[kj] OT Fighting Corporate Rip-offs

Lucy Cornwell gathering@misera.net
Tue, 27 Jan 2004 08:36:14 -0000


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I know but they start to get boring and sometimes irritating.
Another thing that occasionally bothers me is why some people believe the
crap in chain letters...

  -----Original Message-----
  From: gathering-admin@misera.net [mailto:gathering-admin@misera.net]On
Behalf Of killing joke
  Sent: 27 January 2004 08:22
  To: gathering@misera.net
  Subject: RE: [kj] OT Fighting Corporate Rip-offs


  shame lucy that...
  was a good age of greed story till then
  lol


  Lucy Cornwell <lucy.cornwell@vetstream.com> wrote:
    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)< BR>> >>> 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.
      &g t; >>> 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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charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.50.4933.1800" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D406243408-27012004><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#008080 =
size=3D2>I know=20
but they start to get boring and sometimes =
irritating.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D406243408-27012004><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#008080 =

size=3D2>Another thing that occasionally bothers me is why some people =
believe the=20
crap in chain letters...</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D406243408-27012004></SPAN>&nbsp;</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>killing=20
  joke<BR><B>Sent:</B> 27 January 2004 08:22<BR><B>To:</B>=20
  gathering@misera.net<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE: [kj] OT Fighting Corporate =

  Rip-offs<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>shame lucy that...</DIV>
  <DIV>was a good age of greed story till then</DIV>
  <DIV>lol</DIV>
  <DIV><BR><BR><B><I>Lucy Cornwell =
&lt;lucy.cornwell@vetstream.com&gt;</I></B>=20
  wrote:</DIV>
  <BLOCKQUOTE class=3Dreplbq=20
  style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px =
solid">
    <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.50.4933.1800" name=3DGENERATOR>
    <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>
    <DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#008080 size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <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=20
    has lots of errors. Consider, the writer would have to sign her VISA =
credit=20
    receipt. Don't you think whe would have noticed the $250? Also, her =
VISA=20
    statement would only list Nieman-Marcus and a total. It does not =
list the=20
    items.=20
    <P>Something I missed when I read it (and was informed of by a =
reader) is=20
    that 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=20
    too 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=20
    the recipe in the hoax. The hoax recipe contains oats, a hershey =
bar, and=20
    nuts while the official recipe contains espresso powder. I have been =
told=20
    that both recipes 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>=20
      gathering-admin@misera.net =
[mailto:gathering-admin@misera.net]<B>On Behalf=20
      Of </B>Tom 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 =

      Rip-offs<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
      <DIV><BR>&gt; &gt; This is a true story. Please forward when you =
finish=20
      reading!<BR>&gt; &gt;<BR>&gt; &gt; A little background: =
Neiman-Marcus, if=20
      you don't know already, is a<BR>very expensive shop; i.e. they =
sell a=20
      typical $8.00 t-shirt for $50.00.<BR>&gt; &gt;<BR>&gt; &gt; Let's =
let them=20
      have it!<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt;<BR>&gt; &gt; THIS IS A TRUE =
STORY<BR>&gt;=20
      &gt; My daughter and I had just finished lunch at a Neiman-Marcus =
Cafe=20
      in<BR>Dallas. Because both of us are such biscuit lovers, we =
decided to=20
      try<BR>the<BR>&gt; &gt; "Neiman-Marcus cookie". It was so =
excellent that I=20
      asked if they<BR>would<BR>give me the recipe. The waitress said =
with a=20
      small frown, "I'm afraid<BR>&gt; &gt; not, but you can BUY the=20
      recipe."<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt;<BR>&gt; &gt; I asked how much, and =
she=20
      responded, "Only two fifty - it's a great<BR>deal!" I agreed to =
that, and=20
      told her to add it to my bill.<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt;<BR>&gt; &gt; =
Thirty=20
      days later, I got my VISA st atement, and the =
Neiman-Marcus<BR>charge was=20
      $285.00. I looked at it again, and I remembered I had=20
      only<BR>spent<BR>&gt; &gt; $9.95 for two sandwiches and about =
$20.00 for a=20
      scarf. At the bottom<BR>of<BR>the statement, it said, "Cookie=20
      Recipe-$250.00". That was outrageous!<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt;<BR>&gt; =
&gt; I=20
      called Neiman's Accounting Department and told them the=20
      waitress<BR>had<BR>said it was "two fifty", which clearly does not =
mean=20
      "two hundred and<BR>&gt; &gt; fifty dollars" by any reasonable=20
      interpretation of the phrase.<BR>Neiman-Marcus refused to budge. =
They=20
      would not refund my money because,<BR>according to them;<BR>&gt;=20
      &gt;<BR>&gt; &gt; "What the waitress told you is not our problem. =
You have=20
      already<BR>seen<BR>the recipe. We absolutely will not refund your=20
      money."<BR>&gt; &gt;<BR>&gt; &gt; I explained to the Accounting =
Department=20
      lady the criminal statutes<BR>which govern fraud in the state of =
Texas. I=20
      threatened to report them to<BR>the<BR>&gt; &gt; Better Busines s =
Bureau=20
      and the Texas Attorney General's office. I<BR>was<BR>basically =
told: Do=20
      what you want. Don't bother thinking of how you can<BR>&gt; &gt; =
get even,=20
      and don't bother trying to get any of your money back."<BR>&gt;=20
      &gt;&gt;&gt;<BR>&gt; &gt; I said, OK, you've got my $250, and now =
I'm=20
      going to have $250 worth<BR>of<BR>fun." I told her that I was =
going to see=20
      to it that every cookie lover<BR>&gt; &gt; 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>&gt; =
&gt;&gt;&gt;<BR>&gt; &gt;=20
      I said, "Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before=20
      you<BR>RIPPED<BR>ME OFF!" and slammed down the phone.<BR>&gt;=20
      &gt;&gt;&gt;<BR>&gt; &gt; So here it is! Please pass it on to =
everyone you=20
      can possibly think<BR>of.<BR>I paid $250 for this, and I don't =
want=20
      Neiman-Marcus to EVER make<BR>another<BR>&gt; &gt; penny from this =

      recipe!<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt;<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; NEIMAN-MARCUS =
COOKIES=20
      (Recipe may be halved)&lt; BR&gt;&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 2 cups =
butter<BR>&gt;=20
      &gt;&gt;&gt; 24 oz. chocolate chips<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 4 cups=20
      flour<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 2 cups brown sugar<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; =
2 tsp.=20
      (Bicarb) soda<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 1 tsp. salt<BR>&gt; =
&gt;&gt;&gt; 2 cups=20
      sugar<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)<BR>&gt;=20
      &gt;&gt;&gt; 5 cups blended oatmeal<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 4 =
eggs<BR>&gt;=20
      &gt;&gt;&gt; 2 tsp. baking powder<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 2 tsp.=20
      vanilla<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 3 cups chopped nuts (your =
choice)<BR>&gt;=20
      &gt;&gt;&gt;<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; Measure oatmeal, and blend in a =
blender=20
      to a fine powder. Cream<BR>the<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt; butter<BR>&gt;=20
      &gt;&gt;&gt; and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together =
with=20
      flour,<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt; oatmeal,<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; salt, baking =
powder,=20
      and Bicarb (soda). Add chocolate chips,<BR>Hershey<BR>&gt; =
&gt;&gt;=20
      Bar,<BR>&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two =
inches=20
      apart on a cookie <BR>&gt; &gt;&gt; sheet.<BR>&amp;g t; =
&gt;&gt;&gt; Bake=20
      for 10 minutes at (180)&nbsp; 375 degrees.<BR>&gt; =
&gt;&gt;&gt;<BR>&gt;=20
      &gt;&gt;&gt; The above quantities makes 112 cookies.<BR>&gt; =
&gt;<BR>&gt;=20
      &gt; PLEASE KEEP THE RECIPE AND SEND IT TO EVERY PERSON YOU KNOW =
WHO=20
      HAS<BR>AN<BR>&gt; &gt; E-MAIL ADDRESS! This is not a joke-it's a =
true=20
      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 =
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      _______________________________________________ Gathering mailing =
list=20
      Gathering@misera.net=20
    =
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OTE>
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