You know, I kind of miss Target. But they don't miss me, or my money.

Back in mid-December of '05, I emailed them to let them know that I didn't like their policy of allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions they didn't approve of*. At that time (just before Christmas), I indicated that I would not be shopping at Target again. I never heard back.

It's been tough, because I keep hearing about cool things that I can get only at Target, but I've stuck to my guns. I'm not really a big-time boycotter. I certainly don't follow the crowd (my old church used to like to dictate boycotts, which made me shop at the targeted places out of sheer willfulness). But if I get bad customer service (Amazon) or hear about something like this, then I may decide to no longer give my money to certain businesses.

in mid-November of '06, I sent another email to Target Guest Relations, with a copy of the original email, asking if their policies had changed. Never heard back. Today, I sent my last email to them, asking why they don't want my money. I don't expect to hear from them. (Seriously, I kind of need to shop there. They have something John needs that only they carry.)

*Of course, the only Rx pharmacists don't want to fill are birth control and the morning after pill. They would NEVER be allowed to turn away a Viagra Rx.

Found over at Scout's Knitted Swag:

Click on the banner (below) for the whole story:

In case you haven't been following this... a certain small company decided a few months back that they would trademark the phrase "Stitch & Bitch." Never mind that the term has been in use for decades*, or that there have been two successful books published with a similar name (Stitch 'n Bitch). The way the law works, whoever gets there first can claim a trademark (or copyright in some cases -- ask the 2 sisters who copyrighted the Happy Birthday song), but they've overstepped, big time. They are going after small knitting groups that use Yahoo Groups, after cafepress shops (usually for the same groups), etc.

Follow the link below to read up on the history and the boycott, then copy the buttons to your server and add them to your blog/LJ. Finally, send a letter to SFSE, letting them know of your decision. There is a PDF on the boycott site, but I plan to retype it so it's not so cookie-cutter.


http://freetostitchfreetobitch.org

*I know I first heard it about 7 or 8 years ago, in relation to a Rennie garb-making gathering. Several women have shared that their mothers or even grandmothers used the phrase.

Note: I will no longer respond to comments on this post. It's almost 3 years old as I write this (October '08). If you have a comment, make it. Otherwise, stop asking stupid questions.

The saga of Cherry Tree Hill yarns continues. I thought about it for a couple of days, and decided to send a letter to the owner. It went this morning, and before I could post this, I got a reply. Sadly, she doesn't get it at all.


Because of the length, I've put the next chapter of the saga behind cuts.

( my email: )

( her response: )

Except this isn't my experience. It's Jane's, and she just came clean with the fact that it's the owner of the company (Cherry Tree Hill) that's been so snooty with her. (Remember my experience with Crystal Palace? I SO feel for her!).

Feel free to read up on her situation, then consider not buying any yarn from Cherry Tree Hill (CTH). I wouldn't now, under any circumstances, buy yarn from CTH or Crystal Palace.

Boycott CTH Feel free to use, but please save to your own server. There is also a .jpg version, which is less choppy, but has a white background, here.

It's official. I am boycotting Target, and have let them know how I feel. I held off sending the blanket message (previously at the link below) to many store head offices, because most of them aren't local and I felt funny threatening to not shop at a store I've never seen before. But now, you can send a message to just Target, criticizing their policies regarding the fact that they protect pharmacists who refuse to fill prescriptions.

I would ask that anyone who reads this, male or female, consider sending a message to Target (which you can customize), tell them that they've lost your business AND follow up with removing your business from their profit margins. Right now, a week before Christmas. It's gonna hurt - I like shopping at Target. But I'm DONE. Until something changes. Support local retailers. Go to Kmart if you have to (I wouldn't be comfortable suggesting the W-word, since I don't shop there either).

My message to them (the first paragraph is standard (but changeable - I just liked it), the rest is mine):

"As a consumer, I expect your pharmacies to guarantee women the right to obtain their prescriptions -- in-store, without delay or personal judgment.

Which drugs are prescribed for an individual is between her and her doctor, and interfering with this decision is outside of the pharmacist's role.

I feel for the pharmacist that must fill prescriptions they don't personally agree with, but that is the job. My sympathy ends when it becomes obvious that they are targeting only women's reproductive rights. It's a bias that Target needs to stop supporting.

Effective immediately, I am going to stop shopping at Target. This is difficult, but it is what must be done. Christmas is in one week, and there is a Target less than 2 miles from my home. But I cannot in good conscience support a corporation that allows its staff to discriminate. I will also be encouraging my friends, family, and readers to follow suit.

As an FYI, I am a 40-year-old professional woman - Christian, pro-life, pro-choice and anti-discrimination. And no longer a Target customer, until I hear that policies have changed."

You can also call their customer service line at 1-800-440-0680 to make a comment.

I finally calmed down enough, and had enough time to think about my response to the condescending, sarcastic email I received from Crystal Palace/Straw Into Gold on the 22d. Here it is, with names removed to protect the stupid or innocent.( Read more... )

ETA: I didn't hear from the Rowan Debbie Bliss people, so after a couple of weeks I tried a new email address. They're sending a replacement ball. Of course, that ball had FOUR knots in it, so they'd freaking BETTER replace it (at least!). It was like night & day dealing with these people. (Edited b/c I keep calling Debbie Bliss "Rowan" -- completely different company.)