Thursday, August 20, 2015

A cautionary tale


“Flattery will get you everywhere.”  Well that almost worked with me, I humbly confess. It is amazing how your ego can trip you up.

It all started with an email saying I had been selected as a “woman of outstanding leadership.”  I was then invited to take my “place among other remarkable women: you have earned it and you deserve it.”  OK – I’ve worked hard – why not.  So I click on and sign up for their free registration.

But… and here’s the catch, a few weeks later I get THE call. I’d frankly totally forgotten about signing up but the woman on the phone mentioned it, wanted to hear my story…( more stroking of my ego)… offering opportunities to highlight me in their magazine.

Then comes the crunch… $700 plus to join.   I thought it was free? With great persistence the sales gal carried on to say since I was so special (read reluctant to shell out $700+) she’d do me a favour and offer payments by two installments. 

Still I resisted and then the price went down. But like a broken record, she continues to try and close.  What level of membership did I want x or y?  She’d ask over and over again.

I am embarrassed to report I caved in, and signed up.  She was wearing me down and I didn’t know, short of hanging up, how to extricate myself. But just a few seconds later, I totally regretted it and started to question myself … Why did I let myself get suckered into this? I don’t have money to burn. What was I thinking?. I spent quite some time berating myself.

When I looked into their website I could see a group of women who likely had also been coerced into this purchase.    Well not me. Quoting the Ontario law whereby you have ten days to legally cancel contracts, I got out of it.   

Then two days later, I receive the same email that started it all.  It is in my junk mail – where it rightly belongs. I guess I am still considered a woman of outstanding leadership J

So if something like this arrives in your inbox – my advice – delete..  Don’t get caught in a scam that plays to your ego.  Leave your ego at the door and say no.

As for me, I’ve been there, done that and embarrassingly getting rid of the T-shirt.




2 comments:

Unknown said...

Anne, thank you for being so open and sharing a little bit of venerability, albeit in a comedic fashion! An important lesson for all of us ~ I certainly don't think you're the only one to let your ego get in the way of your decisions... I know I've been scammed before, too! I'm glad you're getting rid of the t-shirt - made me laugh!

Unknown said...

How wonderful and brave of you to share. It shows your TRUE women of leadership qualities to show vunerabillty that we all embrace now and then.... and have nothing to be ashamed for doing so, with the exception of a little smudge on our face. SHAME on those companies that use these kind of high pressure sales tactics to bate and switch genuine honest people. I believe they rely on the kindness of such people to meet their quotas and gain their income.

Thanks for sharing Anne. I am positive this will open the minds of many who would otherwise be intimidated into participating something their gut is telling them to STAY FAR AWAY FROM!

Linda