It's Been a Lot Longer Than I Thought ... **sigh**

     So, in one of the last entries here or at one of my other blogs, I had cheerfully announced I was planning to get involved in direct sales -- again.  Because I was hoping to join A Muse Studio which offered an amazing starter kit and had changed their rules -- and had gotten rid of the quarterly minimums completely.  WOW!  Right?
     Well, last September and October they offered a bonus on the kit by including 10 extra ink pads!  Another huge "WOW!"  But finances did not let me take advantage of that deal.  So, eagerly on October 1, I went to their site to find out if they had a special deal for that month -- but there was no starter kit of any kind being offered.  Eventually, I discovered at their blog that the owner / founder had decided to retire and A Muse Studio would sell off their stock through the website but would no longer be a direct sales company. 

     Wah!  But, I have been able to get a few of their products I had been drooling over.  So, all is not a loss.
     However, considering joining AMS, got me back in the mood to join a company, maybe figure out how to run it as a net-based business, and hopefully be a money-maker for me.  And of course, get goodies in the starter kit.

     So my starter kit arrived.  And even though I had read through the list of what it included and looked at the picture, I expected to find items that were not there. 
     It arrived yesterday.  But I did not open the box because hubby was taking me to Urgent Care to have my incredibly painful hand looked at.  Infected and that is why the diuretic did nothing to alleviate the swelling.  Two antibiotic were prescribed and a couple of ibuprofen and not as painful, but still not a hand I can use.

     Being very impatient, I did wangle / wrangle the box to a spot by my desk.  Cut it open and there was another box inside.  A couple of hours later, I was unable to wait any longer and figured out a way to get the inner box out of the outer box using just one hand.
     Was it worth it?
     NO!
     How can any company send out a starter kit that does not really include things to get you started?  This is a rubber stamping / scrapbooking company.  But other than the bonus three "stamps of the month" sets included -- no stamps, but worse, no card stock, nor any inkpads.  There are good and useful things in the kit but nothing to a person creating.  (The inner box has "Open Me and discover your creativity" printed on it.)
     Needless to say, I was mega-disappointed -- considering the hassle it had been to get inside the boxes.
     Thing is, like I said, I had read the list of what would be in the kit and had seen a photo but for some reason, I expected a useful kit.

     Along with the stuff that will be useful in the end, was not a coupon really but info on getting $50 worth of "select product" free (of course, pay sales tax and shipping).  Again, a huge disappointment once I found out that thin cut dies to match some of the sets are not included in this set of "select" product.
     I am feeling very discouraged and disappointed.
     Maybe over the next 5 months, I will figure out how to run a web-based business but in the meantime, I made a decision this afternoon -- I will not buy enough to meet my minimum.  If others do buy -- great!  I will be buying as there are items I want at the demo discount price.  Maybe I will even figure out how to record videos for youtube on a variety of scrapping and card-making projects.  I hope so.  But come July 1 ... I may be looking for a new and different company.  We'll see ...






(assortment of fun photos from pixabay.com)