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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 9, 1981)
O 5* aet-ricn- quick schemes By Carolyn Tiller Battalion Reporter w ant to get rich quick? Put an ad in a magazine; otter a sure fire way to get rich by sending $10 for some information. To afl who send money, return this advice: Put an ad in a magazine just like this one and send the same advice. Sound absurd? Every day people are taken by mail-order companies who promise the world and send a plastic globe. Some common shams are misleading charities, get-rich- quick schemes, mail-order plant nurseries, free vacations and weight-loss gimmicks. Charity fraud includes falsely represented ethnic groups or handicapped people in need. A newer type of charity fraud has become more common late ly. "A fast growing problem in charitable contributions today is the act of a charitable organiza tion allowing a for-profit promo ter to collect money in their name," said the February 1981 Houston Better Business Bureau publication "The Spokesman." "This type of solicitation has been going on for years, but now is becoming even more common. The promoter and the organization strike some agree ment that the organization's name will be used by the promo ter to raise funds." The result is that the promoter reaps in a large percent of the profits. Profits are offered to people, usually in exaggerated amounts, who want to work at home to "get rich." An October 1980 U.S. Postal Inspection Service press release said, "The most common work- at-home schemes involve adver tisements offering a large amount of income for stuffing envelopes. The promoter win require you to invest your money before you are sent any instructions." Postal Inspector C.L. Woodard in Houston said, "The Postal Inspection Service has a very consertive effort going on right now to try and curb those." Low-income people who need the extra money are usual ly the victims of these schemes. "The little old lady in tennis shoes can't afford to lose that money (the initial investment)," Woodard said. Some people lose money in garden plants they send off for. A BBB pamphlet "Consumer Tips on Mail-Order Shade Trees" said, "The ads generally proclaim 'amazing new discov ery 7 or 'fabulous value.' Actual ly, the item offered is likely to be nothing more than a very small or common plant or even a weed." The free vacation cliche usual ly involves a three-day, two- night glorious vacation in a re sort city (Las Vegas). The pack age includes gaming allowances and fine hotel accomodations. But there are catches: the allo wance for gaming is available at inconvenient times; the hotel accommodations have severe restrictions on when they can be accomodated; the hotel may not be as "fine" as expected. How to avoid being taken? "If it's something that you don't know and don't have any good information about," Woodard said "Then a person has to come to his own conclu sion, but they should use their best sense. LeRoy Balmain, executive di rector of the Brazos Valley Better Business Bureau, said, "If you don't know them, check with the Better Business Bureau. At least that's one of the places you can check because our business is maintaining info on these businesses as to whether they've had complaints or whether they've taken care of their complaints or even if they are in business here. "We much rather have you call us and ask about a company than to wait and have a com plaint because it takes much more time and staff time to handle a complaint that it does an inquiry." For questions about free vacations, check the hotel and ask about the accommodations and reservations. The Attorney General's office is another good place to check out companies before purchas ing items. But Woodard warns, 'The very absence of a bad report can't be construed as a good re port." "If you had a transaction which involved mail in which you have been cheated, you first would contact the company and get them to make the offer good'" Woodard said. If that effort gets nowhere, contact the postal office and file a complaint. The complaint will be sent to the post office within the city of the suspected com pany. They will get the com plaint to the postal inspectors. Another form will be sent to Washington, D.C. The chief inspector of the Postal Inspection Service "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Woodard said, "That's the best advice you can give any body." Wonder how you got on that list anyway? When something is bought, a company will keep the custom ers' names and addresses and sell them to companies who are in the business of compiling mail lists. Getting off a list is "pretty much a lost cause," he said. But there are some organiza tions that will try to get names off mailing lists: Direct Mail Marketing Association' Mail Preference Service at 6 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017 (ask for a "name removal" form). Or Mail Preference Service, 230 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10017. A Schlotzsky’s is: a unique blend of 3 Kinds of meat 3 Kinds of cheese lettuce, tomato, onion olives and mustard served hot on our fresh homemade bun!! TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS IN COLLEGE STATION: 100 SOOTH TEXAS AVE. (ACROSS FROM LOBY’S) 846-8933 COLPEPPER PLAZA (NEXT TO UNIVERSITY BOOK STORE) 693-0861 ^■4 ^