I've had my fair share of rejection in the past. The jobs for which I was perfect, the book ideas, the boyfriends who abandoned me, the husband who left after 23 years. But, hey, I'm a big girl, I can cope. But this week, I had the cruellest rejection from a most unexpected source.
I've blogged before about my aversion to buying lots of new 'stuff' for running (No Logo, No Cry) and I've survived the winter in a jumble of bits of clothing, none of which, apart from the leggings and shoes, were actually designed or bought for running. Running gloves? Come on! Next you'll be selling me a cooking bra - 'Want breasts just like Nigella's?' (Please don't tell me you've already got one.)
However, I have kept up my post-run swims (or quick dips) in the Ladies' pond on Hampstead Heath (3C this weekend) and a couple of weeks ago a fellow swimmer ( yes there are a few of us) was wearing the perfect swimsuit. When I asked her about it she told me she had got it for £6 on a well-known online sports outfitters website. I rushed home, ordered one straight away, and when it arrived and I'd tried it on, immediately ordered another. I recommended it to three friends, all of whom bought it - we could form the North London synchronised swimming team at this rate. And then I wrote what I thought was a glowing review.
Next day I received this...
Dear Dorothy
Your Comment/Reply:
Fantastic swimsuit.
Comfortable, stylish (in a Berlin Olympics kind of way), and no need for painful bikini waxing. I bought it after admiring another woman's at the pond and, as soon as I had tried it on, I ordered another one. I've already recommended it to three friends.I really hope that the knockdown price doesn't mean it's being discontinued as it's the best swimsuit I've ever bought.
posted on site xxxxxxx com, on 04/02/2013 11:09:49
has been Disapproved and Removed by the moderator.??Please note that all reviews must apply to the specific product in question and any comments containing inappropriate or bad language will be removed.??Any enquiries regarding delivery, sizing information and difficulties with your order should be sent to our Customer Services department.
(I’ve deleted the email address as I really don’t think they deserve the publicity.)
I don't know if I can ever recover from the humiliation of rejection of an online review.
Does anyone know if there is some kind of survivors' group I could join?
Written by
londongirln19
Graduate
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Ha ha ha!! It has to be the mention of bikini waxing surely but how that is deemed inappropriate who knows Unless it was the mention of admiring another woman!!
Good to hear from you Dorothy and that you are keeping up your swims in the Ladies Pond - you mad woman you...... Miss your wonderful blogs.....
Now, I must go an investigate to see if there are any cooking bras around......
I have been continuing with the (slow) running and (cold) dips but I really think we should all just be hibernating until spring. Mostly I've just been eating chocolate and mashed potato and watching Modern Family boxed sets, so no time or energy for blogging. Very kind to say you've missed them. Hope you've recovered from your fall.
Yes thanks Dorothy; thats lovely of you to remember! Had scabby knees for a good while but all ok now and no adverse effects thank goodness. I have been really lucky I must admit and not sucumbed to any running injuries so all is good...
Oh dear. As a lecturer in computing, this is exactly the type of scenario that I warn my students about. Someone writes "I was at a party last night at the Hotel President, but despite having a shot of whisky, it went down like a bomb." Some smart cookie writes a program that looks for combinations of words, finds "president", "shot" & "bomb" in the same message. Next thing the poor author knows, the security services breaking down his door. Except MI5/6 would have the sense to get someone to actually read any messages that are flagged up as suspicious.
In your case, I'd guess that, as dottiemay suggests, "admiring another woman" got the computer hot under the collar. By zapping your innocent message, they've not just shown that they can't write a decent web site, but they've alienated at least one customer.
I'll be expecting the CIA at the door any minute then. Thank you for the brilliant explanation. I did send a rather sarcastic response to customer services, who have yet to reply. Sadly, all the other reviews said things like 'very nice', 'arrived on time' and 'does what it says on the tin' (which was quite droll the first thousand times I heard it). Life in future will be very dull if we are to censored by computer progams.
Thank you Greenlegs and congrats on graduation. Yes, the giant alligators are churning away and snapping at my heels . (This makes no sense at all unless you've 'Just keep doing it. Winter landscape with fox, cormorants and ice floes'.)
No suggestions on why they would of rejected the lovely review. I did want to jump in and say welcome back! It still amazes me your willing to jump in that freezing water! Gayle
Lovely to see a blog from you....have missed reading them too. Re cooking bra I have two saucepan lids, a tie back and a soldering iron at the ready......will let you know how I get on
I also had a review rejected (unfortunately by Sw******p, otherwise just about my favourite online retailer) - I can only imagine it was because I said Adidas running tights were just that (very tight). If I'd left it a week I could have said that not only are they very tight, they also fall down when I run. It's not at all helpful when even the slightest negative comment means a review isn't posted.
I wish I'd seen you swimsuit website - I just ordered 2 different sizes of the same suit from a major High Street retailer - they were a lot more than £6 though! And no, I'm not thinking of joining you swimming outdoors unless it's on a very warm beach somewhere. I need something for my 5x50 forays to the pool!
I started swimming after every run in the summer and, impressed by all the stalwart women who have been winter swimming for years, I just carried on. My 60th birthday at the end of October was what I was aiming for, but it's come and long gone and the swimming has just become a habit now. It makes the running seem easier in comparison. Looking forward to the spring - watching kingfishers, herons and moorhens building their nests from a water-level POV.
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Unless it was the mention of admiring another woman!! 
Brooks shoes (or any other recommendation) and also shoe fitting
Tell Laura, I LOVE HER!!
Week one complete but the pains! 
Running Gear and Tiny Sizes!
\"You don't look like a runner\" she said...
