Heavens above

[GillyF]

After I lost my son, I joined Tamba's Bereavement Support Group. You pay a membership fee, receive a quarterly newsletter, and they run a telephone helpline. They also have a befriender service, but in all honesty I thought them a bit behind the times - as a look at their website shows.

So, when it came to renewing my membership in the spring I decided I wasn't going to bother - especially as the letter they sent was so abrupt, like we were businesses and I was late paying up.

A couple of months ago now, TAMBA sent me a mailshot, signed by the CEO. I was offered a load of Clark's vouchers to help reduce the cost of my children's shoes, and they made much about the fact that if I rejoined then they would be able to help people who really needed help, people who'd lost babies.

It's not often I'm stumped for words, and I just put it in the bin.

Today, I received a spanking new-look magazine from them, and raffle tickets. Because it's so obvious that, not having twins anymore, I want to read about bringing up twins or triplets, or to buy stuff from their advertisers. And of course there's another plea to rejoin so that I can help people who really need help - people like me. People whose name and address they have on their database only because I was a member of their Bereavement Support Group.

It beggars belief, but just goes to prove how dangerous information can be in the hands of people who, though they might have good intentions, are muppets.

best wishes,
GillyF

[mel - jakesangelmummy]

I cant believe they could be so insensitive to you!! Are you not exactly the kind of person they are trying to help???

I'm sorry you had to read all there rubbish.

 

[daire and odhrans mum]

Gilly, I didn't joined TAMBA as like you I was off the opinion that it was dated.  I had joined the likes of Bounty, Boots etc. when I was pregnant with my boys.  Shortly after my boys were born, when I had the strength, I emailed the various organisations to be taken off their mailing list.  I thought that that would be the end of it...oh no...  Every milestone that I am missing out on I'd get another reminder in the post.  One organisation even sent me a 1st birthday card in the post!!!   In the end I rang them and spoke to various managers of these organisations and told them the hard truth about their mailings.  The only explaination is that they'd passed my information onto an associated third party when I'd joined.     

How these companies use their greedy advertising methods to try and cash in is beyond me.   I don't know what we can do to stop them - the bigwigs always have excuses...

Love,

Karen

[GillyF]

I can't help using Steve Wright's favourite phrase - muppetry - for Tamba because that is, at the very least, what they are guilty of.

But since they know full well that they have my name and address because I have lost a twin, they really are being very irresponsible with it. That they haven't made the effort to keep their BSG database away from their general dbase, that they don't even stop to think about sending out BSG-rlated information on general TAMBA headed paper is, to me, really, really poor form.

I'm sad, but not the least, surprised to hear that commercial organisations are so hard to get through to when you've lost the baby you thought you'd try their products on. I haven't bought a book off Amazon since they sent me an email about their new children's toy section a couple of years ago. The only book I had bought from them that linked me to children was Prof Lesley Regan's book on miscarriage. They never had the decency to reply, unlike the prof who sent me a very nice letter and I can only hope she gave them a tongue-lashing.

However, I'm struggling to get a govt-funded, health-related body to stop sending me sensitive mails. Only the other day they assured me they'd finally taken my details off their mailing list. Friday - in popped another mail. What do you do???

What's truly absurd is that there's a Data Protection Act and I often wonder if a sympathetic firm of female lawyers could be persuaded to take these organisations on. You can't help but feel that they could make a bit of money for themselves and some for baby loss charities. I do regret not trying to see if someone would help me get back at Amazon.

Anyway, must get on!
bw
Gilly   

   

[Blakes Mummy]

Gilly

threaten them with legal action thats what mum did after my dad past and things were being sent.

she soon got an aplogy letter and has no mail since