We’ve gotten a LOT of comments and emails the past few days about Zaycon shutting down. Many more than I expected — and many that have caused me to step back and consider how I handled this and what I should have done differently.
Some of you have written in very upset at me and a few of you have made some very strong accusations against me that were not true at all (things like accusing me of making thousands and thousands of dollars from them — which I didn’t! — or that I knew this was going to happen and scammed you all. Trust me, if you aren’t getting your chicken, you can for sure know that they aren’t going to be paying any bloggers any money! More on that below.)
But others of you have brought some things to my attention that concerned you or where you felt like I didn’t handle things well and I want to take some time to address your concerns, to issue you an apology and explanation, and give you further information and what I would recommend that you do.
Some Backstory
First off, I was really bothered when I discovered on Monday evening that Zaycon’s website was shut down and their social media accounts were gone — without any warning or explanation. It took me as much by surprise as it did you.
For years, I had heard nothing but amazing things about Zaycon. Readers had recommended them and friends had raved about them.
However, because I didn’t have personal experience with them, I held off posting about them other than mentioning them occasionally when people asked for ideas of how to save on meat.
Many bloggers encouraged me to signed up for their really fantastic referral program, but I didn’t because I didn’t have any personal experience with them. Even though so many people loved them, since I hadn’t tried them out, I didn’t feel comfortable doing a post about them.
My sister loved them, though, so I had her sign up for their referral program and use her own link when she would mention them. Her family lives on a tight budget and I was excited for her to be able to earn some free Zaycon credit from sharing her link in her grocery posts.
Near the end of last year, I believe, they started offering amazing specials to new customers. I began paying attention to these as they were incredible deals and I realized that they were so good that, based upon everything I had heard about Zaycon and how great it was, I should share these deals with you all.
I signed up for the referral program and we posted a few times at the beginning of 2018. However, soon after we started posting their deals, we got an email saying that they were closing down their blogger referral program and it sounded like they were tweaking some of their model because their business was struggling to be profitable as a result of the referral program and the incredible deals they had been running.
I’ve seen this happen with companies in the past and, in most cases, they will restructure how they operate and come back stronger. I decided we wouldn’t post about their deals again until they worked through their issues.
Sadly, it sounds like things were much, much worse than they made it out to be. I’m not sure what all went down, but I was just as shocked as you were to find out on Monday evening that they had shut everything down. I didn’t know much at that point, but I felt like we should post what we knew to alert you all.
An Apology
My goal is to always keep things upbeat and encouraging here. I never want to make this a place of negativity or criticism.
Because we didn’t know what had gone down with Zaycon and I didn’t want to speculate or be an alarmist, we decided to just state the facts and share what we knew in our post here.
Unfortunately, I had no idea how many of you had ordered from them recently and had paid them money and had not received your product yet. Had I known this, I would have probably approached the post differently.
I want to publicly apologize for upsetting many of you in my initial post and for not being more thoughtful and considerate in how I approached things. I am incredibly sorry that so many of you had ordered based upon my recommendation and aren’t going to get your order. I’m also so sorry that there is a possibility that some of you might not be able to get your money back.
An Explanation
I also felt the need to address some of the accusations swirling about me. Some of you have sent me very hateful comments accusing me of making thousands and thousands of dollars posting Zaycon deals and saying that it’s not fair I collected this money from them and left you all out to dry.
First off, while they did have a great blogger referral program, because I only posted about them a few times, what I earned from them was very small in comparison to what many bloggers who have personally used them and promoted them for years made.
In addition, because they had set up their program to only pay us a month or so after people actually picked up their meat and because people usually were ordering at least a month or two or three out, we only received two payments from them.
So all this to say, if you ordered through my link and didn’t get your order, we also didn’t get any referral money for it. But while we won’t ever be able to collect this money (and I would never want to collect it if you didn’t get your order!), you CAN likely get your money back by contacting your bank.
What You Need to Do
Based upon the information that has come out in the past two days, I would move well beyond suggesting what I initially did: that you consider contacting your bank or credit card company to dispute the charges.
Instead, I would strongly urge you to contact your bank or credit card company to dispute the charges. We’ve already heard from many people who have gotten their money back. I am hopeful that you will be able to get your charges reversed, too!
What We Can Learn From This
My biggest takeaway: Even the most reputable of companies can be experiencing financial issues that catch us all by surprise. Always make sure that if there’s any risk involved or you are purchasing a product that you won’t be getting for a few months, that you purchase it with some form of payment where you can dispute the charges.
As for me, I am committed more than ever to continue to vet companies and do the very best I can to bring you only the best deals from companies I feel I can stand behind.
Thank you for your patience and grace in the middle of this mess. I am so grateful for each of you!
Theresa says
Is there a time limit to contact your credit card company? Has anyone been successful with a refund longer than 6 months? Thanks
Julie Pinkos says
Good Evening, I have a question and hopefully I can get some guidance. When I receive d the e-mail that Zaycon was closing I was very upset! I have 3 outstanding orders that go all the way back to December. Of course I know that they are not going to fulfill those orders but what can I do to try to get my money back. I used my Bank debit card account for the pre purchases and don’t know how to go about trying to get my money back. Please if there are any suggestions that would be greatly appreciated.
Amy Owen says
We made a claim with our bank. We got all of our money back. Close to $900.00. It took some work collecting paperwork but it all worked out.
Meg says
So glad to hear you got your money back! -Meg, MSM Team
Christine M. says
It is called personal responsibility. I have been following you now for almost 10 years, and I do not feel as if you should be apologizing. I have referred many people to Zaycon (not a blogger, have been ordering for many years), and lost out on over $40 in credits. Thankfully, my bank approved my claim for the amount I did have to pay. If anyone tried to blame me, I would not be as kind as you are. We have all lost out. Not only those who purchased products, but the truck drivers, and employees of Zaycon. I hope you do not continue to beat yourself up over this, and continue to post great, money, saving posts.
Blessings.
Christine says
Why would anyone be upset about your post? It was to the point. It’s the consumer’s responsibility to investigate a membership company. No one else’s. I do not feel an apology is necessary.
JJ says
Totally agree. Let’s get out of the “blame everyone else for everything that goes wrong in our lives” mentality and act like adults. If you read the articles and watch the news casts that are worthy of reading and watching, you will quickly realize that this cut everyone by surprise. If you’re so sad that you have to blame this on a blogger, maybe you need to reevaluate your priorities, your attitudes, and Learn some basic Econ 101.
Riley H says
I’m so sad and very disappointed that people lashed out at you for being the messenger. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with how you handled the information and I am not the least bit angry with you. I have contacted Zaycon about my order and I will contact my bank about disputing the charges. Thank you for all of your hard work. I will continue to support your website and trust its content as I have never seen any reason not to.
Zach says
It appears upper management had money issues. Court documents.
https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Zaycon.pdf
Patty Gregory says
I’m sorry people are so unkind! I will never understand bullies who have to blame some one for everything that happens. Companies fail, it happens blaming an innocent person helps no one!
Cyndy Konrady says
I’m sorry to hear people are blaming you for this. We all have a choice on where to spend our money. Just because someone suggests something doesn’t mean we have to try it. I had great service from Zaycon and am very disappointed in this. I have contacted my bank and will get my money back though it will take several weeks or maybe a month for that.
Franklin L Swaim says
Crystal and team,
I am not on here as much as I used to be several years ago. I just want to express to you all what a blessing you are to the people that follow you. This was not your fault. I am sure that most that took this situation out on you and or accused you of profiting, did so out of anger and is not truly reflective of who they are, who you are, or who any of us want to be. I will pray for all affected. Keep doing what you do. You are cautious when recommending services and products. You always have been. God bless.
Lynn says
I have not been affected by Zaycon as I do find better pricing often at Aldi’s, Sam’s or Target clearance but I just felt the need to say that the view of “blaming Crystal” is just plain wrong. Yes she is a influenser for things she believes as shown in her blog (and yes, she MIGHT RECEIVE small compensation) but at the end of the day, NO ONE is making anyone order anything. For you guys blaming: Only YOU are in charge of you, and although this heartbreaking that some people are out money and will not be receiving product, please STOP pointing fingers and take responsibility for your own actions!!! Thanks for your thoughtfulness Crystal! We stand with you!
Nancy says
Thank you for being you!
Kellie E says
I’ve been following your blog for years and have seen the Zaycon posts in the past but never ordered. The fact that someone was to blame you for a separate companies financial problems is beyond silly. Sometimes I feel like it makes people feel better to point the finger at something they can see and close and that will listen and since Zaycon has cut communications and social media people feel you’re next in line to blame which is crazy! I just wanted to let you know you are awesome, you never forced anything on anyone and this post is a great clarification for those who may be confused. With any business or service there is a risk we take when ordering, you just never know if a business will close the next day and that’s not my neighbors fault for telling me about said business that closed. I’m sorry people can be negative, hopefully they see this post you wrote and have a better understanding. I hope you have a great day and a fantastic weekend and don’t let negative words get you down. 🙂
Vena Brown says
You cannot be held accountable for what happened with them. Companies disappear suddenly for a variety of reasons that no one has control over. I remember a very reputable Christian company that shut down suddenly years back that threw many many people for a loop. Keep doing what you’ve always done. This is not your fault.
CindyS says
Oh for Pete’s sake, no one makes me order anything, even if it comes with a glowing recommendation from someone else. I decide FOR MYSELF if the deal is good enough on which to take a chance, and paying for merchandise ahead of time is ALWAYS taking a chance, even with the big retailers. I was once in a dispute with Target for over 2 months because of their mistake in shipping but I eventually did get my money back, and no, I didn’t blame the person who posted the deal. I was planning to order from Zaycon myself but they weren’t delivering in my area until August. Dispute the charges and you will get your money back, simple as that.
AAA says
I am so sorry people are being negative and blaming you for things that you have ABSOLUTELY no control over. You are so kind to share the deals that you find (referral money or not). We are all adults and make our own decisions about what we will or won’t purchase. It is on us to do the research (and would have found this to be a great deal with a long standing company).
Please know that this is not your fault! I am sorry people are using you / your website as an outlet for their frustration, but please try not to take it personally.
I love reading your website and looking into deals that are a good fit for our family. Know that most of us are behind you, appreciative of you and value your site and the deals you bring to us.
Christina says
Thank you for this follow up post. I only had one order, but I was still bummed to be out the money. This post prompted me to file a claim with my bank (which I’ve never done before, so it was good to go through that process), and we’ll see what happens.
Maria M says
What a gracious, loving and HELPFUL response to your readers. Leaders of every kind are lightning rods for folks ire – you have to manage messes that have nothing or extremely little to do with you. You’ve handled this in such a God-glorifying way, and way above-and-beyond the call of duty. I have been both blessed and inspired by your life and business. I’m exceedingly grateful you know who you are in Christ and that you continue to fight the temptation to care TOO much about what others think. You’ve handled this with such care, not at all dismissive of folk’s very real concerns, and have been working many hours behind the scenes (I know how this goes) to provide info to serve your readers. It doesn’t go unnoticed. Praying for the Lord to meet those affected by this in a way only he can. And trusting him to bless you with even more faithful and genuine people in your circle of life who know how to best encourage you.
Heather Wood says
I’m sorry people were nasty to you over this! Losing money really stresses people out and brings out the worst. They probably just freaked out so please don’t take it personally. I got my money back from my bank. I was surprised to see your original post that was obviously very cautious when other bloggers were suggesting contacting your credit card immediately but it just seemed consistent with who you were, to believe the best until we knew more . I am not impressed with their “contact us for more information” closing remarks and then disconnecting their phones and social media and everything so you can’t.
Tracy Haywood says
Sorry for people lashing out at you. I have ordered from Zaycon before and considered it again. There is a family store located less than an hour from me that offers chicken at a good price and I stopped Zaycon and instead purchased from them on occasion. It certainly isn’t your fault that the company shut down. Glad that people are getting their money back. Your blog is wonderful. I especially love your daily deals. I recently scored luggage for $49 from Kohls that you shared!!! Thankful for that because I am going to Hawaii next month! Keep the deals coming and thank you for your hard work.
Rachel says
I’m so sorry you even had to think about writing this post. None of the shutdown was your fault. I got hung out to dry with my chicken, but I don’t blame anyone, not even really Zaycon.
I love your blog and positive attitude! Keep posting!
Laura Amadeo says
This is well written but you also need to remember, we are all adults and make our own choices. I have been ordering from zaycon and used your referral. But prior to that I did my homework. My choice in using them is something I must own, not you. Thank you for updated info. My bank is already working on the disputed charges as zaycon owes me quite a bit. You however, owe me nothing. I enjoy your blog. Keep up the good work and thanks for doing a great job.
Stephanie says
I hardly ever comment, but I love you and your blog and I think it is ridiculous that you had to write this post. Obviously you did nothing wrong here. I’m bummed that Zaycon closed but no one, especially not you, is to blame for that. I did call my credit card company to dispute the charges. But I just keep thinking I would rather get my 80 lbs. of chicken for $65 than I would to get my money back, haha! It’s hard to match that deal. Now where should I get my meat in bulk at a good price? 🙂
Mie says
I follow you everywhere but I have never heard of this before. Ha! I am so sorry you are going through this….Nobody want to loose their money at any situation. So I understand there are upset people. I don’t have money to throw and I’m pretty sure no one does! I would be super upset if I lost money and I might want to try to blame on someone. When people are upset, us, human, say things that doesn’t mean it. But us, as an adult, we need to think before the words come out from our mouth. Because once those words are out, we can’t take it back and It could hurt people’s feelings.
You are amazing and I truly appreciate all you do to keep things upbeat.
I love watching your discounted shopping trip. You are such an inspiration!! Tomorrow, I am going to my local frys and will be getting the 2day deals!! Woot woot!!
Michele says
I have used Zaycon in the past. I did notice at the Costco Business Center near me that they sold the same case items that Zaycon did at a comparable price. Also, if you look at the signage above the meat at a Costco, there are case prices listed.
Jenny says
It’s all good! Some people are crazy. You don’t even need to apologize! :o)
Archie Davis Jr says
To me here is the moral of the story. You have to reaseach companies no matter if they are legit. So many of new companies are fading it is sad. I am not surprise. I also believe a person has to be careful what they put their name on. It is not your fault. I just believe we all need to research companies a person buys from. Also don’t get on the hype train because everyone buys from certain companies. I pray something good come from all of this. I appreciate all you do. Keep up the great work.
Tina says
This company had been around for a long time and had always had excellent products and service. I don’t think anyone saw this coming. I think I personally had been ordering from them for 7-8 years and they weren’t new at that time.
I just wish Zaycon had handled it differently and not left their customers out money
Lyndsey J seppala says
You just can’t possibly research the future.
Jharp says
I’ve ordered from Zaycon for 7 years with no problems. Great customer service and great products. Nobody (except a few people in charge at Zaycon) could have predicted this. It could happen with any company.
Amy M. says
I agree. I’d ordered from them for several years; great meat and great deals. I do have one outstanding order but plan to call my cc company on Monday. No one outside the company saw this coming.
Crystal, thank you for your integrity, grace and class! Like others, I’m sorry some people blamed you. 🙁 Not your fault at all!!
D Norby says
My experience with Zaycon until this week was excellent!
You certainly couldn’t know their plan and nobody should hold you responsible.
My frustration is with my bank, they say after 60 days nothing can be disputed….I am out over $200.00. Don’t know of anything else to do…..
Savannah says
I predict a big ol group of you who can’t get your money back from your banks banding together and making one heck of a class action lawsuit. Make sure you keep your ears out for something because you are entitled to that money!
tina says
I used Zaycon for years and was shocked by the sudden closure. I currently have nearly $500 in unfilled orders. Off to my bank tomorrow to hopefully get refunded.
Sorry people were blaming you. Zaycon had always been a great product and we were happy with them for many years
Kenna Rogers says
Thanks so much for your recommendation about Zaycon! I happily used them and my family so enjoyed the meat! I am a big girl and I would never blame you for my own decisions. I am happy to report that that my driver contacted me early this morning and was at my delivery location with my order which was supposed to be delivered tomorrow. I. Do not know if anybody else will receive their order, but I am good and feel like the company did the right thing…at least for me. I loved their business model and if they come back, I will be first in line. Thanks for all you do!
Crystal Paine says
I am SO glad to hear you got your order!
Katie says
This is NOT your fault. Zaycon was a blessing to many…and we had a few years of a happy full freezer at great prices. If you and others hadn’t spread the word, we wouldn’t have benefited! You are not omnipotent….you and others couldn’t possibly have known the future and none of us know the full story.
We got our Sept order payment back from our card company with no questions. I’m sorry for those who lost their livelihood…my loss of 40 pounds of chicken is nothing compared to that.
Lord, have mercy.
Angela brown says
I can’t believe we’ve come to a point that you have to make an apology. Here, you’re doing everyone a favor to post deals you find, yes you might get compensated, but at the end of the day it’s up to the individual to make that decision. Not you!!!! Yes, we trust you, but again at the end it is MY responsibility to do the research and it’s up to me to make that purchase!
Thank you for your message, it was heartfelt.
Julie Mueller says
Love ya. Love your integrity. Love your thoughtfulness. Thanks for all the ways you serve your readers.
Jennifer says
Crystal,
As a long time subscriber, I am sad to hear that you were in receipt of such negativity and ridiculous accusations. One of the reasons people read blogs is for recommendations for specific itsms or ideas and your niche is about saving money. I, personally used Zaycon due to several blogger reccomemdations and was very happy with their meat and the money I saved. It would never occur to me to blame or accuse you or another blogger for a corporation (apparently) going out of business. Are you responsible if ibotta goes out of business? Or Kroger?
People tend to get very brave behind a keyboard and its a shameful to spew venom and accusations at you, or any other human being. As always, you have handled the situation with grace, and I hope those folks learn from your wonderful example! ?
Kenci says
I just keep thinking about all of the families who now lost jobs due to them shutting doors so fast.
Courtney says
I’m so sorry you had to deal with others hurtful words. You have such a good heart and morals that it’s a shame you’ve been attacked. Thank you for handling it graciously. What a wonderful example you are!
Mrs S says
I’ve used zaycon for years, and picked up my last order on Friday. I had no idea anything was amiss. I’ve never used referrals but always got good deals. I feel awful for those who’ve been scammed by the company, the employees suddenly left out of work, and those who were counting on referral credits to feed their family.
Tanya says
My bank told me there was nothing they could do because I used my debit card. Only hope I have is the Attorney General. ?
Crystal Paine says
Ugh! I’m so sorry!
Beth says
This is straight up fraud and theft and the people running Zaycon probably need to go to jail.
Kris says
What a classy post. You are in no way responsible for what happened, and yet still feel the need to review the comments, assess the situation and how you handled it, and apologize. Just an example of the true kind of person you are and as someone said above a reminder of why I choose to read this blog (for many years)! If only more of the people on social media had your character.
Crystal Paine says
Thank you so much for your kind encouragement!
chantel lloyd says
Not to be the bearer of bad news but watch the refunded amounts in your accounts, especially if you used your debit card as payment. As was explained to me by the bank, I will be seeing “a credit” issued in my account for the money that was paid. The bank will repeated try to get the money back from Zaycon but if they are ultimately unable to collect the funds, I will be charged and the funds will again be withdrawn. I ordered back in February and the 60 day period for refund has long elapsed. I’m sooo hoping that Zaycon does the ethical thing and refunds our money.
BTW, you are in no way to blame. You had nothing to do with the shady practices of an unethical company.
Crystal Paine says
I’m so sorry about that! Thanks so much for letting us know though.
Rose says
I was thankful for your initial post. It made the situation know to me before the company sent cancellation emails. I was able to use the information to take the next step and dispute. Thanks for the time you take in sharing deals.
Crystal Paine says
I’m so grateful that it was helpful to you!
Lynne W. says
Crystal I am so sorry that people were sending you hate comments and emails. That is ludicrous. Honestly, I am so sorry.
I think people were probably worried about the funds they now had tied up with a defunct company and jumped to blame you when you have absolutely nothing to do with Zaycon’s demise. People always have to find someone to blame. They made the purchase, just the same as you posted about the deals. Nobody knew Zaycon was being so corruptly ran.
All this to say, I appreciate your post apologizing but it’s really not necessary. You share deals based on what information is available to you, with no malicious intent whatsoever. People need to adult better sometimes is all.
Amy Cathcart says
Wow! It concerns me people would assume the worst of you when clearly you only have all our best interests in mind when alerting us to good deals. What is not fair is being wrongly accused when you realistically did nothing wrong and had no control over this situation. I am sorry you had that experience. And many thanks for your transparency and helpfulness!!
Melissa says
I’m sorry for the ugly you’ve experienced due to Zaycon’s choice to be unethical. Thank you for always striving to be a help to your readers. I’ve been using Zaycon for years and have recommended them too. If someone came at me as though I were to blame I wouldn’t have handled it with such grace as you have. I hope people come to their senses and apologize to you. The only fault lies with Zaycon.
Crystal Paine says
Thank you so much for your kind encouragement!
Jean McKinney says
You are not to blame at all. I used this service and recommended it to friends and family but nobody forced me to use it. You just told people about it as i did and by the way so did good morning America. It really stinks and I hope everyone received their money back but you are not to blame and it’s not fair that people would blame you.
Diane says
I agree. I recommended to many friends and was truly happy with the products and value. I don’t feel like anybody forced me to buy and nobody saw this coming.
Patti says
I also agree with Jean and Diane. I used Zaycon for about 4 years after I saw it mentioned by many people on a coupon savings site. The local news also did a segment about how popular it was. Their meat was wonderful at a great price. (I think the chickens that the chicken breasts came from must have been the size of turkeys!) I recommended it to several people. As a matter of fact, some of my neighbors wanted to split an order with me the next time I was going to order. Only Zaycon could have known that this could happen. You are not blame and it is unfair for people to say that you are!! I look forward to your e-mails because you have saved me money with your helpful information.
Sandi says
Totally agree!!! No ones fault. Any coming can go belly up at anytime, unfortunately.
Crystal did nothing wrong, only shared information!
Deanna says
I just want to say that I really appreciate your blog. I have loved it more over the past few years as you have shared your journey and growth. In the area of home management and budgeting, I am really enjoying and being inspired by your current grocery challenge. I downloaded the Sprouts app today and got a coupon to save $10 of $60 which was perfect for me today! All of this to say please keep it up. I am sorry for the angry comments you have received, and just wanted you to have some encouragement. 🙂
Crystal Paine says
Thank you so much for your kind encouragement!
Karen K Argersinger says
I did not use Zaycon and I’m really sorry for those who did. I’m also really sorry for the unkindness you have received. You are such an open, honest and authentic person. I’m always shocked when bloggers put themselves out there to help others, are treated with such negative and hateful speech from people who follow them. I’m, again, really sorry. I pray for God’s blessings and encouragement.
Crystal Paine says
Thank you so much for your encouragement!
yvie says
We hadn’t ordered from Zaycon, and weren’t affected, but I’ve had similar experiences in our business with people lashing out for things completely beyond our control. This post is well-written and underscores your grace and inner beauty.
Crystal Paine says
Thank you for your encouragement!
Karen says
Thank you for your honesty and heartfelt concern. This post is a reminder of just how much I enjoy your blog.
Crystal Paine says
Thank you for your encouragement!
Diane says
Thank you for this. I was pretty stressed out when I first read about their closing since I had several unfulfilled orders. I did have very little faith that they would refund since we can’t access our accounts and they are not the ones to initiate telling us about their closing. I am happy to report that my bank refunded me the money already, within 24 hr of my dispute. We are so careful with our budget and food budget always seems so tight that I felt like they had stolen from me at first but now that I see the money back in the account I am OK. I had been ordering from them for quite a few years and had been happy with the prices and quality. Some money that I received back I paid in January, yikes!
Crystal Paine says
I am so grateful that you got your refund!
Pam says
Crystal
I don’t believe people. I have used Zaycon for years and no matter how you say it they closed their doors. NOT YOUR FAULT. Ugh I appreciate your apology in my book none is necessary.
I can only hope people stop blaming people and get on with their lives.
Thanks
Pam