NoOOoo00oOoo! I’m supposed to be getting LESS junk mail not MORE!! Don’t they know I’m blogging this, and they are making me look bad.
The Tea Party Inc a project of 1776 Nation’s Tea Party Command, and GI America run by Major Joe Gilbert, Bizapedia page. This is the Tea Party run by Steve Eichler. Their contact page lists contact@TeaParty.org and the phone number (714) 796-1776 but their Privacy Policy lists remove@teaparty.org. I will email both addresses, and give them a call.
National Seniors Council, They have a page devoted to opting out. It is a project of National Grassroots Advocacy, Inc. (no website) GuideStar page, Charity Navigator page (703) 527-1295, no pick up. Call their fundraiser The Delta Group instead (703) 914-1266
Americans for Prosperity is apart of the Koch brother’s Super PAC, dark money, $1 billon war chest that is about to be released on America in the next election cycle.Wiki page Source Watch page Open Secrets page Opt-out here and call (866) 730-0150. Tom DeWeese commented on this blog the last time I mentioned Americans for Prosperity. He wanted me to email him to get off their mailing list admin@americanpolicy.org so send an email to him as well.
This is a detail of the red envelope included in the package. It has a dramatization of a conversation on it.
Robert,
Will you please make sure [name] gets these letters to sign?
[name and address]
*Let’s meet later to talk “summit”
Thanks – Tim
This same tactic was used by Publishers Clearing House. In 1999 the Senate had hearings on the effects of predatory sweepstakes. This clip is of victim Eustace Hall talking about what the sweepstakes did to his life and he mentions one letter in particular that is very similar to this file folder.
The sweepstakes used phrases that made me think I was a winner and that the prize was guaranteed and bonded. Over the years, I received many personalized letters from the sweepstakes companies thanking me for being such a good customer and telling me that my chances of winning were good or that it would be my time soon. I have a copy of a letter from Dorothy Addeo, Publishers Clearing House contest manager. I would like to read a short portion of the letter. “My boss dropped into my office the other day, sat down and sighed.” and ‘What’s the story with Eustace Hall? I see that name on our Best Customer List, on our Contenders List, on our President’s Club Member List. But I don’t see him on our Winner’s List. There must be something we can do to change that. It’s not right when someone as nice as Eustace Hall doesn’t win.”’ This is just one example of how I was led to believe that my prior purchases made me special. I purchased things I did not need, magazines I did not read.
This clip is a few minutes later. Mr. Hall and Carol Gelinas talked about how personalizing the letter effects how people enter the sweepstakes.
Senator Collins: This is from Publishers Clearing House, and, Mr. Hall, I think you said that you may have received this one or similar ones.
Mr. Hall: Yes.
Senator Collins: Ms. Gelinas, if you notice this mailing, it is personalized throughout. The consumer’s name is throughout it. How big a role is the fact that these appear to be personalized mailings, was this in your father’s case?
Ms. Gelinas: It was a really big part of his problem. He thought that anything that came to him with his name in it referring to him as an individual, with maybe a little sticky note that looked like it was handwritten and also had his name on it, he thought that was real. I think it comes from not understanding what you can do with computers, and to him, when he was in business, before he retired, things that looked like that were personal letters. And he thought they were. He thought he was special, that he was getting personal letters from places because he was so close to winning that he was going to be the winner.
Senator Collins: Mr. Hall, did the fact that these were personalized and that your name appeared throughout and that it had language such as “open your door to $31 million,” convince you that you were in a special category and likely to win?
Mr. Hall: Yes, it did.
Senator Collins: And did you think that if you made a purchase that that increased your chances of winning?
Mr. Hall: Yes, it did.
Senator Collins: So you thought by making a purchase that would help you win, and that if you didn’t make a purchase, did you think that you would not be likely to win?
Mr. Hall: Yes, I did.
The next day the committee grilled the heads of the big sweepstakes. This clip is of Publishers Clearing House Executive Vice President Deborah Holland (LinkedIn page)talking about one of the personalized letters to Eustace Hall.
Senator Collins: Well, let me show you another exhibit, and this one is the Eustace Hall letter from Dorothy Addeo. You are familiar with this letter, Ms. Holland. This is a mailing that Mr. Hall brought to the attention of the Subcommittee. It is a personalized letter from the contest manager at Publishers Clearing House. It says, “Dear Eustace Hall: I am in a bit of hot water and only you can get me out. “My boss dropped into my office the other day, sat down and sighed. ‘What’s the story with Eustace Hall? I see that name on our Best Customer List, on our Contender’s List, on our President’s Club List, but I don’t see it on our Winner’s List. There must be something we can do to change that. It’s not right when someone as nice as Eustace Hall doesn’t win.’ “Then he sighed again, looked at me and left, and I sat there wondering what to do. I had my mission, Eustace Hall, to make you a winner and soon.” Now, how many people received this mailing that made Mr. Hall feel so special, feel like he was singled out for special treatment by your company?
Ms. Holland: This mailing was sent to millions of people. This is a personalized mailing, it’s direct mail. The whole reason for this letter is to simply announce that there is another contest opportunity coming up and that the recipient should watch his mail box for it.
Senator Collins: Mr. Hall told our investigators that he believed that this exact conversation took place; that, in fact, Dorothy Addeo’s boss did drop into the office and say these words. Did this conversation actually take place with regard to Mr. Hall?
Ms. Holland: This conversation and this situation is a dramatization of actual conversations that did take place when we were planning this very special new contest opportunity. The announcement in this letter is that we have a new contest in which everybody who enters will be guaranteed to win a prize. All they have to do is enter. Now, again, as I mentioned earlier, this is simply an advance notice telling people to watch for the upcoming mailing. You can’t enter from this. You can’t even order.
Senator Collins: But, in fact, the conversation did not take place, and this letter is deceptive. This was sent to 9 million people, was it not–personalized letters
Ms. Holland: Yes.
Senator Collins: Were there 9 million conversations between your contest manager and her boss?
Ms. Holland: Of course not. This is advertising. This was a dramatization of situations and conversations that happened in the company. It is sort of like “ring around the collar.”
Senator Collins: But do you not see why this would be deceptive to a reasonable person like Mr. Hall? Do you not see why it made him think that he was special?
Ms. Holland: We do not think that this is deceiving. We thought it’s perfectly fine. I did want to note for the record, though, that the company has stopped mailing this letter over a year and a half ago because, even though we did think it was fine and not confusing, we wanted to be responsive to input that we got.
Senator Collins: Thank you.
While Americans for Prosperity is not a sweepstakes, they are asking for money from people who can’t afford to give away the little they have. Americans for Prosperity knows full well that a package like this, with it’s slick personalizations, will appeal the most to an elderly person with diminished mental abilities.
Jerusalem Prayer Team International, run by Mike Evens, Article about different Christians for Israel charities and where the money goes. Opt out here and call (888) 966-8472
United States Justice Foundation. Charity Navigator, Source Watch page. Opt-out here or call (760) 788-6624. Also op-out through Response Unlimited. The USJF has ignored me so I sent a complaint to the DMA.
American Farmland Trust, Wiki page, Charity Navigator page (not rated). Opt-out here info@farmland.org and call (202) 378-1220. Their fundraisers are Eidolon Communications (responded to my email), Sea Change Strategies, Public Interest Communications.
Consumer Reports, Wiki page Call (800) 666-5261
The Youth Secret (800) 940-4046 make sure you have the ad when you call. They will ask for the “Special Code” when you ask to be taken off their mailing list.
2 scams from the Netherlands
Young & Vobel
TIPP Service
Postbus 69319 1060 cj Amsterdam The Netherlands
Giuseppe (Pippo) di Fortunato Grand Master of Occultism
Logistic Processing
PB 32 Hughersluys 27 4530 AA Tereuzen Holland
Pippo has a new address this week. If he is such a Grand Master of Occultism, then he should know that she changed her address a year ago. Update your suckers list ya scammers.
Drowning in Junk Mail 