Post by "Pop" Stran on Jan 10, 2005 23:53:48 GMT -5
Publisher's Clearinghouse is by now a household name in most parts of the country.
Who doesn't remember the excitement at receiving your very first official-looking envelope from PCH with the chilling title, "You May Already Be A WINNER!" blasted across the front of the envelope?
For most 16-18 year-olds who hardly ever get mail, this was a turning point, a momentous event.
Daydreams of Hawaii and bikinis and Corvettes and powerboats and huge piles of cash occupied our minds for weeks after returning the "Official Entry" with the proper stickers placed in the proper boxes...
How many of you bought a subscription or two, just to make sure that someone else didn't steal that prize away from you?
Those of you who answered YES ( and to be fair, you're among Millions of similarly-scammed friends, myself included) are the reason that PCH has landed in this board, under this particular heading.
Publishers clearinghouse does NOT sell magazines.
Buy, or don't buy...They really don't care.*
*See post titled,"You may already be a Winner!" in this catagory, under the "Common Marketing Cons" heading.
Matter of fact, PCH doesn't sell a d**n thing...They are a marketing corporation whose only purpose is database compilation and manipulation.
PCH is a database company. Period.
Just as the name inplies, they help publishers (of magazines) clear their warehouses of the thousands of titles that few Americans showed much interest in until PCH cornered the market with "stampsheet" directmail offers, using a sweepstakes for leverage.
The now-famous "You may Already be a Winner!" headline is a marketing con intended to make their offers stand out from all the other junk-mail in your box...and to get you to actually open the envelope.
...and it works, doesn't it?
This con works so well in fact, that PCH has been targeted by quite a few State's Attorneys across the nation, and class-action suits have become a regular part of PCH's operation.
Because PCH spends more for attorneys in a year than I make in twenty, it would be foolish to spit into the wind alone...and so I offer you the following list of research-resources for you to peruse at your leisure:
*Each is directly related to the fact that PCH has always targeted the trusting, gullible and desperate consumers in our community...Those who are easily blinded by all the bells & whistles of the offer, and can't see the junk-mail for what it really is.
www.atg.wa.gov/releases/rel_publishers_082200.html
www.complaints.com/november2002/complaintoftheday.november1.19.htm
www.consumeraffairs.com/news/pch_suit.htm
www.9news.com/storyfull-investigative.asp?id=4025
www.flanews.com/archives2001/0626settle.htm
www.ago.state.co.us/PRESREL/presrl2002/prsrl57.stm
www.ag.state.ar.us/citserv/ca223.htm
www.ucan.org/consumer_info/PublisherClearing/
www.atg.wa.gov/releases/rel_sweeps_042099.html
Who doesn't remember the excitement at receiving your very first official-looking envelope from PCH with the chilling title, "You May Already Be A WINNER!" blasted across the front of the envelope?
For most 16-18 year-olds who hardly ever get mail, this was a turning point, a momentous event.
Daydreams of Hawaii and bikinis and Corvettes and powerboats and huge piles of cash occupied our minds for weeks after returning the "Official Entry" with the proper stickers placed in the proper boxes...
How many of you bought a subscription or two, just to make sure that someone else didn't steal that prize away from you?
Those of you who answered YES ( and to be fair, you're among Millions of similarly-scammed friends, myself included) are the reason that PCH has landed in this board, under this particular heading.
Publishers clearinghouse does NOT sell magazines.
Buy, or don't buy...They really don't care.*
*See post titled,"You may already be a Winner!" in this catagory, under the "Common Marketing Cons" heading.
Matter of fact, PCH doesn't sell a d**n thing...They are a marketing corporation whose only purpose is database compilation and manipulation.
PCH is a database company. Period.
Just as the name inplies, they help publishers (of magazines) clear their warehouses of the thousands of titles that few Americans showed much interest in until PCH cornered the market with "stampsheet" directmail offers, using a sweepstakes for leverage.
The now-famous "You may Already be a Winner!" headline is a marketing con intended to make their offers stand out from all the other junk-mail in your box...and to get you to actually open the envelope.
...and it works, doesn't it?
This con works so well in fact, that PCH has been targeted by quite a few State's Attorneys across the nation, and class-action suits have become a regular part of PCH's operation.
Because PCH spends more for attorneys in a year than I make in twenty, it would be foolish to spit into the wind alone...and so I offer you the following list of research-resources for you to peruse at your leisure:
*Each is directly related to the fact that PCH has always targeted the trusting, gullible and desperate consumers in our community...Those who are easily blinded by all the bells & whistles of the offer, and can't see the junk-mail for what it really is.
www.atg.wa.gov/releases/rel_publishers_082200.html
www.complaints.com/november2002/complaintoftheday.november1.19.htm
www.consumeraffairs.com/news/pch_suit.htm
www.9news.com/storyfull-investigative.asp?id=4025
www.flanews.com/archives2001/0626settle.htm
www.ago.state.co.us/PRESREL/presrl2002/prsrl57.stm
www.ag.state.ar.us/citserv/ca223.htm
www.ucan.org/consumer_info/PublisherClearing/
www.atg.wa.gov/releases/rel_sweeps_042099.html