SMaria,

You are most welcome on the advise, by the way, we did get our "REWARD" and I did Cancel and got the same type of thing it goes on about 6 weeks, and then it will stop.

They are not out $500.00, maybe $25.00 and that was their option. You cancelled before they sent.

Don't even waste your Attorney friends time, they are not worth it.

It is a very rewarding thing to do for your children, so if you can squeeze it in next year, I would highly recommend it, but use a local supplier.


Bea's Big Papa

P.S. they have a FAKE collection company too. So know they are calling from the same office and making threats.

Dear Bea's Big Papa,

You make me feel so much better. I love the "Dirty Birds" naming and it is so true.

Our principal knows of the situation and tells me not to worry with it. I just hate that I even spoke with them.

You are so right on everything you said.

I have a friend who is an attorney and I am about ready to get him involved to write a "Cease and Desist" letter.

I have been nice and not spread the word of their name but I am about ready too.

We have a state PTO in the state I live in - I think I am going to go to them to warn them about this company to see if they can spread the word about them.

I have a huge paper trail and I have my cell phone records showing my calls to them - the last couple of times I even recorded myself leaving the messages.

Again, thank you for your advice and words of wisdom...

Dear Smaria,

I know what company you are talking about, they are so aggressive and promise the world. But, then are ruthless.

I had a similar issue with as I call them the "DIRTY BIRDS" last year, they have this "LOYALTY REWARDS" which isn't a REWARD it is a punishment, You can't collect your item unless you resign for the following year, and you then can't cancel that agreement, well I did the research and and their prices are so much higher than anyone else in the industry that, there rewards are as BAD as CASINO COMPS. Bill 20,000 dollars and get a $280.00 concession item.

Here are your options.

1. Totally forget about it and let them keep sending bills, you have paper trial. They won't and can't collect from you.

2. Let them pay the freight and ship you product, pull out 2 things, ship back to them and pay for your 2 items.

3. pay the bill. PLEASE don't do this one.

I was talking to a local company and he shed a lot of light on these people. They try to cover the whole country from Texas, they claim the are the direct importer, which they are not, every items says a different name than DIRTY BIRD. It is a family members business that does there importing, but not them.

They claim they are owned by former PTA/PTO members, what company isn't, we have no dues at our school and every guardian is a member so, everyone that owns a shop could make that claim.

They offer crazy sign up bonuses, or rewards for signing up in a certain time frame, you know who pays for that??? Your students, if you are lucky enough to win one of those. But remember they are covering the whole country, so 10 free bikes, or 5 mini ipads or a bar b q grill, the prices are higher.

My local supplier, has my re-orders to me before the first class shops every day. No questions asked. A few years ago, Dirty Bird told us we didn't have big enough sales to get a re-order one night, BUT i Was out of stock on 5 items. I don't have to wait on UPS every day.

I prefer to support local companies, that follow through on promises.

Good Luck

Bea's Big Papa

Sorry - I failed to say that the "stuff" they sent - I think- was a box of marketing stuff to send home with the students. They sent this after I canceled.

This is what the contract states -

***** Holiday Shop Will Provide:
1. An awesome selection of gift items for children to purchase.
2. Announcement flyers for each child to take home.
3. Gift bags, posters and carry home bags.
4. Parent gift guide, money control envelope for each child.
5. Shop instructions and publicity kit.

***** Holiday Shop Will:
1. Provide recommended resale sheets.
2. Deliver/Ship merchandise free.
3. Redeliver/Ship additional merchandise during operation of shop.
4. Provide restocks throughout your shop dates. Due to unpredictable
popularity, we cannot guarantee 100% restocks on all items.
5. Take back ALL unsold, unmarked and damaged merchandise.
6. Pickup free or pay for return shipping. If returning by shipping service,
, will pay UPS or USPS Ground only.


Your Organization Agrees:
1. To actively promote the shop.
2. To not sell other commercial merchandise.
3. To not mark on, or put price stickers on any merchandise boxes.
4. To supply tables to display merchandise.
5. To furnish volunteers to run shop.
6. To calculate amount due to ****** Holiday Shop utilizing our
calculator online
7. To have all merchandise re-boxed with a copy of daily receipts ready for
pickup, or shipping at end of the last day of the shop.
8. To return all unused promotional supplies, paper products and bags to
**** Holiday Shop.
9. Ship unsold merchandise by UPS or US Postal ground using provided
ground labels.
10. To send payment via US mail within 3 business days after close of shop
with final bill calculations worksheet.
11. Payments not postmarked within 3 days will automatically incur a 10%
late charge and a service charge of 1.5% per month. Contact us if your
payment is going to be late or you need help.
12. To run shop for the specified dates and to pay a cancellation fee of five
hundred dollars if the shop is canceled after Oct. 5th.

Granted it says Oct 5th - but the sales rep I spoke with I told that I wouldn't have an answer until the 15th and she said it was fine and that she would document everything. It was stupid on my part trusting her. $500 for services really not rendered is crazy.

This is the email I kept getting from different people within the company - the last email I received like this had the email coming from one rep and then it was signed by another rep. Everything sounds so wrong within the way they are handling everything. Majority of time when these were sent was on a Friday evening. I would call within the 24 hour mark and they are closed on Saturday's and Sunday's... and they sent these emails after their closing for the day. They close at 5:30 and the emails were sent between 6 and 6:30. Keep in mind I have not talked to anyone since talking to the initial sales rep (which I only spoke with one time) - every email sent like the one below is saying that they want to confirm "our conversation"... I haven't talked to anyone because no one will return my calls!!!!!!!!!!

Dear SMaria,

This is to confirm our conversation. The options available to your organization are as follows:

1. Cancel the shop and our bookkeeping department will automatically bill the $500 cancellation fee.

2. Hold the shop on different days/different schedule (we are definitely willing to work with you on dates/times/etc…)

3. Ask the Principal to resign for next year understanding that should the shop be cancelled again, there will be a cancellation fee billed.

After you have discussed with your board members, please give me a call within 24 hours to let me know which option the board accepts. You can reach me at 1-888-***-****. If I don’t hear back from you, I will go ahead and cancel the shop. I look forward to hearing back from you.

I would just document the dates and content of all your various contacts with them (including the fact that phone calls weren't returned), tell them you won't pay, and send it off to them and see what happens. Guess it depends on what exactly you signed and whether they feel like it's worth pursuing. If you refused the shipment, the only thing they are really out is the shipping charges and the cost of any customized materials they might have sent to you--don't know whether all that comes to $500, but probably not. Sounds strange that they would sent out holiday stuff in the middle of October, anyway--makes it look like they got your cancellation notification, and then just shipped the stuff to make you reconsider.

We are having issues with a Holiday Shop that we talked with. We did go on to their website while on the phone with the sales rep and filled out the paperwork. Their cancellation date was by Oct 5th. I told the sales rep that I wouldn't have an answer until the 15th of October. She said that was fine and that she would make note of it. I called and canceled on the 15th because we just couldn't do it - had to leave a message. I then turned around and emailed the sales rep just making sure she got my message. She called 2 days later and left message for me. I called her right back and had to leave another message. I emailed her again as well. I called the next day and the next day - no response. SOOOO... that same week I get an email stating that our holiday stuff had been sent to us via UPS. I was furious. I called and guess what - had to leave another message. I talked with the principal about the issue and she refused the package. Then I get a threatening email from someone from the company - first wanting to confirm our conversation that we just had (NEVER HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THIS PERSON) then it went on telling me that I had to either have the holiday shop this year, reserve the shop for next year and if we still decide to cancel then the PTO has to pay them $500. I called and guess what - had to leave another message. So, I replied via email and told them that none of the options were going to work - we canceled. Then I receive another email from someone else from the company sending me the same email - wanting me to confirm a conversation with them I supposedly just had and then went through the threats... needless to say I have had 4 of these emails from 4 different reps - NONE OF WHICH I HAVE TALKED WITH AND EACH EMAIL WANTS ME TO CONFIRM A CONVERSATION WITH THEM THAT I HAVE NEVER HAD. The original sales rep I spoke with will not return my phone calls - so I have left messages for management and none will return my calls. NOW - they are faxing threats to the school. They say they have my contract - with my signature - which has to be the form I filled out online and they say I had to cancel by the 5th. I have tried to explain to them (unfortunately via email because no one will call me back) that when I spoke with the original sales rep she said that she would make note that I wouldn't have an answer until the 15th. Can they sue me or the PTO for a service that we canceled - even if it was past the 5th? They know we canceled and they still sent the stuff anyway - which we refused. The principal is aware of the situation... I have about worried myself sick over this. First, the way they are going about it is so unprofessional. 2nd, I feel so stupid for even trusting the sales rep.