aeq@pucc-h (Jeff Sargent) (02/24/84)
I received a postcard from the "Prize Headquarters" of a firm I know I've
heard of in some connection--Carter & Van Peel. Text follows:
Congratulations....
You have won a prize in the Carter & Van Peel $25,000.00 publicity
sweepstakes. Return this card at once to claim your prize. There is no
entry fee. Nothing to buy. The prize you have won is already yours.
Please enclose $1 to cover the cost of processing your name and mailing your
award notification to you. This $1 is voluntary. You do not have to send it,
but we would appreciate it.
Your official award notification will arrive within the next few days to tell
you what your prize is and how to collect it. Mail this card with your name
and address and $1 to <a P.O. Box in Westbury, NY>.
You must claim your prize before March 9, 1984. Unclaimed prizes will not
be awarded. Return this card promptly.
--- End of text
I always distrust such things. If it's a publicity sweepstakes, will there
not be pressure from them to buy some product of theirs? How in the world did
they get my name for their mailing list? Why should I pay $1 for a cut in
only $25000, i.e. for what is likely to be quite a small prize?
Anyone else had any experience with this bunch?
--
-- Jeff Sargent
{allegra|ihnp4|decvax|harpo|seismo|teklabs|ucbvax}!pur-ee!pucc-h:aeq
...drifting along with the tumbling terminals....aeq@pucc-h (Jeff Sargent) (03/01/84)
Lo and behold.... Carter & Van Peel went ahead and sent me the next stage of
their "publicity sweepstakes" without my even returning the card. They now
tell me that I have already won either some semi-precious stone (I forget
what) or $25k (I know where my bet is). Of course, they enclosed their
catalog of mail-order semi-precious and synthetic jewelry (I knew I'd heard
of them before!). It seems reasonably fair and aboveboard; however, I don't
remember if the materials contained the all-important magic phrase, "no
purchase necessary". I vaguely think they do, but I won't swear to it.
I have no idea what I'd do with a semi-precious stone. I don't use jewelry
(unless you count a $30 LCD watch), so I'd be silly to make any purchase.
I'm tempted to just bag it...if the only prize was the stone, I think I would
probably go so far as to request that they remove me from their mailing list.
But $25,000 would almost pay off the balance on my mortgage....
Any suggestions as to strategy?
--
-- Jeff Sargent
{allegra|ihnp4|decvax|harpo|seismo|teklabs|ucbvax}!pur-ee!pucc-h:aeq
...drifting along with the tumbling terminals....cas@cvl.UUCP (Cliff Shaffer) (03/06/84)
Add to the Carter & Van Peel empire "Gem Collectors International" (or some name vaguely like that). I got a similar sweepstakes offer about 6-8 months ago and sent it in. The drawing was for about new years, and I was guarenteed to win at least a stone or two of some sort. I have not heard anything from them since then. It was part of an advertisement to join the gem collectors group. I included a letter saying I couldn't possibly join anything which included no real information about the product. I plan to write a letter to the postal authorities soon about it all. Of course I was expecting this to happen - I made copies of all the forms because ... Well, this is not the first time I have dealt with Carter & Van Peel. About a year ago, I responded to an add in Dial Magazine (the magazine used by many PBS stations around the country to carry their listings - I would have thought it to be a reliable place for ads, but not so) for one of these cheap telephones. After several months, a letter, and calls to a permanently busy phone number, I sent a letter to the Better Business Bureau which referred it to the Postal Inspecter. I got the phone soon after and called off the dogs. Since it won't cost you more than a stamp, I urge everyone to respond to the Sweepstakes letters. Then, we should stay in touch with each other as to results and try to coordinate a letter campaign to the Post office. I would like to see these people shut down. Cliff Shaffer ...!rlgvax!cvl!cas
gam@proper.UUCP (Gordon Moffett) (03/06/84)
Jeff, I recieved a letter (on narrow laserprint computer paper) which was nearly identical to yours except: "Carter & Van Peel" was replaced with "Cheeselovers International". The second paragraph began: "Return this notice to claim prize. Enclose $1..." and the rest is the same. The third paragraph begins "When your official award notification arrives within the next few days, it will describe your prize ... [same stuff] ... Mail this notice and $1 in enclosed reply envelope at once." The prize must be claimed before April 25, 1984. And, amazingly enough, the address here is ALSO a P O Box in Westbury, NY! (1265, to be exact). And it was labeled: "Attn: Gerard Paul" I was thinking of sending it in, (without the $1, of course), but I recall hearing bad things about the mail order practices of "Cheeselovers International" on a consumer radio program. I decided it was more trouble than I wanted to deal with. Interesting that "Cheeselovers" and "Carter & Van Peel" are the same people, no? Any OTHERS out there get this apparent mail fraud?
burris@ihopa.UUCP (David Burris) (03/07/84)
I taking a survey to find the person who has recieved the most "Black Star of India" prizes from the combination Carter & Van Peel, Cheeselover's International, and The Gem Collectors. I have recieved 6 Black Stars and 2 Tigris Emeralds. Do I hear any other nominations? Anybody want to buy a Black Star? I think I'll start a sweepstakes! -- Dave Burris ..!ihnp4!ihopa!burris AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, Il.
andrew@inmet.UUCP (03/07/84)
#R:proper:-105100:inmet:22100001:000:123 inmet!andrew Mar 6 11:30:00 1984 "Abernathy & Closther" are yet another alias for Gerald Paul and his Cheeselovers crew. I think there are others as well.
hxe@rayssd.UUCP (03/08/84)
Just for the heck of it, I sent back Carter and Van Peel's offer. There
really is no purchase necessary, and they really do send you a "semi-
precious" (cough) gem. I got an opal on "genuine gold electroplate"!!
I had it appraised (my landlord is a goldsmith and a gemologist) at
around $2.00, which is a lot better than the 50-cent black star of
India someone else sent me!
Remember, if you're lonely, once - just once - order something from
a catalog.........
Heather Emanuel {allegra, decvax!brunix, ccieng5, linus} rayssd!hxeandrew@inmet.UUCP (03/11/84)
#R:ihopa:-17100:inmet:22100002:000:103 inmet!andrew Mar 9 09:39:00 1984 I might buy your Black Star Of India, but I'd have to see the "Certificate Of Authenticity" first! :-)