A week or so back I received a call from a friendly guy who wanted me to help the handicapped by buying some 5 year lightbulbs. I said I’d be more than happy to help… that is until he started reeling off their prices.
I believe the 20 pack was for over a hundred dollars and he recited several other packages, finally getting down to the four pack which was thirty dollars. I said I figured I could do that, mainly because he assured me this was going to a worthy cause and helping to keep a handicapped person employed. I received the bulbs a couple of days ago, along with the invoice for thirty one and change. As I was putting them in the pantry I noticed another four pack my wife had recently bought from the store for a couple of bucks.
Normally I’ll just hang up on telemarketers and we’re on the national no call list but since it suppossedly is helping out the needy I made an exception. Still, I decided to see if I could find out anything about the company online. I wasn’t sure if they were a charity or what but did have the company name, an address and a phone number.
After five minutes I had a page from a certain state’s Better Business Bureau with their report on the company. It says:
I’m at a bit of a loss here in trying to decide whether I’ve been scammed or not. They did tell me that the exhorbatant mark-up on the bulbs was to keep a disabled person employed but the report makes me wonder just how much would actually go to those in need and how much is just lining the President’s pocket.
Yesterday I was in the grocery store. 4-packs of light bulbs were on sale at a dollar a pack; typical price is a few bucks per pack. At the sale price – $0.25 per bulb vs. your supplier’s $7.50 per bulb – I don’t need no steenkin’ “lasts for five years” bulbs.
Poke around on the web and see if you can get price quotes. And see if you can return the bulbs for a refund. If they won’t even discuss a refund, MHO is that it’s a scam.
A little over ten years ago, I had for a few months a deadbeat roommate who couldn’t hold down a job. In desperation to pay rent, and looking for a job that would pay quickly, he answered a telemarketing ad.
It turned out to be “handicapped workers selling light bulbs.” He was not, in fact, in any meaningful way, or by any reasonable definition of the term, handicapped. Naturally, he asked if it was okay for him to hold the job.
The hiring guy said something to the effect of, “You have to say you’re handicapped to work here. Are you handicapped?”
Roommate: “Sure.”
Hiring guy: “Good enough for me. Welcome aboard.”
He did it for half a day and walked out. Even though I was getting tired of his employment treadmill and worrying about his cash flow, I really couldn’t blame him.
It’s not the cost. I know I can find them cheaper just like the ones my wife bought.
My concern is where the money is going. Does this appear to be a legitimate attempt to help the disabled OR are they using the disabled to help line their own pockets?