Friday, October 29, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
STORE REVIEW : IKEA SHOPPING NIGHTMARE REMINDS US WHY WE BUY AMERICAN
Last weekend we went to our local IKEA store and got trapped in a mind-boggling multilevel showroom and warehouse painted a shocking marine blue - can't miss this eyesore. IKEA has designed the inside showroom so that you have to keep going around being exposed to product that is well displayed, a lot of design for your buck for sure, till you look and find out how little is actually made of wood. We wondered what would happen in this maze designed to make you buy if there was a fire or earthquake. The store was so full of consumers you wondered if there really was a Depression on!
IKEA actually does have employees (several times we had to go looking for them, and found two to four of them standing around computer terminals talking among themselves but not eager to actually help customers) but this is one of those deals where marketing claims that the reason the price is so low is that you take this stuff home yourself where you assemble it yourself, but first you have to go through the warehouse and find the boxes, load them into dollys or shopping carts, and go through the cash register; in other words you are doing the work of other people who should be employees somewhere so maybe those Sunday afternoon employees were just props.
We were with a friend who just got a new apartment and wanted to have it entirely furnished before he moved in. He had gone to the store alone a few days before and had his list ready - over $1500 in merchandise including a sofa, a love seat, a desk, a desk chair, a dining table, four chairs, and seven book cases - those alone came to $500.
Earlier in the week we had convinced him to buy AN AMERICAN MADE MATTRESS since the sizes are standard for AMERICAN MADE sheets as well.
On this trip we first we looked at the sofas which had comfortable looking fabric BUT WERE NOT SCOTCH GUARDED. IKEA is fond of light canvas-like materials, the kind of fabric that shows the first coffee spill or ink pen mark and so they sell other covers or tell you to wash (but put back on slightly damp).
We asked to see the WARRANTY on the sofa after finding out it was not made of scrap composite wood and it was full of the usual disclaimers such as that the consumer was responsible for TIGHTENING SCREWS often and that they would come out and make a determination if you wanted a repair or replacement. I asked if they had a store in Missouri and they didn't. So we canned the upholstered pieces.
Finally we got to the warehouse where a man said he could easily round up the merchandise for us. Problem: the desk was not in stock.
So I asked that they GET THE DESK FROM ANOTHER STORE FOR US.
Guess what? The self identified store manager told us that IKEA STORES DO NOT COMMUNICATE like that and he could not get us the desk. (We later learned we were five miles from another store.)
So I asked if the desk was on a ship from Sweden or due in a few days. He said in a week or so. So I asked if we could PAY IN TOTAL but not accrue a SECOND $50 shipping/delivery charge (the delivery would be about 2 miles away) and he said no.
I then suggested that he was going to loose the entire order because he wants to double bill us the $50 shipping when it is not our fault the product is not in stock. He said that was OK WITH IKEA!
Excuse us, but the cheapest shoe store in our area is willing to check other stores for a pair of shoes and IKEA does not mind loosing a sale on an entire apartment full of furniture because of STORE POLICY, a refusal to negotiate or bend a little.
At this point I told our friend I had checked EVERY TAG for every item on his list and where it said ORIGIN, IKEA had refused to state what state, country, or where the items were from, just claiming they use a variety of factories.
NOWHERE WAS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA flag flying on those tags. So we wonder how much is even made in SWEDEN... has IKEA gone to China for manufacturing too?
We are happy to report that our friend is going to consider HIRING AN UNEMPLOYED U.S. CITIZEN to construct the BOOKSHELVES for him rather than spend $500 of this money on IKEA bookshelves. He has since gone to a couple other stores looking for the upholstered pieces.
IKEA actually does have employees (several times we had to go looking for them, and found two to four of them standing around computer terminals talking among themselves but not eager to actually help customers) but this is one of those deals where marketing claims that the reason the price is so low is that you take this stuff home yourself where you assemble it yourself, but first you have to go through the warehouse and find the boxes, load them into dollys or shopping carts, and go through the cash register; in other words you are doing the work of other people who should be employees somewhere so maybe those Sunday afternoon employees were just props.
We were with a friend who just got a new apartment and wanted to have it entirely furnished before he moved in. He had gone to the store alone a few days before and had his list ready - over $1500 in merchandise including a sofa, a love seat, a desk, a desk chair, a dining table, four chairs, and seven book cases - those alone came to $500.
Earlier in the week we had convinced him to buy AN AMERICAN MADE MATTRESS since the sizes are standard for AMERICAN MADE sheets as well.
On this trip we first we looked at the sofas which had comfortable looking fabric BUT WERE NOT SCOTCH GUARDED. IKEA is fond of light canvas-like materials, the kind of fabric that shows the first coffee spill or ink pen mark and so they sell other covers or tell you to wash (but put back on slightly damp).
We asked to see the WARRANTY on the sofa after finding out it was not made of scrap composite wood and it was full of the usual disclaimers such as that the consumer was responsible for TIGHTENING SCREWS often and that they would come out and make a determination if you wanted a repair or replacement. I asked if they had a store in Missouri and they didn't. So we canned the upholstered pieces.
Finally we got to the warehouse where a man said he could easily round up the merchandise for us. Problem: the desk was not in stock.
So I asked that they GET THE DESK FROM ANOTHER STORE FOR US.
Guess what? The self identified store manager told us that IKEA STORES DO NOT COMMUNICATE like that and he could not get us the desk. (We later learned we were five miles from another store.)
So I asked if the desk was on a ship from Sweden or due in a few days. He said in a week or so. So I asked if we could PAY IN TOTAL but not accrue a SECOND $50 shipping/delivery charge (the delivery would be about 2 miles away) and he said no.
I then suggested that he was going to loose the entire order because he wants to double bill us the $50 shipping when it is not our fault the product is not in stock. He said that was OK WITH IKEA!
Excuse us, but the cheapest shoe store in our area is willing to check other stores for a pair of shoes and IKEA does not mind loosing a sale on an entire apartment full of furniture because of STORE POLICY, a refusal to negotiate or bend a little.
At this point I told our friend I had checked EVERY TAG for every item on his list and where it said ORIGIN, IKEA had refused to state what state, country, or where the items were from, just claiming they use a variety of factories.
NOWHERE WAS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA flag flying on those tags. So we wonder how much is even made in SWEDEN... has IKEA gone to China for manufacturing too?
We are happy to report that our friend is going to consider HIRING AN UNEMPLOYED U.S. CITIZEN to construct the BOOKSHELVES for him rather than spend $500 of this money on IKEA bookshelves. He has since gone to a couple other stores looking for the upholstered pieces.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
WOMAN YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU
Today women play many roles that are nontraditional, and participate fully in outside the home labor. Many families today that were two income families before the Recession/Depression have become one income families.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
A MADE IN AMERICA ECO LUNCH BOX FOR YOUR KIDS BROWN BAG
or maybe your OWN take to the office lunch?
GOODBYN has school programs...
"We are a small company in Naperville, Illinois who had a little idea to reinvent the way kids eat lunch—making lunchtime easier, more inspiring and fun for both kids and parents. From the beginning, we decided to be as transparent as possible about our decisions as a company: how we produce, ship and get product to market. Below, you’ll find information about our materials, suppliers, vendors and craftsmen whose unrelenting energy has made Goodbyn possible...
"Conceived in Seattle and Chicago"
"As we concepted Goodbyn and researched kids’ eating habits, we wanted a team of people who meshed with our beliefs, but had the unique background of research-driven, modern product design. We thought we’d be searching for a while, but (almost immediately) we were able to form a dream team with the expertise and design aesthetic that enables Goodbyn to look as cool as it does while making lunchtime for kids smarter than ever.
"Born in the USA! (Michigan, to be precise...)"
All of Goodbyn’s products are manufactured in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Cascade Engineering. They were Goodbyn’s choice from the beginning because of their capabilities in engineering, an impressive client list, and high-volume manufacturing capacity. We also preferred Cascade because of their transparency in labor and environmental ethics. They have garnered innumerable awards and certifications for their stewardship to the environment, their employees and community, and setting a new standard by which all other companies will measure themselves in the future."
Click on the link to get to this company and their colorful lunchboxes!
GOODBYN has school programs...
"We are a small company in Naperville, Illinois who had a little idea to reinvent the way kids eat lunch—making lunchtime easier, more inspiring and fun for both kids and parents. From the beginning, we decided to be as transparent as possible about our decisions as a company: how we produce, ship and get product to market. Below, you’ll find information about our materials, suppliers, vendors and craftsmen whose unrelenting energy has made Goodbyn possible...
"Conceived in Seattle and Chicago"
"As we concepted Goodbyn and researched kids’ eating habits, we wanted a team of people who meshed with our beliefs, but had the unique background of research-driven, modern product design. We thought we’d be searching for a while, but (almost immediately) we were able to form a dream team with the expertise and design aesthetic that enables Goodbyn to look as cool as it does while making lunchtime for kids smarter than ever.
"Born in the USA! (Michigan, to be precise...)"
All of Goodbyn’s products are manufactured in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Cascade Engineering. They were Goodbyn’s choice from the beginning because of their capabilities in engineering, an impressive client list, and high-volume manufacturing capacity. We also preferred Cascade because of their transparency in labor and environmental ethics. They have garnered innumerable awards and certifications for their stewardship to the environment, their employees and community, and setting a new standard by which all other companies will measure themselves in the future."
Click on the link to get to this company and their colorful lunchboxes!
Friday, October 15, 2010
HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS - MAKE YOUR OWN RATHER THAN BUY CHEAP IMPORTS!
There's NO REASON to go to Dollar Tree, Walmart, 99 Cents Only, or any other store that sells cheap Halloween decorations, rarely made in the USA, though you can shop labels like I did today for hours...
IT IS EASY TO MAKE YOUR OWN DECORATIONS!
Let's go over what we do here. First we buy USED - thrift stores and garage sales - rather than NEW products made in China or elsehwere. We know this stuff is cheap because it is made to break - WHILE IT BREAKS OUR ECONOMY!
It's simple to make Halloween and the Harvest Festival Holidays beautifully decorated first buy bringing NATURE INDOORS. That's right Good All American FARM PRODUCE!
Gourds, pumpkins, straw, corn - colors and varieties of all kinds, make a great table decoration.
IT IS EASY TO MAKE YOUR OWN DECORATIONS!
Let's go over what we do here. First we buy USED - thrift stores and garage sales - rather than NEW products made in China or elsehwere. We know this stuff is cheap because it is made to break - WHILE IT BREAKS OUR ECONOMY!
It's simple to make Halloween and the Harvest Festival Holidays beautifully decorated first buy bringing NATURE INDOORS. That's right Good All American FARM PRODUCE!
Gourds, pumpkins, straw, corn - colors and varieties of all kinds, make a great table decoration.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
NEW HOMELESS AND LESS MONEY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES
We are upset and outraged to know that the HOMELESS POPULATION of the United States is increasingly families and those who have lost homes and apartments, people who have always been good citizens and worked but who now have their credit ruined, not because they overspent and were silly, but because they lost their work, or were underemployed for a long time.
We run a lot of posters from the World War II era here at Patriotic Purchase, a time we believe that Americans sacrificed and pulled together, were united in the war effort, and believed in their country. THE GREAT RECESSION WITH NO END we are living in is often compared to the GREAT DEPRESSION but now we have some social services people then did not have. OR DO WE?
We have social services that are being cut drastically. Many families taking in members who have lost homes and apartments. Where this will end, no one seems to know.
WHEN YOU PASS A PERSON ON THE STREET, in a COFFEE HOUSE, in a LIBRARY, or any other place that homeless people seek shelter and bathrooms during the day, please do not assume that they did something terrible to be punished with this. MANY OF THEM ARE DECENT PEOPLE IN TERRIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES.
See these people and let if fuel your desire to buy products and services MADE IN THE UNITED STATES.
SUPPORT EMPLOYMENT HERE!
We run a lot of posters from the World War II era here at Patriotic Purchase, a time we believe that Americans sacrificed and pulled together, were united in the war effort, and believed in their country. THE GREAT RECESSION WITH NO END we are living in is often compared to the GREAT DEPRESSION but now we have some social services people then did not have. OR DO WE?
We have social services that are being cut drastically. Many families taking in members who have lost homes and apartments. Where this will end, no one seems to know.
WHEN YOU PASS A PERSON ON THE STREET, in a COFFEE HOUSE, in a LIBRARY, or any other place that homeless people seek shelter and bathrooms during the day, please do not assume that they did something terrible to be punished with this. MANY OF THEM ARE DECENT PEOPLE IN TERRIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES.
See these people and let if fuel your desire to buy products and services MADE IN THE UNITED STATES.
SUPPORT EMPLOYMENT HERE!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
GREEDY RETAILERS are IMPORTING JUNK to SELL TO US and THOSE IN POVERTY ARE THE CONSUMERS
GREEDY RETAILERS are IMPORTING JUNK for us to buy, junk that may be a "bargain" until you realize it's YOUR JOB.
Or the job that maintains your mortgage or your health insurance.
Whenever possible, choose the AMERICAN MADE product over the import...
Or the job that maintains your mortgage or your health insurance.
Whenever possible, choose the AMERICAN MADE product over the import...
Thursday, October 7, 2010
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PATRIOTIC SONG?
Besides the National Anthem and the Star Spangled Banner, there are many patriotic songs written and sung about this country, the best in the world, the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Please let us know about any song, any video, that you love so we can feature it on PATRIOTIC PURCHASE!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
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