Dear Roundys,

As a generic brand you are good, but you are still a generic brand, jack of all trades, master at none but the low price.

I have no problem with that.  You fill your niche in the market place well and many of your items have graced our shelves. But recently an item of yours has come into my home that I have a real issue with. It is a box of kitchen matches.

It’s not that I mind that every seventh match breaks in half. And I can deal with the fact that the striker on the side of the box wore out at an alarming rate, forcing me to use the bits on the corners in short quick bursts. No, it’s the coloring of the packaging that I have an issue with.

This box of kitchen matches looks very similar from the top, and from the bottom.

Why is this an issue you ask? We heat our house with wood.  Therefore, every morning this winter found me crouched in front of the wood stove rekindling the fire. Chilly, bleary eyed, attempting to function before my morning tea at an admittedly sub par level I would lay my fire, reach for the matches, slide open the box and – matches all over the floor. You see when the top looks frighteningly similar to the bottom, it’s very easy to open upside down. And when you open that box upside down, the nice sliding “drawer” turns into a nice sliding “dump.” And the quick lighting of the fire turns into pick up sticks – again.

It has occurred to me that the reason my matches had such a high breakage rate was due to their rough handling. This I believe to be good news as with a bit of color change in your printing both problems will be resolved.

Other than the issues above, your matches preformed beautiful and I would be happy to purchase them again, after the box receives the much needed overhaul.

Thank you for your time and your consideration of this serious problem,

A Freezing and Frustrated Fire-starter