Humor can save a life. It can mitigate strife. I am starting to write this post now and will continue it when I get back from work this morning. It will highlight how ADHD'ers are so often the so-called "Sucker" that is born every minute. I will describe how I got induced into signing on to rip-off MLM scams, and how I wound up getting ripped off online, and how failure to read the small print has cost me, and some of my fellow impulsive-shoppers to get ripped off time and time again.
Why this sad state of affairs? Well, a lot of factors are involved, but it is the ADHD, with it's inherent exciteability, short-sightedness, carelessness, and desire to please, that create a cocktail of self-sabotage.
Enjoy your day and I will check back later. I am off to Truman, MN this morning for a direct broadcast. I am a Radio DJ and must go to work.
Well, I am back from the broadcast and sure enough: umbrellas, sunglasses, scarves, capes, reading glasses, and now, my thick warm mittens, all lost or left behind somewhere, out there....
It seems no matter how often I purchase things to replace what I have lost, when I need to use them they seem nowhere to be found. I am slowly trying to keep track of my necessary items, cell phone, wallet, keys, but it is an uphill climb..which reminds me I should put the keys on the hook, instead of just slopping them down somewhere...
OK, my keys are on the hook.
Back to the original discussion regarding humor. The premise, and the moral is this:
"If u laugh at ur mistakes u have a lifetime of entertainment!" That quote told to me by my husband this morning.
Speaking of lessons learned here is a silly joke with a poignant message:
One day two boys were walking through the woods when they saw some rabbit poop. One of the boys said, "What is that?"
"They're smart pills," said the other boy. "Eat them and they'll make you smarter."
So he ate them and said, "These taste like poop."
"See," said the other boy, "you're already getting smarter."
I had been in college, looking to earn some money, and found myself spending more money than ever going to MLM meetings, buying self-improvement products and not getting any richer, but distressing and annoying my fellow friends, instructors and family trying to pressure them to join my downline..ha! That was the most humiliating experience, it was like eating rabbit poop. I was smarter, when a man approached me in line at the Automotive store offering me work.
I let him take me to Perkins to hear his proposition. It was the same old line. "Get Rich Quick!" I just said, "No." I'd figured out the old familiar yellow-pad thing by now, after having learned it myself. I watched him walk away, and I had to pay for my own coffee. Something told me it was a lot cheaper for me to buy my own coffee, than for me to get suckered into the MLM scam again. Now don't get me wrong. I am not opposed to networking. Roots and wings is the hallmark of good business in my opinion. You want a network of loyal clients for the long haul, and you want to soar in your profession. But, you don't want to be ripped off. The MLM I was involved in was later taken to court and it was found out that the business was a hotbed of fraud.
I went online to buy a car stereo from this company:
http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/
Here was the bill I got in an email:
1P-350 DVD/MPEG4/WMA/USB RADIO PLAYER 2005 Nissan Frontier$329.99
Coupon Discount('DEALTAKER'):-$16.49
Total Item Cost:$313.51
Total Shipping:$19.99
Total Cost:$333.50
They never replied to any of my email queries and their 1-800 number is a dead line.
When I got the stereo it was not the right kind for my truck amd the bill found inside the package said it came from the People's Republic of China, and the stereo was only $40.
I tried to get a refund, but did not receive much of my money back in my bank account since there were so many penalties involved for trying to return it, and I bought it with my debit card instead of my credit card.
In the final analysis, it was a big rip-off to me to shop online from such a shady company who sends you cheap stock from China, cutting themselves huge profits. To give a #shoutout to Best Buy, I must say I finally got the perfect car stereo, with modern USB and Mp3 inputs/CD player, warranty and installation for $200 bucks in Mankato, MN. But I wasted a lot of emotion, time and money shopping online. I have had 2 bad experiences with Amazon too since they opened their trade with outside vendors.
Yesterday I wanted to enter a daily contest on Martha Stewart's Radio Blog.
http://bit.ly/8DmJnC
Then today I received this bill in an email.
BODY + SOUL 1 year
(10 issues) $10.00
"Good News! Your BODY + SOUL magazine order has been processed.
Please take this time to confirm your order information below."
I cannot believe it! Just by entering the "FREE" Daily sweepstakes, I was now being billed for a subscription to a magazine subscription I do not wish to purchase! Now I have to waste time trying to undo that subscription mess. I don't subscribe to magazines because they are CLUTTER!
Now, $200 lost in an MLM, or $300 dollars wasted on a cheap, junky car stereo, or $10 for a subscription one doesn't want, may not seem much to you. Nevertheless, it cannot compare to a dear lady I met who got suckered into buying a timeshare she poured thousands of dollars into, that made her lose the affections of her husband and that she hates herself for buying into. She says she cannot recoup her losses, at all levels. There is nothing wrong in my opinion with purchasing anything if you want it and can afford it, but a quick financial decision can cause you years of untold grief and suffering, not to mention humiliation, bankruptcy and a poor credit rating.
Get wise: check out the Better Business Bureau, http://www.bbb.org/ call your local fire department, police department, someone who knows somethimg before you buy or invest in junk you are being forced or driven or duped through high-pressure sales, subtle tricks, an appeal to your greed, desperation, or other reasons. The message is slow down, breathe, be wise and don't be in such a hurry to buy, or to TRUST.
Peace,
Amy
© Amalia Zents
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