for them is the bin.

wannabedomesticgoddess · 28/01/2013 19:20

I wouldnt. Thats the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!

HousewifeFromHeaven · 28/01/2013 19:21

I would bin it. I too hate anything like this. It's presumptuous, and it's a bit like bullying IMO.

Sparklingbrook · 28/01/2013 19:21

Ooh blimey That reminds me of that pyramid money thing from years ago. Not cute IMO. But then will your DD be Sad when everyone else is getting loads of stickers?

Original poster
Moominlandmidwinter · 28/01/2013 19:22

I'd never heard of it before! It is ridiculous, isn't it! I've got parent's evening tomorrow, might mention to the teacher about it.

OP posts:
Original poster
Moominlandmidwinter · 28/01/2013 19:23

I don't know, sparkling, that's what I'm a bit worried about. Might just buy her 36 packets of stickers myself in that case!

OP posts:
DieWilde13 · 28/01/2013 19:24

Bin it. What a load of nonsense!

Sparklingbrook · 28/01/2013 19:24

That's what I would do Moomin. Let her choose her own stickers.

LifeofPo · 28/01/2013 19:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sparklingbrook · 28/01/2013 19:25

Does the teacher know do you think? Not sure the school would approve would they?

Biltongmuncher · 28/01/2013 19:27

Have to admit, we got one for my dd and i binned it!! Can't be dealing with that.

MrsTerryPratchett · 28/01/2013 19:30

It's a Ponzi scheme. Tell the teacher.

Original poster
Moominlandmidwinter · 28/01/2013 19:30

I doubt she knows. Probably thought it was a party invitation or something like that. I'm actually a bit shocked that this exists! But after googling, it seems that it's been going on for a few years. Whichever parent invented it obviously had way too much time on their hands!

OP posts:
SanityClause · 28/01/2013 19:31

I would tell the school.

Chain mail is insidious.

And when they start getting the horrible chain emails that give them nightmares! Just don't pander to it. Buy her some stickers. Get her a pen friend, so she gets to look forward to getting post.

But don't be sucked in by chain mails!

TheCrackFox · 28/01/2013 19:35

YANBU

This exactly how Bernie Madoff started out and it quickly escalated out if control. Fact.

SamuelWestsMistress · 28/01/2013 19:35

I received 3 of these last year. Binned them all without a second thought! [nosoul]

Original poster
Moominlandmidwinter · 28/01/2013 19:36

A pen-friend is an excellent idea. I just explained 'The Sticker Club' in more detail to DD. Her response was, 'BORIIING!!' Grin.

OP posts:
IAmNotAMindReader · 28/01/2013 19:37

Mention it to the teacher. Its not harmless its setting those kids up to be targets for all that kind of chain mail, pyramid of success crap.
Fun now but not so fun when they open their email and see one saying a family member will die if they don't pass it round Angry

CheCazzo · 28/01/2013 19:37

Seriously - this is a pyramid/Ponzi thing - the only difference is it's stickers not £50's. Schools really shouldn't be giving this kind of bollocks their backing - maybe they don't realise what it is?

KatyTheCleaningLady · 28/01/2013 19:37

36 packs of stickers????

For my kids to stick all over my house????

OH. HELL. NO.

fruitloops3 · 28/01/2013 19:40

Sounds like a whole load of hassle for some crappy stickers - whichever parent is organising it obviously has WAY too much time on their hands.

BIN!

Original poster
Moominlandmidwinter · 28/01/2013 19:43

I've mad up my mind, and it is going in the bin. Am going to show it to DDs teacher first, just so that school are aware of it first.

OP posts:
FionaJT · 28/01/2013 19:43

I'd bin it like a shot, and mention it to the teacher.

Sparklingbrook · 28/01/2013 19:45

This week's newsletter could be interesting Moomin.

'Mrs Moomin' Mum of MoominDD has brought it to our attention that there is a daft sticker scheme circulating' Grin

zipzap · 28/01/2013 19:46

I would take it one step further and complain to the school about them sending this out in bookbags. Not least because at that age they don't have lots of different friend's - lots of them will be sent to school friends who will already have received letters and not want to be doing it a second time. It will be great for her ds who is no doubt at the top of the list and get lots. Not so good for those further down when it has all run out of steam.

It's not a cute project. It's an exploitative chain mail / pyramid scheme and the teachers should be actively teaching the children that the best thing to do when they get one of these is to stop them there and then.

I'd also make sure that I didn't invite her ds to another party or if I did, would make sure that I wrote on it that if you hadn't heard by xxx date, you wouldn't be reserving places 'just in case' due to the no shows last year :o. I've found that party places will often let you increase numbers by 2 or 3 closer to the time, you just pay extra when you get there. Whereas if you want to reduce numbers you forfeit the money... And if they tell you late, you can tell them that you have to check with the venue so you know if they will extend the numbers. And if they turn up without RSVP-ing then you can decide if they are nice and you want to try to increase the numbers - fine. And if they are annoying or horrible you can be frightfully nice but say that you're sorry but as they didn't let you know as requested, you didn't reserve a place and you can't do it now... May teach them to read the invite in the future and reply when they need to!