What a CROCK!

Imagine...

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One day, the Fed Ex guy left a package on your doorstep. It's addressed to you. "Hmm. What's this?" you ask, carrying the package inside. "I didn't order anything." Inside the box is an ugly, red crock pot and a credit card receipt - YOUR credit card receipt for $75.99 from a local store.

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"There must be a mistake," you think. "Why should I have to pay for something I don't want, didn't order, and will never use?"

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What a hassle. Now, like it or not, you have to deal with this shit. Otherwise you're stuck paying the bill on this over-priced crock pot you don't need.

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So you call the store, asking to talk to the salesperson listed on the receipt.

Maybe he can sort this out.

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"Hello?" he answers.
"Hi. Are you the guy who sent me the crock pot?"

"Uh... who is this?" he asks nervously. You tell him. His response is baffling. Haughtily, he tells you that you will have to talk to the crock pot manufacturer. You notice a condescending, dismissive tone in his voice. Why is he so hostile?

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"But I just have a few questions. Please don't hang up, I just want to know..."

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CLICK

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Don't you hate it when people hang up on you? So what do you do next? Now you really don't want this uninvited crock pot. You resent the way that guy treated you - as if he had the right to force you to buy something you didn't ask for and don't want.

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So you look up his email address and send him a note. You tell him you don't appreciate his demeanor. It was extremely rude and unprofessional of him to hang up on you.

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He responds. His email still doesn't acknowledge the problem or answer your questions. It merely says: "Thank you for shopping at Crock Pots R Us."

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"But I DID NOT shop there!" you say. How do you feel? Are you pissed? You look at the crock pot. You'll never use it. Besides, it doesn't match your other cookware and clashes with your kitchen countertop. Jeez. There's even a chip on the rim. They sent you a defective product! You can't just return it. You want your money back.

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You look up the store's policy online. It says: It is our mission to keep the customers satisfied. All employees shall be polite, pleasant, and helpful in the spirit of serving the community.

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Aha! That creep certainly didn't follow store policy. So you send an email to the store manager telling her your bad experience. It's an informal complaint, but she should know that this nasty, rude employee behaved badly. You feel it's almost your duty to report him. Of course, you're still stuck with the god-awful crock pot. It's frustrating.

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A few days later, there's a deputy sheriff at your door. He serves papers on you. It's a lawsuit! It says:

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The defendant (that's you) complained

to the store manager about the plaintiff (that's the crock pot guy),

which caused him to be embarrassed.

It raised doubts about his competency

and caused him to lose the esteem of his colleagues.

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"Well, duh!" you say. "Maybe he shouldn't have been such an asshole!"

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You have 20 days to find a lawyer and respond or you will lose by default, having to pay the jerk an undetermined amount of damages. This is just silly! Yes, maybe his own behavior should embarrass him, but since when is it "defamation" to lodge a complaint about the aggregious way someone has treated you? Damages? You think: Hey, he's the one who sent me the crock pot! I'm the one who has to pay the bill for this thing I didn't order! And he SUES me???

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Welcome to the world of

Peter Freeman vs. Hannabelle...

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Isn't it ironic that somebody named FREEMAN has spent so much money, time, and effort on taking away Hannabelle's FREEDOM?

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The Silent Treatment is one of the cruelest form of societal punishment, as he well knows.

Peter Freeman teaches Social Work at St. Thomas University.

One of his special interests?

Why, "SCAPEGOATING", of course - which is exactly what Nexus has done and continues to do to Hannabelle...

Peter Freeman was recently promoted to Chairman of the Board of Nexus.