Mad-neighbor girl took all our G.S. cookie customers

[Mickey's Minion]

Last week after school, the neighbor girl and my dd agreed that they would divide up the street for cookie sales. This weekend we went out and found out that she went to every house on the street. This girl is 2 years older. I know she did it to get more prizes, but I think she is very dishonest. I told my dd to approach her about it after school, but I'm sure the girl will lie. She has been caught doing other dishonest things. When I see the mom I am going to say something to her.

When I used to sell door to door I quickly figured out that the neighbours were total liars. Grown-ups would readily tell me that they had already had a synchronized swimmer at their door when all my team members were a 45 minute drive away.

A. The neighbours are lieing, as above
B. They bought from someone else, just not the girl you think, maybe someone at work
C. They were closer with your neighbour and asked to buy from her

Exactly. The OP has no idea really what

The exact agreement between the girls was. She is relying in a 9 year old's version. The daughter could be embellishing the agreement herself in her disappointment that she didn't sell as many cookies.

and..

No idea what the neighbors really did. Neighbors say all sorts of things to get out of buying stuff from kids.

and....

even if there was an agreement between your daughter and the other girl, they still weren't "your" customers. There are other girl scouts out there that were free to go up your street selling.

They only way they were "your" customers was if your daughter was the first one to ring their doorbell.

Also,

The OP is bound and determined not to believe anything the other girl says, already claiming that she will lie,

so why bring it up?

Girl scout cookies is a hard core business, not for the wimps. I remember girls waiting at their doors to run out into the street to start selling at the magic hour (long ago we had rules about no earlier than 9 am).

There were so many girl scouts in the neighborhood that you knew if you procrastinated and didn't get out there until afternoon on the first day, most houses had already been visited by many girl scouts.

Let it go. Unless you saw the girl actually going door-to-door (at which point, your daughter should have grabbed her sheet and headed on out and spoken to the girl at that time), you have no idea what really happened.

Accusing another child of lying and cheating to their parent is never a good idea unless you have absolute, verifiable proof.

 

[Jennasis]

Kids still go door to door?? I get hit up for cookie sales by my students, and then their parents usually take the form to work and hit up the coworkers. I had thought going around the neighborhood was frowned upon as being dangerous.

 

[descovy]

Last week after school, the neighbor girl and my dd agreed that they would divide up the street for cookie sales. This weekend we went out and found out that she went to every house on the street. This girl is 2 years older. I know she did it to get more prizes, but I think she is very dishonest. I told my dd to approach her about it after school, but I'm sure the girl will lie. She has been caught doing other dishonest things. When I see the mom I am going to say something to her.

I am going to also say, let it go. A mom last year suggested that some of the neighborhood girls in our troop divvy up streets, but you know what? Our one troop does not hold all the girl scouts of different ages in the neighborhood. Yours probably does not either. We are Juniors who meet on Sundays, behind me, I know a Brownie who meets on Tuesdays, down the block, another Brownie with a Friday troop.

Some girls are go-getters, some notsomuch. Sometimes you ring a bell and no one is home. Maybe the girl down the street will get them to answer tomorrow. And some people resolve to buy a box or two from every girl who approaches them. Heck, I have 3 girl scout dd's selling cookies, but you know what? if some other girl scout rings my doorbell, I will buy a box from her too.

Selling girl scout cookies is a girl-led activity. Talking to someone else's mom about crossing your daughter's territory is not keeping it girl led.

A better way? Help your daughter come up with new and different ways to sell cookies. In Juniors, this is actually one of the activities that goes toward the cookie counts badge. We did this with my 4th graders in our meeting yesterday. Some of the ideas (each girl came up with 5) were silly, but some could have been tweaked to work. It got them "thinking outside the box" See what your daughter can come up with.

Here's a help one to get you started... thought up, not by a mommy, but a 9 year old... Offer to take the troop's left over cookies out for a walk the final days of the cookie sale. Put them in a wagon, and sell them door to door on your street, the final days of the sale. All the people who ordered cookies in Jan, will have probably eaten them. Or by the park, and all the little kids will beg mommy to buy them cookies.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I agree to a point here.
They are both Girl Scouts and that is not the premise of Girl Scouting.

I am speaking as a former cookie troop manager/leader.

Everyone knows it is kill or be killed when it comes to cookie selling.

I have seen a lot of mean stuff in my 12yrs of girl scouting troop leadering.

 

[Mickey's Minion]

Kids still go door to door?? I get hit up for cookie sales by my students, and then their parents usually take the form to work and hit up the coworkers. I had thought going around the neighborhood was frowned upon as being dangerous.

We haven't had a single girl ring our doorbell yet. However, I think I am over 20 boxes from the marketing calls by girls we know

 

[omghidanielle]

I have serious issues with Girl Scout Cookies.

If you live near me, I'll buy a whole carton of Samoas.

 

[clovergirl5]

While I agree that anything is fair game in this instance the girls agreed upon splitting the block if you will. That is not very girl scoutish of her lying like that. I would probably have my dd mention it to her leader and explain that girl scouts do not lie etc.

I agree....shouldn't they demonstrate in public and to each other, what Girl Scouts are about and stand for? Surely its not just to wear the uniform and to make it known to people, Yeah Im a girl scout-- and not have to "represent" them.
Im sure that this is a problem alot with the girls selling cookies. Doesn't the leader set guidelines for the girls who live in the same neighborhood so this problem doesn't happen?

Don't know about GS. dd's never got into it.

 

[clovergirl5]

I have serious issues with Girl Scout Cookies.

If you live near me, I'll buy a whole carton of Samoas.

Me too....you know I came across a copy cat recipe for those a few years ago, but have never made them yet. Maybe I will have to do that.

 

[Docwoods]

Let it go-don't be one of "those" mothers that has to mix in whenever her child has something like this occur.Bad for her AND you.

 

[Lanshark]

Early bird gets the worm. Lesson learned. Move on.

 

[Karlzmom]

when did they go to "prizes" for selling? I know our troop always got some kind of award, but I don't recall individual prizes.......

In any event, I'd let it go. IME, people who behave "badly" don't tend to react well when called on it...really, how often does someone say "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be hurtful - let me make it right for you?" Sadly, a person that cares so little to go back on an agreement [if one existed] isn't going to hesitate to twist it into being your daughter's problem for making it an issue [can't you just hear the "what's the big deal/get over it/etc"...?

I might consider after the cookie sale being over, talking privately with the troop leader on how some discussions about honesty/values/etc could be good...but keep it disconnected from the cookie caper...IMO.

 

[DeluxePrincess]

I'm beginning to dread Girl Scout Cookie time. DD is no longer in Scouts, but plenty of neighborhood children are. I'll buy a box from each family that I know. Right now that is about 5 families. DH comes home from work and informed me that he bought 4 boxes from colleagues selling for their daughters. I really don't need 9 boxes of cookies sitting in the house. I think I have to start learning to say, "no thanks".

As for the OP, just let it be. Next year, get DD out there first.

 

[C.Ann]

If nothing else, your DD learned at least two life lessons.

#1 People don't always keep their promises.

#2 If she wants the sales, it's up to her to get out there ASAP..

I personally wouldn't get involved..GS cookies - and the idea of who can sell the most - is not that big of a deal in "real life" - and quite a few people aren't even interested in purchasing them anymore due to the price and the poor quality..

Sorry your DD had to learn these lessons the hard way..

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

Everyone knows it is kill or be killed when it comes to cookie selling.

So very true!

I personally wouldn't get involved..GS cookies - and the idea of who can sell the most - is not that big of a deal in "real life" - and quite a few people aren't even interested in purchasing them anymore due to the price and the poor quality..

For some girls, Girl Scouts IS "real life". In my experience, just about everyone will buy a box even if they don't care for the cookies. You could always donate the box to show support.

 

[Tink888]

Early bird gets the worm. Lesson learned. Move on.

 

[laurie31]

I'm beginning to dread Girl Scout Cookie time. DD is no longer in Scouts, but plenty of neighborhood children are. I'll buy a box from each family that I know. Right now that is about 5 families. DH comes home from work and informed me that he bought 4 boxes from colleagues selling for their daughters. I really don't need 9 boxes of cookies sitting in the house. I think I have to start learning to say, "no thanks".

As for the OP, just let it be. Next year, get DD out there first.

GS cookies freeze well.

 

[tommya60]

The cookies freeze well, but consider doing the Cookie Share program if you don't want the cookies. In our area, Cookie Share goes to the food bank and the military, it's different in each area and some troops support specific organizations (ie church based troops might support the church ministry or food bank). Cookie Share cookies are a tax deduction.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

This girl is 2 years older.

How old are these girls? I think I saw that you have two girls...13 and 9? I wouldn't hold a 9 yr old and an 11 year old to an agreement...too easy for there to be a misunderstanding from the get go.

when did they go to "prizes" for selling? I know our troop always got some kind of award, but I don't recall individual prizes........

God forbid kids do anything today and not get a prize for it.

Kids still go door to door?? I get hit up for cookie sales by my students, and then their parents usually take the form to work and hit up the coworkers. I had thought going around the neighborhood was frowned upon as being dangerous.

I hope these kids aren't going out alone. When I lived in NJ, when I was 14/15, there was a Brownie, Joan D'Alessandro, who was murdered by a neighbor, who was also a High School teacher, after she went to deliver girl scout cookies to his house. I didn't keep my kids in a bubble, and I'm not saying everyone out in the world is nuts...I'm just saying I'd be very careful about letting them go out ringing the doorbells of acquaintances alone.

 

[clh2]

I'm just saying I'd be very careful about letting them go out ringing the doorbells of acquaintances alone.

This is simply not allowed. Now - I'm not saying every one follows this...but it is one of the very, very basic rules of selling GS cookies.

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

I know lots of girl scouts and I try to buy 1 box from each one. I don't do a mass order with any one girl, that way I will have the opportunity to help out each girl.

I'm sure I can't be the only one who does that. If your neighbors don't order from your daughter, well, that is their choice. But it won't hurt to ask!

As for the girl who wanted to split things up and didn't... lesson learned. Sadly, life is that way and its easier for your daughter to learn it now. There is always going to be someone who is out for themselves. Heck, American is a capitalistic country and that is capitalism in action!