Farewell CM!!!

Today I supposely attend to the scrapbooking workshop but since CM has gone into receivership I don't think my consultant's workshops will be continuing anymore.  It doesn't really bother me because I have learnt alot of CM ideas for the past 14 years. I have alot of workshop sheets around to guide my inspiration ideas if I lose my mojo.  If I need to see new ideas for inspiration I will just go online and have a look around or use magazines.  Guess the only thing I will miss is the other ladies at workshops and attending camps twice a year.  It was alot of fun going away for the weekend!!

 

I do know afew other workshop ladies would be upset about this changeover because I think it was their only time they go out for a social scrap time with other scrapbooking friends.  I have the craft store so I will probably continue to do just casual scrap meets weekly on Tuesdays until further notice. And do more digital work at home which I found it's easier and be quicker to create a page then going traditionally method.  To be honest I thought CM might of been heading towards digitally standards as some of their traditionally items for sale was going off the market.

 

What pissed me off the most was I only renewed my yearly membership on Friday and I was told via my consultant about the company's downfall on Saturday.  Unfortunately my payment  has been processed and I found out I won't be able to claim a refund from the company.  I called into my bank to find out if they could do the process on my behalf.  They can but they have to close our account down before they can process my dispute.  It isn't the money that bothers me, it's the principle of the head office failing to tell their clients the right way. They could of at least advertised on their website to warn their clients before making an online transaction.

 

To my understanding as I heard through the grapevine, it seems it was the US company who is in financial difficulties which is affecting the operation in Australia.  That would make more sense when I looked at the US version online when they said the same thing and shown all the products as WSL. And it seems the company knew before last Friday they plan on going into receivership. I was told via various business owners, they won't refund my membership money or pay up who they owe money to.  Isn't that class as fraud??  Good luck to them if they can get away with it but I am sure someone who has the money will make a courtcase if the company doesn't deal with their creditors who have bigger fish to fry. 

 

I don't know how often you would use eBay but I had a good look last night (for the first time in many months) to see how much Creative Memories products are available.  I couldn't believe what I saw!!  I seen (more then once of course) a pack of album refills and one pack of page protectors at around $150 and the auction hasn't ended yet. I have two coversets (which I only purchased at discounted prices) that requires album refills and etc but no way I would pay $150 plus when the normal rrp is around $50.   How desperate would you pay for something that can't be purchased from the company anymore??

 

CM started in US in 1987 and move to Australia ten years later.  Afew people had said it was the competition from other craft companies they had to try and keep up with the times.  From what I have seen for over a decade it might of been their downfall!! I will admit some of their CM products are fantastic but it was the cost of the item was the downfall to my budget requirements.