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Beck's Furniture $600 Scam


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#196 SacDJ

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Posted 20 October 2009 - 06:20 PM

(I'm not commenting still)

He's not saying it's not alot of money. I believe he's just as amazed as I that so many "adults" are stalking this issue and whining/crying before it has a chance to work. Yes, technically, the cards may be late, but are you sure you're not going to get yours?

I've dealt with Comcast for years and have had some crappy experiences with them. Discounts that didn't appear month after month until I complained enough to get it right, etc.....Bad customer service is nothing new. It's the norm.

If/when they don't come through, then have at it. Complain/file a lawsuit, badmouth Beck's, etc...but wait until you're SURE you're not getting your cashola.

(end of no-comment) lmaosmiley.gif



#197 (Cheesesteak)

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 08:44 AM

I saw Beck's running the ad pushing these "$500 in free groceries" on television this morning. I did note the ad said nothing about third-parties running the program.

RSD - your response would be taken a bit more seriously if you'd have no ranted about people knowing so "little," and then going on and telling everyone what your "guess" is as to why people aren't getting what they signed up for.

If you're in the know, please let us know how these companies make money by offering these deals? What does it cost a retailer to hand one to each customer? $5? $10? Then they make another small take on the initial fees - right? How is it a money-maker? Is it from not paying out on every rebate given to a customer?

Just asking, as one of the folks who knows so little . . .

#198 RSD

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 01:39 PM

You know, sometimes a company CAN try and do the right thing AND benefit
from a profit standpoint. I didn't mean to imply that MyFreeTravel rode in
on a white horse ONLY to save BBZ's distressed customers. But, they were the only ones
willing to deeply discount their coupons to make it POSSIBLE for reps to make good
on the old company's promises. Yes...their intentions most definitely ARE to
grab BBZ's customer base. However, the only way that they will truly profit from
this sudden acquisition of new cutomers is to fullfill the old orders at a
loss and THEN GET THEM TO RE-ORDER AT MORE PROFITABLE PRICES!!!!!

Screwing over Beck's customers (as well as the dozens of other national chain
store custormers in BBZ's old program) accomplishes nothing!!!!!! Once again, I am
not here to defend all of their business practices but all I am trying to say it is
way TOO EARLY to start slitting our wrists over this company.

I agree with you on the Terms and Conditions discrepencies. It is one of a few reasons
I am not happy with how they are handling all of this (FYI-I have heard that they will be dropping the driver's license requirement going forward as it has become a greater source of
irritation then they envisioned.) PR wizards they are NOT and my guess is the losses they
are undertaking in the replacement process were not modeled correctly. Still, they need to
Man (or Woman) up take the hit and DELIVER without pissing the new (and old) customer
base off.

I will report back here as I find things out. In the meantime, let's give this mediocre company
a chance to elevate themselves.

QUOTE (jmreed97 @ Oct 20 2009, 06:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
First of all... Thank-you for telling your side of the story. I am glad that you have a gift card, but that doesn't actually help me any. Today, Laura from Beck's admitted that their employees who are using the certificates haven't gotten anything either. So you are the only person we have any evidence of receiving a card at this point.

As for the complaints to the BBB about my free travel. They were not in regards to people complaining that they had to send in a copy of their ID. It was the fact that MyFreeTravel did not make that fact known in the instructions for submitting the rebate. It was buried in the middle of the 31 terms and conditions. If they didn't anticipate people being angry about that fact, they aren't very smart. I caught that in the T&S, so I did send in my ID and that is not my issue.

My issue is that the original terms and conditions (the ones which do not say they can be changed without notice) state I will receive my first card 4-6 weeks after I submit my receipt. That was October 2nd. Then they changed the T&C to say 4-6 weeks after August 31st. That was October 12th. Now they are telling you it will be by October 31st? This is the same pattern of behavior displayed by BBZ. As well as the behavior displayed by tidewater (the company based in Florida preceding BBZ)

I am willing to wait... but every day that goes by without a gift card in my mail box makes myfreetravel more suspect.

One final note. It is silly to say myfreetravel stepped in to help the industry. Even if they are a legitimate business, they stepped in to salvage the BBZ customer-base for themselves. This isn't philanthropy on their part...



#199 RSD

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 01:49 PM

Not trying to over-trivialize this but there are way more things to be concerned
about then some Visa cards being late. I know it is $600 and all but you are
assuming that they are NEVER coming. My sense is that they will deliver but
it may be a bumpier (then what it should be) ride. All we have invested is $9.95
and more time/aggrevation that could have been better spent elsewhere.
It's not the end of the world, yet. Give it time!!!!!!


QUOTE (sunnyCA @ Oct 20 2009, 05:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
ohmy.gif
I have no stake in this (have not bought from Beck's and am not awaiting Visa cards) but seriously!??! Really??!?!? You would actually tell a customer to stop worrying about "these little Visa cards!??!

In this economy, $600 is a LOT of money to many folks... And, quite honestly, if there are thousands nationwide who are owed this money and not getting it, well, it's more than a "little" money.

I think it's that attitude that has so many so upset. It's not "a little" to many...it's a lot and if they aren't getting the money in a timely way, it's unfair to have people spending so much time trying to get said money. And, if they don't get it at all, it's more than a little unethical. And THAT is what has people so fired up...they shouldn't have to be spending so.much.time on this process and not ever seeing results. So no, it's not a "little" problem....



#200 blahdc

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 02:02 PM

QUOTE (RSD @ Oct 21 2009, 02:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Not trying to over-trivialize this but there are way more things to be concerned
about then some Visa cards being late. I know it is $600 and all but you are
assuming that they are NEVER coming. My sense is that they will deliver but
it may be a bumpier (then what it should be) ride. All we have invested is $9.95
and more time/aggrevation that could have been better spent elsewhere.
It's not the end of the world, yet. Give it time!!!!!!


Haha one more exclamation point and a few more caps in your posts and I might be able to read them. I have spent more than 8 hours of my time hassling with myfreetravel and the company I purchased the product from. I'm not sure what you do for a living but those 8 hours could of easily been spent on work elsewhere instead I have got nowhere. $9.95 is not $0....so yes we have all wasted time and money on this company and expect results.

The reason we suspect they are never coming is because every other program like this has failed. How much time should we give them? The six weeks that they needed or should we wait a few years? In the meantime maybe you and SacDj could wire me $600 since you are firm believers.

#201 RSD

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 02:34 PM

Ok, Cheesesteak, let me re-clarify.... Sometimes hostility clouds things so I will
try it again.....I do not WORK for the company so I generally don't have much "better"
information then those of you who are calling Customer Service everyday. Occasionally
I will get some details through my broker (see above FYI about them eliminating the
driver's license requirement). I have an advantage over some due to my perspective
of having dealt with BBZ's nonsense and now MyFreeTravel. Others have a greater
perspective due to their having dealt with the Florida company AND BBZ AND now
MyFreeTravel.

My "...know so little about" comment was not directed at everyone. It was directed
to JM's comment (nothing personal, JM) about how I somehow magically got "taken
care of" due to my status as a "rep". Go back and re-read the post if you need to.

If you really want to understand the business model I can tell you what I "KNOW" of
it but again I don't sit in the boardroom of this company. BBZ's model was an advertising
based model that purported to take your scanned receipts and sell the information to
consumer product companies which would then have access to your buying habits.
The Visa cards that were suppposed to come to us (and they did send out some in
the beginning) were going to have ads and coupons for companies based on your
buying habits as per your receipts. BBZ was to profit off the ads that "rode" in with
your 12 Visa cards over the course of the year. They also had sponsored ads on their
various websites.

A very large investor (Michael Pouls) was lured into BBZ with the promise that he would
invest sums of money in order to modernize that company and take it to the next level.
He signed a 4-month contract in Feb, 2009 (give or take a month) and after a few months
there saw that the "advertising model" was not working as per BBZ's representation and
saw that it was only a matter of time before that company would implode. After his 4-month
contract ended he opted to leave for MyFreeTravel which had a much better (and longer)
track record of success in this industry. BBZ in their stupidity made large capital committments as if Mr. Pouls was going to be there forever and when he left they quickly imploded.

MyFreeTravel's business model with regard to the travel side of the business is what is
known as a "Usage Model". This means that the more people use the coupon and book
the trips, the more money they make. They would be ecstatic if 100% of the people
who were given their travel certificates (that the reps already paid for) would take
advantage of them.

As for the Gas & Grocery stuff that is a horse of a different color. That model is known
in the industry as the "Breakage Model". In this model the company (MyFreeTravel)
counts on most people NOT taking the time or effort to send in their receipts. If too many
do then they will lose money (hence the sometimes draconian terms & conditions). If usage
goes higher then a certain percentage, MFT has promised that they would first stop selling
the certs and fulfill the existing customers (DEFCON 1). If that ceased to work then they
would take money from the Travel side (which is profitable) and use that to fulfill the
Gas & Grocery side (DEFCON 2). If that wasn't enough they have an insurance bond
that they have purchased and could invoke to pay for the Visa Cards (DEFCON 3).

That is what I "KNOW" (or have been told). I am not a corporate sleuth that can get
classified intel from companies that I don't work for. I am doing my best to get info
out to people as I get it through this forum. Snide comments and hostility doesn't
move the ball forward.


QUOTE (Cheesesteak @ Oct 21 2009, 09:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I saw Beck's running the ad pushing these "$500 in free groceries" on television this morning. I did note the ad said nothing about third-parties running the program.

RSD - your response would be taken a bit more seriously if you'd have no ranted about people knowing so "little," and then going on and telling everyone what your "guess" is as to why people aren't getting what they signed up for.

If you're in the know, please let us know how these companies make money by offering these deals? What does it cost a retailer to hand one to each customer? $5? $10? Then they make another small take on the initial fees - right? How is it a money-maker? Is it from not paying out on every rebate given to a customer?

Just asking, as one of the folks who knows so little . . .



#202 jmreed97

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Posted 21 October 2009 - 03:30 PM

QUOTE (RSD @ Oct 21 2009, 03:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Ok, Cheesesteak, let me re-clarify.... Sometimes hostility clouds things so I will
try it again.....I do not WORK for the company so I generally don't have much "better"
information then those of you who are calling Customer Service everyday. Occasionally
I will get some details through my broker (see above FYI about them eliminating the
driver's license requirement). I have an advantage over some due to my perspective
of having dealt with BBZ's nonsense and now MyFreeTravel. Others have a greater
perspective due to their having dealt with the Florida company AND BBZ AND now
MyFreeTravel.

My "...know so little about" comment was not directed at everyone. It was directed
to JM's comment (nothing personal, JM) about how I somehow magically got "taken
care of" due to my status as a "rep". Go back and re-read the post if you need to.


No offense taken...

How do they actually make money on the travel side? It is my understanding (correct me if I am wrong) the travel certificates provide "free travel." Based on the online complaints against MFT I've read online it appears they charge a $15 processing fee and several deposits that are supposed to be refunded after completion of the vacation. It has seemed to me to also be what you call a "breakage model" except that they want people to follow through just enough to pay the nonrefundable deposits, just not actually go on the vacation. As such, your claim that they want people to use those certificates doesn't seem to fit.

One more question... How much do these $500 free grocery certificates usually cost? What did they cost when they were discounted? Since you were a rep, I expect you would know that. I am curious to do the math regarding how many people following through would end in a net loss.

As for the hostility... I do not mean to direct it toward you. I appreciate your input. I am however hostile toward myfreetravel and Becks. And I believe I have cause...

#203 RSD

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Posted 22 October 2009 - 02:47 PM

Unfortunately, I don't have all of the exact answers you were hoping to get. If I go
forward repping MyFreeTravel I would purchase them through my broker contact
who purchases them direct (I am guessing). I do not know exactly how much
MFT charges the brokers for the certificates. Best guess is around $15 (depending
upon quantity) but I don't exactly know. I am sure with a large user like Beck's the
price was negotiated much lower.

As far as the travel side, I don't know much about it as I am new to this company as
well but I have been told through my broker that once a customer goes on the trip
there are various marketing "opportunities" on the trip for MFT. My guess is they
may get a kickback from the cruise lines and perhaps from some of the other vendors
in return for feeding them that business. I really do not know. I just have been told
that the Travel side is operating under the "Usage" model. They seem to be success-
ful with it. Been doing it since 1987 so I have no reason to believe otherwise.

QUOTE (jmreed97 @ Oct 21 2009, 04:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
No offense taken...

How do they actually make money on the travel side? It is my understanding (correct me if I am wrong) the travel certificates provide "free travel." Based on the online complaints against MFT I've read online it appears they charge a $15 processing fee and several deposits that are supposed to be refunded after completion of the vacation. It has seemed to me to also be what you call a "breakage model" except that they want people to follow through just enough to pay the nonrefundable deposits, just not actually go on the vacation. As such, your claim that they want people to use those certificates doesn't seem to fit.

One more question... How much do these $500 free grocery certificates usually cost? What did they cost when they were discounted? Since you were a rep, I expect you would know that. I am curious to do the math regarding how many people following through would end in a net loss.

As for the hostility... I do not mean to direct it toward you. I appreciate your input. I am however hostile toward myfreetravel and Becks. And I believe I have cause...



#204 RSD

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Posted 22 October 2009 - 03:12 PM

First of all I am sorry that your parents didn't get those reading difficulties
ironed out when you were younger but they have some nice places now where
you can go to catch up with the rest of us in that dept. (Huntington Learning,
Sylvan etc.)

If you are spending 8 hours hassling with them then it appears to me that you
have TOO much time on your hands. That 8 hours spent doesn't help you
get your Visa card any faster. I will be reporting back what I am hearing
as soon as I can stop answering to the sarcastic rhetoric aimed at (watch
out another all-cap and some exc. points coming at ya!) ME!!!!!!! I am doing
my best to answer everyone's comments, even when the darts are thrown at
me for no reason. I get that everyone is pissed off but another day without the
Visa card won't kill anyone. I paid the $9.95 PLUS the replacement cost for my
customers. If anyone should be twisted up over this it should be me.

As I said before I am not blindly behind the company. They are losing the PR
battle in an (Caution big word coming) egregious way. However, assumng that what happened at the last company will happen to this one may make for (some) entertaining posts (misery loves company) they each have nothing to do with each other. After your lessons at Sylvan go back and re-read my post about WHY (another all-cap just for you) the last company went under.

QUOTE (blahdc @ Oct 21 2009, 03:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Haha one more exclamation point and a few more caps in your posts and I might be able to read them. I have spent more than 8 hours of my time hassling with myfreetravel and the company I purchased the product from. I'm not sure what you do for a living but those 8 hours could of easily been spent on work elsewhere instead I have got nowhere. $9.95 is not $0....so yes we have all wasted time and money on this company and expect results.

The reason we suspect they are never coming is because every other program like this has failed. How much time should we give them? The six weeks that they needed or should we wait a few years? In the meantime maybe you and SacDj could wire me $600 since you are firm believers.



#205 jmreed97

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Posted 22 October 2009 - 03:44 PM

QUOTE (RSD @ Oct 22 2009, 03:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Unfortunately, I don't have all of the exact answers you were hoping to get. If I go
forward repping MyFreeTravel I would purchase them through my broker contact
who purchases them direct (I am guessing). I do not know exactly how much
MFT charges the brokers for the certificates. Best guess is around $15 (depending
upon quantity) but I don't exactly know. I am sure with a large user like Beck's the
price was negotiated much lower.

As far as the travel side, I don't know much about it as I am new to this company as
well but I have been told through my broker that once a customer goes on the trip
there are various marketing "opportunities" on the trip for MFT. My guess is they
may get a kickback from the cruise lines and perhaps from some of the other vendors
in return for feeding them that business. I really do not know. I just have been told
that the Travel side is operating under the "Usage" model. They seem to be success-
ful with it. Been doing it since 1987 so I have no reason to believe otherwise.


Wow... doesn't seem like there is any way they can possibly survive this promotion if they only charge $15 for each $500 certificate. If just 1 in 33 people follow through (that's just over 3%) and receive all $500 while the other 32 people lose their certificates (if forget to send in their ID) and get nothing, then MFT loses money. And if you are right that Becks would have received a substantial discount, that would mean many more would have to fail to follow through.

If, on average, people get just the first $35 Visa card they lose at least $10 per certificate. If Beck's customer service was correct when they told me over 800 of the certificates were mailed out as replacements for the first promotion, that would be an $8000 loss for MFT.
That promotion is continuing and Becks is just one of many stores with this promotion.

Doesn't seem like there is any way they could be making money from this esppecially when you figure in paying their overhead and labor costs.

I hope they have a substantial sized bond to insure all this.



#206 jmreed97

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Posted 22 October 2009 - 03:58 PM

QUOTE (RSD @ Oct 22 2009, 04:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
As I said before I am not blindly behind the company. They are losing the PR
battle in an (Caution big word coming) egregious way. However, assumng that what happened at the last company will happen to this one may make for (some) entertaining posts (misery loves company) they each have nothing to do with each other. After your lessons at Sylvan go back and re-read my post about WHY (another all-cap just for you) the last company went under.


Seems to me that the 3 companies have a lot to do with each other. When Tidewater went under, BBZ scavenged the customer base and seemed to have the same business model. BBZ also failed and has been scavenged by MFT. MFT seems to have the same business model as well except that BBZ and Tidewater had advertising revenue to supplement the Visa cards.

I understand your explanation of why BBZ went under, but that doesn't explain why so few people got any gift cards from them. The Tampa newspaper says BBZ was a "Ponzi scheme" like Tidewater and that they could only stay afloat as long as their sales grew exponentially. Something that couldn't continue indefinably.

According to the article Michael Pouls left because the company was a scam. It doesn't say that his leaving caused it to implode. Based on my reading it looks like Pouls is just a major broker for these certificates who left MFT for liability reasons.

http://www.tampabay....icle1011542.ece

#207 blahdc

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Posted 22 October 2009 - 04:20 PM

QUOTE (RSD @ Oct 22 2009, 04:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
First of all I am sorry that your parents didn't get those reading difficulties
ironed out when you were younger but they have some nice places now where
you can go to catch up with the rest of us in that dept. (Huntington Learning,
Sylvan etc.)

If you are spending 8 hours hassling with them then it appears to me that you
have TOO much time on your hands. That 8 hours spent doesn't help you
get your Visa card any faster. I will be reporting back what I am hearing
as soon as I can stop answering to the sarcastic rhetoric aimed at (watch
out another all-cap and some exc. points coming at ya!) ME!!!!!!! I am doing
my best to answer everyone's comments, even when the darts are thrown at
me for no reason. I get that everyone is pissed off but another day without the
Visa card won't kill anyone. I paid the $9.95 PLUS the replacement cost for my
customers. If anyone should be twisted up over this it should be me.

As I said before I am not blindly behind the company. They are losing the PR
battle in an (Caution big word coming) egregious way. However, assumng that what happened at the last company will happen to this one may make for (some) entertaining posts (misery loves company) they each have nothing to do with each other. After your lessons at Sylvan go back and re-read my post about WHY (another all-cap just for you) the last company went under.



Wow I have no idea how you sold any of these at all when you act like a 13 year old girl. You should be a myfreetravel rep when you grow up. (I like writing in parenthesis too!)

8 hours over a course of 4 months is not too much. I will help you out with a simple math lesson:

30 X 24 X 4 = 2880 ....say it with me.....2880

That's how many hours are in 4 months....I have spent roughly 8 hours dealing with them)and you)....now lets learn to divide!

8 divided by 2880 (remember where we got that number?)....is...... .00278

If you are still following I'm amazed!

Now we have to multiply that by 100! (Don't ask it will just confuse you)

100 X .00278 = .278%

Guess what that number is! That's the percent of my time over a four month period of which I have been talking to or discussing myfreetravel! Wow....that is a lot of time Mr. Rep you are right!

I guarantee that if this company goes under (which they will) that those 8 hours will pay off in the courtroom and I will get my $600.

But how much money would that be???? (All this math in one sitting will hurt your head, you might want to just stop now and post back tomorrow morning)

$600 / 8 hours = $75 an hour. I will take it!

Can't wait to see some more CAPS and exuberant (big word) exclamation points come from you. Until next time biggrin.gif

#208 jmreed97

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Posted 23 October 2009 - 09:59 AM

myfreetravel just lost their BBB accreditation. Hmmm...

http://www.bbb.org/c...iet-il-53000910


#209 fthomas

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Posted 23 October 2009 - 11:04 AM

QUOTE (jmreed97 @ Oct 23 2009, 01:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
myfreetravel just lost their BBB accreditation. Hmmm...

http://www.bbb.org/c...iet-il-53000910


Hmmm ... is right. And it was interesting to read why they lost their accreditation. As I pointed out in court, the Terms and Conditions of that third voucher program (third for us) differed greatly from the first and even the second program. When we purchased our furniture we agreed to one set of rules and a year later the rules had changed. I don't know about first time participants in this "free gas or grocery program" ... but if we had accepted the third program by returning the letter from Bassett, we would not have known in advance to what we would be agreeing to. There was no sample certificate, no explanation of Terms and Conditions, just a place to sign away all liability on Bassett's part if we accepted the voucher from Claimyourvisacards.com (aka MyFreeTravel). We wouldn't have know about the $9.95 registration fee nor about the nit-picky and restrictive conditions that were not part of what we agreed to at the time of purchase.

I'll repeat what I keep saying ... you get what you pay for. And Bassett, Ashley's, Becks and others like them thought by spending $7 to $15 on these $500 certificates they could bring in customers and sell merchandise. What they've ended up doing is alienating an entire market of former patrons.

#210 blahdc

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Posted 23 October 2009 - 11:42 AM

QUOTE (jmreed97 @ Oct 23 2009, 10:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
myfreetravel just lost their BBB accreditation. Hmmm...

http://www.bbb.org/c...iet-il-53000910



I thought they have had a NR for a while, the picture on the BBB site looks different now though.



What has it been for the past month? I'm confused now, the only time I remember seeing an A was back in August.




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