watcher@ndmath.math.nd.edu (watcher) (10/07/90)
I got my Sprint Plus bill today. Inside, along with the usual issue of SprintLine ("news and information" form of advertising), there is an order form for a 1991 Appointment Book and/or Pocket Diary, handsomely bound in faux leather, valued at $21.95/$12.95 respectively, available for ONLY (emphasis theirs) $2.00 EACH plus $2.97 shipping and handling (plus applicable sales tax on these amounts). There is a place for me to give them my Mastercard/Visa/Discover number and expiration date ... great ... I could use an appointment book. They'll even put my initials on it at no extra charge. The problem? I DON'T HAVE A CREDIT CARD! So what am I supposed to do with this wonderful LIMITED TIME offer that they have offered to me, their esteemed customer? Probably not very much. This seems like a rather useless direct-marketing program which reeks of a scam to get more credit information on their customers. My other (smaller) concern is the wording "applicable sales tax on these amounts". 'Applicable' is obviously (?) determined by the state I live in. but 'these amounts' undoubtedly refers to BOTH (i.e. the sum total of) the sales price and the shipping/handling. Can they charge sales tax on shipping/handling? I've never heard of this before. Closer examination of their offer shows that I can order as many additional appointment books as I want, at the full price of $21.95/$12.95 (plus $2.97 shipping/handling). This whole thing is almost as sleazy as most 900 numbers. [Moderator's Note: I think you have a major misunderstanding of the promotion. First, this promotion is being offered by several organizations to their customers including American Express, various VISA/MC agents, and others. It is not peculiar to Sprint. I've received three identical offers (including Sprint's) in the past month. The company which manufactures the diary (and fills ALL the orders!) lets each seller refer to it as their own product. My diary from First National Bank will look exactly like yours from Sprint. The three ads I have received thus far, as bill inserts, all allowed payment by credit card only, however what makes you think VISA would need to get 'credit card information on its customers'? The form you read went out millions of times this month, and Sprint stamped their name on a few hundred thousand, and will get a few cents commission on each order going in which keys back to them. So what? Finally, the tax on 'both amounts' refers to the original diary at the introductory price and the additional diaries you order at the regular price. It does *not* refer to tax on shipping and handling. This promotion has been around for years. In the middle seventies at Amoco they were offered by the 'Amoco Merchandise Center' in bill inserts every October. If you don't have a credit card, that's your problem. Your sense of sleaze is greatly misplaced, I think. PAT]
tnixon@uunet.uu.net (Toby Nixon) (10/08/90)
In article <13126@accuvax.nwu.edu>, our Moderator writes: > Finally, the tax on 'both amounts' refers to the original diary at the > introductory price and the additional diaries you order at the regular > price. It does *not* refer to tax on shipping and handling. This varies on a state-by-state basis as well. I called the Georgia state Department of Revenue about practice shortly after moving to Atlanta from Tallahassee, and was told that Georgia law does indeed allow sales tax to be charged on shipping and handling. Toby Nixon, Principal Engineer Fax: +1-404-441-1213 AT&T: !tnixon Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. Voice: +1-404-449-8791 CIS: 70271,404 Norcross, Georgia, USA BBS: +1-404-446-6336 MCI: TNIXON UUCP: ...!uunet!hayes!tnixon Internet: hayes!tnixon@uunet.uu.net