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Kokua Line June Watanabe |
Charity caller
is marketer with
clean recordQuestion: I'm trying to find about some organization that keeps calling our house and doesn't leave a message. The name "Your Charity" comes up on our caller ID. The phone number is 818-591-8391. I'm just wondering if it is a real charity or a scam.
Answer: The number listed is for Harris and Harris Marketing in Encino, Calif.
We checked with the Better Business Bureau of Hawaii, which forwarded us a report on the company on file with the Better Business Bureau of Southland in Colton, Calif.
According to the report, "Our complaint history for this company shows that this business has a clear record. To date, no customer complaints have come to our attention."
We called the number you provided and heard a recording that says Harris and Harris Marketing "represents a wide variety of nonprofit organizations, and we are contacting you on behalf of an organization you support. Our firm is retained when an organization has to reach their supporters to fulfill a specific financial need or launch an advocacy or public awareness campaign."
The recording goes on to say "current technology" doesn't allow it to name the organization, but that if you do not wish to be called, you can leave your area code and phone number and "we will suppress your phone during this calling campaign."
The message ends by saying, "We do not wish to offend, and we respect your right to privacy."
According to the BBB of Southland's report, it was not known when the business was started, and there was no principal contact listed, nor any phone numbers or e-mail addresses available.
The last report on file was July 20, 2001. The "nature of business" was said to be "currently under review."
The disclaimer is that "the Better Business Bureau does not endorse, recommend or disapprove of any company, product or service."
If you want to find out about a particular charity, both locally and nationally, you can check with the BBB.
In Hawaii, call 536-6956, e-mail info@hawaii.bbb.org (not for complaints), or check out the Web site www.hawaii.bbb.org.
Q: The city's garbage collectors have been leaving residential bins (we have "automated" service) on the road after emptying them. All the residents on my street, Maluhia, in Palolo Valley put their full bins on the sidewalk but come home to find them in the road. One day, my neighbor's bin was left so far out that it blocked half the street. The situation has gotten better on our street recently, but I noticed this past week that the same thing is happening on neighboring streets. What can be done? Who do we call?
A: You should call the nearest refuse base yard, which in your case is the Honolulu Yard, at 523-4424.
"Our expectation is that the container would first of all be returned to where it was found," which means at least curbside or at the edge of pavement, said David Shiraishi, the city's refuse collection administrator.
It should also be placed "in a manner that it's at least upright," he said.
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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
