Friday, July 31, 2009

opinions, please.

Okay -- so, sales parties have been, and are, pretty popular these days.
I'm fine with that. They're a fun excuse to get together, and sometimes we even want/need the products involved.
But what do you do if a friend invites you to one that you aren't really all that interested in? I guess the obvious answer is 'politely decline.' Oops. I should've done so, I suppose. But even that feels a little rude, if I have no other reason not to go.
My real question -- is it rude, at this point, to go anyway, if I'm not really intending to buy much, if anything at all? And God forbid I be persuaded/browbeaten (by the visiting sales person, not my friend, I hasten to say in this hypothetical assumption) to get more. We really can't afford it, and we don't strictly need (or even want more of, particularly) this product.
I like this friend -- I'd like to show support for her, and I'm happy to hang out with her in this girly-type fashion for a couple of hours -- but I'm feeling guilty, as if by accepting the invitation and showing up, I'm tacitly suggesting I'm going to shovel some money her/their way. Is it taking some sort of advantage to go to the party and buy very little? Especially at this point, when I've said, 'yeah, send me an invitation'?
What say you, friends? How do you handle this?

5 comments:

  1. Tough one--ugh. Maybe you could take a catalogue or some literature and say you'd like to think about it? Even though they might wish for all the attendees to make a purchase, they always say that you don't have to feel obligated to do so, so I don't think you should feel bad about going even if you don't intend to buy anything (they're banking on just the *chance* that you will, which is theoretically still possible . . .).

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  2. imho, politely decline. i hate that feeling of obligation and forced intrigue.

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  3. decline, and make a counter-offer. "I won't make it to the party after all, but I would like to hang out with you sometime soon. How about x?"
    Your time is in too short of supply for these type of things, if you are not into them.

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  4. I'd maybe go with the decline route too. Especially since you're already feeling guilty and pressured.

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  5. If you don't want to go I wouldn't feel bad declining now. If you'd like to go and have girly time I don't think you need to feel bad at all not buying anything. Don't bring your checkbook or your credit cards if you're worried about being tempted :) If you're wondering which your friend would prefer, I'm sure she'd rather have you there and not buy anything. It's more embarrassing for her if no one shows up than if no one buys anything. And I'm sure she likes to hang out with you, since she's your friend.

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