Guest ex-SkyGeek Posted April 10, 2003 Share Posted April 10, 2003 -----Original Message----- From: Ward, Kelly [mailto:Kelly.Ward@IMN-Group.com] Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2003 10:28 AM To: dietrichjason@rogers.com Cc: Debbie.Filippone@costco.com; marcl@aciteam.com; Singer, Sara; Neumann, Bill Subject: Ginkgo Biloba Response Letter Good Morning, Kelly et al: I would like to sincerely thank you for your timely reply. As you are aware, Trans fats (in any quantity), raise LDL cholesterol levels. LDL is the bad carrier for cholesterol. Trans fats may also lower HDL cholesterol. HDL is the good carrier for cholesterol. Because Trans fats, in any quantity, contribute to raise total blood cholesterol levels, I feel that it has no place in a health food product, and you are smart to remove it from your soft gel products. The fact that Trans fats have been used in products for over 100 years is not necessarily indicative of the health awareness movement going forward. While hydrogenated vegetable oil may be generally regarded as safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the American Heart Association recommends limiting the intake of trans fats, and to look for food products made with non-hydrogenated oils. I for one enjoy the savings generally found at Costco, and generally trust that the products they sell are of good quality. Having said that, I will refrain from buying HealthBalance Ginkgo Biloba, irrespective of savings, until you have ceased use of that suspending agent. While I appreciate your unconditional money back guarantee, I can not take advantage of it. I disposed of the product at home upon reading the ingredients list, which didn't occur to me to do until we had consumed approximately half the bottle. It had not occurred to me to check for artery-clogging ingredients in "HealthBalance" products whilst in-store, so I have no one to blame but myself for my (small) financial loss. Due diligence; buyer beware! It will certainly never happen to me again; I will only be fooled by a health label once. Your Company has set the precedent for all others. A Costco representative advised me by telephone that I will see it off their shelves and replaced in the near future. While I have since let my membership lapse, due to a recent move from Toronto to Brantford, I will renew it shortly and I remain hopeful that I will find a new and improved HealthBalance product on the shelves -- that and Ehn Greens+. Regards, Jason J. Dietrich -----Original Message----- From: Ward, Kelly [mailto:Kelly.Ward@IMN-Group.com] Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2003 10:28 AM To: dietrichjason@rogers.com Cc: Debbie.Filippone@costco.com; marcl@aciteam.com; Singer, Sara; Neumann, Bill Subject: Ginkgo Biloba Response Letter Dear Mr. Dietrich: It is always a pleasure to hear from our customers as they continually provide us with invaluable comments regarding the quality and usefulness of our products. We were sorry to learn of your dissatisfaction with one of the ingredients in our Health Balance Ginkgo Biloba softgels that you recently purchased. Let me begin my response by assuring you that hydrogenated vegetable oil is generally regarded as safe (GRAS) by the United States Food and Drug Administration, and that it is approved for unrestricted use in foods, drugs, and cosmetic products. This compound has been in use for all types of products for at least 100 years. A very small amount of hydrogenated vegetable oil is used in this particular product as a suspending agent, which promotes uniformity of the softgel fill material. This is a very common ingredient used in many different softgel products. Due to our customer's growing concern over the use of hydrogenated vegetable oil, you will be happy to learn that we are actively working on replacing this suspending agent with another. Within the next year you will be seeing the elimination of hydrogenated vegetable oil from our softgel products. An unconditional moneyback guarantee is offered to any customer who is dissatisfied with any of our product. All that is required is that you provide us with the unused portion or a proof of purchase for the product in question. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Kelly Ward Regulatory Affairs Associate Inverness Medical Nutritionals Group RE: Note this message was submitted through the Costco Online web site customer suggestion page on March 28, 2003 at 7:47:54 AM. ========================================================= Comment/Suggestion/Request/Question Text: Dear Costco Canada, Thanks for the trans-fatty acids in my "Health Balance" (Costco brand) Ginkgo biloba. I can't believe in this day and age you would use HYDROGENATED vegetable oil in a "health" product. Even the potato chip companies stopped using hydrogenated oil products 6 months ago. You might not have been aware, but it is artery clogging oil, and certainly has no place in a Costco brand wellness product. May I very strongly recommend you ask your manufacturer to consider using an alternative ingredient. It is quite simply unacceptable for my family, and I've thrown away the remainder of the bottle. I will check your ingredients list much more carefully in-store before making future wellness product purchases from Costco Canada. Respectfully, Jason J. Dietrich Brantford, ON Canada. ========================================================= Personal Information: First Name: Jason Last Name: Dietrich E-mail Address: dietrichjason@rogers.com Telephone Number: (519) 720-6824 Costco Member Number: 332934429000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Roadie Posted April 10, 2003 Share Posted April 10, 2003 Kelly Ward as in , Kelly Ward that used to fly for Bearskin? If it is ,I used to be a co-worker of yours. R.M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ex-SkyGeek Posted April 10, 2003 Share Posted April 10, 2003 Toadie, I believe that 'Kelly' might be an American. Costco placed a call to me last week; I received the reply by e-mail from Kelly this Morning. It appears that she workds for Inverness Medical Nutritionals Group, a company that manufacturers wellness products for Costco under the brand name of Health Balance. This is what I pulled up about them on the Web: Inverness Medical Nutritionals Group 51 Sawyer Road, Ste. 200 Waltham, MA 02456 Phone: (781)314-4076 Fax: (781)647-3939 Toll Free: (877)696-2525 E-mail: preston.zoller@usa.invernessmedical.com Web: www.invernessmedical.com Market: AMEX Symbol: IMA Founded: 1992 Contact: Preston Zoller, Business Development Director Quality Control: Use In-House Analytical Lab,Provide Certificates of Analysis,OTC Drug Facility,Have GMPs,Offer Facility Tours,GMP Certified,Certified Kosher Associations: ABC,NACDS Exhibit At: SupplySide East,SupplySide West Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ex-SkyGeek Posted April 10, 2003 Share Posted April 10, 2003 Folks, Costco is indeed a class act! I c.c.'d my reply to Kelly this Morning to Costco as well, and just received this reply from Debbie Filippone, Costco Wholesale: Hello Mr. Dietrich, We, at Costco, appreciate your comments and believe the key to our success is our satisfied members. We are working on correcting this problem and having the HVO removed from it. Once we have the new formulation, I would like to send you a bottle of our new non-HVO Ginkgo Biloba. We will also honour the refund of your gingko biloba even though you disposed of the product. Please let me know when and at which warehouse you will be shopping and I will arrange for your refund of 7.69$ plus applicable taxes. I hope you will continue to purchase your vitamins at Costco in the future and thank-you for your input. Debbie Filippone Costco Wholesale 415 Hunt Club Road Ottawa, Ontario K2E 1C5 (613) 221-2092 FAX (613) 221-2279 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted April 10, 2003 Share Posted April 10, 2003 Believe it or not, I sent a "snotgram" to Park and Fly at YYZ as my car was snowed in and it took me an hour to dig it out. The path/road behind me was only plowed about 3 feet wide and the snow storm had ceased 36 hours prior to getting my car. Rec'd a nice note from Park and Fly with an apology and a gift certificate for 3 days of FREE parking in any of their lots, Valet included. Took a month or so but hey...at least they responded. Nice to see some companies still think the customer is Number one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ex-SkyGeek Posted April 10, 2003 Share Posted April 10, 2003 "snotgram" LOL. Good for you, Kip. Hey, it's nice to know some companies still value customer input and respond to our concerns. I know some would argue that there are many more important things going on in the world right now, indeed right here in our own backyards, but life goes on and it shouldn't stop us from being concerned about other day to day issues that also make the world-go-'round. I replied to Debbie with this: Good Afternoon, Debbie: I had originally purchased the product from your Etobicoke store, where I used to live, but recently relocated to Brantford. I will be renewing my Membership with Costco on or about May 1, 2003, at your Ancaster store. I have to tell you, you have proven to me that Costco is indeed a class act organization, and I have forwarded our correspondence to the Brantford Expositor, our local newspaper. While I hope it doesn't generate a flood of customer complaint/suggestion letters from those otherwise quiet about their dissatisfaction(s), I'm confident that if they print it, it will enhance your reputation for customer service excellence. I gracefully accept your offer to send me a bottle of your new non-HVO formulation once you have it. Your offer to refund my purchase price, while appreciated, is not necessary. Thank you all the same. Kind regards, Jason J. Dietrich [address/phone] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted April 10, 2003 Share Posted April 10, 2003 Well done. They really don't expect they will get any replies when they set the record straight and it is a welcome surprise when a customer takes the time to say "Thank You". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ex-SkyGeek Posted April 10, 2003 Share Posted April 10, 2003 Kip, You are right. It appears that she was pleased to hear back from me, and had this to say: "Thank you for your kind words Mr. Dietrich. As a Costco member, you are a part of our success and in this case, our improvement! As you can imagine, we are pushing to get the new formula in as soon as possible. I will keep you updated on our progress and I hope to send you the first bottle of Health Balance non-HVO ginkgo shortly." I am completely satisfied at this moment. To celebrate I think I will eat a bag of chips... kidding. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CabinDweller Posted April 13, 2003 Share Posted April 13, 2003 G’ day Jason, Was it you who wrote about Ehn Greens+ for a great price available somewhere in Kensington Market a few years back? With the hours I’m pulling lately, thought I’d source them out but even the prices at Uncle George’s in the St.Lawrence Market seem ungodly. TX DL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ex-SkyGeek Posted April 13, 2003 Share Posted April 13, 2003 Hi CabinDweller, Yes, I believe it was me. I've been taking it for about 4 - 5 years now. There are three health food stores in Kensington market, (one stand alone and two beside each other), all of which sell the large 510-563g sizes (regular, *tangerine dream* or berry flavour) for around $55.00. That’s a two-month supply. I've seen it priced up to $75.00 elsewhere in Toronto. Oh, and I recently saw it at GNC for $59.99 if you are a “GNC Gold card” member - so for $5 more than in Kensington Market it might be more convenient. You can usually buy your nutritional supplements for considerably less in the market than anywhere else. There is a new product out called Greens+ Multi+ (greens+ with added premium vitamins and minerals). I like it, but a friend of mine said there's a ‘minerally’ flavour to it - so to each his own. It does tend to settle if you don’t keep it shaken while drinking it. This is the same friend who always used to feel tired and sluggish, and who is a skeptical person by nature. I worked on his for a couple of years to try it. He finally did and says he's on it for life because he's never felt better. That’s a common thing to hear of new users, after a couple of weeks taking it. Oh, and I recently tried Green+ for kids... it's really very good. One lady I spoke to said she mixes it with her children’s oatmeal and cereals and they like it. It’s very fruity tasting. http://www.greenspluscanada.com Good health to you and yours! Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ex-SkyGeek Posted April 13, 2003 Share Posted April 13, 2003 Hi CabinDweller, Good memory, yes! I've been taking it for about 4 or 5 years now. There are three health food stores in Kensington market, (one stand alone and two beside each other), all of which sell the large 510-563g sizes (regular, *tangerine dream* or berry flavour) for around $55.00. That’s a two-month supply. I've seen it priced up to $75.00 elsewhere in Toronto. Oh, and I recently saw it at GNC for $59.99 if you are a “GNC Gold card” member - so for $5 more than in Kensington Market it might be more convenient. You can usually buy your nutritional supplements for considerably less in the market than anywhere else. There is a new product out called Greens+ Multi+ (greens+ with added premium vitamins and minerals). I like it, but a friend of mine said there's a ‘minerally’ flavour to it - so to each his own. It does tend to settle if you don’t keep it shaken while drinking it. This is the same friend who always used to feel tired and sluggish, and who is a skeptical person by nature. I worked on his for a couple of years to try it. He finally did and says he's on it for life because he's never felt better. That’s a common thing to hear of new users, after a couple of weeks taking it. Oh, and I recently tried Green+ for kids... it's really very good. One lady I spoke to said she mixes it with her children’s oatmeal and cereals and they like it. It’s very fruity tasting. http://www.greenspluscanada.com Good health to you and yours! Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ex-SkyGeek Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 For those interested - I received this response today (15APR03): Hello Mr. Dietrich, Just want to let you know where we are at with the Ginkgo Biloba. The new formulation has passed the first month of stability testing and we still have 2 months to go before we can release and produce the new formulation. I will update you on the progress at that time. If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email. Debbie Filippone Costco Wholesale 415 Hunt Club Road Ottawa, Ontario K2E 1C5 (613) 221-2092 FAX (613) 221-2279 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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