Tales from the blog
The way we generally get product to review is a PR firm contacts us, shows what’s coming out, if we’re interested in something there’s a review going to happen.
TL;DR – bunch of strange items showed, and Paul hates FedEx.
If the company sends it FedEx, I know there’s going to be a massive f-up and I won’t see the product for at least an additional week and why the hell did they send it FedEx?
Very occasionally something will show that I didn’t request. For the past few months this has been happening, however the products that are showing 1) have no contact information attached, 2) have no product identifiers to let me know what they’re promoting, 3) don’t fit any of the sites I run.
In October a package showed from Amazon addressed to Pocketables. That’s odd because all requests I make come in a specific fashion, this being My Name, Pocketables (or theITbaby,), and address. Also most product I’m asked to review comes from a PR firm.
The package contained a tree skirt and an Amazon packing slip that contained no information other than that it was a tree skirt. I punched in every number and didn’t find said tree skirt on Amazon.
A few days later another package arrived. This time with a portable dog water and snack carrier. I don’t have a dog. This one I found on Amazon but the company that made it was not in my contacts, nor was the PR firm that represents them involved with me in any fashion. Huh.
A toilet paper holder was the next thing to show if I’m remembering the order right.
Say what you will about the random things I’ll occasionally mention on Pocketables, but non-connected bathroom things have not been on the radar.
At this point I contacted Amazon. There were now three different unrelated products and I told them I was on someone’s list, they were wasting their money and I wanted to make sure they didn’t waste any more on me (My assumption at this point was they’d gotten me mixed up with another blogger).
Amazon CSR said they’d investigate. A few days later tree skirt #2 showed up (no pictures,) and basically got turned into a royal robe for my 4yo. A couple of days after that I got a clear phone case that said “phone case” and didn’t appear to match the dimensions of any of the phones out there.
I got some kid’s makeup
And a deep fry basket that I have no pictures of.
Things kept coming unsolicited. Almost completely unrelated to what I write about (except the clear case for an unknown phone.) And I asked Amazon to investigate again.
Then one day they stopped. I don’t know if Amazon managed to get in touch with the people sending these or whether they decided since I was not reviewing anything to cut me off.
So yeah. Odd run.
