Sunday, June 13, 2010

WSPA spam continues

A few people respond EETW:

Dear Michel Czehatowski, Owner

Thank you very much for your prompt response to a question that greatly disturbs me and my family. I want you to know I had and have no intention or interest in "spamming" you or your family business. I am happy to hear you have been in business successfully for a very long time, and I am sure your regular customers have 100% faith and trust in you and yours to provide for their needs.
I am well aware that most companies that sell TCM products do not use bear bile, and I am extremely glad for that knowledge. I also know that most TCM products use herbal supplements that are just as effective and probably more so than this odd ingredient.

Firstly, Please understand that ultimately the petition I signed says nothing to degrade or deface your business, nor does it outrightly accuse you and yours of using such products. It merely asks you as a business if any of your products contain bear bile, and does NOT in the process assume that you do sell such products. Then it proceeds to inform you of the situation at hand, asking if you have heard of these goings-on. Also, how long you have been in business in reality has nothing to do with the subject at hand other than through experience you have learned what products work for your consumers. I, as an informed consumer have every right to ask questions to make sure that products I buy now or in the future are safe for me and mine, and are NOT harming wildlife, etc. Even if I have to ask 5 million times, you should still look at me and answer the question, and not be offended to do so. Just because the label says so, does not mean it is. Labels are not Gods.

Secondly, I was not duped into anything. Please do not doubt the intelligence of someone you do not know. I fully read and researched(and agreed with, mind you) this petition on my own, thank you, and felt I still needed to ask. And there is nothing wrong with that. Just because I am not a "now" customer does mean I will not be a future customer. And just because you are a supporter and activist in this and that, does not mean that a product might slip through with this particular ingredient. It has happened many times with many companies. So again, do not be so offended when someone asks you to check your products. Again I state: By right as a consumer, I am allowed to inquire of any business, whether I use them or not, as to what is in their products, or what it is they are selling.

Thirdly, as for the racial slur, I do not agree with you. There is nothing racial about this issue. If we were doing it here in America, as Americans, I would sign that petition too. I do not hate Chinese nor Chinese products. As a matter of fact, I am probably one of the few who still thinks the boycott of Chinese products because of scares and such is completely ridiculous. Everyone makes mistakes and no one(or business) is perfect. A good example is the E-coli tainted food that was carried in from California: I questioned every fruit and vegetable that came in from Cali, but I did not boycott the sale of Cali produce. You merely have to be informed, and wait it out. It had nothing to do with "OMG, Californians are trying to kill us, ooooooohhhhh!" Of course not. I am not an idiot, thank you. I would not be a good consumer if I did not ask.

I thank you for actually taking the time to read my reply, and know that a small weight has been lifted knowing that your products are free and clear of this ingredient. I was actually looking at some of your teas and have a great curiosity as a studying herbalist to try some of them. Thank you for the invitation to shop, and know that I will most certainly do so at some point.

Sincerely,
Winter Johnson


My Answer:
Dear Ms. Winter,
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my letter. I agree that as in individual you want to know what you are buying. The problem is when hundreds of people send in a form letter claiming to be customers of ours ask for the same information. I can't ignore them because my company has already been presumed guilty so I answer every one personally.
I'm sure there are more things we can agree about than disagree on so I'll leave it at that.
I would like to ask you a favor though. Please write the WSPA and find out why they singled out my company. (I'll be shocked if they actually reply to you).
Best wishes and thanks again for your feedback.

Sincerely,
Michel Czehatowski
EETW

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