On 12-12-12, the Calaveras Sheriff’s Office received several reports
from different residents around the San Andreas area regarding
subjects, described as being in late teens to early twenties, soliciting
magazine sales to earn points or pay for college. In one instance, a
victim gave one of the subjects $69 with the thought the subject was
going to return in an hour. The victim never saw the subject again.
On 12-13-12, the Sheriff’s Office received a similar report of
subjects soliciting magazine sales in the area of Daphne Street in
Valley Springs. Sheriff’s Deputies searched the area, but were unable
to locate the individuals. The reporting party in Valley Springs was
concerned due to the subject persistently trying to talk them into
letting him into the house.
Not all magazine sales offers are scams. If you have been contacted
about a magazine subscription or renewal, check out the company first to
be sure they are reputable
A classic scam is the door-to-door magazine sales. Typically, young
men or women (ranging from late teens to early twenties) will come to
your door, giving a sales pitch that may have to do with raising money
for a trip overseas for their school. They may also say that they are
raising money for their high school or college, or they are raising
money to go to college. Who wants to deny a young person their dream of
college? These salespeople may even have laminated ID badges to show
you, along with a sad story. They might also tell you that they are
being judged on how well they do with their presentation. Finally, the
catch will come… you have to purchase something, which is usually a
magazine subscription. Sadly, most consumers that end up giving their
money away for those subscriptions will never receive a magazine or see
their money again
Tips to avoid the door-to-door scam:
Don't let them in your house. While there are legitimate salespeople
that still make door-to-door visits, consumers should be very cautious
by not allowing any unexpected guests into their home. If someone comes
to your door that you do not know, you should ask who it is through a
closed door. If it's a solicitor and you don't want to talk to them,
simply tell them to leave. If you do open the door, don't open it wide
and don't invite them in. They may say things like: "Can I use your
phone to contact my sales manager", "Can I get a glass of water", "Can I
use your bathroom" or "It's really hot out here, can we go inside and
talk where it's cool?" If you tell them "no" and they still won't leave
you alone, one suggestions is to yell "fire" or anything to get other
people's attention. If you feel like you are in danger, you should
immediately call the police.
Pay attention and listen carefully to what they say. If you think
that the salesperson may be lying, ask for the name of their school,
company, or association that they are representing, along with their
contact information. Verify that this salesperson is actually associated
with the group, and then verify that the company is legitimate by
checking with the Better Business Bureau.
Ask the salesperson to give you everything in writing, including
return or warranty information. Tell them that you'd like to verify
everything first, then get back to them. If you don't feel comfortable
or see a neighbor being harassed by a salesperson, call the Sheriff’s
Office.
Don't be pressured into anything. Salespeople will try using high
pressure sales techniques in order to get you to buy their product. Hold
your position, and don't allow them to win you over with words like
"this offer is only valid for today", or "I won't be in this area
again". A door-to-door salesperson will try to keep you talking so long
that you'll finally wear down and say "yes." They hope that you will
just "give- in" so that you can get rid of them. The Federal Trade
Commission's Three-Day Cooling-Off Rule gives the customer three days to
cancel purchases over $25 that are made in their home or at a location
that is not the seller's permanent place of business. Along with a
receipt, salespeople should also include a completed cancellation form
that customers can send to the company to cancel the agreement. By law,
the company must give customers a refund within 10 days of receiving the
cancellation notice.
What to do if you have already been scammed:
• If you happen to have the company's address and telephone number,
you should try contacting them first to cancel the subscription or
services that you agreed to, and ask for a refund.
• If you paid cash for one of these door-to-door scams, there isn't
much that can be done to retrieve your money since there is no way to
trace it. If you paid by check, you can try contacting your bank and
canceling the check. You should also warn the bank that a potential
scammer has your check, and you might want to change the account number.
• If you paid by credit or debit card, contact the bank or credit
card issuer immediately. Explain to them what happened, and you might
have to cancel the card.
• You may also want to continue to monitor charges to your card so you can dispute any purchases you did not make.
• If the company continues to contact you and demand payment after
you've canceled, send them copies of the cancellation letter along with a
cease and desist letter. You may have to contact an attorney, and
threaten them with legal action if they continue to harass you by saying
they will report you to a credit bureau.
• You can contact and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.
