MALL rant... need to vent - Page 7

Suhse · ‎03-13-2012

Ladies, where in the heck, do you all live? I want to be sure and Never move there!

Seriously, 😉 Some of the kiosk vendors can be pushy, but, I've always found that a firm No Thanks, and keep walking works well.

I'm from the Northwest. We're pretty laid back, here. Maybe the vendors,,are too🤓

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

@Moonchilde wrote:
If the mall in question is owned by Westfield, nothing will be done.

The Dead Sea (or whatever name they are using this month) cart/kiosk vendors are worldwide, in malls in the UK and Australia and anywhere Westfield has malls.

Many of the employees (who are all young Israelis, no matter what name they give you) are here without visas or valid passports. I know a lot more (because I researched it extensively online several years ago) but if I posted it, the posts would be removed as "political", so I won't, but if you google "dead sea" + westfield you'll have an interesting read, I guarantee you.

Westfield must have a particular interest in/special relationship with these carts/kiosks and their overly aggressive "salespeople" to allow it to continue after multiple complaints worldwide. If they are in some instances severing ties with these people, no doubt they will be looking for other malls with naive management to settle in.

The ONLY thing they understand? Be just as aggressive BACK. And yes, DO report them to mall management. If I felt I was being continually harrassed I would even notify the police. These are not simply "aggressive salespeople" that are easy to avoid. They are in many cases former military personnel - and act like it.

All you have to do if you doubt this is google it.

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@Moonchilde

It's come to a head in New Zealand, see here:

http://www.timesofisrael.com/dead-sea-product-hawkers-skirt-law-decency/

"But the aggressive maneuvers utilized by the Israeli salespeople, coupled with the fact that many of them are working illegally, have roused the suspicions of the FBI, US Homeland Security, embassies around the world trying to combat labor fraud, and journalists who are uncovering questionable sales tactics."

"The issue came to a head in New Zealand earlier this summer, where a Dead Sea Spa kiosk in an Auckland mall was accused of swindling an elderly lady and forcing her to buy $5,000 worth of cosmetics. According to Campbell Live, the New Zealand Channel 3 TV program that first aired the story about the elderly woman, Dead Sea Spa had also charged an autistic man $4,400 for cosmetics in a half hour period, though $1,000 of the charges were not connected to products. On a separate occasion, a saleswoman sold $17,000 of products to a man with short-term memory loss who could not remember purchases he made just minutes earlier."

Moonchilde · ‎05-23-2010

Yes, @Noel7, I saw that NZ said "enough!" When I was re-checking info before I posted here. Good for them! I was really, really put off by Westfield's refusal to do anything but allow them to open *more* kiosks and shops in more areas, far from discouraging them.

They have actual shops in Century City (very high end Westfield shopping area in LA) and at the Hollywood and Highland complex where the Academy Awards are held. They have to be able to pay big bucks for these places - way bigger than any company "just" selling cosmetics from a kiosk would have. IMO from what I've read, the actual "purpose" of the business is to both provide "recreation" for illegals and funnel funds to...organizations. The govt of the originating company does NOT approve and has said so - at least, officially.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all

Wsmom · ‎03-09-2010

@Noel7, interesting read...thanks for the link. I'd read previously about some of that. Do any of you have the steam iron kiosk? Same general thing with the vendors. One day I stopped to hear what they had to say. This little plastic-feeling steam iron cost $200. When I said I wasn't interested, I was told since it was a special day, I could get it for $100. Still not interested, if I promised to just talk about it on social media if I liked it, I could get two for $100. So in about five minutes the priced dropped from $200 to two for $100.

Moonchilde · ‎05-23-2010

All I can say, @Suhse, is that if you haven't experienced it and have no knowledge of it personally, you have no idea. As @Noel7 and I have posted, *governments* and security agencies are involved, for different reasons.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

@Moonchilde wrote:
Yes, @Noel7, I saw that NZ said "enough!" When I was re-checking info before I posted here. Good for them! I was really, really put off by Westfield's refusal to do anything but allow them to open *more* kiosks and shops in more areas, far from discouraging them.

They have actual shops in Century City (very high end Westfield shopping area in LA) and at the Hollywood and Highland complex where the Academy Awards are held. They have to be able to pay big bucks for these places - way bigger than any company "just" selling cosmetics from a kiosk would have. IMO from what I've read, the actual "purpose" of the business is to both provide "recreation" for illegals and funnel funds to...organizations. The govt of the originating company does NOT approve and has said so - at least, officially.

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@Moonchilde

Part of Market St. was redone some years ago in SF and they put in an all-enclosed Westfield Mall with Nordstrom's as the anchor store. I haven't been there in a couple of years, I don't like the layout. A few weeks ago a dead body was found in their private stairs, not accessible to the public. Identified, it was a well known young chef who had gone shopping, his brother and family were devastated. No motive, nothing.

Not long after, something else nefarious happened there, I didn't get to read about it. A lot of people are staying away in droves and the investigation is very hush-hush.

SahmIam · ‎04-16-2010

My thoughts:

* A huge YES to everything Moonchilde has said. DO research it. This has been an issue for years and yes, Westfield has a few malls in my state so this has been a news item.

*They don't expect you to get in THEIR face. DO IT. Be as loud and as brash if they continue after you say "No, thank you". "I SAID NO AND GET AWAY FROM ME OR I WILL ALERT THE POLICE DO YOU HEAR ME DO NOT TOUCH ME!!!" They will back away and make faces but they WILL back away and not come near you again. I found this out via a police officer.

*Gang activity IS a serious issue at many malls. BOTH can make going to the mall a nightmare.

*Malls in my state located in areas where gang or violence among teens has broken out have begun putting a curfew in place. From Friday 6pm to Sunday closing, ANYONE under 18 must be with an adult AND MUST WEAR AN ID BRACELET given out at the mall when you enter. If you have neither, you are pulled from the mall, an adult is contacted and must come get you OR stay and shop with you. 2 kids per adult.

In addition, during the day, ALL children under the 18 MUST be accompanied by an adult until 4pm. WHy? Kids skipping school. In the malls that have done this, crime and police calls have dropped significantly. The only ones against this are the teens and parents who don't want to be bothered with their kids (sad how that goes hand in hand, you know?).

Consumers DESERVE a safe and enjoyable experience at the mall. It's a win-win for everyone (except the for the ones that cause the issues).

Oh, one last thing: I found out that at my local mall, the kiosks pay a HUGE rental fee (thousand to start) per month for one of those carts. I don't have a clue how some stay in business because you never see anyone at them. At least they don't have to pay a % of their sales back to the mall (all the stores do in addition to rent).

And businesses wonder why we shop online.....

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

@Wsmom wrote:
@Noel7, interesting read...thanks for the link. I'd read previously about some of that. Do any of you have the steam iron kiosk? Same general thing with the vendors. One day I stopped to hear what they had to say. This little plastic-feeling steam iron cost $200. When I said I wasn't interested, I was told since it was a special day, I could get it for $100. Still not interested, if I promised to just talk about it on social media if I liked it, I could get two for $100. So in about five minutes the priced dropped from $200 to two for $100.

****************************

Hi @Wsmom

I haven't heard of the steam iron, but I rarely go to malls anymore, and when I do, I know how to duck the kiosks, lol. That one really sounds like a come-on.

Moonchilde · ‎05-23-2010

@Wsmom wrote:
@Noel7, interesting read...thanks for the link. I'd read previously about some of that. Do any of you have the steam iron kiosk? Same general thing with the vendors. One day I stopped to hear what they had to say. This little plastic-feeling steam iron cost $200. When I said I wasn't interested, I was told since it was a special day, I could get it for $100. Still not interested, if I promised to just talk about it on social media if I liked it, I could get two for $100. So in about five minutes the priced dropped from $200 to two for $100.

That is a common tactic for many salespeople, but it is indeed what the Dead Sead people do. I was enticed into the Hollywood and Highland store (whatever it was called, the name did not reference Dead Sea anything and I don't recall they even mentioned it in their spiel).

Mine went from $800 down to $175 in half an hour. And I did bite for the $175 (stupid) because that's not outrageous for good quality face treatments. This was also supposed to include a "$500 facial" (hahaha), and all I had to do was call Century City to get mine.

*Afterwards*, I learned about the Dead Sea connection, the scamming, illegals, and read maaany complaints from Century City shoppers saying once they walked in the door they were subjected to nonstop up-selling during their "facials." So I never bothered as I'd had enough of the ludicrous bee ess already. But it sure made me do some reading up on this organization, its "employees", and its true reason for existing.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

Speaking of gangs, some years ago I stopped in a large mall while I was driving back home from a trip. I walked by the food court and happened to notice what looked to me like a gang sprawled out across one of the tables.

Nosey me didn't see the spilled drink on the floor, slipped, legs up over my head.

The gang rushed me. Three of the young men gingerly picked me up, telling each other to be careful. One picked up my packages and wiped them off and gave me napkins to wipe myself off. They stayed with me for a few minutes to make sure I was OK.

Having been raised in the city, I was careful to make sure they weren't trying to get in my purse or packages. They weren't.

I will never forget that act of kindness.