I don't get grumpy about NTs and their odd ways too often, or at least I try not to. But the "getting you to buy in a social setting" is just too horrible for me. I avoid these people and their minions like the plague they are.
Never the less... a certain friend of mine managed to "refer" me into having some mary kay lady call and harrass me today. I'm sure she had only the best intentions. ($$) The worst is that in the message she said nothing about it. I know my friend is looking for a job so I thought that was the intent... so I called thinking I was going to be saying some nice job-related things about my friend. Anyway I called and quickly got in over my head trying to give myself a polite social "out" to relieve myself from the kind of pain a mary kay lady can give. She was relentless. "Well if money is the problem you'll be happy to find out that just by having a few friends over you can easily make enough free gifts to get yourself a facial." AHH. The last thing I want is to host one of those horrible parties!!! Forcing the few friends I have to hand their money over to some lady trying to sell icky cosmetics?? no thanks!
I just don't get the appeal of these kind of party companies... they are the worst kind of social and financial pressure pots.
Thank god my cell ran out of battery... I would have never been free!
Lesson learned once again, eh?
Reminds me of a method suggested by Gary Larson, a good and tested defense:
Wow!
My first line of defense is "I'm not interested, thanks." If that doesnt work, then I go into my second line of defense which is something like "You know, it feels as if you're trying to manipulate me and I'd like you to stop." That usually makes them go away.
At my former workplace, there was a woman who did about six of these things a year. Selling candy, selling "gifts", selling whatever. Fliers in our mailboxes, a table set up in the teacher's lounge, and in your face every time you walked into her ofice... she was in a critical position where everybody had to stay on her good side, and I hated it. From a stranger, it's an annoyance. From a co-worker it's extortion.
the most simple answer?
press the
Red button on the phone
problem solved,no more harassment!
on another note,you can have your number(s) added to a "do not ring" list,and they are legally obliged to no longer bother you.and if they o,you can in all righteousness turn round and demand that your number be removed from their databases.
Good idea guys!
I'm glad I'm not the only one... it was just way too frusterating to deal with that lady. Hopefully I won't be hearing from her again. But that whole multi-level marketing thing is just horrible. A way to exploit your friends and family... an ick... business employees?? that's horrible!
I hate those types of parties. People will invite you and say you don't have to buy anything. This is because some of the hosts get prizes or discounts depending on how many people attend the "party" and the total sales. --And there is pressure to buy.
What makes me angry is most of these people would never invite me over to their home for a social visit or party. They only invite me because they want me to buy something.
Once I just said that I couldn't come because I was busy and made some excuse. Then I forgot what I told them and they asked the next week about how that night went -- and I said something like I just stayed home and read a book. Then that person made me to be such a *** to everyone else because I didn't want to go to their party. Reminds me why I should not talk to people.
I would just say No. No justification, no excuses. I do this with wedding and baby showers. "Thank you for inviting me, but no."
I've had peace and quiet ever since I signed up on the Do Not Call List, and I'm very quick to file a complaint against those telemarketers who STILL call. That is, if I make the mistake of not letting the machine get the calls, as telemarketers won't leave messages. If they do and I get the phone number, I do the complaint thing.
As for those "parties" I just keep repeating that I'm not interested. I definitely think that those "friends" who harass you about those things are using extortion, especially if you have to work with those people. I'll go to a wedding or baby shower only if I'm very close to the person getting married or having the baby.
When and if I do get married I will say, gifts optional, you can't give us anything better than we have each other.
If only more people were so sensible about gift giving.
If invited to a wedding (not often) I often have a lot of challenges in finding a suitable present in my price range. I'm not fond of those parties where people sell stuff.
What some of my workmates do with things like Avon, Nutrimetics and Tupperware is to leave the latest catalogue in the tea rooms and if anybody is interested in buying them, they can contact the person at work and make their order. It takes much of the pressure away.
Amway used to be fairly bad for high pressure sales and was almost like a religion - I don't know if they are still so pressured.
Had to chuckle at this read as I just turned down an invite to a "jewelry party" for this weekend. Family obligations seem to dictate attendance at one, but when the same individual keeps having parties for lord knows what next I think its fair to simply decline. I heard after the fact only 3 out of 24 invitees attended. Think she got the message this time round????? Mom
Sitting next to a dear friend today at work and noticed she was writing with a big, hideous florescent PINK pen. Shockingly tasteless for such an elegant lady. I looked closer at the pen and it said "Mary Kay."
I couldn't help but think of this thread and wonder, "Is my friend a secret May Kay cultist?"
So glad to be where thinking these thoughts are normal.
Up in WV last weekend I was with my best friend and his missus, the phone rang, and she said "He is not available right now". He was resting silently on a nearby couch, and I said "_______, you're a good liar" and she explained that that is what either of them do for each other when solicitors call.
So I suggested a rewrite of a Beatles song
"You say hello, and I say goodbye... goodbye hello goodbye goodbye, you don't know why I say goodbye when you say hello."
That was the best laughter I got out of her since I told them the only thing my Anthem BCBS health plan will do for my diet plan is not to cover Phentermine or Xenical but to nicely tell me not to eat so much and exercise.
Xenical causes uncontrolled pooping so is a horrible drug. It depends if you come from a big family or not. Cutting out high calorie foods and exercising more is really the best way but not easy. Still, I'd rather do that than run the chance of having something run out of me when I wasn't expecting it and thereby getting horribly embarrassed.
Yes, and I think the worst thing about these parties is getting put on the spot to attend, then to buy things and then to host a party yourself.