EDIT: I just remembered something interesting. It was $15 for a trial to the Oakland Tribune and $10 for the SF Chronicle. I however declined to sign up for the SF Chronicle. This was before I realized that he had handed me a form to sign up for said newspaper. But as I moved to throw away said form, he asked to keep it. When I asked why, he said that he had already bought said subscription (I’m a little hazy on the exact wording here) and that he needed the points for the college money. He instructed me to fill in the box that I had paid him in cash. All he asked was that I give him the form. I wouldn’t have to give him any money. I’m still trying to work that one out in my head.
Door bell rang today and I opened to be greeted by a teenager with a clipboard. Though he was clearly a minority of some sort and spoke with a slight accent, this did not stop him from unleashing a sales pitch at a speed that would do an auctioneer proud.
He spoke of college and the need to pay for his tuition. Proferring the clipboard for my inspection, he claimed that he needed sell newspaper subscriptions for “points” and would in return, gain $500 for college if he managed to reach 500 points. I could cancel the subscription at any point and time and recieve my money back, but he claimed that should I cancel the subscription trial before a certain amount of time, he would not get his points. And no points meant no college money.
To be honest, his pity plea touched me. I do value education highly, and so I respect people for trying to overcome adversity to attain it. Yet, I found myself suspicious. Something just did not feel right about the entire pitch. Perhaps it was because he was pushing the sale especially hard. Or perhaps it was because I didn’t like the feel of his eyes or the overly “pity me” line. But pushing my intuition aside for a moment, here is what I found strange in a more concrete fashion:
1) No paperwork detailing the exact details of said program
2) No website to find said program
In the end, I still have him part of what he asked for ($15 instead of the full $25), but mainly out of curiousity then any real belief that the money would actually be used for what he claimed. I did some searching on Google for several minutes and came up with a piece that confirms my suspicions and opens some new questions:
Soliciting Newspaper Sales with Pity Pleas? -
“California Newspaper Sales & Marketing, the largest contractor hired by both the Chronicle and Mercury News to sell subscriptions, and a major contractor responsible for the Stanford area, says that they do not look for any particular profile when hiring these students, as long as the students are doing well in school. Most of the students, they say, have a stable family life and a potential future — as long as they can obtain the money to pay for school.
…
That claim is anything but the truth. In reality, there is no guarantee the money the students earn will go towards a college education. The students do not receive scholarships; they receive money that can be spent on anything — not just a college education. The students are paid by check on a regular basis, just like any other part-time job. If they are older than 18, they receive the check directly. Otherwise, the check goes to their parents.”
This automatically raises two questions in my mind:
1) How widespread is this practice? Does this occur in other states? (My guess is yes)
2) How much money are these students actually making?
Final Thought: Newspapers must be really hard up these days to have to resort to this kind of advertising.
I had a nearly identical experience with a kid just the other night. As a grad student, I was initially interested in helping the kid because he seemed like he was trying to do his best to get by and go off to college. But it all came off a little scripted, too polished. (It got really over the top when he pulled up his pant leg to show me where he had allegedly been stabbed in the leg by a gang member.)
I grew more suspicious as the kid told me that he didn’t have any literature to leave with me, nor could he give me a number to call or web site to check out. Like you, my suspicions were confirmed when I came across the Stanford Review article about this company.
This is a nefarious scheme, and Bay Area newspapers–in my case, the San Francisco Chronicle and San Jose Mercury News–should be held accountable for contracting out their subscription sales to a company that engages in fraudulent methods. I know newspapers are flat-lining these days, but this is outrageous.
Last night a kid who identified himself as Sahil showed up at our door. Similar story – disadvantaged family, accepted to SJSU, need points for a college scholarship, cancel within 30 days and get your money back. We have a “NO SOLICITORS” sign clearly posted on our door. When I pointed this out to him, it did not stop him. Perhaps I should have told him that ignoring a no solicitation notice is technically a crime (it really is). I told him that I already have a subscription to the Chronicle (and I really do), but that didn’t stop him either. He wouldn’t leave. My wife had a similar experience a month earlier. I suspect that this marketing company – California Newspaper Sales & Marketing, according to the Stanford Review article – is teaching their salesmen to make these pity pleas. They supposedly deny this sort of coaching, but it seems uncanny that _all_ their employees use the same story.
I tried to look up this company via the Better Business Bureau to file a complaint. No luck. There’s no company in their database with a name that comes close enough. I’m going to call the Chronicle later today to complain about this sales tactic. The Mercury News has an “Action Line” column in which people complain about various things and the reporter tries to help them out. It’s written by Dennis Rockstroh, email address actionline@mercurynews.com. I’m going to write him a letter of complaint. If all 3 of us (so far) write similar letters, I think it might prompt him to investigate this company, which is damaging the reputation of the Mercury News. Thoughts?
So I did send a letter to Action Line. We’ll see if he actually responds.
Good deal SVLee. I’ll give it a shot if I can find the time and remember to. This week has been rather hectic.
I have had them come by before several years ago and again today. The first time it happened years ago I read an article about it on the internet as they were trying to push magazines back then. TOday I’m not sure what they were trying to push because my dad and husband both cut them off too soon. All they got to say was they are trying to start up a business and trying to earn points. They did tell my dad it wouldn’t cost anything. The handed him some paper and he saw 1500$ at the top but didn’t really look any further.
Several years back when I looked it up on the internet it said something about some flyby company that gets these kids to sell stuff and makes them work long hours and pays them little to nothing and they don’t get fed unless they sell a certain amount at the end of the day. I think that’s why they are so pushy. Supposedly they bring them in on a bus from somewhere and they are pretty much at the “employers” mercy I guess. I plan to try to locate that article again. I guess in a few years they will come around pushing cookies! I feel bad for the kids if all of that is true but there is no way I’m signing up for anything like that. I hate door to door sells and wil not buy no matter what it is, same for phone sells. (only exception MIGHT be girl scouts but they don’t really do it that way anymore.)
Ive had some kids come to my door also with the college speech, but I still helped them even though it most likely for college. It takes a lot of courage to walk door to door and talk to strangers. Also, the kids can become better speakers in class discussions because of their job. I do feel sorry for them because I wouldn’t want an individual treating my son or daughter bad if they were walking door to door.
Look at this this way. You could work 40 hours at McDonalds for one week in order to make that same $500 for college. If you are poor, you can take out a government subsidized student loan and the government may give you a grant so that you can go to college.
Think about how much time it would take to go door to door collecting 10 dollars for newspaper articles in order to reach enough points that earn you $500. Seems to me like you would have to sell at least 50 magazine subscriptions. I would think that your best bet is the government backed loans or McDonalds for one week.
I lean towards this being a way of taking your credit card numbers for future use.
Think about it another way. Why are they selling things for points? How do points really help them get to college? If I go and sell 10 magazines what am I going to get? A bunch of points? IF you’re trying to get to college you should be getting money.
It’s actually funny that I came upon this seeing as i just started selling the newspaper in my area just a few days ago. I actually was looking for a more efficient way to make money while also having the time to do school work and a school friend told me to come work with him. The very first thing he taught me was his pitch, which is pretty much the same, only difference being instead of 500 it’s 200 and it’s not based on points i would simply explain if i get 200 sign up I GET THIS MONEY and it’s 1000 not 500 in return. However on the same note i was warned the company does not support this, so as i’m doing now, I want to know other ways to get the same results.
The truth is I AM putting this money to my education but I can’t convince you, the person i’m selling to, that unless i make you believe it’s not in MY CONTROL. If i got 200 in a month at max i’ve made 4000 dollar, that 4hours a day, that’s at the least 2000 i can put to school after bills and taking care of myself PLUS more time now in the day to work on school. The problem is I’m selling an outdated product, news can be obtained on the net, it’s offered free by many competitor, and unfortunely the company’s biggest competitor is much favored. As much as I don’t want to rely on this pitch it sells the product because now i’ve given YOU the buyer a good reason to buy from me, it make YOU feel like you’ve helped someone while at the same time getting something in return.
It’s not about pity though it’s about given you a reason to buy the paper other then to wake up to depressing news every morning. As a student in my early twenties i’m smart enough to know that most people will think i just want to make money for fun. I want to make money I NEED TO MAKE MONEY, and i don’t have the time to be working two job and that’s is what i’m looking at doing if this doesn’t work out. If that happens, if i factor out sleep, i just might be able to get my school work ready but i’ll be in no shape for long term learning.
Thanks though for posting this at least now i know the pitch creates suspension which was instantly my thoughts on it, but it’s hard not to use it when it’s made me 120 average a day so far.