472 replies to this topic

[Michael Hughes]

I suggest everyone else call... Michael Pouls tells me he will have Mindy Hershorin (Manager of New Business Development) get to the bottom of it and make sure I get my cards.

We shall see...

I got an ad from Beck's yesterday advertising this Ponzi scheme again!!!!!

What the heck??!?!

Someone clue them in?

[jmreed97]

Someone clue them in?

I've clued them in over and over again. Becks doesn't seem to care whether or not this scheme is legitamate as long as it helps their bottom line.

In the long run... It won't

[knittychick]

I heard it advertised on TV today - "Come in to Beck's and get $500 free groceries!!!" I didn't hear the whole commercial, but what I did hear sounded like the same deal mentioned here.

To put it mildly, I was suprised they would advertise after reading this post. Maybe someone or a group of people who are waiting for their rebate should contact Call 3 or one of the other channels.

[SacDJ]

In the long run... It won't

...and that's why you don't own a furniture store. If it didn't help them sell furniture, they wouldn't do it. The benefits must far outweight the "cost" or they'd stop it. Sure, there's a small "vocal" group here bitching about it because it seems we're not getting anything, but time will tell if this new firm is legit.

You can't argue with the rebate company's business model since they've been doing it for many years. My #s are not huge, but I bought and gave away 34 of the old company's vouchers (the one who went bankrupt already) and have not had one phone call asking me what's up. The last one I gave out was over 5 months ago so by now certainly someone would have called me to follow up if they had actually followed through with the program. Since hardly anyone does, Beck's figures selling $30,000,000.00 worth of furniture a year partly based on this promotion is worth the liability of $500.00 here and there. So, in the long run, I guess they're doing ok with it.

[jmreed97]

...and that's why you don't own a furniture store. If it didn't help them sell furniture, they wouldn't do it. The benefits must far outweight the "cost" or they'd stop it. Sure, there's a small "vocal" group here bitching about it because it seems we're not getting anything, but time will tell if this new firm is legit.

You can't argue with the rebate company's business model since they've been doing it for many years. My #s are not huge, but I bought and gave away 34 of the old company's vouchers (the one who went bankrupt already) and have not had one phone call asking me what's up. The last one I gave out was over 5 months ago so by now certainly someone would have called me to follow up if they had actually followed through with the program. Since hardly anyone does, Beck's figures selling $30,000,000.00 worth of furniture a year partly based on this promotion is worth the liability of $500.00 here and there. So, in the long run, I guess they're doing ok with it.

If you think that this won't hurt Becks in the long run when MFT fails... You are crazy. Ashley furniture has a class action lawsuit against them right now from the debacle with tidewater AND BBZ (both with the same business model as MFT minus the advertising revenue). Do you think the people in the lawsuit will be purchasing furniture from Ashley anytime soon? When myfreetravel fails (that's right I said "when") Becks will have a much larger group of angry customers than they had when BBZ failed. And I'd bet very few will do business there again.

It will help their bottom line in the short-run. Becks is running the promotion because they have already invested so much in the program. And they have so much to lose if it fails that they are betting big that MFT will honor the commitments made by Becks.

In the long-run, they will lose that bet. Just like Ashley furniture...

As a side note... I've already said this, but you have a very different business than Becks. You clean carpets. I expect 4 months after a cleaning, most people couldn't name the company that cleaned their carpets. When it comes to a piece of furniture. People remember where they got it years later AND they know who to blame when the deal goes bad.

As a person who is experiencing the disaster of MyFreeTravel, I am surprised you would endorse Beck's decision to continue the promotion.

[Michael Hughes]

If you think that this won't hurt Becks in the long run when MFT fails... You are crazy. Ashley furniture has a class action lawsuit against them right now from the debacle with tidewater AND BBZ (both with the same business model as MFT minus the advertising revenue). Do you think the people in the lawsuit will be purchasing furniture from Ashley anytime soon? When myfreetravel fails (that's right I said "when") Becks will have a much larger group of angry customers than they had when BBZ failed. And I'd bet very few will do business there again.

It will help their bottom line in the short-run. Becks is running the promotion because they have already invested so much in the program. And they have so much to lose if it fails that they are betting big that MFT will honor the commitments made by Becks.

In the long-run, they will lose that bet. Just like Ashley furniture...

As a side note... I've already said this, but you have a very different business than Becks. You clean carpets. I expect 4 months after a cleaning, most people couldn't name the company that cleaned their carpets. When it comes to a piece of furniture. People remember where they got it years later AND they know who to blame when the deal goes bad.

As a person who is experiencing the disaster of MyFreeTravel, I am surprised you would endorse Beck's decision to continue the promotion.

Could not have said it better myself

[jmreed97]

I suggest everyone else call... Michael Pouls tells me he will have Mindy Hershorin (Manager of New Business Development) get to the bottom of it and make sure I get my cards.

We shall see...

So I spoke to Mindy Hershorin from Kidz IDz (the main broker of the myfreetravel cards). It wasn't overly productive...

Anyways, she tells me that MFT didn't realize how many of these certificates were being given out to replace the ones from BBZ (I find that a little hard to believe). Also she tells me that the delivery time is going to be extended to 10-12 weeks for the August Gift cards. She says we should receive an email any day explaining that change to the terms and conditions. That puts the "new and improved" delivery date at Novemeber 23rd!!!

More and more like BBZ every day.

[jmreed97]

.

[SacDJ]

As a person who is experiencing the disaster of MyFreeTravel, I am surprised you would endorse Beck's decision to continue the promotion.

I'm not endorsing their decision, I'm just not acting like I know more than they do about their business model and I'm not yet convinced as you seem to be that you'll never see anything from Chicago. Everyone with an internet connection and a keyboard is now an expert on everyone else's business? I'm not surprised but you calling me crazy is laughable.

[jmreed97]

I'm not endorsing their decision, I'm just not acting like I know more than they do about their business model and I'm not yet convinced as you seem to be that you'll never see anything from Chicago. Everyone with an internet connection and a keyboard is now an expert on everyone else's business? I'm not surprised but you calling me crazy is laughable.

I think this is why YOU don't own a furniture store.

Becks business model is clear. The long-term health of their business (and any major retailer) is based on people coming back for repeat business. They aren't a Taco Truck at the state fair that doesn't expect people to ever come back. They want keep their customers coming back when they buy furniture again.

Becks gets a significant amount of repeat business. I know this because Myself, and several of my friends have bought multiple pieces of furniture there. I've bought 3 dressers, a Bed, a mattress and two couches from Becks over the last 2 years. I will never do business there again. And if MFT goes under, I will get my $500 from Becks in small claims.

Will Becks go out of business as a result? No. Will they have lower sales as a result (in the long-run)? Yes.

Again, IN THE LONG RUN. As a business owner I would think you understand the difference between short term and long term gains. As we have found out with the current financial crisis, Management often has incentive to achieve short term gains without regard to the long-term health of a company. It's clear becks is following that path. They won't be the next Bear Sterns or Lehman Brothers, but they will be hurt by this promotion.

I'm not an expert, but I do teach economics at the high school level and have a clear understanding of how business organizations function.

[SacDJ]

I'm not an expert, but I do teach economics at the high school level and have a clear understanding of how business organizations function.

[blahdc]

So I spoke to Mindy Hershorin from Kidz IDz (the main broker of the myfreetravel cards). It wasn't overly productive...

Anyways, she tells me that MFT didn't realize how many of these certificates were being given out to replace the ones from BBZ (I find that a little hard to believe). Also she tells me that the delivery time is going to be extended to 10-12 weeks for the August Gift cards. She says we should receive an email any day explaining that change to the terms and conditions. That puts the "new and improved" delivery date at Novemeber 23rd!!!

More and more like BBZ every day.

This is ridiculous. I don't understand how they can just rewrite their contract and assume everyone is ok with it. Can we start mailing our rebates in 10-12 weeks late? I don't think so. Jmreed97 if you get that email from Mindy can you post it here? Thanks!

[blahdc]

and you clean carpets.....


Lets try not getting off topic.

[jmreed97]

This is ridiculous. I don't understand how they can just rewrite their contract and assume everyone is ok with it. Can we start mailing our rebates in 10-12 weeks late? I don't think so. Jmreed97 if you get that email from Mindy can you post it here? Thanks!

The email she told me about is supposed to come from MyFreeTravel. I'll post it when (if) I get it.

[RSD]

JM, I am hearing differently. I am hearing that any NEW vouchers registered after Nov. 1
will be 10-12 weeks but that all of ours that (were registered back in July) would be
seeing Visa cards by Oct. 31st. I will try and call that woman you spoke to and get a
clarification.

The email she told me about is supposed to come from MyFreeTravel. I'll post it when (if) I get it.