Scammy mail: The K-Designers example

[vakkotaur]

I've mentioned this bit of scammy advertising ( here and here) that attempts to trick the recipient of a post card into calling a number so as to bypass any Do Not Call listings. Since then, I've gotten yet another card from these jokers.

This time I didn't just toss it. Instead, I've scanned it so it can be an example for me to point out a few

Comments

[tkcoyote]

Working at the postal centers, I see a lot of these letters (man, a whole lot of them) and I get severely annoyed by them knowing most folks just throw them away. I feel they should be charged a larger fee for sending them in bulk, but no...they get a discount. It's cheaper if they send more out. What makes even more work for me (which I should be grateful for?) is when the customers simply write "Refused" on it and send it back. I get to deal with that letter all over again. Hehe...so one has to ask how they're making money. They pay for these letters to be sent out, they pay for their telemarketers to bother people once they call, and they give them a supposed free grill? Oh, let's not forget the triple shipping and handling charges as well as "We're going to sell you this frying pan for $150 and get this grill absolutely free!!!" It's kind of amusing in a way. :)

[vakkotaur]

If they were honest enough to have a return address and show themselves to be trying sell something right on the card then I could use USPS Form 1500 and put a stop to it. So these spammy folks have gotten around that, too, dagnabbit. You're right, all this does is waste trees. How is it all paid for? Well, I suspect they have a high turnover from paying as little as they get can get away with and there likely are a few suckers that actually fall for this crap. And those suckers get to pay for all the scammy advertising.

Funny

[tkcoyote]

Funny. I just received the postcard and wasted my time looking up the phone number on the back. I'm in Minneapolis where siding is popular. I wonder if the USPS Form 1500 can be used by refering to the US Postage PAID Permit or does it just refer to the company used to spam us via mail.

Signed,

Patient in Minneapolis

Re: Funny

[vakkotaur]

Form 1500 applies when the mailpiece is advertising that lists something for sale itself. These jokers have skated around that by keeping the selling out of the mail itself and only using the mail to generate a phone call. They're sleazy, but adept at circumventing anti-annoyance procedures. What they do is legal, though hardly ethical.

[tkcoyote]

K-Designers treats their employees fairly and pays them well for a job well done. Any advertising practices we employ are perfectly legal. It's easy to criticize when you don't own a business, don't have loyal and dedicated employees, and aren't trying to keep your costs down to keep your employees working (especially in this recessionary period).

[vakkotaur]

Perfect legality can be done just barely within the law and still fail to be ethical.

Do you impugn everyone who points out such things as ignorant of even the simplest of business realities? Why does (since I am still getting replies about these cards even now, so I won't simply say 'did') K-Designers go with an advertising scheme clearly made to circumvent the Do Not Call list? Why doesn't the advertising say what is really going on? If the product and service and company is as wonderful as you claim, why not be respectable and be proud of it up front?

K-Designer's Sales Pitch is even more scammy

[tkcoyote]

This company does not only use a deceptive direct mail scam. Its sales pitch is a lie as well. They have survived for 30 years, but in a Google world it is doubtful they will survive many more. They try everything, astroturfing fake happy customer/employee reviews and denial of service attacks to web sites like this one, but the sheer volume of people whom they have exploited is finally catching up with them

Re: K-Designer's Sales Pitch is even more scammy

[vakkotaur]

I'm almost tempted, but they haven't sent me another annoying card in some time. Since they haven't been bothering me that way, scheduling such an appointment seems rather poor form. Besides, I already have a grill.

As for promotions expiring, I wonder that the world isn't immune to such silly claims yet. It's like "Not available in stores!" which means you'll see it at the discount store in a few months.