Rubber Ducky - you're the one!

So here I was thinking that I would like to use the MSN instant messenger picture of the rubber ducky as my profile picture in Facebook. Without spending hours going through all my computer files trying to find the stock photos that MSN pulls from I just googled "MSN rubber ducky picture".

The cute little guy popped right up along with a story on the origin of this rubber ducky picture. Curious as I was I went to the page and read the story. This little guy is actually a personal vibrator. Yes my friends, the people of the world do not have enough things to do with their lives that they have to make sex toys out of our childhood friends/toys. Billed (no pun intended) as the personal vibrator that you can proudly display in your bathtub for all to see and guests will just think that it is a regular rubber ducky toy. But if they touch him or squeeze him, he will spring into full vibrating action to double their pleasure, double their bathroom fun. If you don't want a boy ducky doing his thing for your private parts, you can order a pretty pink one - the Daisy model complete with a tantalizing feather boa. Yet they even take it to the next level by making a travel sized version that you can take to any hotel with pride.

What's next in the kids toys turned sex toys. Will Fisher Price come out with a "little people's" vibrator, or will Leap Frog go on to make a sex doll that teaches you the proper names for all the special places. I dare say that someone has surely thought of a Mr. Potato Head vibrator with a multitude of attachments to increase your person pleasure. How far can and will the sex toy industry go? And another question is, why is MSN a widely used instant messaging program downloading and displaying sex toy pictures for all ages to choose as their profile picture?

I am all for free sex and toys and such stuff for consenting adults but really, using vibrator pictures as your profile pic - especially for young children is crossing the line. So children and prudes beware when your in the bathroom. Think twice before you reach for the rubber ducky in the tub to play with in the bath, you never know where that little dude has been.

The Body Shop of Horrors

Okay. So I went and ordered new make up from the Body Shop the other week on line. I was surprised how easy it was and how quickly my order arrived (9 am the next morning). I thought "hey, I am done with going to the mall now that I can get all my Body Shop goodies on line!" Little did I know, I was entering the Body Shop of Horrors.

So I was excited to try out the new stuff so I showered, and put on my new make-up. Not bad, but not outstanding considering the price I paid for it. Within an hour both my eyes and lips had swollen up. I was obviously having an allergic reaction to one or more of the new products. I quickly took some allergy drugs and washed my face, neck, hands and body. Six hours later I was more comfortable and just looked like I had been crying for the past month and had a major case of acne. I was disappointed but not discouraged as I have bought from the Body Shop for many many years and love their perfume and body butter. Their service has always been outstanding and friendly. I told one sales person that I had bought a bottle of vanilla perfume oil a year ago and the perfume was not the light clear liquid it once was. She apologized for that, asked me to bring it in the next time I was in and they would exchange it for a new bottle. Who does that? Who exchanges product a year later? See, great customer service.

My eyes have been opened as to the real customer service that they now provide. I gathered up the new make-up that I tried out and went to the mall after work to return the products as the on-line return/exchange policy is you can take it to ANY store and get a full refund. NOT true. I was told by the sales person that they do not accept exchanges or returns from the on-line store. I explained about the allergic reaction and how unhappy I was and that I was guaranteed that I could return this to any store. She said "I'm sorry we can't help you. My manager has just left for the day and you will have to come back when she is here as she is the only one who can authorize this return". What? Excuse me? I have the Body Shop receipt that states right on it return for refund or exchange within 30 days to any store. Still no go. I was pissed. I packed everything up and stormed out of the store. I got home and emailed the company's customer service asking them to explain to me how I can go about getting a refund. I have yet to receive a response. I tried calling their 1 800 number and waited on hold for 25 minutes and finally hung up out of frustration and still have not talked to anyone. I spent $100 on a body lotion, lipstick, face powder, blush and eye liner and it was a total waste of money and I am not sure if I ever want to deal with the Body Shop ever again. If I am getting the bums rush on this I am bound and determined to tell everyone that I know that the Body Shop does not honour their own policies and is out to scam the consumer. I wish that this wasn't true but I have had nothing but misery over this whole experience. I know one thing for sure, even if I do shop there ever again, it will never be on line and I will never buy make up from there.

Beware my friends, be careful of what you buy and never try to return something to the Body Shop of Horrors.


UPDATE: After several calls to the store and finally a manager assuring me that if I came back in they would in deed refund my money I did get to return the offending products.

I do love the Body Shop and do still shop there but never on line again. I still to this date have not heard back from the on line store's customer service which does not bode well for their on line business. As for the staff member who I initially dealt with in the store (for those who were wondering) she was not a trainee or a newbe, she had been there for some time as I had seen her there on one of my previous shopping trips. She simply stated that "we do not do refunds from the on line store. We never have. A woman came in around Christmas to return product that she had bought on line and we didn't accept it. You have to return to the on line store."