littlebug42 Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 :iagree::iagree: And that vagueness is why I've never used them or taken them seriously while shopping... :iagree: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Training5 & her Superman Sorry you had to deal with that. It really is unbelievable. I mean, you can't really copy Oak Meadow's IGs. The ones I've used at least were bound books. You'd have to cut the binding off to copy the material! :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Oh, that's too bad. :( And it's one of those publishers that you can't buy from on Amazon or RR. Nope...but EASY PEASY to buy used and a great resale item. Faithe....who suggests trying EBay and the For Sale boards here:auto: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danybug Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Thanks Superman for clearing it up for us! I was in suspense as well. I thought it was cool that you spilled the beans for your wife :001_smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 :grouphug: I can imagine how upsetting that would be. It really hard to be accused (or even feel accused) of something you're innocent of. I appreciate your dh posting the name though. SO glad it wasn't TOG! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Wow, that is company I was considering looking at for individual subjects. I hadn't got as far as looking at samples. What is their version of excessive returns? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 :rant::rant::rant:Talk about presumed guilty until proven innocent! What does my wife have to do to prove that she's not just taking their intellectual property and recycling it in any way?? I'm quite aware of the times that we've ordered materials while my wife has deliberated over what curriculum to use, and at what level. It does kinda drive me barmy - we've had discussions about all sorts of purchasing decisions including home school purchases where she's included me and I say - "sure it sounds good" - and then we find that something just isn't a good fit for our family. Unfortunately, it's not like buying a car where you get to test drive before committing, or like buying a house where you can walk through and see what fits. It's not quite like going through a store where you can leaf through the pages and compare products - it's just so difficult to find the right fit for each child. My wife won't name names, but I will - Oak Meadow decided to implement some "new system" (apparently just for my wife...) having lamented in recent calls that we've purchased and returned a lot (nothing's been written in or used OR RECYCLED in any way), someone evidently decided that she needed to be flagged in some way in order to prevent loss of intellectual property. We like their materials, and I had high hopes of settling with them long term with the little ones... but someone's decided that Training5's should be banished! :angry::mad: ... ... :chillpill: Hmnmm.... I can see purchasing one or two IGs or full packages to check them out then returning them. Once they were returned, I wouldn't be purchasing from them again though. If I returned the items, that means it wasn't for us. Why would I purchase again? I understand you all are angry, but I can see why the company is being cautious. I think it is really unusual to buy and return from a company more than twice. You either like something or you don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Am I the only one fighting the urge to email Oak Meadow this link and/or post it on their facebook page? Because, really...I don't think they knew that they were messing with a lot of potential customers. Seems to me they might want to reconsider this policy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlylocks Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Training5 & Superman: If you are set on Oak Meadow, there is quite a bit available here, on homeschoolclassifieds.com OR I have a source for Grades 6 & 8: - Math - Grade 6 Ancient Civ. & English; Grade 8 English - Grades 6 & 8 Teacher Manuals Let me know if this is something you'd be interested in. :grouphug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatholicMom Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Wow, that's crazy. To ban you from buying seems really unprofessional. I could see possibly banning the returns if they were worried about it, but banning buying? Also, it would still be offensive considering you're innocent, but a warning letter would have made a LOT more sense (e.g. "We will allow a maximum of 3 returns totally no more than $___ per year starting on ______. blah blah"). At least then you would have had a heads-up that they were suspicious and you could be more careful about the returns but continue to use their items. To ban you from buying? What the?! That is accusatory, they will lose money, and hurt their reputation big time. Bad move. I would personally be so annoyed :mad: and embarrassed I'd wash my hands of them and use them only if I could find it used somewhere and had no other options. Glad you posted the company name, actually, mainly because it's good to clear the names of the other suspects. :tongue_smilie: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Glad you posted the company name, actually, mainly because it's good to clear the names of the other suspects. :tongue_smilie: :iagree: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 How much and how often have you returned items? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danybug Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Am I the only one fighting the urge to email Oak Meadow this link and/or post it on their facebook page? Because, really...I don't think they knew that they were messing with a lot of potential customers. Seems to me they might want to reconsider this policy. Totally! I think places deserve to know. Most of the time, I think they are not considering how broad the implications are going to spread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Glad you posted the company name, actually, mainly because it's good to clear the names of the other suspects. :tongue_smilie: :iagree: I am glad too, especially since I use SL :lol: I have looked at OM several times for my youngest 2, but if that is what they call customer service I have no interest in shelling out big $$ to them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Fairy Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 I love all the Oak Meadow rhyming tags. :lol: Can someone decipher "rainy roaches" for me? Sometimes I'm slow. :tongue_smilie: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 (edited) Superman (the DH)-- I can't believe just how much activity this post has generated. You guys were awesome. I don't know where the tags came from (and I needed my wife to explain the references), but I enjoy that all of you have fun together. Training5--I do see it from their point of view. It was the way I was treated (and the abruptness thereof) that I am upset about. Superman is the King of play on words here. I am not going to buy anything Oak Meadow again not even used. Memoria and Peace Hill Press, among others, are going to be so happy. Edited February 27, 2012 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 :lol::lol: Well, they won't let me in there, will they??? :lol::lol: I don't know if it is all in the private part or the public. I do think some things are in the public part Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Am I the only one fighting the urge to email Oak Meadow this link and/or post it on their facebook page? Because, really...I don't think they knew that they were messing with a lot of potential customers. Seems to me they might want to reconsider this policy. I'd say that would be up to the OP. OM knows *her* real name and contact info even if the Hive doesn't. Who knows what might come next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Hmm, that surprises me from Oak Meadow. My dealings with them were wonderful. When I asked for more information on their social studies lessons for a particular grade level, someone copied 5 or 6 lessons and mailed them to me. I agree that the online samples are vague, so I was pleased they were willing to send me more samples. Because the samples are vague, and the curriculum is so unique, it is very hard to place kids correctly. It is simply hard to know what you are getting. I can understand why it would be hard for you to place your kids, and why you would need to return curriculum. I'm sorry you got that treatment from them. If they are going to ban people for life because they had trouble choosing the right level, they need to post that online. :glare: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Well, it got me curious enough to go look at their website. They have sample pages online. That always gives me a good feel for what kind of a program it is. Looks like a basic traditional approach to me. (Not personally my cup of tea but I know many who like that kind of an approach.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Well, to be honest.....I'm not smart enough to know how to add a tag (hmmm....I'm thinking you might click on Tag???). Let's just say I've been in some secret conversation with the perpetrator. I'll leave it at that. :D I guess I'm not as stupid as I look. I actually figured out how to add a tag. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Superman (the DH)-- I can't believe just how much activity this post has generated. You guys were awesome. I don't know where the tags came from (and I needed my wife to explain the references), but I enjoy that all of you have fun together. Training5--I do see it from their point of view. It was the way I was treated (and the abruptness thereof) that I am upset about. Superman is the King of play on words here. They definitely should not have treated you poorly. When you placed an order, they should have contacted you and explained that it would not be returnable. :grouphug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceful Isle Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Wow, I have never heard of that! I have heard of companies not letting you buy if you have an unpaid bill with them, but not for returns. Unbelievable. :glare: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Hmm, that surprises me from Oak Meadow. My dealings with them were wonderful. When I asked for more information on their social studies lessons for a particular grade level, someone copied 5 or 6 lessons and mailed them to me. I agree that the online samples are vague, so I was pleased they were willing to send me more samples. Really? because recently when I called (January) I was told very rudely from the Head of School that they did not have the time to do that for me for the TOC for 2 math levels. I really think my name just was completely blacklisted by them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlylocks Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 They definitely should not have treated you poorly. When you placed an order, they should have contacted you and explained that it would not be returnable. :grouphug: :iagree: -- and if that is their new policy it should be posted on their website. This is a "cut and paste" from the Returns area of their bookstore: (no where does it state they will ban you from purchasing if you return too many items) Returns Our Pledge At Oak Meadow, it's our goal to provide you and your children with an educational experience that will be beneficial and satisfying. If you experience any problem with your curriculum, or if the program does not meet your expectations, please let us know. Curriculum Returns When your curriculum arrives, plan to set aside time to look through everything carefully. Make sure that your order is complete and accurate, and that you feel confident the materials will work well for you and your children. You have a 30-day evaluation period after your curriculum arrives to examine it carefully and determine if it is the right fit for you and your children. If you have any concerns during this period, call or email us so we can answer your questions or discuss the options available to you. If you decide during this 30-day period that you wish to return any of your course materials, we'll give you a full refund of your purchase price if the materials are in like-new condition. We don't refund shipping and handling charges. To return your curriculum, you must obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization number (RMA) from the office. We must receive your curriculum within two weeks of issuing this number. Delaying the return of your materials will jeopardize your refund. Detailed instructions regarding how to package and ship your returned materials will be provided to you with your RMA number. Recorders, CDs, and DVDs are not refundable. Call (802) 251-7250 or email info@oakmeadow.com to request an RMA number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindergretta Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Hm, right from the OP my first guess was OM. :glare: We use OM almost exclusively (with some add ons) but I prefer to buy 2nd hand rather than directly from them. They drive me a little batty with their hyper-vigilant concern over every. little. thing. :001_huh: OP, adding to the others' curiosity - how much did you buy and return? What prompted you to keep going back? What didn't you like? What did you like that made you keep trying them? (Just curious! ;) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Wonder if OM has realized that now a whole board of thousands of members is looking at them :glare:. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiebird Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 :lol: I checked back into this thread after dinner and the tags are cracking me up! I hope they perhaps wander across this and it makes them think about their business practice. I like the program, but sometimes the reps for a company need a bit of a wake-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I can't believe just how much activity this post has generated. Because the top two post generators here are bad choices by curriculum publishers, and teA. In fact, the only other ones I've laughed at so much have been the teA threads . . . Hilarious tags too! :lol::lol::lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delaney Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Well that stinks. I am changing over to OM this fall and will buy as much as I can used but will need to get some from them I'm sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.Balaban Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 To the OP (and her superman)- I am sorry this happened to you but live and let live. You will keep finding a better program for your kids- it is out there (with GOOD customer service). Oyyy! What a headache. And to all the crazies: What is a rainey roach?!!?! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 :lol::lol: Well, they won't let me in there, will they??? :lol::lol: this should be on the public side. you may have to registar https://forums.sonlight.com/topic/316545-no-book-descriptions-continued/page__fromsearch__1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I am a long term user and in the years since John left have bought less and less directly from them, until this year $0 of my curriculum dollars went to them. I am saddened, a little, but not in the least surprised (which is the part that saddens me, really) that everyone's mind went straight to them. My own mind included. OP, I do hope you'll either confirm or deny so we can stop speculating. John left? When did that happen? As you can see I haven't received any communications from Sonlight for a while... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneddmanybooks Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 :lol::lol:What does it say about them that people would actually think of them first in such a situation?? Sonlight was not my first guess...I'm reading this thread and hoping for some specifics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Really? because recently when I called (January) I was told very rudely from the Head of School that they did not have the time to do that for me for the TOC for 2 math levels. I really think my name just was completely blacklisted by them. Yes, it was nearly 2 years ago though. Maybe they have restructured. The lady was so nice that I sent them a note of thanks. I was looking at 3rd grade curriculum, so maybe that was a different person. I'm really sorry they did that to you, especially with no warning. I just don't see how they can create and enforce a policy like that. :confused: As someone else mentioned, you could just have a friend purchase for you. Of course, I'm sure you no longer wish to support their business. Now I think we are all worried about how many returns would be allowed. Do you mind posting that information? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 (edited) That's who I was thinking of. I've never even used their materials or ordered from them, but I've heard stories. Yep, same here. They got on my bad side when they started sending me emails after I'd unsubscribed from their email list (as in, the emails stopped for a while, then suddenly started up again :glare:). ETA: oops, my comments are about SL, not OM. This thread moves fast! Edited February 28, 2012 by LemonPie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Well, it got me curious enough to go look at their website. They have sample pages online. That always gives me a good feel for what kind of a program it is. Looks like a basic traditional approach to me. (Not personally my cup of tea but I know many who like that kind of an approach.) I bought a WP program that looked great in samples and when I actually read the whole guide I was flabbergasted that they charged for it at all. Nothing was lined up. I can schedule books to be read one after the other a lot easier than I can pay for their program TYVM. (Just a rant about sample pages not telling enough) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Well, it got me curious enough to go look at their website. They have sample pages online. That always gives me a good feel for what kind of a program it is. Looks like a basic traditional approach to me. (Not personally my cup of tea but I know many who like that kind of an approach.) In the younger grades it is not a textbook approach. I've purchased the curriculum twice, and didn't feel the given samples were enough to go by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth in MN Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 (edited) Now, back when I was a Waldorf home schooler I took a long look at OM for Kindergarten. It struck me as a rip off because I could have put together the program for about a quarter of the cost, and that is saying something! Okay, I posted this at the Facebook page "Please update your returns policy to reflect that returning "too often" means a customer will be banned for life from buying OM products. Y'all might want to quantify how often is too often." Edited February 28, 2012 by Elizabeth in MN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I bought a WP program that looked great in samples and when I actually read the whole guide I was flabbergasted that they charged for it at all. Nothing was lined up. I can schedule books to be read one after the other a lot easier than I can pay for their program TYVM. (Just a rant about sample pages not telling enough) In the younger grades it is not a textbook approach. I've purchased the curriculum twice, and didn't feel the given samples were enough to go by. Gotcha. I haven't used their program so probably if I had actually ordered and looked at the books I would have been surprised too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Okay, I posted this at the Facebook page "Please update your returns policy to reflect that returning "too often" means a customer will be banned for life from buying OM products. Y'all might want to quantify how often is too often." Did it show up? Did they delete it? I just looked and couldn't see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I hope they perhaps wander across this... I hope not. Then we'll have a bunch of new members with low post counts telling us how much they love it. :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 (edited) :rant::rant::rant: Talk about presumed guilty until proven innocent! What does my wife have to do to prove that she's not just taking their intellectual property and recycling it in any way?? I'm quite aware of the times that we've ordered materials while my wife has deliberated over what curriculum to use, and at what level. It does kinda drive me barmy - we've had discussions about all sorts of purchasing decisions including home school purchases where she's included me and I say - "sure it sounds good" - and then we find that something just isn't a good fit for our family. Unfortunately, it's not like buying a car where you get to test drive before committing, or like buying a house where you can walk through and see what fits. It's not quite like going through a store where you can leaf through the pages and compare products - it's just so difficult to find the right fit for each child. My wife won't name names, but I will - Oak Meadow decided to implement some "new system" (apparently just for my wife...) having lamented in recent calls that we've purchased and returned a lot (nothing's been written in or used OR RECYCLED in any way), someone evidently decided that she needed to be flagged in some way in order to prevent loss of intellectual property. Wow, I'm very surprised to hear that it was Oak Meadow. I have purchased many things from them and have also spoken with their customer service people on several occasions, and have always been extremely pleased with their service. The reps were very knowledgeable, super-nice, and went out of their way to help me. They also filled my orders almost immediately and I always had my materials within days of placing my orders. That said, I have never tried to return anything, so I have no idea how they would have reacted if I'd called them to tell them I wanted to send some stuff back to them. I will say, though, that on at least two occasions when I wasn't sure if I was ordering exactly what I needed, the reps made a point of telling me that I could return the materials if they weren't right for my ds. I'm very sorry you were "banned." I would really like to hear more specifics about their reasoning, as well as what you returned and when, because all I can think of, is that perhaps they saw some sort of pattern in your returns that led them to believe you were copying and returning their guides. I'm not suggesting that you did anything unethical or illegal; I'm just trying to discern whether or not Oak Meadow may have had any basis for their thinking. Were the books creased or used-looking when you returned them? Please don't think I'm defending Oak Meadow or placing any blame on you or your wife. I'm just trying to figure out why they wouldn't want you as a customer any more, as they aren't a gigantic multi-billion dollar company, and I would think each customer would be important to them -- particularly a repeat customer like you. Edited February 28, 2012 by Catwoman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I'm surprised it wasn't Sonlight, but only because I know someone that bought a core and returned it after getting it because she figured it was to advanced for her kids. 2 years later she bought it again thinking her kids would be more ready for it and then decided to return it because after trying it out (like they clearly say you should) it turned out not to be a good fit. She was then told she would no longer be able to buy from them because she'd bought a core and returned it multiple times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 John left? When did that happen? As you can see I haven't received any communications from Sonlight for a while... Several years back now. Sarita is at the helm. but they have really changed a lot in the past years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 My wife still thinks she deserved it - according to whoever it was on the phone, her ordering history (this must be going back 6 years) shows that she had "18 orders" but my wife couldn't catch the follow-up comment about the number of returns - not that my wife returned everything she ever bought from OM, but it was a bit lop-sided. We kept going back because (conceptually at least) we liked their approach, it was just problematic choosing the right level for the child at the right time. I still don't think she deserved being banned, though I could see a case for limiting returns or ensuring a re-stocking fee is assessed for any returns. The explanation that it's a "new system" that resulted in this consequence is baloney! If there is such a policy, where is it!?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueinNC Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 (edited) I would also like to know. I've never returned things online, I usually just sell them if I don't like them. Same here though they, more often than not, sit on my shelves collecting dust. To the op and Superman, Thank you for letting us know the Co. I am sorry that you were banned. That is just crazy. Edited February 28, 2012 by Caledonia Academy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Several years back now. Sarita is at the helm. but they have really changed a lot in the past years. :iagree:That's why I only buy used now. When they took away heirloom bonuses like free shipping to Canada I stopped buying new from them. I can not afford to spend $100-200 on shipping when placing multiple $1000 orders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Did it show up? Did they delete it? I just looked and couldn't see it. I don't see it either. The most recent OM post is 3 hours old.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usetoschool Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I don't see it either. The most recent OM post is 3 hours old.. I do see it. As of 7:57 pm my west coast time it is on there and says it was posted 2 hours ago. No comment or anything attached to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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