[kj] OT Fighting Corporate Rip-offs

Tue, 27 Jan 2004 07:15:41 +0000

<html><div style='background-color:'> &gt; &gt; This is a true story. Please forward when you finish reading! &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; 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. &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; Let's let them have it! &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; &gt; THIS IS A TRUE STORY &gt; &gt; 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 &gt; &gt; "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 &gt; &gt; not, but you can BUY the recipe." &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; &gt; 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. &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; &gt; Thirty days later, I got my VISA statement, and the Neiman-Marcus charge was $285.00. I looked at it again, and I remembered I had only spent &gt; &gt; $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! &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; &gt; 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 &gt; &gt; fifty dollars" by any reasonable interpretation of the phrase. Neiman-Marcus refused to budge. They would not refund my money because, according to them; &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; "What the waitress told you is not our problem. You have already seen the recipe. We absolutely will not refund your money." &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; 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 &gt; &gt; Better Business Bureau and the Texas Attorney General's office. I was basically told: Do what you want. Don't bother thinking of how you can &gt; &gt; get even, and don't bother trying to get any of your money back." &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; &gt; 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 &gt; &gt; 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." &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; &gt; I said, "Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before you RIPPED ME OFF!" and slammed down the phone. &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; &gt; 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 &gt; &gt; penny from this recipe! &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES (Recipe may be halved) &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 2 cups butter &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 24 oz. chocolate chips &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 4 cups flour &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 2 cups brown sugar &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 2 tsp. (Bicarb) soda &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 1 tsp. salt &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 2 cups sugar &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated) &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 5 cups blended oatmeal &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 4 eggs &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 2 tsp. baking powder &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 2 tsp. vanilla &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; 3 cups chopped nuts (your choice) &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the &gt; &gt;&gt; butter &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, &gt; &gt;&gt; oatmeal, &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; salt, baking powder, and Bicarb (soda). Add chocolate chips, Hershey &gt; &gt;&gt; Bar, &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie &gt; &gt;&gt; sheet. &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; Bake for 10 minutes at (180)&nbsp; 375 degrees. &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; The above quantities makes 112 cookies. &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; PLEASE KEEP THE RECIPE AND SEND IT TO EVERY PERSON YOU KNOW WHO HAS AN &gt; &gt; E-MAIL ADDRESS! This is not a joke-it's a true story. 
<DIV>
luv from
Stimro
"Mummy, what's a Killing Joke?"
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