Disney Store Elsa Dress Raffle--A process fail

[akcire]

Ok. First know my complaint is with the process, not that I have sour grapes and did not get the opportunity to buy a dress, because I actually did buy a dress.

Here's how it worked at my Disney Store in Fox Valley Mall this morning. One employee was in charge of handing out the raffle tickets. All the people who wanted a ticket were lined up in a nice neat line. I was there around 10:10. I brought my daughter, who is 3; but who does have ID (passport). Any how... the woman the day before when I called said anyone could get a ticket as long as they could claim it with ID; so my daughter is both a person and she has ID. [Also keep in mind, if my daughter brought a shirt or a cup to the counter and her gift card or cash, they'd sell it to her. So she also meets the requisite requirements to be a customer].

When the ticket distributer got to me, I asked for two tickets. She went on and on about how my daughter could not have one because she wasn't 16. Not sure where the 16 rule came in since yesterdays phone call? Anyhow, this is all well and good and would be fine if they were checking ID when the tickets were distributed, except they are not. The family in front of me had 3 adults, a 14 year old, and 2 younger kids. They got 4 tickets. How you ask do I know the girl in front of me was 14, they discussed it for the next 5 minutes. No I did not turn the girl in (honestly, if they were trying for the same size as me I may have considered it, but they wanted a way bigger size).

So why am I writing this. Mostly because the process is flawed, and it bothers me. I don't have a problem with them doing the raffle when they have the stock shortage, but it would be nice if everyone knew the rules and they were the same for all parties. If they want to make 16 the arbitrary age to get a ticket which has no legal standing in my state, then you should have to show ID to enter.


Off my soapbox.

 

[mistysue]

I agree with you and get why you are upset. It really irks me how often people are sticklers for rules that are different from one moment to the next, then when some get an advantage act like they didn't just change the system right in front of you.

 

[OurLittleFamily]

I agree that the 14 year old shouldn't have been able to get a ticket, bu if 16 is the rule.

As far as being told anyone with an ID could get a ticket, I think that was incorrect information (although I could very well be incorrect.) I think the age 16 rule is across the board. It's the rule we were told at two different locations in our area. We weren't trying to get a dress, but the employees were going up and down the line as we waited before store opening explaining how things would work when the door opened and were explaining the age limit for raffle tickets.

 

[SEA333]

Ok. First know my complaint is with the process, not that I have sour grapes and did not get the opportunity to buy a dress, because I actually did buy a dress.

Here's how it worked at my Disney Store in Fox Valley Mall this morning. One employee was in charge of handing out the raffle tickets. All the people who wanted a ticket were lined up in a nice neat line. I was there around 10:10. I brought my daughter, who is 3; but who does have ID (passport). Any how... the woman the day before when I called said anyone could get a ticket as long as they could claim it with ID; so my daughter is both a person and she has ID. [Also keep in mind, if my daughter brought a shirt or a cup to the counter and her gift card or cash, they'd sell it to her. So she also meets the requisite requirements to be a customer].

When the ticket distributer got to me, I asked for two tickets. She went on and on about how my daughter could not have one because she wasn't 16. Not sure where the 16 rule came in since yesterdays phone call? Anyhow, this is all well and good and would be fine if they were checking ID when the tickets were distributed, except they are not. The family in front of me had 3 adults, a 14 year old, and 2 younger kids. They got 4 tickets. How you ask do I know the girl in front of me was 14, they discussed it for the next 5 minutes. No I did not turn the girl in (honestly, if they were trying for the same size as me I may have considered it, but they wanted a way bigger size).

So why am I writing this. Mostly because the process is flawed, and it bothers me. I don't have a problem with them doing the raffle when they have the stock shortage, but it would be nice if everyone knew the rules and they were the same for all parties. If they want to make 16 the arbitrary age to get a ticket which has no legal standing in my state, then you should have to show ID to enter.

Off my soapbox.

Across the board rules, yes, agreed. But weren't you really trying to get around the rules, too, with technicalities? Were you up front with the cust serv agent on the phone that your DD was 3 years old when you asked about it? Don't you REALLY think she assumed you had the general understanding that "valid ID" is widely accepted, at face value, to be a drivers license?

Fox Valley Mall.

The mall sounds familiar....this couldn't possibly be the same Fox Valley as the one in the highly affluent Naperville IL area, could it? If so, I can totally see how there is a general sense of entitlement at that mall...maybe the family in front of you was a good example of this.

 

[pfp258]

Fox Valley Mall is not a "nice" mall at all. Lots of gang activity

 

[SEA333]

Fox Valley Mall is not a "nice" mall at all. Lots of gang activity

Really??!! I didn't know that. I go to Yorktown in Oak Brook myself, but I always thought that Fox Valley was the "it" mall for Naperville. Maybe the gang activity is because its so close to Aurora? Ok...then maybe there isn't so much as an entitlement attitude there as a "wrong side of the tracks" kind of issue!

 

[akcire]

Fox Valley Mall.

The mall sounds familiar....this couldn't possibly be the same Fox Valley as the one in the highly affluent Naperville IL area, could it? If so, I can totally see how there is a general sense of entitlement at that mall...maybe the family in front of you was a good example of this.

Fox Valley is in Aurora, IL which is decided less affluent than you can possibly imagine. It is however a good place to get the latest trends on youth street gangs. Aurora and a much larger percentage of Naperville than you'd imagine is very low income. Yes there are plenty of $1 Million McMansions with turrets so the ladies of the house can play Rapunzel, but those are the exception. You can find as many $40-60K condos. The foreclosures have really taken a shine off of much of the Naperville/Bollingbrook/Plainfield/Aurora area. I have a friend who lives on a block of 20 homes that were all $300-$350,000 "back in the day" and now 12 are vacant. You can almost see the tumbleweeds rolling in.

Also it's not entitlement to want to know the rules and have everyone follow them as written.

As for my interpretation of the rule....if you need to be present to get the ticket and provide ID to claim the price what should it matter your physical age? That is the very definition of agism. I am totally serious. There is no reason a 14 year old with a state ID couldn't have the funds to buy the dress. At 14 I had a full time job in the summer, making a whooping $5 an hour (they had to pay more than minimum because I spent the summer cleaning dirty dog cages). What is so magical about 16? Here in IL it is not the legal age to sign a contract, that is 18. That said, if they stated the rule was 16 up front I'd have no issue; if they checked ID. No way in the world can someone tell the difference between a 14 year old with gobs of make up and a 16 year old late bloomer. I live by a middle school and think half the kids walking by my house are in high school.

The woman handing out tickets just did whatever she wanted. One lady gave her some sob story about her sister being in JCPenny and she got 2 tickets too. I guess next time I should make up 35 fictitious friends shopping throughout the mall and get all the tickets or just ask all the middle schoolers walking to meet me at the mall on Saturday mornings.

Since I have my daughter's dress (which is really for her playdate friend) I won't be going back to the opportunity drawing (note they can't say raffle-too many legal implications), however I still content the process is flawed and there was no reason.

 

[damiel]

I have a problem with the whole lottery system. I can not get to the mall on a Saturday morning but I can get to the mall during the week on any given morning. Why do they feel the need to hold the drawing only on Saturday? I feel they should come up with something that anyone can participate in. This is a half baked idea and stores are making up the rules as they go along. Yes I have sour grapes. Please don't flame me.

 

[Eastern]

That would irk me too. A person is a person.

I went in for some promo hats they were giving away awhile ago. I didn't know it was 1 per person. I asked for 2 and the clerk said absolutely not. So I got one.

Then I saw a mall worker come in from another store (she was wearing a uniform) and she walked out with 2.

I asked the salesperson about it and she didn't care. So I went out and asked a woman walking by if she could get me one and she did. It was her good deed for the day.

If the rule is per person I don't see how age has anything to do with it. Why is a 5 year old or a 16 year old more entitled than a baby?

 

[SirDuff]

The mall sounds familiar....this couldn't possibly be the same Fox Valley as the one in the highly affluent Naperville IL area, could it? If so, I can totally see how there is a general sense of entitlement at that mall...maybe the family in front of you was a good example of this.

How was that family acting entitled? The whole "16 and up" thing didn't even come up until the CM got to the OP (who was behind the family). It's not like the family were told that people had to be 16 to get a ticket and then successfully argued enough that they were given one. I suppose (had they overheard the conversation between the OP and the CM), they could have decided to hand back the ticket, but I don't see them as acting entitled.

 

[undertheradar]

Ok. First know my complaint is with the process, not that I have sour grapes and did not get the opportunity to buy a dress, because I actually did buy a dress.

Here's how it worked at my Disney Store in Fox Valley Mall this morning. One employee was in charge of handing out the raffle tickets. All the people who wanted a ticket were lined up in a nice neat line. I was there around 10:10. I brought my daughter, who is 3; but who does have ID (passport). Any how... the woman the day before when I called said anyone could get a ticket as long as they could claim it with ID; so my daughter is both a person and she has ID. [Also keep in mind, if my daughter brought a shirt or a cup to the counter and her gift card or cash, they'd sell it to her. So she also meets the requisite requirements to be a customer].

When the ticket distributer got to me, I asked for two tickets. She went on and on about how my daughter could not have one because she wasn't 16. Not sure where the 16 rule came in since yesterdays phone call? Anyhow, this is all well and good and would be fine if they were checking ID when the tickets were distributed, except they are not. The family in front of me had 3 adults, a 14 year old, and 2 younger kids. They got 4 tickets. How you ask do I know the girl in front of me was 14, they discussed it for the next 5 minutes. No I did not turn the girl in (honestly, if they were trying for the same size as me I may have considered it, but they wanted a way bigger size).

So why am I writing this. Mostly because the process is flawed, and it bothers me. I don't have a problem with them doing the raffle when they have the stock shortage, but it would be nice if everyone knew the rules and they were the same for all parties. If they want to make 16 the arbitrary age to get a ticket which has no legal standing in my state, then you should have to show ID to enter.


Off my soapbox.

Bottom line is you were able to purchase a dress, so why cause the specific store staff any issues? Retail doesn't pay well, let alone enough to put up with public complaints. They tried to handle demand with a process and it worked if you were able to make the purchase. Life is too short to worry about something like this.

 

[LJSquishy]

I don't think they should be raffling off dresses to begin with...first come, first served (maybe with a limit of one) is how it should be. That is ridiculous they are holding inventory to only disperse on Saturdays.

I also don't think your 3 year old should get a ticket. Why should one adult bringing her 7 children get 8 tickets while another adult who did not bring their children get 1 ticket or an adult with only one child get 2 tickets? That doesn't make sense. Only adults should be eligible for tickets, so I agree with the 16 and over rule (18+ would be better but whatever).

 

[sukhakuli]

Maybe the CM didn't know she was 14? It's hard to tell exactly how old teens are just by looking at them. Or maybe her manager didn't clarify the 16 or older rule until after she had given out tickets.

Yes there are plenty of $1 Million McMansions with turrets so the ladies of the house can play Rapunzel, but those are the exception.

Uhhh, OK. I actually have no response to that. Yikes.

 

[kugelette]

I don't think they should be raffling off dresses to begin with...first come, first served (maybe with a limit of one) is how it should be. That is ridiculous they are holding inventory to only disperse on Saturdays.

I also don't think your 3 year old should get a ticket. Why should one adult bringing her 7 children get 8 tickets while another adult who did not bring their children get 1 ticket or an adult with only one child get 2 tickets? That doesn't make sense. Only adults should be eligible for tickets, so I agree with the 16 and over rule (18+ would be better but whatever).

agree on both counts.

 

[scrapquitler]

As for my interpretation of the rule....if you need to be present to get the ticket and provide ID to claim the price what should it matter your physical age? That is the very definition of agism. I am totally serious. There is no reason a 14 year old with a state ID couldn't have the funds to buy the dress. At 14 I had a full time job in the summer, making a whooping $5 an hour (they had to pay more than minimum because I spent the summer cleaning dirty dog cages). What is so magical about 16? Here in IL it is not the legal age to sign a contract, that is 18. That said, if they stated the rule was 16 up front I'd have no issue; if they checked ID. No way in the world can someone tell the difference between a 14 year old with gobs of make up and a 16 year old late bloomer. I live by a middle school and think half the kids walking by my house are in high school.
.

Maybe there's some kind of state law regarding 'raffles' or games of chance that they were required to follow. Many states have a LOT of regulations about these kinds of things that would have to be followed in this situation.
They might not have been following the rules exactly in regards to the 14 year old, but there's a world of difference for them differentiating between a 14 year old and a 3 year old.

In the advice of the movie....Let it go....

 

[Lizzybean]

I've lived in Aurora, on the Naperville border, for over a decade. I've never seen any "gang activity" at Fox Valley mall. Aurora has its blighted areas, but it's such a safe and wonderful community. I hate that it has such a bad rep. There are areas that are affluent, just as Naperville, but I don't equate affluence with entitlement. Some people are jerks, no matter what their bank balance is (and not suggesting anyone mentioned in these posts are jerks).

On topic, I bet the CM who originally took the call was making an age assumption. However, when I was there with my daughter several weeks ago (on a frozen shipment day) as she was waiting near the counter while I grabbed the last of what I needed and a CM asked her if she was purchasing any of it. My daughter is 10. That was odd.

 

[Colleen27]

I hate the whole raffle process, because our Disney store is over an hour away and I just don't have time to get there on a Saturday with all the activities my kids have going on. It is really obnoxious that they're making it impossible to get Frozen merchandise on any day of the week that I could actually make the drive. I'm hoping that some of the crazy wears off by July because DD really wants Anna's coronation dress (which I might just make) and the Barbie-sized Anna & Elsa dolls for her birthday, but until baseball season ends I don't have Saturdays free to drive to the store and hope I'm one of the lucky ones to get picked in this ridiculous raffle system.

But as far as the difference between a 14yo and a 3yo, I can't fault them on that. You have to draw the line somewhere. Otherwise you're just penalizing smaller families and those who want to surprise their child. DD's friend's mom learned this the hard way... She went to try to get the Elsa dress for her 6yo, and she took all six of her kids thinking that they'd each get a ticket so getting the dress would be a sure thing. Instead she was stuck waiting in line with 6 kids and got the same 1 chance at a dress that she'd have gotten if she'd gone alone.

 

[akcire]

I've lived in Aurora, on the Naperville border, for over a decade. I've never seen any "gang activity" at Fox Valley mall. Aurora has its blighted areas, but it's such a safe and wonderful community. I hate that it has such a bad rep. There are areas that are affluent, just as Naperville, but I don't equate affluence with entitlement. Some people are jerks, no matter what their bank balance is (and not suggesting anyone mentioned in these posts are jerks).

On topic, I bet the CM who originally took the call was making an age assumption. However, when I was there with my daughter several weeks ago (on a frozen shipment day) as she was waiting near the counter while I grabbed the last of what I needed and a CM asked her if she was purchasing any of it. My daughter is 10. That was odd.

During the week Fox Valley is ok. If you walk around the main part of the mall, not in anchor stores on weekends after 2 you will see lots of gang colors and signs also as of late lots of police-not security guards.

 

[SEA333]

Fox Valley is in Aurora, IL which is decided less affluent than you can possibly imagine. It is however a good place to get the latest trends on youth street gangs. Aurora and a much larger percentage of Naperville than you'd imagine is very low income. Yes there are plenty of $1 Million McMansions with turrets so the ladies of the house can play Rapunzel, but those are the exception. You can find as many $40-60K condos. The foreclosures have really taken a shine off of much of the Naperville/Bollingbrook/Plainfield/Aurora area. I have a friend who lives on a block of 20 homes that were all $300-$350,000 "back in the day" and now 12 are vacant. You can almost see the tumbleweeds rolling in.

Also it's not entitlement to want to know the rules and have everyone follow them as written.

As for my interpretation of the rule....if you need to be present to get the ticket and provide ID to claim the price what should it matter your physical age? That is the very definition of agism. I am totally serious. There is no reason a 14 year old with a state ID couldn't have the funds to buy the dress. At 14 I had a full time job in the summer, making a whooping $5 an hour (they had to pay more than minimum because I spent the summer cleaning dirty dog cages). What is so magical about 16? Here in IL it is not the legal age to sign a contract, that is 18. That said, if they stated the rule was 16 up front I'd have no issue; if they checked ID. No way in the world can someone tell the difference between a 14 year old with gobs of make up and a 16 year old late bloomer. I live by a middle school and think half the kids walking by my house are in high school.

The woman handing out tickets just did whatever she wanted. One lady gave her some sob story about her sister being in JCPenny and she got 2 tickets too. I guess next time I should make up 35 fictitious friends shopping throughout the mall and get all the tickets or just ask all the middle schoolers walking to meet me at the mall on Saturday mornings.

Since I have my daughter's dress (which is really for her playdate friend) I won't be going back to the opportunity drawing (note they can't say raffle-too many legal implications), however I still content the process is flawed and there was no reason.

Well, all of my Naperville friends, family, and coworkers must have never seen the high percentage of seedy parts of Naperville that you are describing. Although I do agree with you on parts of Aurora, but not all. .....but none of that that is neither here nor there when it comes to opinions, I guess.

ETA: The entitlement comes in from logically knowing...ahhh, never mind. I had originally typed something else, but honestly, it doesn't matter.

 

[SEA333]

I've lived in Aurora, on the Naperville border, for over a decade. I've never seen any "gang activity" at Fox Valley mall. Aurora has its blighted areas, but it's such a safe and wonderful community. I hate that it has such a bad rep. There are areas that are affluent, just as Naperville, but I don't equate affluence with entitlement. Some people are jerks, no matter what their bank balance is (and not suggesting anyone mentioned in these posts are jerks).

On topic, I bet the CM who originally took the call was making an age assumption. However, when I was there with my daughter several weeks ago (on a frozen shipment day) as she was waiting near the counter while I grabbed the last of what I needed and a CM asked her if she was purchasing any of it. My daughter is 10. That was odd.

Yes, parts are beautiful. I have a friend who lives on the border close to...Montgomery? (not totally familiar with that area) She loves it and when they were looking for a house I told her she should look at the Brookfield/Lagrange/Western Springs/Downers Grove area (I'm a little..ahem...partial to that area LOL) and she told me that she would never live in the "city" because it was too dangerous So, her part of Aurora can't be THAT bad!!! (and it's not...it's really pretty!)