I Can’t Help You, Popular Club Secretaries
One of the top stories on the Multichannel Merchant Website this year is a news item, Fingerhut buys Popular Club. Unfortunately, it’s an 11-year-old article, and as such, way out of date.
Why is it so, uh, popular today? It seems Popular Club, which has changed hands a few times, is out of commission. And some folks who have unfinished business with it are desperate to get in touch with the company.
The general merchant’s business model involved using “secretaries,” or direct selling agents similar to the old Avon ladies who sold the goods to friends and family and received rewards from the company. Club secretaries wondering what has happened to Popular Club are evidently Googling the company and finding our story from 1998.
The problem is, they don’t seem to understand that we’re a magazine serving the multichannel selling industry, and that we’re not in any way affiliated with either Popular Club or Fingerhut. They’re leaving comments on the article, such as, Will Fingerhut be offering the same services, and What happens to my credits I had with Popular Club?
(Worse yet, some of the secretaries are getting my phone number from our Website and calling me to ask about their reward points. I’m sure Fingerhut is getting a lot of calls, too.)
I wish I could help, but I have no idea what’s going on with Popular Club. Just to recap, here’s what we do know:
- Fingerhut Cos. bought Garfield, NJ-based Popular Club from J. Crew Group for in late 1998.
- Multititle mailer DMSI apparently acquired Popular Club in 2007.
- DMSI, which also included the Montgomery Ward brand, the Charles Keath gifts book and HomeVisions Website, ran into financial trouble and was forced to sell at auction last summer.
- A subsidiary of Swiss Colony purchased DMSI’s assets—excluding Popular—on Aug. 5.
- At about the same time, an unnamed New York-based hedge that also owns and operates gadgets direct marketer Ronco acquired Popular Club.
And that’s the last I’ve heard. Some of the industry folks once familiar with the company were surprised to hear it was no longer operating. Popular’s low prices and buy-on-credit through an agent model would be ideal for the current economy.
Popular Club’s business had been neglected for the past few years, according to a statement last August from its incoming chairman and interim CEO Larry Nusbaum, who is also CEO of Ronco. “But with professional systems and management, and the inclusion of a strong overseas capability, the business can be scaled quickly and profitably,” he said.
So what happened in the past year?
Somebody please let us all know.
October 15th, 2009 at 10:59 am
I would really like to know why my checks aren’t being cashed! Its a customers account or else I would just stop paying the bill. they could at least tell the secretaries whats going on.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:56 am
Where can we get answers? I’m just out there hanging and my customers went to collections, No way to run a business. We need answers.
linda
October 26th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
i need to get in touch with somone from popular club. What happens to our credits and accounts
October 26th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
I need to get in touch with someone from popular club. What happens to credits and accounts?
October 28th, 2009 at 10:43 am
What happens to The credit slips an dividend earnings our customers has acquired.
October 28th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
I was wondering Fingerhut is going to offer the same customers payment plan as Popular Club & what do my customers do with their credits they have with Popular Club? Also about my secetary rewards & dividends.
November 12th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
what happens with the secretareies rewards and clients they never sent a notification of what was happening. who do we contact.
November 23rd, 2009 at 1:26 am
I realize from your above statements that you aren’t able to help, but I’m just taking this opportunity to let it be know that Popular also owes me over 800.00 dollars in seller rewards, plus I have 400.00 + $ in certificates. Just in case SOMEONE does find out what we can do about this. They were rude when I called also.I also asked if they were going out of business, and they said that they weren’t. I guess the lied.If there is anyone out there who has been left hanging by them and does find out anything pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease let us all know. If I find out anything more, I will let everyone know. Good luck to us all. Carol
February 12th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
I am in the same boat as everybody else. Wonder if we will get a solution from the new owners of Popular Club. It is not fair WE ALL WORK FOR IT. keep us posted.
March 17th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
This situation is just unaceptable specially for us Secreataries who have devoted our time and loNg years to gain their assets for many many years. I’ve been or was a Secretary since 1987 and all of the sudden I find out about this by a customer. I mean, how dare them not even notify us who have boosted their earnings about their closing or perhaps their disapperance outta earth. We deserved notification and reimbursement of our credits and or rewards. I have or perhaps had more than $4000 worth of rewards. I really had a club going on for Popular and now I feel I’ve been kicked to the curb. I wont accept this treatment, so therefore Im going to start a lawsuit against them. Whoever wants to join me, please dont hesitate in contacting me.
March 23rd, 2010 at 11:19 am
To Daiana River. I think a law suit is in order because clearly there has been more than a breach of respect ; there has been a breach of contract. What is the status of starting the lawsuit. I have over $1000 in credits…..contact me and let me know 610-237-8700 or yrhughes10@yahoo.com
May 1st, 2010 at 12:24 am
i just don’t understand on how they can just leave us, without even letting any of us know anything… i’ve been a secretary since 1990, i did them good, got many of members and so on.. just for popular club to just leave us all hanging.. i got many of credits and so does my members.. they add up to a lot that popular owes us.. my members are on my back for all their credits that is owed to them. we should have been told, so many could have turned in their credits and us secretarys… its just isn’t right of how they did this..
May 7th, 2010 at 10:46 am
As a former customer with left-over dividend certificates, I would join a class action suit to recoup my money. Please contact me if this goes forward, thanks. 401-232-0973
May 21st, 2010 at 12:42 am
If you all be success in the lawsuit please notify me by email (rubym@ustconline.net) I was also an secretary for popular and I agree thats not fair to us nor our customers.
July 2nd, 2010 at 5:56 pm
I can’t believe what I’ve just read. Popular Club has been sold since 1998 and now out of business, I knew nothing about it. I too have customers with dividends. What happens now?
August 26th, 2010 at 8:41 am
To Diana River, please add me to this law suit. I too, have been a member for a very long time and have dividends. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t until I tried to place an order when I found out there was no longer a Popular Club, even my Secretary didn’t know! Please contact me at 301 407-7836 for more details. Thanks!
September 12th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
why are people leaving the same comments this post was supposed to answer. PEOPLE the company is no longer in operation that means your dead. you cant and wont ever receive anything. get it through your heads sometimes in life there are no answers you just dead( sh@t out of luck) period
November 4th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
I was a Popular Club Secretary also and when I cleaned out my attic, I found that I have at least 1,000.00 in dividends and awards. But, I came to the conclusion that all my hard work was in vain and that I will not be compensated for it. But what happed to all secretaries is a total disgrace to the business world and I have lost a lot of trust in in businesses.