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RANT: Leaving "advertisements" in my driveway

Started 2 years ago by Bogie
Latest reply from BilboBaggins

Bogie
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A few minutes ago, I came home and found what I thought to be litter in my driveway. Not the first time it's happened, however when I picked it up, I noticed it was a baggie with rocks and a folded piece of paper in it. At first I just threw it away, then I looked down the street... every driveway had the same thing in it: A baggie with a piece of paper and rocks, about a foot from the street.

I couldn't believe it! Since when does littering our neighborhood pass for advertising. I'm not a fan of door hangers, but at least people see those and throw them away. I bet half of the people who receive these won't even realize it is an advertisement.

I grabbed my baggie from the trash and called the company and left them a admittedly rude message expressing my feelings about their advertising ways and informing them that I will never allow anyone I know to use their service.

The details: I live on 18th Ave near SSCC. The compnay is Crystal Bright Cleaning Service.

Did anyone else receive these?

Posted 2 years ago #
MargL
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lol - at least they didn't throw the rock thru your window then offer to clean it up :-)

Posted 2 years ago #
MargL
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Oh - I just walked down to the end of my drive and found one, too. My husband must have drove over it when he left for work this morning 'cause it's kinda chewed up. Their number goes straight to voice mail. The headline on my 'ad' was "Perfect Cleaning Servise" Must say with the care and attention to detail they apply to promoting themselves makes me hesitant to ask them to come into my home and provide 'servise'.

Posted 2 years ago #
StringCheese
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They littered up 12th Ave as well. I also called and left a very "blunt" message. My guess is they hired people to distribute fliers. Not wanting to leave the comfort of their car, they simply tossed these rock filled baggies on the sidewalks, streets, driveways..

I've never seen anything like it.

Posted 2 years ago #
ellenater
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Ya they were all over in Gatewood this morning. I went for a very long walk and they were on every street. That is just crass business at this point.

Posted 2 years ago #
WSB
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Funny - the only time I've ever heard of that flyer-delivering modus operandi was in connection with distribution of racist literature in several Western Washington areas outside King County - we did news stories on this kind of thing years ago.

Posted 2 years ago #
MargL
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I Googled "flyers in bags with rocks" just for fun. Apparently this is not new! There's also a website that details the math (investment vs. return) of marketing your business this way! :-O

Posted 2 years ago #
lazybeard
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Growing up outside of Sacramento, we'd get random fliers this way. I don't think I ever once looked at it though, always went directly into the trash.

Posted 2 years ago #
Kevin
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Same thing happened in the Arbor Heights area. Same company. I think I'm going to give them a "call" and ask them to come out and do an estimate.
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If enough folks "waste" their time, they will get the message.
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I used to get marketing calls from a local home improvement company for about a 10 year period. They would call about 3 or 4 times per year, and each time I would politely ask them to take my number off of their list.
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Finally, I had enough and when they asked if I needed vinyl siding, I told them I would love to have an estimate. The owner himself came out and I walked him all around the house while he wrote up an estimate.
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A week later, the same company calls me again and wants to know if I need new windows. I said of course I do, and the owner came out a second time. He was surprised that his people had not asked me about windows when they called me the first time, but was still happy to write an estimate.
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A week later the company calls me again and wanted to know if I needed a new roof. Of course I need a new roof, I told them.
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So here comes the owner / salesman out for a THIRD visit. This time I asked him if he didn't think it was kind of strange that here he was, coming out for a third visit?
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He told me "not at all." He said he figured I was finally ready to buy, and that is why he came out again. I politely told him about the 10 years of calling and the failure of his people to take my number off their list.
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As the saying goes - "third times a charm." I have not heard from them in several years now :)
.

Posted 2 years ago #
JoB
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Kevin...

well done:)

Posted 2 years ago #
aunteesocial
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I thought it was illegal to distribute plastic baggies with crystalline white rocks(?), yet they were all over the neighborhood. And yes, the rocks were white- I was lucky too to receive a baggie in my driveway. Wonder what the street value is??

Posted 2 years ago #
Bogie
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Glad to hear I'm not the only person offended by this advertising method.

MargL - I think I ran mine over pulling into the driveway. I would think the cost of the rocks and baggies would be more than the profit from business!

Kevin - Very awesome method. I wish I had the time to make them come out! The number was 425, so not likely they are local.

Posted 2 years ago #
ellenater
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I sold mine in the Junction to some high school kids.

Posted 2 years ago #
Hammertree
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Could not help but to confront the advertiser/litterer- large baby boomer in an SUV with Oregon plates. Explained to him that the word is out that this sort of advertising is not appreciated. He did not care at all and continued on. I tryed!

Posted 2 years ago #
CM
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I called and asked for an extimate for them to clean up the mess they left all over West Seattle. They did not seem interested.

Posted 2 years ago #
Crowe
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You all could pool all the baggies full of rocks and deliver them to the business that is doing this. :O)

Posted 2 years ago #
MargL
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Oddly enough there are 2 businesses in Renton licensed with the same name - so I'm not sure which address we should deliver them to! ;-)

Posted 2 years ago #
Crowe
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Divide and conquer!!

Posted 2 years ago #
KBear
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...and now they have littered up driveways in the Junction area.

Posted 2 years ago #
ws4ever
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Seems that bags still in driveways day after day might encourage thieves to think someone is on vacation. Don't know where I read this, but is there a connection between litter and crime? I pick up trash on my dog walks, figuring it makes the neighborhood safer!

Posted 2 years ago #
MrJT
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1-866-Litter1.....Get the plates turn em in.

Posted 2 years ago #
carrieann
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I was going to chime in with a complaint that we'd gotten some (42nd & Andover -- one in our front parking strip area and another in our back alley parking area) as well, but I noticed they used some lovely white rocks, which I tore open the bag to get, tossed the fliers without looking at them and gave my daughter the rocks to add to her rock garden. :D

Posted 2 years ago #
KBear
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Overheard at the Crystal Bright Cleaning Service management team strategy session...

General Manager: "With the high price of gas this summer, it just won't be profitable for us to take on jobs outside the Renton metro area. How can we make sure we don't end up working in far-flung places like West Seattle?"

Marketing Director: "I think I have a solution..."

Posted 2 years ago #
carlsweetland
Member Profile

Hi,

They are here on the 3200 block of 51st. Police are only inerested if there is a large volume...since they are all over West Seattle, I think we've hit that.

My wife called them and got a voice mail. I like the above strategy of wasting their time. For those that need their number: Crystal Bright Cleaning Service: 425-228-0446

Now they need to brighten West Seattle.

Posted 2 years ago #
MargL
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Oh interesting! The flyer I got was for "Perfect Cleaning Servise" (seriously, 'Servise') different phone number - but it is in the 425 area code.

Posted 2 years ago #
westwoodmom
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Got the Crystal Bright litter in my driveway in Westwood, too. I only open it to know who NOT to ever, ever think of hiring.

Posted 2 years ago #
carrieann
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While walking to/from a doctor appointment today, I noticed a bunch more of these in people's driveways, parking strips, back alley ways by the garbage cans... I was tempted to pick them up and toss them for them, but then wasn't sure if that would be too brazen in making the assumption that they didn't want them. It just looks so trashy with all these plastic baggies and fliers littering the ground. :\

Posted 2 years ago #
OlMom
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This is unbelievable. I just took the dog for a walk by the Charlestown Cafe and these things are everywhere. I can't believe this post started 5 days ago and these people are still doing this. Please will someone make this people stop? I picked up 3 of these in front of my home. Doesn't this go against everything Seattle believes in? Plastic bags, littering, etc.

Posted 2 years ago #
MargL
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Alright - enough of this -
We can get them cited for illegal dumping!
http://www2.seattle.gov/util/forms/illegalDumping/illegalDumpForm.asp

Posted 2 years ago #
KBear
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Perhaps if everyone who got one of these "calling cards" files a report, the city might do something about it. Probably a good idea to save the evidence, too.

Posted 2 years ago #
MargL
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Did and done.

Posted 2 years ago #
timeslid
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My street was also the recipient of the bag dropper. I called the litter number but since I didn't have a plate number of the offending car I was referred to the the ecology dept. Their number is:
360 407 6409.
I made a complaint with the name of the company - Crystal Bright and the location etc...

I will go and fill out a web form as MargL suggested.

Posted 2 years ago #
MrJT
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timeslid, are you in the Belvidere area ? We got a load of them here today also. The State (360 number) won't do anything because were in the City limits.

Posted 2 years ago #
Homer
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rats, passed the van doing this this morning in the Admiral area and didn't even think about it...I was in my usual morning stupor...I'm going to at least call them and inform them that this is litter, I'll never use them, and that next time they do this to my property, I'm going to either pile all that I can gather and place them in their yard or threw their window (just kidding but still!)

Posted 2 years ago #
Erik
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They littered my street on the Alki flats today. I have some beautiful new white rocks to add to my collection.

Posted 2 years ago #
timeslid
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Yes I am in the Belevidere area. You are correct that the State doesn't have jurisdiction. As MargL said. "We can get them cited for illegal dumping!"
http://www2.seattle.gov/util/forms/illegalDumping/illegalDumpForm.asp

Filled it out. Try it!

Posted 2 years ago #
MrJT
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timeslid, Thanks. Filled it out. I have also called the number and left about 25 blank messages. Best of luck to them !

Posted 2 years ago #
Bogie
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Wow, I can't believe they have hit all of WS. I thought maybe I was the only one who was so angry about this at first, but glad to see I'm not! Thanks for the link, I have also filed my complaint.

Posted 2 years ago #
datamuse
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I haven't seen them in Highland Park, or at least not yet. Maybe they figure this neighborhood isn't prosperous enough for cleaning services? (Not that I mind. We get enough unsolicited advertising as it is.)

Posted 2 years ago #
Diana
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Public records indicate the following: Crystal Bright Cleaning Service Inc., is a Washington corporation registered with a business address of 2214 Vashon Ave NE, Renton. The principle is Yuriy Shadrukhina. At the same address there is a business listed as "Crystal Bright" with Konstantin and Natalya Yakimenko listed as principles. The phone number on the flyer links to this address. There is no confirmation that this business has a City of Seattle business license, which is a requirement. Public records are a valuable resource for gathering information and can help you make decisions when you feel the need to file a complaint.

Posted 2 years ago #
MrJT
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Diana, Good information. Hopefully they get shut down as fast as the hot dog guy that was in front of BPP.

Posted 2 years ago #
MargL
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The Washington state business license search lists
Crystal Bright Cleaning Service with Natalya Stepanova and Yuriy Shadrukhin as "governing people" and it also lists Natalya Stepanova as being the governing person for the company I got a flyer from "Perfect Cleaning Service" at a -different- address. And a Irina Kharkavaya who also has a business listed as "Perfect Cleaning Service" in Renton at a 3rd address.
Weird and weirder and weirdest.

Posted 2 years ago #
Diana
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MargL, keep digging. It gets even more interesting and complex as public records will indicate. As consumers of services we all need to educate ourselves and know who we are hiring. There is transparency in licensing. It's a matter of public record. Consumers have recourse should something go wrong but it's up to the consumer to do the research.

Posted 2 years ago #
MargL
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Oh I wouldn't dare hire these folks - but it'd be nice if they'd stop littering!

Posted 2 years ago #
BilboBaggins
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To quote John Stossel, Give Me a Break. Such feigned offence. I have been confronted with the baggy for 2 years in a row now and I'm going to give them a call for quote. I think that they are clever and trying hard to connect their business with the neighborhood. What's the difference with junk mail, spam, telemrketing, billboards etc? It's part of our world. At least this is creative, entrepreneurial effort in this tough economy. Come on West Seattlites, take a chill pill and treat yourselves to a cinamon roll at Alki Bakery...

Posted 2 years ago #
BilboBaggins
Member Profile

To quote John Stossel, Give Me a Break. Such feigned offence. I have been confronted with the baggy for 2 years in a row now and I'm going to give them a call for quote. I think that they are clever and trying hard to connect their business with the neighborhood. What's the difference with junk mail, spam, telemrketing, billboards etc? It's part of our world. At least this is creative, entrepreneurial effort in this tough economy. Come on West Seattlites, take a chill pill and treat yourselves to a cinamon roll at Alki Bakery...

Posted 2 years ago #