One of my favourite Disney characters was Pinocchio, the boy made out of wood and whose nose would grow longer each and every time he told a lie. It served as a lesson to boys and girls to always tell the truth. I think that Pinocchio’s nose was the best lie detector of all time.

Now that I am heading towards my 3,000th post, I’ve been reflecting on all the untruths I have been fed over the last few years in particular this year and sometimes I wonder whether it’s all worth it to soldier on. There are times when I would rather people tell me that I am not good enough for their brands rather than being told that I’ll be on their media list but a whole year passes and I receive no invitations or products. It’s not the lack of products I’m whinging about but I really would appreciate people not making empty promises and this happens on a shockingly regular basis too.

The worst thing is having an expectation. Let’s say someone promises you some products and one day, you receive just one product so you email that person and ask whether 1 product is what she meant by “some” products and then she tells you that they ran out of media samples. Well they certainly didn’t run out of samples for others who received every single product in the new range. It’s just you who is singled out as the one receiving the leftovers. Isn’t it better if they told you right from the start that they will consider you but no promises are made?

Then someone else representing a brand tells you they are having a bloggers’ workshop and I knew deep down in my heart that she wouldn’t invite me despite telling me about the upcoming event. I was proved correct again because everyone else got invited except me. Then why nod your head when I ask if you can include me? It makes me more skeptical than I already am and I have little faith in whatever people tell me until the eggs are in the basket, so to speak.

Why be so afraid to inform me that my blog sucks or that you prefer those with fractured, barely comprehensible English and lousy reviews? I’m grown up so I can handle the truth which will hurt less than giving me an expectation you have no intention of fulfilling. I’ve been brought up to believe that honesty is the best policy but sadly this ethic is sorely lacking nowadays. It’s startling how many people have the Pinocchio Syndrome. It’s as if they conveniently forget what they told you as soon as you walk away. Pinocchio himself is no match for some adults who are hell bent on telling me what they think I want to hear and who think that I (like them) will forget what they told me within 10 minutes.

I could list down many more examples of people telling me something and then reneging on their word as if nothing is sacrosanct. I just wish more people would consider carefully what comes out of their mouth or what they promise in emails. When they are reminded of what they said, yup you guessed it, no reply to my email. That’s what I have come to expect so I have prepared a template for those who actually want to reject my request to be on their list instead of telling me to they will include me and later I discover that I have been left out again. Feel free to adopt this:-

“Thank you for your email but regretfully upon careful consideration of your request, we are unable to accommodate you in our media list at the moment.”

Short and sweet and no one’s feelings are hurt right from the beginning. Please tell me how difficult is it to send a rejection email rather than one that gets your hopes up and then absolutely NADA happens? I don’t think of myself as an idiot who believes what everyone tells me hook, line and sinker and I would really appreciate if people stop treating me like I am Miss Gullible. I may be in many brands’ blacklist but then again, I too have a long blacklist of brands that have nothing better to do than blatantly promise things they are either unable or unwilling to deliver. I don’t forget easily and although you may see me reviewing brands that are on my blacklist, at least I am objective enough to review the products fairly. After all, it isn’t the brand but the people behind the brand who are at fault. Show me some integrity, for goodness sake!

Oh and by the way, I remember each and every person who ever promised me something and then took NFA (no further action) because I have a good memory in that regard. So that’s why I won’t step foot into certain shops. I guess I’ve just had enough of people who waste my time. A lot of people have short memories but believe me, I have a better memory than most elephants.