Speaking Up and Over-Shopping

In yesterday's "Make Sure You are Protected with Online Tranasctions {thanks Roxy!}" post, I talked about the importance of making sure JCAs are protected during any online transaction. Today's post is going to go one step further...

There is a developing story that has rocked our cousin-Anthro-blogosphere. (I won't go into all the details, just check out Roxy's post as a starting point to get filled in. Jezebel even has a post about it. The whole story is neatly laid out in the Stuff Jewish Girls Like's "Anthrofans: Where do we go from here?" post. And the Mascarade talks about how it has happened before here.) I created yesterday's post as a reminder that JCAs should always take it upon themselves to pursue the necessary precautions during any independent transaction. I have gotten a few emails of concern during this time and decided that there are two more important topics to cover: (1) speaking up and (2) over-shopping.

Point One: Speak up! From what I gather, there are a number of customers who paid upfront for services & merchandise never rendered or received by Kim Baker of the popular Anthroholic blog. Apparently, this went on for a long time (more than a year) before being discovered. Each one thought they were the only ones stuck in a bad situation. Many expressed not wanting to speak out against the well-regarded Blogger, while others just gave up on pursuing a claim. Many bloggers are honest and try their best to foster a sense of community and trust– it's really wonderful. So to see that taken advantage of is disheartening. But the main point is you should always feel comfortable taking measures to protect yourself and speaking out if something is not right.

Moreover, your issue may not be isolated. By publicly sharing the experience, you may find others going through the same thing. At the very least, it could help others to avoid a similar misfortune. If you find yourself in this situation, take the appropriate steps to ensure you are protected and get your money back.

Bottom-Line: If a transaction has gone wrong, please take the proper steps to protect yourself! That includes speaking up by sharing with others, opening a dispute/claim, and even contacting third parties like the local authorities. Also post a comment on the Great Weekly Exchange to let others know about it too.

Point Two: Over-shopping. There is a lot of speculation that the Blogger in question may have a shopping addiction (to clarify, no one knows if this is true or not), which led into a general discussion around over-shopping. In the "Shopping over at Gigi's" post, I featured links to GigiOfCa's "Let's Talk - overshopping" and "Let's Talk - shopping bans" posts. (She did a great job and they are must reads.) It is another serious topic that I don't discuss but honestly should. It's easy to over-shop. Shopping can be a great way to relieve stress or have fun. (How many times do we incorporate shopping and lunch with friends? I know I do.) Which is why some call it "retail therapy". But it can have a negative impact if it's not checked. For an example, I often find myself under a "fashion-blog-influence". I will see another blogger wearing a piece of clothing or owning an accessory that I instantly fall in love with and believe I must own myself. But the real questions I should be asking myself is, "do I need it?" and "is there something else that money would be better spent?"

The truth is talking about money is difficult. (It was hard for me just to find the words to write this post, and I am not even disclosing any personal financial information!) It's also hard to open up and say I make this much and should really only spend that much. Especially since we fear the personal criticism and judgement that may arise. But having the conversation, even if it is with ourselves (or with our partners) is important. Being honest about what the budget is and sticking to it can save a lot of grief down the road.

Bottom-Line: I want to borrow a great quote from GigiOfCa's over-shopping post: "I think it's presumptuous to tell someone what s/he should be doing with his or her money." This post is not meant to tell readers how to spend their money. Moreover, none of us truly know anyone else's financial situation. This is just a little reminder that we should always be aware of our finances.

Okay, I think I have said all I wanted to say for now. Thanks for reading! :)

Related Note #1: Please check out Roxy's new "Thoughts on finances and how I keep my spending in check" post.

Related Note #2: If you are a victim of Anthroholic's shopping services, please file a complaint. The following is taken directly from Roxy's "The weekend in-store community post" post:

If you have been affected by the Anthroholic Personal Shopping services issue (meaning if you either waited several months before getting your item/refund, did not get a full refund because Anthroholic kept the finder fees, or are still waiting for items/refund) you should contact the Illinois Attorney General – Consumer Protection Division and FILE a complaint. Doing so will allow the IL AG to aggressively pursue legal action against her, the outcome of which could include not just restitution to her victims but her permanent ban from online solicitations and profitability. The link to the IL AG’s downloadable complaint form is: http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/filecomplaint.html.