Money Mailbox Friday – Scams and Junk Mails with Tempting Offers

by MoneyNing · 5 comments

I received a mailing recently from a luxurious resort asking me whether I would like a free DVD that explains how I can feel like owning a vacation home with a fraction of the cost. Like most sales type mail, I usually throw it out right away but this one tempts me because as a bonus gift of saying I want the DVD, I would also get the 2007/2008 Zagat Survey’s Guide to America’s Top Golf Courses.

As an avid golfer, this guide should be a pretty good read. All I am really giving up by replying yes is my mailing address (which they already have) and my email address. On the other hand however, I might be opening the door to a sales person’s constant emails and attempts to win my business.
So what would you have done if a junk offer tempts you to sign up by offering something that’s really cool? Would you go for it?

These offers are everywhere and we certainly see them all the time. The most common ones are those that ask you to go listen to their sales pitch for an hour by giving you a couple free nights of hotel stays. Has anyone been to any of those offers? How has your experience been like and did you feel that you were scammed? Were there any bad consequences afterwards?

Sometimes, it’s quite hard to figure out which ones are scams and which ones are not but here are a few ways to that could potentially help.

Check the Credentials of the Company
You would be surprised at how bad a job those scam companies usually present themselves. The mailings should state which company it’s from and if you check carefully by looking online at their website, your intuition will guide you to eliminate many of those scams.

Google It
The most valuable thing Google provided was a way to search almost all web pages across the globe. All you need to do is search for the content of the mail and chances are someone’s talked/discussed/blogged about it. Read up on what others have to say about it and you can be sure to get some clues as to whether the deal is good or not.

Trust Yourself
If you are unsure whether it’s a scam or not, then it probably is. If it’s too good to be true, then pass the offer up. We are actually pretty good at determining this subconsciously so just trust your instincts!

After doing all this, I think I will go get myself a free copy of the Zagat Survey. I will let you know if I get scammed!

Tagged as: Money Mailbox, Scams

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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Fiscal Musings June 27, 2008 at 9:41 am

I got a 3 day 2 night stay on the Vegas strip just for listening to a sales presentation about time shares. Sure, the sales pressure is pretty intense, but if you’re confident that you can say no, then I’d say it’s definitely worth it.

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luz June 28, 2008 at 6:03 am

Beware of emails saying that you won from the lottery and getting your personal info.
They might use your profile in crimes they might into so dont give out your personal info easily.

Reply

marci June 28, 2008 at 10:28 am

I had a 2 night 3 day stay at Eagle Resort near Bend… Yes, I had to go to the 1.5 hr presentation – but once I said I wasn’t buying, just there for the free weekend, the sales pressure let up. It was actually fairly interesting – and a nice way to see how others splurge their monies… as it is a great golf resort, I can see the attraction for those who are retiring and wanting to live at a golf course.

For me – there were a few follow up mails, one phone call to see if the salesmen were polite and informative, and that was about it. No pressure.

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Johnny March 21, 2009 at 11:16 pm

whattttttssss up!

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