NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/misc/kids/31334

Internet Message Format | 1992-12-31 | 4.3 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!psinntp!ncrlnk!ncr-mpd!Scott.Johnson
From: [e-mail] ( Scott Johnson)
Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: Re: **> DISCOVERY TOYS <**
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 31 Dec 92 09:26:46 GMT
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Distribution: usa
Organization: NCR Microelectronics, Ft. Collins, CO
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In-reply-to: [e-mail]'s message of 30 Dec 92 21:15:36 GMT

>>>>> On 30 Dec 92 21:15:36 GMT, [e-mail] (Laura Floom) said:
L> Nntp-Posting-Host: spike.jpl.nasa.gov

L> In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Jeanetha Wemken) writes:
>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
>>In article [e-mail], [e-mail] (Mark Olson) writes:
>>> ... my wife asked if we could
>>>have a catalog. "Sure," the discovery toys hawker said, "that'll be four
>>>dollars."  My wife shot a look at the hawker that, if looks could kill,
>>>convinced the hawker to give us the catalog for free.
>>
>>That IS ridiculous!! That's not standard policy, she was just trying to rip you off!
>>My wife and I are real new in the toy business. If anyone wants a catalog, we'll
>>mail it to you for FREE! Several of the toys are on sale in Jan/Feb.
>
>I too have been charged for a catalog to take home to my husband after
>attending and buying at a Discovery Toys party.

L> I get free catalogues, the thing that bugs me about Discovery Toys is their
L> need to add a shipping and handling fee to the bill! Why? they dont ship it
L> to your house. I have bought discovery toys 3 times. Once from a friend who
L> had a party (i didnt make it to the party), she gave me the toys a few weeks
L> later. The other two times from a woman who has a child at our preschool. The
L> school gets creidt for the sales. In that case I pick up the toys at the
L> preschool. That extra charge just doesnt make sense to me. I dont pay a shipping
L> and handling charge when I buy at a normal toy store, and they must have a higher
L> overhead then discovery toys. They manage to add overhead to the posted price. Any
L> dealers out there want to explain this?

L> They do have nice toys though. Some can be found elsewhere, but not all.
>
L> Laura Floom

Just a quick note on this whole thread.  My wife also sells Discovery
Toys (and though she actually does fairly well, admittedly it was mostly
to get the great toys at a discount :-).  In terms of charging for the
catalogs, well, there is a price of $1 listed on the back.  They also do
charge their consultants (reps) for the catalogs.  The one who tried to
charge $4 was way out of line.  My wife has considered selling them with
a $1 coupon off the first purchase, but to date has only given them
away.  She also gives a discount to her hostesses usually.  Little
things like that are probably why she does really well at it and by
selling more toys can easily make up the cost of the catalogs and the
discounts she gives because she gets repeat customers and no one (to her
knowledge) walks away in disgust like many of the posts I have been
seeing here.

As for the shipping and handling charge.  It does seem a bit high.  But
you have to realize that the stuff is mailed, usually either to the
hostess or to the consultant and the consultant is paying this charge to
Discovery Toys too.  Doesn't make it any better from an end customer's
perspective I know, but at least don't blame the consultant for
overcharging you on that one.

Anyway, I guess I just wanted to make a point that Discovery Toys
themselves do not have a policy on whether or not to sell the catalogs,
and that if you don't like a particular rep. then simply find another
one (if your area is like here, that shouldn't be too difficult).  And
tell the first rep. your reason for not using them.

-Scott
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     uunet!ncrlnk!ncr-mpd!Scott.Johnson
My opinions are mine and mine alone (unless I only live in your dream, in
which case they are yours and I denounce all responisbility).
GA to SK