BIC Shake ‘N Squeeze Correction Pen: Should Have STOPPED at the Correction Tape!
Written: Jul 02 '03 (Updated Jul 06 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: NONE
Cons: the pen doesn't work
The Bottom Line: I feel this company hasn't been like most, but I guess that is how it works sometimes! The Pen doesn't Work at all.
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| kparsons13's Full Review: BIC America Wite Out Shake'N Squeeze Correction Pe... |
Let me first start off this piece to let you all know that I have a slightly skewed look at the BIC Company and I have a somewhat chip on my shoulder about them, but I will get to that later. I just want you to know the angle that I am coming in with rather than sounding straight off the bat like a well you know what. (use your imagination and rhyme it with witch)
I have been on an adventure of Bic Wite Out Supplies which I was able to fulfill at one big night out at OfficeMax. For someone that never leaves the house and decides to go to “her heaven on earth” it was a huge deal for me. So I made the most of it and got lots of office supplies. Some things I had already tried and fallen in love with but others like the BIC Wite Out Shake ‘N Squeeze and the BIC Quick Dry Wite Out Correction Fluid were new to me. I picked them up after reading other reviews and thought since they had good ratings maybe I was mistaken and just bought the wrong kind before with “Bic Wite Out Extra Coverage.” So there was a “Correction Kit” that I bought for $1.99 that included the BIC Shake ‘N Squeeze Pen, BIC Quick Dry Wite Out Correction Fluid, and the “famous” Bic Wite Out Correction Tape that my fiancé wouldn’t shut up about. He loved the stuff.
I got home and put the kit aside as I wanted to organize all my other goodies and finally today I was able to take what I will call my BIC Correction Test. Although I already tested the other two, we are going to start off with the BIC Wite Out Correction Pen.
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BIC Shake ‘n Squeeze Correction Pen Charateristics
The pen is 5 ¼ inches long and about one centimeter in diameter. It is white with the BIC label in yellow of course. If I was to start at the top of the pen the first 2 ½ inches are one centimeter in diameter like I said and round like any other pen. Heading south, is about a 1 ½ inch bump in the middle that is slightly flattened out but maintains it’s roundness as well. The last 1 ¼ inches of the pen looks like a pen with a silver tip and has a clear cap. It is a comfortable fit in my hand and is silky smooth. When you shake it, the pen has some sort of ball or something inside of it that you will hear
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Directions that come with the BIC Shake ‘n Squeeze Correction Pen
On the packaging itself it states the following for the Pen:
1) For everything correction pen
2) Needle point tip for increased precision
3) More comfortable barrel for better control
Directions on the BIC Shake ‘n Squeeze Correction Pen Itself
1) Shake well before use
2) Remove Cap
3) Push Down Firmly on tip and squeeze on barrel
4) Use just like a pen
5) Recap after each use
CAUTION: FLAMMABLE (This is in Bold Small Print)
1) KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE OF FLAME
2) KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN
3) DO NOT SWALLOW OR INHALE
4) WARNING: Intentional misuse by deliberately concentrating or inhaling contents can be harmful or fatal
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My thoughts on this Pen
I tried it not once, not twice, not even three times but at least ten times throughout the day. I followed the directions step by step and it did NOT work at ALL for me. I then passed the pen onto my fiancé for his input, perhaps I was doing something wrong. It did NOT work for him either so BIC was 0 for 2. So then I gave it to my smart cat to try and it didn’t work for him either so now BIC was 0 for 3. Okay, I didn’t give it to my cat but neither my fiancé nor I could get this pen to do what it claims.
I also get nervous around any product that says for it to stay away from children and is flammable. I actually found it kind of ironic that it was flammable considering the same company makes millions of money off of lighters, but that was just my own little smirk there. I don’t have to worry about drinking it because it is difficult to get a drop out. As far as inhaling it, why are they distributing a product that you shouldn’t inhale. What if I used BIC Wite Out daily for the next 25 years, and I inhaled it on a regular basis because I write lots of mistakes, would it still be fatal eventually? Makes me wonder…
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Enclosure from website should you get the Correction Fluid on you:(may be helpful in the future)
1) After the Tipp-Ex® / Wite-Out® correction fluid dries, scratch most of the spill off with your fingernail or the edge of a coin. (This has never worked for me)
2) Tipp-Ex®/Wite-Out® correction fluids can be removed from your hands with an abrasive soap or a soap containing pumice.(Hence the word ABRASIVE)
3)Tipp-Ex® Aqua/Wite-Out® Water-Base correction fluids are water-based fluids and should come out with soap and water in the washing machine. If you prefer to go to the dry cleaner, tell them it is a water-based paint. (I don’t see them offering to pay for a drycleaning bill if it comes down to that)
4) The following Tipp-Ex® and Wite-Out® Brand formulas are petroleum-based: Tipp-Ex® Rapid bottle and Correction Pen, and Wite-Out® For Everything®, Quick Dry, Super Smooth, Extra Coverage, Multi-Purpose, the Wite-Out® brand Correction Pen, and Wite-Out® brand Shake 'n SqueezeTM/MC correction pen. Mineral spirits or citrus-based cleaners will dissolve these correction fluids. If you have spilled one of these formulas on clothing that is "dry clean only," tell your dry cleaner that it is a solvent-based paint so they can treat the stain accordingly. (Once again I will state there is no offer to help out on that drycleaning bill)
5) A word of caution before trying any of the methods suggested: mineral spirits can take out color and/or ruin varnish. If in doubt, test on a "hidden" area first. If you decide to try a citrus-based cleaner, please follow the manufacturer's directions on the label carefully and also test on a "hidden" area first. (Need I say anymore? They are digging there own hole in my eyes)
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My thoughts on BIC
Even though I may not always like a product I always try to find the silver lining on the cloud as I attempted to do this with BIC. So I logged onto the internet and looked up their website which is www.bicworld.com to find out more about BIC and what they stand for. Unfortunately I couldn’t find out that much but here is what I gathered.
The Timeline
In 1945 a man named Marcel Bich in France was a production manager for an ink manufacturer when he decided to venture out on his own with his partner Edward Buffard. Together they created what we know to be as the “ball point” pen. In 1950 BIC was introduced to Europe, BIC standing for Bich’s last name. In 1963, a business called Waterman Pen Company was taken over by BIC in Connecticut and that is where the main headquarters are to this very day. In 1992, BIC obtained the “Wite Out Products, Inc.,” and prepared to launch a whole new exciting line of correction instruments. In 1998 BIC opened on the market the correction tape and in 2000 was when the “Shake ‘N Squeeze Pen” was introduced as well. In 2002 BIC produced what is called the “Wite Out Exact Liner,” which I have yet to use.
Here is what I have a problem with and I will list them:
1) No where on there website or on any of their products does it state whether or not they test on animals
2) No where on there website or any of their products does it state that through the production of over 22 million merchandise, BIC has given one penny back to the community
3) No where on there website or any of their products does it state that they stand behind their product and guarantee it.
Oh I take that back: on the back in very small 1.5 font size it says the following:
BIC Performance Policy
If you are not satisfied with the performance of this product, please return it to BIC and we will gladly replace it at no cost to you. I guess I don't understand why the CAUTION LABEL is listed twice at 14 pt. font and you can barely see their "BIC Performance Policy at all unless you looked hard enough on their packaging.
I would also hope that it would be at no cost to the consumer to replace any of their products, isn't that just a given? Why would I want to replace an item that I already know stinks and doesn’t work and if I inhale could be fatal whom doesn’t give anything back to the community as far as I know and could possibly test their products on animals????
BIC at least claims to be environmental conscious with protecting it in their “day to day operations” as they say and try to minimize over using any material to make their product or for packaging their product. That was all the good I could manage to find though.
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The BIC Shake ‘N Squeeze Correction Pen does not work for me and neither did the BIC Quick Dry Plus work very well either. I was going to write another review on the BIC Quick Dry Plus but honestly I am so disgusted that I even gave a $1.99 to this company that I can’t find it within me to write about them again. Before I started my review on this, I had already done one on the “Correction Tape” which I will publish and does actually work. I have found with all the reviews so far that I have done which is over 50 (32 of them being on products and not my editorials) when I visit their website it isn't just about the company itself. Sure they may go over all their products and the background history, but they always talk about how although they are making all this profit, they are also giving back to society. I didn't find this with BIC nor did I find anything saying that they didn't test on animals either. It really upset me because I like a lot of their products and perhaps they do a lot for the community and do not test on animals, but I feel this should be disclosed to the public, like everyone else does. So until I see that the company is solidly giving back to the community and definitely has not done any testing on animals, I will not buy another product from them.
p.s. I would like to make this update as of 7/3/03 that I have found evidence that BIC is not a cruelty free and they do test on animals. Now I definitely will not buy another BIC product until they are cruelty free!
Thanks for listening,
Until next time,
K Parsons
© 2003
I am including a link to a piece I did on companies that use animals to test their products and this company was included on that list:
Please Read This Piece as it will be an Eye Opening Experience for You!
AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW BIC IS ON A MORATORIUM ON ANIMAL TESTING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
For other Office Supply Articles:
Epson Stylus Color 480SXU: I still don’t understand what happened???
Can we "Wite Out Bic" with the famous "Extra Coverage" so we can CORRECT them!
BIC Wite Out Correction Tape: They Finally Got It Right!
Let Me Put a Little Highlighting Action into Your Day!
Sanford’s Chisel Point Sharpie: Marking a Permanent Spot in my Hand and my Heart
SMEAD Index Cards 4x6, Let Me See if I can Make this Interesting
Recommended:
Yes
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kparsons13
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