Oh, the irony...

[MsVyky]

I came home to a sample can of Enfamil jammed between my front door and the storm door a few weeks back. I thought "WHERE did this even come from?!", so I had to rack my brain...

Motherhood Maternity sold them my information when I bought, of all things, a NURSING bra.

I wrote off the can of formula and donated it to the food bank. Then came the Formula sponsored parenting magazine. I had to get ahold of Mead-Johnston (is that right?) and ask to be removed from their mailing list. I'm absolutely shocked at the absolute irony of it all..

I don't think I'll buy their nursing bras anymore (Not that I'd want to anyways, it was probably the worst bra I've owned to date)

[proudmomof4]

So the Motherhood stores are still into it, then? I remember my own shocked surprise when I bought a maternity shirt (back in 2000) and saw the formula coupons in the store. I'm German - they do a lot of funny stuff in my home country but we don't really have such a "coupon system" (even less so 10 years ago).
The sales assistant countered with a very offended "it's a free country here". (Right. Unless you choose to have a midwife for your birth or ask questions before you have your child vaccinated.)

So, did it work? Did Mead-Johnson just remove you from their list or did you get more stuff you weren't asking for?

[MsVyky]

I haven't received any more samples, but I did get a formal retraction notice, printed on awful heavy, wasteful cardstock saying that in their awful parenting magazine they had printed that pregnant women should get a certain dose of folic acid daily, but the number they printed was in the wrong unit.

[mojumi]

This happened to me as well, back in 2000. Motherhood sold my name to *several* formula companies, and the 'free' formula samples arrived regularly for months. I had to get my name off Motherhood's database (or they'd just keep re-selling it), and then contact each formula company every time I received a new sample. It took weeks to get my name off the lists, so usually another sample would arrive even after I had called. Sadly, I lost that pregnancy, and the continuing formula samples were salt in the wound. One of the companies even sent me a 'congratulations' letter at the time of my due date, months after the m/c and after the mailed samples had ceased. I never shopped at Motherhood again.

[minkajane]

I work for Motherhood. We don't sell the info. The associate is supposed to ask if you want to sign up for our Perks Program. If you say yes, you start getting coupons and samples from our partners, one of which is Enfamil. If you start getting other formula companies' samples, it's not from Motherhood. To get your name off the list, all you have to do is call or stop in the store and tell them you don't want to participate and they'll take your name off the list. I actually asked about selling info before I accepted this job and it's absolutely not done. I wouldn't have taken the job otherwise.

ETA: The reason we ask for your phone number even if you don't want the Perk Program is because we can look up your purchase history for you and reprint receipts if we need to. Our return policy is very strict and we absolutely can't do any returns or exchanges without a receipt. So if you don't give your phone number and you don't have a receipt, we can't return or exchange anything for you.

[jeca]

Motherhood Maternity has been doing this for a very long time.

[rparker]

Motherhood asked for my info a few weeks ago when I was buying maternity clothes. I said "no." The associate said that I would get free formula and diaper coupons. I informed her that I breastfeed and cloth diaper and she gave up but gave me a funny look.

[tanyam926]

Well, IME some employees of MM do not know what the company does w/the info (not saying you pp, but ime shopping at the store) bc I specifically asked if my info would be given or sold in any way and the employee told me no.

Then a few of wks later I got stuff from the formula companies. I had to call and have my name taken off of the mailing lists and they acted shocked that I wouldn't want all the free junk.

[ASusan]

All my maternity store purchases were in cash, for this very reason. I felt like I was on a secret mission whenever I went to purchase anything.

I did end up on one mailing list, and I think it was from my GYN office. I called and had myself removed.

[laohaire]

Non-lactivist post removed.

Anyway, yeah, that is really ironic and also frustrating.

[annettemarie]

Let's stick to Lactivism issues, please.

[khaoskat]

Originally Posted by rparker

Motherhood asked for my info a few weeks ago when I was buying maternity clothes. I said "no." The associate said that I would get free formula and diaper coupons. I informed her that I breastfeed and cloth diaper and she gave up but gave me a funny look.

I have had this happen before, so now I just give them my cell phone number. You cannot pull up an address by cell phone number and that is how they get it....they do a reverse search on your phone number to get your name and address....

[minkajane]

Originally Posted by khaoskat

I have had this happen before, so now I just give them my cell phone number. You cannot pull up an address by cell phone number and that is how they get it....they do a reverse search on your phone number to get your name and address....

Not at Motherhood. We don't have any info but what you give us.

ETA: I know there's a lot of "evil corporation" attitudes here, but I have asked a lot of questions about this process in my year of working for Motherhood. We only have what info you give us. I mentioned earlier why we ask for your info even if you don't want the coupons and samples. If you opt out of the Perks Program, you won't get any samples from us. If it's any formula except Enfamil or any diapers but Pampers, it's not from us, since those are the only formula/diaper companies in the program. We're not trying to trick you into anything or convince you to give us your info so we can sell it. I have personally spoken with our regional director about this just to be sure. It's absolutely not sold and the only thing we'll send you in the mail is the coupons and samples only from our partners and only if you opt in. Opting out is as easy as calling a Motherhood and saying, "Please remove me from the Perks Program."

[St. Margaret]

I just purchased some jeans at Motherhood online, and I was kinda bummed I couldn't pay with cash and avoid getting into the system, but they are the only place that makes mat pants big enough for me!

But there was a special email address buried on their privacy page, under "choice" where you can email to not go on any lists, based on your credit card info and all that. I think you have to do that in addition to not clicking to join the parks program. I'm lookign forward to seeing how well they follow their promise to protect my privacy. No formula ads or anything in the huge pack of coupons that came with the jeans, too-- but I did get a set of nursing pads! If I start getting formula, I'm going to let them know they didn't live up to their promise and follow up, b/c no one else in corporate land knows I'm pregnant...

[St. Margaret]

Dp

[khaoskat]

Originally Posted by minkajane

Not at Motherhood. We don't have any info but what you give us.

ETA: I know there's a lot of "evil corporation" attitudes here, but I have asked a lot of questions about this process in my year of working for Motherhood. We only have what info you give us. I mentioned earlier why we ask for your info even if you don't want the coupons and samples. If you opt out of the Perks Program, you won't get any samples from us. If it's any formula except Enfamil or any diapers but Pampers, it's not from us, since those are the only formula/diaper companies in the program. We're not trying to trick you into anything or convince you to give us your info so we can sell it. I have personally spoken with our regional director about this just to be sure. It's absolutely not sold and the only thing we'll send you in the mail is the coupons and samples only from our partners and only if you opt in. Opting out is as easy as calling a Motherhood and saying, "Please remove me from the Perks Program."

Not in my experience. I have never given Motherhood my address. Every time I go in, I am always asked for my phone number, and told they cannot ring the transaction w/o it. So, instead of fighting...I just give my cell phone...why again, because the companies you give my information to, cannot reverse look up my cell phone.....

[annettemarie]

In my experience, Motherhood has been less than forthcoming about the whole "Perks Program". They ask for your phone number and address and don't even make it clear that they're signing you up; instead, they say you need it in order to make returns. And then if you say no, they say something about the Perks but don't mention formula samples. "Oh, don't you want coupons and free stuff?" Well heck, of course everyone wants coupons and and free stuff! And it's not until the case of formula arrives at your door that you realize you've been duped.

And honestly, it doesn't matter if they were upfront and honest and the most transparent corporation in the universe-- being complicit in sending formula samples to pregnant women in any way, shape, or form is wrong. It's a violation of the WHO Code and it's unethical. Period.

[Amys1st]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

In my experience, Motherhood has been less than forthcoming about the whole "Perks Program". They ask for your phone number and address and don't even make it clear that they're signing you up; instead, they say you need it in order to make returns. And then if you say no, they say something about the Perks but don't mention formula samples. "Oh, don't you want coupons and free stuff?" Well heck, of course everyone wants coupons and and free stuff! And it's not until the case of formula arrives at your door that you realize you've been duped.

And honestly, it doesn't matter if they were upfront and honest and the most transparent corporation in the universe-- being complicit in sending formula samples to pregnant women in any way, shape, or form is wrong. It's a violation of the WHO Code and it's unethical. Period.

I agree. Also, it took months and months after dd1 was born for those formula samples to stop coming. I bought the single worst nursing bra ever to be on this earth at Motherhood. Thankfully I was told about bravado a week before dd1 was born. Bought those and they came in a few days after her birth. But this was just for enifamil (or however you spell it) that came from motherhood.

I registered at babysrus for a pump n style. I along with the months of formula from enifamil, also received similac right along with it. Someone at my LLL meeting told me when you register for anything nursing related at BRU, you get tagged for that. So my neighbor who could not produce an ounce of breastmilk, literally used all the formula samples and the ones she didnt, went to a food bank.

Funny thing, talking over the years to non nursing mamas (for whatever reason they didnt either could not, did not...) if they did 100% FF, they never received a quarter of the amount of samples, "checks", or coupons that I did.

I also heard if you went to one of those expos or registered at certain websites if you choose "nurse" for any option or explore nursing items, the formula companies tag you and send you all the samples just in case.

This of course was 8 plus years ago, no idea if this is still the norm. But talking over that time when I had my first baby with other nursing mamas, they also experienced the same thing as I did.

[vtcountrymama]

I purchased an outfit at Motherhood, and not only did I begin to receive formula samples/coupons in the mail, but I received a Parenting/Parenthood magazine. Next, I received a bill for said magazine. I actually had to call the magazine to unsubscribe, and they told me that I was subscribed through some correspondence at the Motherhood store. grrrr.

[mojumi]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

And honestly, it doesn't matter if they were upfront and honest and the most transparent corporation in the universe-- being complicit in sending formula samples to pregnant women in any way, shape, or form is wrong. It's a violation of the WHO Code and it's unethical. Period.