Why can't people just follow the rules!

[va32h]

Okay, it's Girl Scout Cookie selling time. Cookies are not allowed to be sold on the internet. That is Girl Scouts USA policy. It's printed right there in our little cookie pamphlets. But every year I find cookie auctions on ebay.

The parents doing these auctions have argued that it teaches the girls about advertising and how to use the computer, and marketing skills and whatever, but the bottom line is - Girl Scouts says no, you can't do it, so don't do it!

What is so hard about that?

 

[Alicnwondrln]

i wish someone around here sold them
i love them and DH loves the peanut butter but we know no one who sells them

 

[icebrat001]

Maybe it's not the girl scouts themselves listing it but people that buy it in bulk and choose to sell it themselves.

 

[Stacerita]

I know the last few years sweetpea's troop was told that if anyone was caught selling cookies on ebay that the entire troop would lose out on what they earned. The rules are the rules and are set up that way for a reason. Also, it puts an unfair advantage on those troops we start selling early. Out here, our troops dont start pre-orders till the end of January. If the cookies are on ebay almost a month prior to our troop being able to sell them, how fair is that since our base out here can buy them online before we even get our packets? It burns me that people dont follow the rules or think that the rules apply to everyone but them. UGH!

 

[LadyBears]

It's not just online, too. We are told we are not supposed to start selling before a certain date - for our council, that is today. People were taking orders last week!! That is unfair to those who follow rules to hear someone won't buy because they bought some 3 days ago!

 

[m&m's mom]

Okay, it's Girl Scout Cookie selling time. Cookies are not allowed to be sold on the internet. That is Girl Scouts USA policy. It's printed right there in our little cookie pamphlets. But every year I find cookie auctions on ebay.

The parents doing these auctions have argued that it teaches the girls about advertising and how to use the computer, and marketing skills and whatever, but the bottom line is - Girl Scouts says no, you can't do it, so don't do it!

What is so hard about that?

Are you in Cross Timbers Council?
I sold about 300 boxes for my DD last year (yeah, I know, who is the Girl Scout?). This year, EVERYONE seems to be on a diet. Even my freezing the cookies speech is falling on deaf ears.
The prizes are better this year too. Oh well, at least I am not cookie mom this year.

 

[cepmom]

DD's GS troop was able to start selling cookies on 1/6 at 3:00...her leader made it very clear that if anyone was caught selling before then, they would lose out on the $$. The girls did get their order forms well before 1/6, but they were only allowed to take orders from "family members in their home"

Well, one little girl from her troop is also in her dance class and she was at dance last Tuesday selling cookies to her dance teacher. DD picked right up on it and was pretty mad ~ especially since her mother is one of the leaders (not the same leader that gave the speech about not selling cookies early)

I would have loved to have taken the order form to my family at Christmas time, but here I am trying to teach my DD how it is important to follow the rules and the leaders DD goes ahead and breaks them!

 

[icebrat001]

just curious, what are the prizes?

 

[Lil_Tink]

They want their darling little girls to sell the most cookies by cheating.

 

[monsterkitty]

They want their darling little girls to sell the most cookies by cheating.

no, rules don't apply to them!

 

[daisyduck123]

Where we live, cookie-selling time is September.
We still have 1 box of cookies left in the pantry.
I don't want to see anymore cookies until next fall.

 

[tiggersmom2]

I just had about 20 of the cutest little girl scouts come to my house today selling cookies. Well, I couldn't buy from just one b/c the others would feel bad....now I will have about 50 boxes come February!!!

 

[Aidensmom]

If it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't buy the cookies off of ebay.

The council her must have the 1/6 at 3:00 rule, because I think that is the exact time our receptionist put out her daughter's order forms at work! And I did order from her.

Tiggersmom2, I had some come to my door today and I didn't answer the door because I would be afraid I could not tell them no.

 

[tiggersmom2]

Tiggersmom2, I had some come to my door today and I didn't answer the door because I would be afraid I could not tell them no.

What is really bad is.....if I had used my head and looked out the curtains first...I wouldn't have opened the door either. Oh well, looks like a lot of people I know will be getting a present of cookies....

 

[HunnyPots]

Here's what annoyed me yesterday: OK, I know it's the year 2006 and we're all connected by email and it's no different than the phone, blah, blah, blah... SO, I get an email from the mom of one of my daughter's friends saying that it is cookie time and she is attaching the order form so just please fill it out and send it back to her by whatever date. Can we get any MORE impersonal?!
I mean, if they can't get out and walk door-to-door, at least have the kid call me and ask me personally! Anything but this form letter addressed to me and about 100 other people. I will not be buying from her; I will wait for the first one to come to my door and actually ASK me to buy from her to get my Thin Mint fix!
OK - done venting...

 

[barkley]

i recall in the "stone age" (i was a brownie in the late 60's) we provided a little sticker that a door to door customer put in their window to indicate that they had already made a cookie purchace (and the cardinal rule was that you never knocked at a house that displayed that sticker).

i worked with women who started taking orders a couple months in advance of the approved sales dates. they would scan a copy of last years order page and email it to coworkers with "can i put you down for the same this year?", send on to others with "want to join in the fun?"...

anyone who remotly believes that the girls sell these cookies has questionable sanity. the bulk of the orders are done in offices and workplaces the girl's parents work at. and as long as district officials don't come down on the practice (and they don't-they don't want to lose the revenue from their big fundraiser) nothing will happen to change things.

it has gone the extent that a local troop has managed to get a little p.r. pc. on the area newscast-the show the girls in their uniforms saying we start selling our cookies on such and such a date-let us know if you want some (and they list some troop leader's home email address). you can't tell me this is'nt breaking the spirit of the rules.

 

[grlpwrd]

I am our troops' cookie mom. I have heard that folks get around the rule of selling on ebay by claiming to have purchased the boxes and having "extras." It may be true - who knows.

Yes, it annoys me when people bend the rules to suit themselves... what is it teaching our girls?

 

[aprilgail2]

just curious, what are the prizes?

To be honest they are JUNK..just little crap that they give for selling so many cookes....for 140 boxes she is getting this "spa kit"...some empty bottles in a bag to put shampoo in and a brush and comb...nothing great...they can keep their crap as far as I am concerned...I would rather the troop got some extra money than getting those junk prizes..

 

[luv2nascar]

I don't have to buy them off the internet because the girl scouts mob our local Walmarts every weekend. Good for you guys. I ordered 4 boxes from my friends daughter already.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Around here, cookie sales started 12/16 ( I think), but it varies from council to council--so do prizes. Our prizes were really bad this year, the only one DD10 wanted was the iPod for 1000 boxes. Good luck with that, kid! Last year we got real hosed when our council went to $3.50 per box while neighboring councils did $3 a box.

I don't have a huge problem with parents selling cookies at work, but all DH does is, he puts up the cookie form, and if you order, great, but no pressure. There are some people who are much more "active" in their pursuit of sales. I don't know--it helps the troop, but I dont' think it teaches the girls a whole lot. We also sell in front of Wal-Mart and a couple other places--I think that DOES benefit the girls, since they're freezing their little hineys off and we leaders insist that they be polite to all, not just buyers. It also helps them think of marketing, like signs and handing out free samples.

I didn't much care for selling as a kid, don't like it any better now, but I know I wouldn't have dreamed of asking my dad to bring in the sheet, or even phoning my grandmother.