Just The Facts, Ma'am: Avon Representatives: Credit status vs. No-credit ...

I am a very observant person and pay attention to what is going on with my business, which includes my account with Avon. I failed to notice a carbon copy paper that was sent with my orders every two weeks until one day I actually noticed. This particular piece of paper was to be used if I returned any items to Avon. I racked my brain thinking as to why these have been coming and for how long.

Apparently, my account was put on a no-credit status. Again, I didn't read every fine detail in my invoices. I learned my lesson there. I have always paid my bill and was never late on a payment. So, my account was up to date with a zero balance before the next order was to be submitted. I was baffled but knew there must be some logical reason for this and so I started to inquire.

I sent the following email to my District Manager.

SUBJECT: Credit Status Limbo-irium

Hi Kim,

I have inquired with Avon with regards to my no credit status.
I was informed that Avon Inc has no hand in regulating the change in status.
They did, however, inform me that I had to talk to my DM.
So, I am here asking why did I lose my credit status with Avon?
What are the necessary steps to take in obtaining my credit status back?

For the record, I have never paid late.
My account is current with no outstanding balance nor has it ever been in the 17 months I have been an active representative.

Thank you for taking the time to look into this issue.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you.
Robin G. (I noticed, as you will see further into this issue, that when you submit an inquiry to Avon directly, whoever addresses your Email will only sign a first name with a last initial. They are the model so I shall follow suit here.)

This email was sent on January 16th, 2011.

I told my enroll agent (an interesting term I found while researching issues with Avon that had a different appeal to it so I am going to use it through this particular post) about my contact via email to DM. Though I had asked about this issue before with my enroll agent, it was somehow not addressed or never shared with me. I understand how life can get busy and it was prior to the holiday's gearing up in full force. Either way, I noticed each and every campaign I was still at a no credit status. Hmm.

I actually phoned Avon to ask about how to get my credit status back. I was informed and I quote, "You need to talk to your District Manager about this because Avon has nothing to do with it." Seriously, this made no sense to me at all. Avon is big company, they are 125 years old and counting and I had a hard time digesting that a District Manager would determine a Representative's credit status.

It's time to use some common sense even though it's not too common now days.

On January 17th 2011, I email Avon directly the following:

Dear Avon Corporation,

I have been on Non credit status for well over 6 months to date. What I
am requesting at this time is a thorough explaination of how credit
status and non credit status works. What I have been told isn't
satisfying my common sense meter. If you can copy and/or forward the
policy and procedure for the above mentioned, I would greatly
apprectiate your time and effort in helping me to understand what isn't
easily understandable.

Thank you.
Robin G.

I received an email from Avon the next day. I was very impressed with their expedient response and very grateful. Here is the respone I was given.

Hello Robin,

I've received your request to know the Policy and Procedure for how the
credit works. My name is Jane P., and I'm happy to assist you.

Robin, please know that Instant Credit is a privilege given to all
Representatives when they are appointed. Representatives may lose this
privilege, and be placed on ?No Instant Credit,? if their return rate
consistently exceeds the normal return rate in the District. 
Representatives removed from Instant Credit will have the opportunity to
regain that privilege by consistently displaying their ability to
operate their business within the expected return levels. Once a
Representative?s account has been placed on No Instant Credit, the
account must remain NIC until the Return Rate dramatically decreases.
This process is reviewed each Campaign and ?warning letters? and
notification of removal from instant credit are sent from the Branch. 
In extreme situations, Avon may decide to remove the Representative from
?active? status if their returns warrant it.

Thank you for being a valued Representative. It has been my pleasure to
help you. I look forward to assisting you in the future.

Sincerely,

Jane P.
Avon Email Customer Care

I have some questions for anyone who has a legitimate answer or experienced something simliar with results that can be backed up with consistency. The reason I asked this specifically is because I was getting different answers along the way. If this truly is policy (which I'm still trying to make a little sense with) then why are the answers different depending on who you talk to?

On January 18th 2011 I received a call from my enroll agent to tell me that the District Manager just called her to tell her that my instant credit was reinstated. Not a bad turn around in 48 hours so I did wonder why? I was never told why just that it was reinstated. It appears as though my email will go unanswered and the District Manager is not going to deal with me directly. Is that your experience where you deal directly with your enroll agent only and not with the District Manager  even though I opened the door with an email? Well, it was mine this time. It struck me odd considering I took it upon myself to email her directly and yet I get an indirect response from my enroll agent who never told me she emailed her but talked to her about it that night at the meeting. What has your experience been? I'm here to learn.

Here are my questions that I seek answers from with anyone who has the information and experience.

I need to go back and look through all my invoices to see how many times I returned product and I will do this soon. My memory is telling me 4 or less. Now bare in mind that this was within a year's time because my last return was on June 21st, 2010 for the Sharper Image MP4 player which was clearly a defective product or the one I received was defective.

Avon stated, "No Instant Credit,? if their return rate consistently exceeds the normal return rate in the District." Question: When a customer orders a product and is not satisfied with it be it too small, wrong color, etc and Avon offers a 100% money back guarantee, then why is the Representative penalize for honoring their guarantee? If a customer ordered directly from Avon and had, to be exact, 4 returns in a 12 month period, would that customer be penalized as well or is that act of kindness only offered to the Representative? I'm reaching hard to find a balance here between Representative, Customer and expressed guarantee. A Representative can't force a customer to keep a product if they don't like it, and if the Rep can't sell it, use it or don't want it, then sending it back would make sense, right? I am not one to keep a product that I can't use it so count me out as a frontloading Queen. I will not have my money tied up in inventory that sits in my house.

Avon states, "Representatives removed from Instant Credit will have the opportunity to regain that privilege by consistently displaying their ability to operate their business within the expected return levels" Again, I can't force a customer to keep a product and this is a very unfair practice that Avon is implementing and penalizing the Rep for utilizing. In their own words, "100% money back guarantee" so I wonder if that's just extended to the customer? Anyone have some facts  or proof?

Avon states, "Once a Representative?s account has been placed on No Instant Credit, the
account must remain NIC until the Return Rate dramatically decreases." Can anyone answer for me then what a Representative is suppose to do with the items ordered by a customer who rightfully utilizes the 100% money back guarantee? Does anyone know why Avon asks why these products are being returned when it apparently is given no weight in the decision to enforce non credit status?

Avon states, "This process is reviewed each Campaign and ?warning letters? and notification of removal from instant credit are sent from the Branch." This is in total contradiction to what I was told. First I'm told from Avon when calling them that I need to contact my district manager (which I did) because Avon plays no role in regulating credit status. Then last night I am told from my enroll agent that the district manager told her that she has nothing to do with a reps credit status. Does anyone know the truth here?

Avon states, "In extreme situations, Avon may decide to remove the Representative from
?active? status if their returns warrant it." Independent Avon Representatives then need to be wary of consistent large orders because they might lose their business with Avon if those products aren't sold? And am I understanding that statement correctly that if there's too many returns, even though I am paying for the return postage, then my business is at risk each and every campaign pending the volume? What planet did I just land on to see any justice in this system. Does anyone have insight they can share and especially inside information plus personal experience to make sense of this?

My aim is to find the truth and to see if any of this can make sense because right now it doesn't. With all the conflicting information, it really does make a person think what is legit and what isn't. If this is indeed policy, then why, depending on who you ask, the answer is different. Is there such a thing as obtaining in hard copy such as a Policies and Proceedure manual that states the above which came directly from Avon?

I did ask if they could transfer me to the credit department and they said they have no way to transfer me. So I then ask if there is a direct line I can call to talk to the credit department directly so this issue can be resolved. There is no direct line for the representatives to contact the credit department.

The email that I received from Avon appears scripted due to the symbols put in various words. I am not sure if this is, and I'm only asking, a cut and paste response but I was highly disappointed with the the lack of professionalism and murder of the English language. It truly surprised me that a company as large as Avon chose to out source their customer service to India. We sure could use the jobs here in America.