[kj] OT Fighting Corporate Rip-offs
Lucy Cornwell
gathering@misera.net
Tue, 27 Jan 2004 08:19:08 -0000
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http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBUrbanMyths.shtml#niemanmarcus
Neiman-Marcus Cookie Hoax
May 2003
This particular hoax has been going around for years and years though for
some reason I never included it here. It is pretty obviously a hoax as it
has lots of errors. Consider, the writer would have to sign her VISA credit
receipt. Don't you think whe would have noticed the $250? Also, her VISA
statement would only list Nieman-Marcus and a total. It does not list the
items.
Something I missed when I read it (and was informed of by a reader) is that
the total on the statement does not add up. It says,
$250.00 - Cookie
$20.00 - Scarf
$9.95 - 2 salads
--------
$279.95 - Total
While the hoax says $285??? The difference is too small to be sales tax so I
guess the writer cannot add.
You can actually go to the Neiman-Marcus website and download the cookie
recipe. The recipe on the website is a little different from the recipe in
the hoax. The hoax recipe contains oats, a hershey bar, and nuts while the
official recipe contains espresso powder. I have been told that both recipes
are very good.
-----Original Message-----
From: gathering-admin@misera.net [mailto:gathering-admin@misera.net]On
Behalf Of Tom Foolery
Sent: 27 January 2004 07:16
To: gathering@misera.net
Subject: [kj] OT Fighting Corporate Rip-offs
> > This is a true story. Please forward when you finish reading!
> >
> > A little background: Neiman-Marcus, if you don't know already, is a
very expensive shop; i.e. they sell a typical $8.00 t-shirt for $50.00.
> >
> > Let's let them have it!
> >>>
> > THIS IS A TRUE STORY
> > My daughter and I had just finished lunch at a Neiman-Marcus Cafe in
Dallas. Because both of us are such biscuit lovers, we decided to try
the
> > "Neiman-Marcus cookie". It was so excellent that I asked if they
would
give me the recipe. The waitress said with a small frown, "I'm afraid
> > not, but you can BUY the recipe."
> >>>
> > I asked how much, and she responded, "Only two fifty - it's a great
deal!" I agreed to that, and told her to add it to my bill.
> >>>
> > Thirty days later, I got my VISA st atement, and the Neiman-Marcus
charge was $285.00. I looked at it again, and I remembered I had only
spent
> > $9.95 for two sandwiches and about $20.00 for a scarf. At the bottom
of
the statement, it said, "Cookie Recipe-$250.00". That was outrageous!
> >>>
> > I called Neiman's Accounting Department and told them the waitress
had
said it was "two fifty", which clearly does not mean "two hundred and
> > fifty dollars" by any reasonable interpretation of the phrase.
Neiman-Marcus refused to budge. They would not refund my money because,
according to them;
> >
> > "What the waitress told you is not our problem. You have already
seen
the recipe. We absolutely will not refund your money."
> >
> > I explained to the Accounting Department lady the criminal statutes
which govern fraud in the state of Texas. I threatened to report them to
the
> > Better Busines s Bureau and the Texas Attorney General's office. I
was
basically told: Do what you want. Don't bother thinking of how you can
> > get even, and don't bother trying to get any of your money back."
> >>>
> > I said, OK, you've got my $250, and now I'm going to have $250 worth
of
fun." I told her that I was going to see to it that every cookie lover
> > in the world with an e-mail account gets a $250 cookie recipe from
Neiman-Marcus... for free. She replied, "I wish you wouldn't do that."
> >>>
> > I said, "Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before you
RIPPED
ME OFF!" and slammed down the phone.
> >>>
> > So here it is! Please pass it on to everyone you can possibly think
of.
I paid $250 for this, and I don't want Neiman-Marcus to EVER make
another
> > penny from this recipe!
> >>>
> >>> NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES (Recipe may be halved)
> >>> 2 cups butter
> >>> 24 oz. chocolate chips
> >>> 4 cups flour
> >>> 2 cups brown sugar
> >>> 2 tsp. (Bicarb) soda
> >>> 1 tsp. salt
> >>> 2 cups sugar
> >>> 1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
> >>> 5 cups blended oatmeal
> >>> 4 eggs
> >>> 2 tsp. baking powder
> >>> 2 tsp. vanilla
> >>> 3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
> >>>
> >>> Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream
the
> >> butter
> >>> and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour,
> >> oatmeal,
> >>> salt, baking powder, and Bicarb (soda). Add chocolate chips,
Hershey
> >> Bar,
> >>> and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie
> >> sheet.
> >>> Bake for 10 minutes at (180) 375 degrees.
> >>>
> >>> The above quantities makes 112 cookies.
> >
> > PLEASE KEEP THE RECIPE AND SEND IT TO EVERY PERSON YOU KNOW WHO HAS
AN
> > E-MAIL ADDRESS! This is not a joke-it's a true story.
luv from
Stimro
"Mummy, what's a Killing Joke?"
"A Whoopee cushion packed with Semtex"
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#008080 size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBUrbanMyths.shtml#niemanmarcus">http=
://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBUrbanMyths.shtml#niemanmarcus</A></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#008080 size=3D2>
<H3><A name=3Dniemanmarcus>Neiman-Marcus Cookie Hoax</A></H3>
<P>May 2003 </P>
<P>This particular hoax has been going around for years and years though =
for=20
some reason I never included it here. It is pretty obviously a hoax as =
it has=20
lots of errors. Consider, the writer would have to sign her VISA credit =
receipt.=20
Don't you think whe would have noticed the $250? Also, her VISA =
statement would=20
only list Nieman-Marcus and a total. It does not list the items.=20
<P>Something I missed when I read it (and was informed of by a reader) =
is that=20
the total on the statement does not add up. It says,=20
<DL>
<DD>$250.00 - Cookie=20
<DD>$20.00 - Scarf=20
<DD>$9.95 - 2 salads=20
<DD>--------=20
<DD>$279.95 - Total </DD></DL>While the hoax says $285??? The =
difference is too=20
small to be sales tax so I guess the writer cannot add.=20
<P>You can actually go to the Neiman-Marcus website and <A=20
href=3D"http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/service/nm_cookie_recipe.jhtml"=
>download=20
the cookie recipe.</A> The recipe on the website is a little different =
from the=20
recipe in the hoax. The hoax recipe contains oats, a hershey bar, and =
nuts while=20
the official recipe contains espresso powder. I have been told that both =
recipes=20
are very good. </P></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT =
face=3DTahoma=20
size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> =
gathering-admin@misera.net=20
[mailto:gathering-admin@misera.net]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Tom=20
Foolery<BR><B>Sent:</B> 27 January 2004 07:16<BR><B>To:</B>=20
gathering@misera.net<BR><B>Subject:</B> [kj] OT Fighting Corporate=20
Rip-offs<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><BR>> > This is a true story. Please forward when you =
finish=20
reading!<BR>> ><BR>> > A little background: Neiman-Marcus, =
if you=20
don't know already, is a<BR>very expensive shop; i.e. they sell a =
typical=20
$8.00 t-shirt for $50.00.<BR>> ><BR>> > Let's let them =
have=20
it!<BR>> >>><BR>> > THIS IS A TRUE STORY<BR>> =
> My=20
daughter and I had just finished lunch at a Neiman-Marcus Cafe =
in<BR>Dallas.=20
Because both of us are such biscuit lovers, we decided to =
try<BR>the<BR>>=20
> "Neiman-Marcus cookie". It was so excellent that I asked if=20
they<BR>would<BR>give me the recipe. The waitress said with a small =
frown,=20
"I'm afraid<BR>> > not, but you can BUY the recipe."<BR>>=20
>>><BR>> > I asked how much, and she responded, "Only =
two fifty=20
- it's a great<BR>deal!" I agreed to that, and told her to add it to =
my=20
bill.<BR>> >>><BR>> > Thirty days later, I got my =
VISA st=20
atement, and the Neiman-Marcus<BR>charge was $285.00. I looked at it =
again,=20
and I remembered I had only<BR>spent<BR>> > $9.95 for two =
sandwiches and=20
about $20.00 for a scarf. At the bottom<BR>of<BR>the statement, it =
said,=20
"Cookie Recipe-$250.00". That was outrageous!<BR>> =
>>><BR>>=20
> I called Neiman's Accounting Department and told them the=20
waitress<BR>had<BR>said it was "two fifty", which clearly does not =
mean "two=20
hundred and<BR>> > fifty dollars" by any reasonable =
interpretation of=20
the phrase.<BR>Neiman-Marcus refused to budge. They would not refund =
my money=20
because,<BR>according to them;<BR>> ><BR>> > "What the =
waitress=20
told you is not our problem. You have already<BR>seen<BR>the recipe. =
We=20
absolutely will not refund your money."<BR>> ><BR>> > I =
explained=20
to the Accounting Department lady the criminal statutes<BR>which =
govern fraud=20
in the state of Texas. I threatened to report them to<BR>the<BR>> =
>=20
Better Busines s Bureau and the Texas Attorney General's office.=20
I<BR>was<BR>basically told: Do what you want. Don't bother thinking of =
how you=20
can<BR>> > get even, and don't bother trying to get any of your =
money=20
back."<BR>> >>><BR>> > I said, OK, you've got my =
$250, and=20
now I'm going to have $250 worth<BR>of<BR>fun." I told her that I was =
going to=20
see to it that every cookie lover<BR>> > in the world with an =
e-mail=20
account gets a $250 cookie recipe from<BR>Neiman-Marcus... for free. =
She=20
replied, "I wish you wouldn't do that."<BR>> >>><BR>> =
> I=20
said, "Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before=20
you<BR>RIPPED<BR>ME OFF!" and slammed down the phone.<BR>>=20
>>><BR>> > So here it is! Please pass it on to everyone =
you can=20
possibly think<BR>of.<BR>I paid $250 for this, and I don't want =
Neiman-Marcus=20
to EVER make<BR>another<BR>> > penny from this recipe!<BR>>=20
>>><BR>> >>> NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES (Recipe may be =
halved)<BR>> >>> 2 cups butter<BR>> >>> 24 oz. =
chocolate chips<BR>> >>> 4 cups flour<BR>> >>> =
2 cups=20
brown sugar<BR>> >>> 2 tsp. (Bicarb) soda<BR>> =
>>> 1=20
tsp. salt<BR>> >>> 2 cups sugar<BR>> >>> 1 8 =
oz.=20
Hershey Bar (grated)<BR>> >>> 5 cups blended =
oatmeal<BR>>=20
>>> 4 eggs<BR>> >>> 2 tsp. baking powder<BR>>=20
>>> 2 tsp. vanilla<BR>> >>> 3 cups chopped nuts =
(your=20
choice)<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Measure oatmeal, and =
blend=20
in a blender to a fine powder. Cream<BR>the<BR>> >> =
butter<BR>>=20
>>> and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with=20
flour,<BR>> >> oatmeal,<BR>> >>> salt, baking =
powder, and=20
Bicarb (soda). Add chocolate chips,<BR>Hershey<BR>> >> =
Bar,<BR>>=20
>>> and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on =
a cookie=20
<BR>> >> sheet.<BR>> >>> Bake for 10 minutes at=20
(180) 375 degrees.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> The =
above=20
quantities makes 112 cookies.<BR>> ><BR>> > PLEASE KEEP =
THE RECIPE=20
AND SEND IT TO EVERY PERSON YOU KNOW WHO HAS<BR>AN<BR>> > E-MAIL =
ADDRESS! This is not a joke-it's a true story.<BR><BR><BR>
<DIV>
<P><FONT face=3D"Arial Black, Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif">luv =
from</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3D"Arial Black">Stimro</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3D"Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif"><EM>"Mummy, what's a =
Killing=20
Joke?"</EM></FONT></P>
<P><EM>"A Whoopee cushion packed with Semtex"</EM></P></DIV></DIV><BR=20
clear=3Dall>
<HR>
Add photos to your messages with <A=20
href=3D"http://g.msn.com/8HMBEN/2749??PS=3D">MSN 8. </A>Get 2 months =
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_______________________________________________ Gathering mailing list =
Gathering@misera.net=20
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