Sunday, November 18, 2012

A Friend's Dilemma over Quality Paperback Service (1975)

The ad is from the final issue of New Times (January 8, 1979)

Actually, I am trying to my myself into my most belligerent mood for writing another letter.  That letter will go to our friends, Quality Paperback Service.  (Remember them?)  Really, I have only meself to blame for this situation.  I should never have gotten myself into this because this is only just another of a long line of "club" battles that these weary "check-writing", "protest-writing", "don't' send me another book that I don't want or I will kill myself writing" hands have seen.

It all started (the pain in just recalling this may be unbearable!) about 2 months ago when I, in my deluded simplicity, thought that it would be a good idea to take up reading some existential psych. (Little knowing that I might need some therapy in a short time.)  I happened to see that QPBS had a 2 vol set of Rollo May -- so, ...I ordered it -- "in good faith", as Sartre would be sure to say.  Let me digress here, kind listener, to state another part of my case (maybe this will be counted against me?).  In a moment of crazed mental imbalance -- a moment of time in which even I will admit my lunacy -- I wrote to QPBS and actually told them that my address would no longer be at Pitt and gave them my new address.  (Foolhardy girl that I am.) I think that when they saw this, they themselves must have been convulsed with laughter and awe.  I mean, it was really a stupid thing to do !  I even told them my new name.  Anyway--

After several weeks of not receiving my beloved Rollo, I opened my door one day to find a package which contained -- no, not Rollo!) but Light on Yoga!  Now yoga is very nice, but it is not Rollo! Anyone can distinguish between the two, can they not?  Now -- having already opened the package and seeing Yoga I thought that it must be an omen of some kind.  Someone wanted me to have this book and eat up its contents.  So -- I dutifully wrote to QPBS and told them I received Yoga and how much did I owe and the next day I got a bill (obviously before they got my letter ) for Rollo ($5.60 which I had already sent them a check for!)  Weeks passed -- no word from QPBS -- I felt like K in The Castle.  Then, I got Legend in America! which I sent back with a nasty (but not nearly as nasty as this one will be!) letter.  Then I got something else which I didn't open cause they were not Rollo's size.  I just sent them back.  Then, last but not least, came Rollo -- last but waited for.  So I was relatively happy til I got my bank statement and they haven't cashed any of my checks (I haven't balanced my checkbook for about 4 months for which Brook was so happy!). A week ago I got a letter from them and a bill for 2 books besides the ones sent that I never heard of -- myeer!

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