POPSUGAR Must Have - October 2012

[iPretty949]

Originally Posted by anep21 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Anyone know how billing works? I subscribed for a three-month subscription at a discounted rate, my first month will be in November. 2 questions- 1st I was wondering when, if I decide to continue my subscription past the three months, they will bill me again and 2nd-if I decide not to renew my three month subscription can I cancel at any time with the assumption that even though I cancel I will continue to receive the three-month subscription I've paid for already?

After the 3-month sub expires, your account will be converted to a regular month-to-month sub. If you want to cancel, call them before the fourth month (or after you receive your third box just to be sure).

I have regular recurring month-to-month and got obsessed that was why i bought the 3-mo promo for gifting.

Here is the email they sent to me.

 

[Beauty-Flawed]

Just got my box I'm actually pretty happy with it now that I have it in my hands. It's all stuff that I will use at least I think it would have been hard to top last month's box no matter what they did  so not too bad. I also got full sizes of the Clear shampoo and conditioner I thought they weren't going to be full size though? I think the candle is a little on the small side I thought it would be bigger, mine is in Indian Jasmine it smells pretty good.

Edited to hide spoilers

 

[iPretty949]

Originally Posted by Beauty-Flawed /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Just got my box I'm actually pretty happy with it now that I have it in my hands. It's all stuff that I will use at least I think it would have been hard to top last month's box no matter what they did  so not too bad. I also go full sizes of the Clear shampoo and conditioner I thought they weren't going to be full size though? I think the candle is a little on the small side I thought it would be bigger, mine is in Indian Jasmine it smells pretty good.

Yay! That's still a mystery. Checked all other photos in this thread and all are travel sizes. Except for us.

 

[Beauty-Flawed]

Hmm that would explain the weight difference some of use had I'll edit my photos now and upload some pics when I'm done of the sizes

 

[Jesipae]

Originally Posted by anep21 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Anyone know how billing works? I subscribed for a three-month subscription at a discounted rate, my first month will be in November. 2 questions- 1st I was wondering when, if I decide to continue my subscription past the three months, they will bill me again and 2nd-if I decide not to renew my three month subscription can I cancel at any time with the assumption that even though I cancel I will continue to receive the three-month subscription I've paid for already?

I understood from the e-mail I got that you want to cancel between the shipment of the last box and the billing for the next box, so right after they send your last box. I had a three-month sub that I cancelled and then it STILL automatically signed me up for October as a one-month, so you have to be careful. If I hadn't gone and checked the website, I wouldn't have even know it was coming, except for the charge to my credit card. I'm wondering if anyone else got a box in the mail without knowing because the auto-month-to-month-resubscription.

 

[AngiexR]

I saw someone's opening and I'm a little jealous I didn't get October. I think the socks are cute and I'd LOVE to have gotten the J.K. book.

 

[Beauty-Flawed]

Here are my pics of the box 

 

[amberlamps]

I think I might subscribe for December. This sub looks promising.

 

[Jesipae]

Originally Posted by AngiexR /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I saw someone's opening and I'm a little jealous I didn't get October. I think the socks are cute and I'd LOVE to have gotten the J.K. book.

I would love to trade you something for the book! or I'd totally sell it to you for cost of shipping + $5. It's not my type of book at all! I haven't gotten my box yet, it just left California today, but I have to go to the post office next week anyways!

 

[JenniferV]

That totally explains the difference in the weights!

 

[Eleda]

I got my box yesterday and I am very happy with it. If someone wants to trade their candle or socks, let me know, I like all scents of this candle.

 

[AngiexR]

Originally Posted by Jesipae /img/forum/go_quote.gif


I would love to trade you something for the book! or I'd totally sell it to you for cost of shipping + $5. It's not my type of book at all! I haven't gotten my box yet, it just left California today, but I have to go to the post office next week anyways!

I would definitely buy it from you. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Thank you for offering. I signed up for November so if there's something in there you want two of (unlikely, but you never know), we can always trade. If you don't mind holding the book til we get the November box.

 

[meaganola]

Originally Posted by meaganS /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Originally Posted by emilyyygloria 

I have been thinking of joining PopSugar but have some questions. If you guys could answer that would be amazing. Do you think its really worth $35 a month? I already subscribe to BB and Ipsy. Also does everyone get the same thing?

It's not even remotely worth $35/month in my opinion! Even September's box (which some would argue is the best one thusfar) wasn't worth too terribly much over $35 (the best thing in the box, the scarf, can be found on some sites for as low as $40).

The best way to figure out whether's it's worth it:  List out the items and figure out how much *you* would have been willing to pay for them.  I'm actually lowballing some of these values since I will spend more money on things when I get in the right mood, but my lists would look a little like this (and TVTM = total value to me):

July -- TVTM:  $54

• 2 nail polishes -- $8 each (I consider them on par with Zoya, and that's how much I regularly pay for that brand), so $16
• Lipstick -- nothing, because it's totally not my color.  But!  I managed to swap it for two eye shadow pencils that are *perfect* for me, and I would have put their VTM at $5 each if they had arrived in another subscription, so let's bump this up to $10
• Tinted lip conditioner -- $5
• Body scrub -- $5
• Body lotion -- $5
• Kind bars -- 2 x $1.50 = $3
• Bag -- $10 (I actually love this bag)

August -- TVTM:  $49

• Blotting papers -- $5
• Diffuser -- $20
• Bag -- $5
• Wine glasses -- $5
• PopPhysique dvd -- worthless, and I ended up sending it to someone for the price of a mailer and postage
• Sprout cleanser and exfoliant -- $5 each, so $10 total
• Bear Naked granola -- $1 (even though one of my kittens is made of teeth and batshit, so he mangled to packaging to the point where this stuff was inedible)
• Pretzel Crisps -- $3
• The discount/coupon cards -- worthless (didn't use them)

September -- TVTM:  $91

• Scarf -- $40 (before I got it, there was no way I would have paid that much, but now that I have it, I understand why it's so spendy, but I still can't justify the full price)
• Book -- $8
• Movie tickets -- $7 (I still haven't used mine, so I hope it's still in theaters, but even if it is, I know I will be seeing it by myself, so it gets partial value for solely this reason)
• Notepad -- $5
• Benefit set -- nothing, actually.  These are *not* my colors, so it's worthless to me.
• Caramels -- $1
• Pop-up Pantry -- $20, if the code is still good when I can order next week (my schedule hasn't allowed it until now)
• Hair ties -- $2
• Facial towelettes -- $3
• Coin pouch -- $5
• Skincare discount -- another worthless-to-me discount code
• Brokedown discount code -- also currently worthless, but I do hope to use it for additional scarves in a few weeks (read:  after my next payday)

I'm still waiting on my October box, but it will probably look like this:

• Book -- $15 (I prefer getting books from the library, but if I found this one on sale for ten bucks, I would probably buy it)
• Nail polish -- $8 (I actually actively want the glitter polish but DO NOT WANT the pink cream, so I had been thinking about getting the set but was unsure about whether I would be able to rehome the pink, which meant that I was still debating whether I wanted to spend the money for two bottles when I only wanted one.  This is just about the best solution for me although I'm still stuck with a polish I won't wear and probably won't be able to move via swaps, although I think a friend who regularly gets my sub box castoffs might be interested in it)
• Candle -- $15 (maybe more, depending on the size.  I love candles, and I love fancy candles even more!)
• Exersocks -- $8
• Gummy bears -- $3 (guesstimating based on how big the bag looks and how much Harry & David gummy bears are)
• Pirate Booty -- $1 
• ETA:  The shampoo and conditioner -- probably nothing.  I have freakishly healthy hair that actually prefers super cheap stuff like Alberto V05 and the Suave that goes on sale for a buck a bottle every couple of months, so I wouldn't bother spending the money on this stuff unless it smelled really, *really* good

So TVTM:  $49.  Still a solid value *for me*, especially since this is going to be my vacation-in-a-box at a time when I *have* to take a week off but don't have the money to actually *go* anywhere.  A $5000 box of steaks would hold absolutely no value to me.  It's all about how much you would be willing to spend for these things.

 

[JessP]

Excellent breakdown! I appreciate you sharing this - it really does help for both subscribers and almost-subscribers! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[Jesipae]

Originally Posted by AngiexR /img/forum/go_quote.gif




I would definitely buy it from you. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Thank you for offering. I signed up for November so if there's something in there you want two of (unlikely, but you never know), we can always trade. If you don't mind holding the book til we get the November box.

I actually will not get November's box, so would love to trade something from it! They automatically subbed me for October for a one-month randomly even though I cancelled in July. So I'm sure there would be something in there I would like, I'm not super picky!

 

[OiiO]

Thank you for sharing, I love looking at individual product pictures /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Originally Posted by Beauty-Flawed /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Here are my pics of the box 

 

[Jesipae]

Originally Posted by LisaLeah /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I actually agree with you. I signed up later in the game, so I never heard about their original marketing claims...otherwise I would by on the phone with customer service asap.. Did you ever contact them to ask why they changed the "rules" after the fact? I'm curious as how they would respond to that. I would assume (hope) with some kind of apology and compensation.

A lot of us did, and they sent back a somewhat generic e-mail saying some months would be worth more than others, and they would rather us be excited about a box worth more than $100 than disappointed in a box worth less than $150. It was just totally weird that the first box was so skimpy price wise after all the hype. Then after seeing September, a lot of us resubscribed, so I guess the intrigue of it keeps us throwing our $ into it, like the lottery. I had some health goals I was struggling to accomplish with taking care of my two kids so I actually subscribed as my reward for accomplishing my goals and it has actually worked! Silly, but true. So for me the benefits have still outweighed the shiftiness of the company!

 

[Beauty-Flawed]

Originally Posted by OiiO /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Thank you for sharing, I love looking at individual product pictures /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Anytime glad you liked them /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[JessP]

My box is out for delivery today, finally! Yay!

 

[bluepearl]

Well, mine only finally just came yesterday (I'm in DC Metro)! I signed up - like so many others, I'm sure - after seeing the fabulous September box that I missed out on! I'm still pleased as punch with everything this month. It sounds like this sub had a rough start? I am slightly disturbed to hear that some people got full-size S/C and some got trial sizes; granted it's a Unilever grocery store brand, but I think it sets a bad tone for us jaded subscription junkies who are very wary of being tooled around and misled. Has anyone asked customer service about this discrepancy? If not, I think I will, because I'd really like to know what their reasoning for it is, and if it's a worrying precedent (or throwback? Did they do this in earlier months?).