Why are people so mean?

[Laura in VA]

I called my mom and she was crying. Someone had placed a Strivectin ad that said, "Got turkey neck?" inside an envelope and put a sticky note on it that said, "From a friend". She received it in the mail today.

 

Now why on earth would anyone send this to someone??? My mother is a kind and gentle person. She is always doing things for others. She's active in her church, doesn't gossip, never speaks ill of anyone. ever. ever.

 

So, here I am thousands of miles away from her, and I just want to give her a hug.

[Jami]

Oh Laura, that's awful! Does Jr. High NEVER end for women? :confused:

 

I hope you were able to encourage your mom, even from a distance.

[Kelli in TN]

I called my mom and she was crying. Someone had placed a Strivectin ad that said, "Got turkey neck?" inside an envelope and put a sticky note on it that said, "From a friend". She received it in the mail today.

 

Now why on earth would anyone send this to someone??? My mother is a kind and gentle person. She is always doing things for others. She's active in her church, doesn't gossip, never speaks ill of anyone. ever. ever.

 

So, here I am thousands of miles away from her, and I just want to give her a hug.

 

I think this is spam. I read about this happening to someone, Dear Abby had a write up about it. The woman had apparently been on certain mailing lists, probably for plus size clothing or in your mother's case perhaps mailing lists for women of a certain age. The mailing lists are sold and that is where these companies get this information. The "from a friend" is their special touch. Nice, eh?

 

Tell your mom that none of her friends did this to her, its just a heartless marketing ploy.

[Doran]

I called my mom and she was crying. Someone had placed a Strivectin ad that said, "Got turkey neck?" inside an envelope and put a sticky note on it that said, "From a friend". She received it in the mail today.

 

Now why on earth would anyone send this to someone??? My mother is a kind and gentle person. She is always doing things for others. She's active in her church, doesn't gossip, never speaks ill of anyone. ever. ever.

 

So, here I am thousands of miles away from her, and I just want to give her a hug.

 

 

The world is full of cruelty. Thankfully, it is also full of people like your mother. Maybe she'd enjoy this book?

 

Hugs to both of you.

[Jami]

Oh thank goodness, Kelli. Not that it's a nice marketing ploy either. But I was so upset thinking grown up ladies would treat someone this way!

 

What advertising company thought that was a good idea???

[Laura in VA]

Oh Laura, that's awful! Does Jr. High NEVER end for women? :confused:

 

I hope you were able to encourage your mom, even from a distance.

 

Jami, that is exactly what I was thinking! My mom is almost 70 and still dealing with the kind of junk we all dealt with when we were in jr. high. It felt a little odd telling her, "Mom, you know that people who do this sort of thing must be feel really insecure about themselves." Isn't that what our moms told us? It makes me sad (and angry).

[chiguirre]

Someone went to a lot of trouble to actually snail mail that ad. They might honestly think your mom might want to know about a new drug or they might just want to be mean long distance. People are weird and I wouldn't rule out the first option. The only thing to do is to reassure your mom that she's beautiful to you. Could you send her a card to lift her spirits a bit?

 

ETA: If it is marketing, check the postage. I doubt they'd pay first class postage for spam. If it's a presorted stamp, I'd give the company a piece of my mind (and tongue)!

[Laura in VA]

I think this is spam. I read about this happening to someone, Dear Abby had a write up about it. The woman had apparently been on certain mailing lists, probably for plus size clothing or in your mother's case perhaps mailing lists for women of a certain age. The mailing lists are sold and that is where these companies get this information. The "from a friend" is their special touch. Nice, eh?

 

Tell your mom that none of her friends did this to her, its just a heartless marketing ploy.

 

Wow. Thank you so much, Kelli! That is probably it. I'm going to call her right now. I am so glad I posted about it. I would have never known. You gals rock!!

[JudoMom]

I think this is spam. I read about this happening to someone, Dear Abby had a write up about it. The woman had apparently been on certain mailing lists, probably for plus size clothing or in your mother's case perhaps mailing lists for women of a certain age. The mailing lists are sold and that is where these companies get this information. The "from a friend" is their special touch. Nice, eh?

 

Tell your mom that none of her friends did this to her, its just a heartless marketing ploy.

 

Whew. At first I thought you were saying Laura in VA was writing spam, but I get it now. The ad her mom got was spam.

 

Who in the world though that was a good marketing tactic?

 

And Laura, I'm so sorry your mom was hurt. :grouphug:

[Jami]

Could you send her a card to lift her spirits a bit?

 

That's what my mom often did for me in jr. high (and high school) when "mean girls" pointed their barbs my way.

[JenParrish]

I think this is spam. I read about this happening to someone, Dear Abby had a write up about it.

 

Tell your mom that none of her friends did this to her, its just a heartless marketing ploy.

 

 

:spam:is exactly what that note to your mother was. I am so sorry that she was a victim of it. I hope that you saw the post and called your mom to let her know. I think complaints should be filed with the company.

[Heather in the Kootenays]

I got an ad disguised in a similar way years and years ago. It was quite distressing thinking that I had a "friend" that would send an anonymous note.

 

Here's a hug for her. :grouphug:

[*anj*]

I think this is spam.

 

I agree. A few years ago I received something similar in the mail. It looked like it had been ripped out of a magazine and it was an ad for something. Upon closer inspection I became suspicious that it wasn't really "from a friend" and was actually spam. I can't believe that this kind of thing is actually a money maker for anyone.

 

I am so sorry that your poor mother received something like that. There are a lot of really messed up people in this world. Unfortunately your mother just ran into one of them. :confused:

[ncmomo3]

I think this is spam. I read about this happening to someone, Dear Abby had a write up about it. The woman had apparently been on certain mailing lists, probably for plus size clothing or in your mother's case perhaps mailing lists for women of a certain age. The mailing lists are sold and that is where these companies get this information. The "from a friend" is their special touch. Nice, eh?

 

Tell your mom that none of her friends did this to her, its just a heartless marketing ploy.

 

I agree. We recently received somthing VERY similiar to that--different product though. It also had a sticky note that said "from a friend".

 

Please try to assure your mother that this is what it was; I feel quite certain of it.

 

So sorry it happened to her.

[Jumping In Puddles]

 

Tell your mom that none of her friends did this to her, its just a heartless marketing ploy.

 

 

OH YES! PLEASE call your mom right now and tell her that this is marketing! I know that because a loooooong time ago, I got suckered into going with my cousin to a seminar about making money selling this vitamin product or weight loss product or whatever. My cousin gets home with the marketing materials and in it was a stack of ads that looked like newspapers and sticky notes where they were supposed to put the note on the paper and mail them to the people on the list. I got to see first hand this scam and I could not believe my eyes. Sickening! She threw away the lot and as far as I know that was as far as she ever got in being an entrepreneur!

 

It was pretty stunning, the company made a big deal out of how "real" the ad looked and the newspaper was a brilliant touch because it was even perforated like a real paper. SICK.

[*anj*]

duplicate post

[Diane]

I received something similiar as well! This one was for weight loss, and at the time I was super skinny. Dumb!

[KidsHappen]

It is amazing that a company thinks that they could make any money this way. Reassure your mom and then write a letter to the company and let them know that you do not appreciate their tactics.

[gardening momma]

If you can get the bulk mailing permit number from the envelope, then 1. contact the post office to find out the company name, 2. write to the company, as other posters have said, and 3. write to the better business bureau (or the newspaper, or whatever...just write to someone other than just the company itself).

[Laura in VA]

Thanks everyone! I called my mom and told her. At first she was a little confused, but as I read all of the posts to her, she realized it is indeed spam. I could hear the relief in her voice. I'm sending her flowers tomorrow!

I just can't tell you how much I appreciate you guys. :grouphug:

[Mom-ninja.]

What is "turkey neck"

[Laura in VA]

If you can get the bulk mailing permit number from the envelope, then 1. contact the post office to find out the company name, 2. write to the company, as other posters have said, and 3. write to the better business bureau (or the newspaper, or whatever...just write to someone other than just the company itself).

 

She said she is going to the post office tomorrow. Thanks!

[Laura in VA]

What is "turkey neck"

 

Well, it's referencing the "extra" skin women sometimes get under their chin as they get older.

[Debbie in OR]

I'm truly speechless at that. Hugs to your mom.

[Mom to Aly]

Laura, I'm so glad you posted here, and someone figured this out! How horrible! I've gotten snail mail spam about selling my house that looks like it is handwritten, and says it is from someone in my neighborhood, and I thought the first one was legit, but now that I'm on number 200 or something, I know better. But this one is really sick.

 

I'm so sorry your mom had to go through this--and so glad she has a daughter like you! I buy plus size--I guess I better prepare myself for this one!

[sassenach]

Thanks everyone! I called my mom and told her. At first she was a little confused, but as I read all of the posts to her, she realized it is indeed spam. I could hear the relief in her voice. I'm sending her flowers tomorrow!

I just can't tell you how much I appreciate you guys. :grouphug:

 

I'm tearing up just thinking of your poor mom and how hurt she must have been. What an awful company!

[gardening momma]

I was thinking about this...I suggested writing to the Better Business Bureau...I don't know if you can submit a complaint to them about *anything*, so I thought maybe "harrassment" would be appropriate.

[Debbie in OR]

Whew....I'm very relieved this is just spam. Naughty, naughty gimmick.

[Kris]

I called my mom and she was crying. Someone had placed a Strivectin ad that said, "Got turkey neck?" inside an envelope and put a sticky note on it that said, "From a friend". She received it in the mail today.

 

Now why on earth would anyone send this to someone??? My mother is a kind and gentle person. She is always doing things for others. She's active in her church, doesn't gossip, never speaks ill of anyone. ever. ever.

 

So, here I am thousands of miles away from her, and I just want to give her a hug.

 

Yes, it's just marketing -- and not very good marketing at that, but it's not "spam." It's "junk mail."

 

My grandmother received something similar many, many years ago. I don't remember all the details now, but she was *convinced* it came from me. And I was never able to convince her otherwise and finally gave up. If people are bound and determined to think the worst of you, there's not much you can do about it.

 

We were talking on the phone one day and she joked that she wasn't "fat, she was fluffy" -- and for the record, she wasn't fat, either. A week or two later, she sent me a fridge magnet that said, "A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand." I thought that was pretty cute. 'Bout that time, I saw a coffee cup with a lamb on it that said, "I'm not fat! I'm fluffy!" Since *she* had said this to *me* I thought it was cute, bought it and sent it to her. She hit the roof that I was calling her "fat." It was about this time that she got some nasty diet junk mail -- the same kind of anonymous thing that you're talking about -- postmarked from southern California. The fact that we didn't live anywhere near southern California wasn't a good enough defense, I guess.

 

This was 20 years ago and she's still telling people what a mean, hateful person I am.