Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Beware of calls from
phony fund-raisersQuestion: Could you warn your readers about the telemarketers who claim to be "disadvantaged" or "handicapped" and are selling light bulbs, fraudulently claimed to last 10 years, fire extinguishers and flags? They make frequent references to the fact that they are "disadvantaged," although they are not. My daughter and I both got calls from them.
Answer: Neither the state Office of Consumer Protection nor the Better Business Bureau of Hawaii had received any complaints about such callers or received any recent warnings about them when we checked recently.
However, the BBB said the Federal Trade Commission charged an Arizona-based telemarketing firm two years ago with selling goods at inflated prices by misrepresenting employees as being handicapped or disabled.
"False appeals to consumers' charitable nature just to fill your own pocket is a despicable act," Jodie Bernstein, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in an Aug. 8, 2000, press release.
"It tarnishes the reputations of legitimate organizations that truly benefit those in need, because it leaves consumers skeptical about charitable solicitations."
The FTC said the defendants used names that imply a connection with the handicapped, such as Handicapped Industries, Jobs for the Disadvantaged and Reliable Handicapped Workers, and their telemarketers told consumers that their purchase of household goods -- at prices two to 10 times higher than competitors' prices -- would benefit the firms' workers, who were falsely depicted as being handicapped or disabled.
The FTC had these tips for consumers:
>> Don't be fooled by similar-sounding names. Some phony nonprofits use names that closely resemble those of respected, legitimate organizations.
>> Don't succumb to high-pressure appeals. Legitimate fund-raisers won't push you to give on the spot, and be wary of nonprofits offering to send a courier to collect your donation immediately.
>> Do give generously -- but on your own terms. Make an annual giving plan and stick to it.
You can obtain copies of consumer education materials through the FTC's Web site, www.ftc.gov, or through the FTC's Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20580; phone toll-free: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357); TDD for the hearing impaired: 866-653-4261.
You can also get information on scams and other consumer-related information from the BBB by checking its Web site at www.bbb.org/library or by calling the local BBB at 536-6956.
Mahalo
To Dwight and Tanabe Service Station on East Manoa Road for their caring and good judgment. On July 31 my husband, who has a medical condition, made a wrong turn on his way to an appointment and ended up twice at Tanabe's. Realizing his confused state, they talked him into staying there, gave him a soda and called me at home. -- Thankful wife
Useful phone numbers
Got a question or complaint?
Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
E-mail to kokualine@starbulletin.com