Pure-fit Hissy-fit
An earlier post regarding Pure-fit's chocolate brownie bar prompted me to write to Mr Dorf of Pure-fit (my email in the linked thread). In a lovely example of how not to correspond with the public, Mr Dorf sent me the following (bereft of salutation) amendment of his earlier stock response:
Is this better:
Thank you for your email. Our product was never intended to be “vegan.” This nutritional statement was simply just a matter of coincidence. It was determined, prior to going to manufacture, that our bars were vegan. We didn’t know what this meant, as it was also not a goal we were trying to obtain. Prior to making the claim, we verified this statement by checking with other vegans, food scientists, nutritionists, and even talk show host Bob Linden, of “Go Vegan with Bob Linden.” He agreed our product was properly labeled.
Many "vegans" choose to not eat honey. That is fine, but technically honey is vegan. They have been told that honey is not vegan, or have made the assumption. That is 100% incorrect. In other words, you appear to be a vegan who also does not eat honey. Technically, they are not one in the same.
Please do not email me links to sites on the internet making false claims about what is and what is not vegan. Frankly, I really do not care to, or have the time to argue with you. Simply put, don’t purchase our product. I also would respectfully request that you do not make false claims about our products to your friends and family members.
I understand that we have probably lost you as a customer, but we have spent a lot of money verifying that honey is vegan. I hope I cleared up this matter.
Sincerely,
And, for those that can be bothered with such shenanigans,
Dear Mr Dorf,
Thank you for your interesting response to my email. Interestingly, the Vegan Society (UK), the people who actually came up with the term "vegan" and its definition in November, 1944, feel rather strongly that honey (along with other bee products such as royal jelly, propolis, etc.) is not vegan. Thank you for informing me of Mr Linden's misunderstanding of the situation - I'll be sure to drop him a quick and courteous email with the Society's contact information.
I have been vegetarian for 16 years, and vegan for 7 of those years. I am not in the habit of making false claims about my principled refusal to consume animal products, and I am rather surprised that you should insinuate that I do; I am even more surprised that you assume me to be in the habit of making false accusations about companies and products. While I recognise your indifference to those of us who are unhappy with your labelling practises, I do feel that it is only responsible of me to point out that your bullish attitude to customer relations is regrettable in the extreme, and that it is this response that has ensured the loss of my custom.
Sincerely
(BTW, this is not a dig at the honey-consumers here, it is by way of annoyance at the company's attitudes to vegans complaining about their labelling)
[EDIT]: This just took a turn for the weirder. I've had a truly POd response telling me not to "hide behind email" and to call the guy. So I shall. He also states that the only labelling requirements the company must adhere to is the FDA's, and wants proof that he's contravening that. He also says that "badmouthing" his company is legally actionable.
Is this better:
Thank you for your email. Our product was never intended to be “vegan.” This nutritional statement was simply just a matter of coincidence. It was determined, prior to going to manufacture, that our bars were vegan. We didn’t know what this meant, as it was also not a goal we were trying to obtain. Prior to making the claim, we verified this statement by checking with other vegans, food scientists, nutritionists, and even talk show host Bob Linden, of “Go Vegan with Bob Linden.” He agreed our product was properly labeled.
Many "vegans" choose to not eat honey. That is fine, but technically honey is vegan. They have been told that honey is not vegan, or have made the assumption. That is 100% incorrect. In other words, you appear to be a vegan who also does not eat honey. Technically, they are not one in the same.
Please do not email me links to sites on the internet making false claims about what is and what is not vegan. Frankly, I really do not care to, or have the time to argue with you. Simply put, don’t purchase our product. I also would respectfully request that you do not make false claims about our products to your friends and family members.
I understand that we have probably lost you as a customer, but we have spent a lot of money verifying that honey is vegan. I hope I cleared up this matter.
Sincerely,
And, for those that can be bothered with such shenanigans,
Dear Mr Dorf,
Thank you for your interesting response to my email. Interestingly, the Vegan Society (UK), the people who actually came up with the term "vegan" and its definition in November, 1944, feel rather strongly that honey (along with other bee products such as royal jelly, propolis, etc.) is not vegan. Thank you for informing me of Mr Linden's misunderstanding of the situation - I'll be sure to drop him a quick and courteous email with the Society's contact information.
I have been vegetarian for 16 years, and vegan for 7 of those years. I am not in the habit of making false claims about my principled refusal to consume animal products, and I am rather surprised that you should insinuate that I do; I am even more surprised that you assume me to be in the habit of making false accusations about companies and products. While I recognise your indifference to those of us who are unhappy with your labelling practises, I do feel that it is only responsible of me to point out that your bullish attitude to customer relations is regrettable in the extreme, and that it is this response that has ensured the loss of my custom.
Sincerely
(BTW, this is not a dig at the honey-consumers here, it is by way of annoyance at the company's attitudes to vegans complaining about their labelling)
[EDIT]: This just took a turn for the weirder. I've had a truly POd response telling me not to "hide behind email" and to call the guy. So I shall. He also states that the only labelling requirements the company must adhere to is the FDA's, and wants proof that he's contravening that. He also says that "badmouthing" his company is legally actionable.