Almost a Scam

37chief · Jan 23, 2016

I get a call from a very nice man. First he wanted to talk to my wife. I guess he thinks women are a easier target. He may have been a vet, or at least he knew all the right things to say. Can you donate $20.00 to Vietnam Veterans? Can I send you a pledge card. Ok send the pledge card. My next question was, how much goes to the veterans? Three people later, I find out the veterans only get 15% the other 85% goes for overhead. So the veterans would get $3.00. I told I am not interested. If the percentages would have been the other way around, I would have sent the money. That's the way it happened today. Stan

jon f mn · Jan 24, 2016

You really have to be careful who you give money to these days. So many of the so called charities are that way. They should be required to spend a certain percentage on the cause they collect for.

MarkB_MI · Jan 24, 2016

There are a ridiculous number of bogus charities that have the word "veterans" somewhere in their name. I hang up on them, as well as the bogus "police" charities.

Spudm · Jan 24, 2016

I think it is less than 10% that actually goes to the intended charity. When you donate to these callers, who knows what you are actually funding.....Telephone soliciting should be against the law! But I doubt that, because Politicians are abusing the phones lines themselves by calling people.

WalJohn · Jan 24, 2016

This site can help with determining whether a charity is worthwhile or not.

https://www.charitywatch.org/charities

Married2Allis · Jan 24, 2016

Got a call the other day from the 'Lupus Foundation'. Could be legitimate but the guy had a funny accent. Said he would be in my area picking up 'clothing donations'. Years back had someone going door to door selling books or something. Turns out he was actually a burglar casing the neighborhood.

Stephen Newell · Jan 24, 2016

There are just too many people scamming like that. Unfortunately my solution is not donate anything to anybody.

Gleanerk2 · Jan 24, 2016

We got the same call friday night wife answered told him no!

Gambles · Jan 24, 2016

How many people here have gotten a call where they ask you to donate to the Trooper's Fund? (or some other organization where they insinuate that you are giving money to the cops?)
Heck, if you give to them, they might even send you a little sticker to put on your front door or the bumper of your car. PLEASE don't give them any money. Only a very small amount of money goes to the cops and, and when all benefits are figured in, a lot of cops actually get a decent salary anyway. I always ask them two questions: First, are you a cop? I know they aren't when they call. Second, how much money actually goes to the cops? They never answer that question because the percentage is next to nothing.
Save your money and keep it in your own pocket.

pinball · Jan 24, 2016

I use to receive those calls all the time. Few years ago I dropped my at@t and went with the airways phone with my internet. Don't get any calls anymore even in election years. In Missouri they have a no call list you can sign up for. Really does help. Most people will tell you that you should never say yes to the phone calls. Sad that this goes on. Just my 3 cents worth.

lloyd in sc · Jan 24, 2016

There IS a required amount required by law to be sent to the "cause" in question. That is 10%.
I had a son-in-law who managed a "Not for profit" fund. He stated that he was required by Federal law to disburse 19% minimum in order to retain tax free status.

bmack95hd · Jan 24, 2016

I'll give jackets, blankets and some cash from time to time to local charities but never anything to a caller no matter what their charity is. I even have a collection agency calling me but will never provide documentation about a supposed debt to a local hospital. They just expect me to take their word and give my credit card number over the phone. That ain't happen'n.

KenL · Jan 24, 2016

I got a call from some veterans foundation. To make it short, after a long line of BS, they wanted me to donate fifty dollars. I said no. They kept down going to twenty dollars. I told them to send me info and I would think about it. He transfered me and a lady took over and asked me how much I wanted to donate on my credit card. I told her I told the guy I wanted info sent. She said it would be much more simple if I would give her my cc number. I told her to send info or foget it. A couple days later I got the info. I checked them out on the computer. There were three pages of negative reviews saying that at most they gave six percent to veterans. I returned the card and wrote on it not to contact me again. In the last three weeks my caller Id shows that they have called two to four times a day every day. I don't answer my phone anymore. My answering machine tells them to leave a message or don't call back. Must be some pretty stupid people if they can't figure out what leave a message or don't call back means after hearing it over sixty times.

JML755 · Jan 24, 2016

ditto. When I lost my job several times and was in trouble, I asked nor got any help from anyone.
Wife and I just hunkered down, made the best of it and worked our way out. Now we live under our means and save for our retirement. Too many charities giving to people who who take no responsibility for their lifestyle, baby machines on welfare, drug addicts, etc.

SDE · Jan 24, 2016

I give blood and that is all I will give. I was sent a pledge packet and then received a second call, two weeks later, demanding a donation because they had sent the packet to me. I decided that day, that my answer is always NO.
SDE

Spudm · Jan 24, 2016

You support your local Police & Fire Public Safety Departments by owning property and paying your taxes. Who knows where the donated money really goes....

coshoo · Jan 24, 2016

We must have got the same guy. Guy called for donation to some vets outfit, I asked him how much went to the charity, he hemmed and hawed a little and finally said 15%. I told him if it was the other way around, I'd send him something. At least he didn't swear at me when he hung up.

1970-1655 · Jan 24, 2016

If we get a call asking to donate to veterans, My wife tells them she does every day, to me, her husband. Then she asks how much their charity has ever given to us. They do not know or cannot reveal that information.

jacksun65 · Jan 24, 2016

Had a guy at TSC ask for money for vets, I already donated 10 Years. said no thanks

oldtanker · Jan 24, 2016

(quoted from post at 10:53:22 01/24/16) You support your local Police & Fire Public Safety Departments by owning property and paying your taxes. Who knows where the donated money really goes....

LOL< who knows where the tax money goes?

Rick

Andy Martin · Jan 24, 2016

Not almost a scam, just a scam. The sad thing is these scams are big business, they don't mind being told "no" or getting yelled at, just part of their job. They always get enough suckers to continue.

My wife's dad was on Corregidor, survived the death march across Luzon and four years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. She wants to give to any veterans' organization that asks, so we have for years and years. We have finally stopped, just too many of them with too bad of a record. Like the ASPCA.

We give to our church and occasionally to the Salvation Army, and to individuals we know will use a little help wisely.

JOB · Jan 24, 2016

Some organizations want you to donate clothing and things to them. They then sell the items by the pound to a multi billion dollar company. the organization gets like 28 cents per pound. Savers makes millions that in turn, turn into billions. Pretty good racket.

37chief · Jan 24, 2016

Andy My hat's off to your dad. Those captured by the Japanese on Corregidor were treated so dad, Along with others captured in other places during the war with Japan. Stan

GeneMO · Jan 24, 2016

Use to give to lots of things. Finally I got to seeing a pattern. They are mostly all scams.

Now, I give to me.

Everyone else gets squat!

Gene

Royse · Jan 24, 2016

Ask the caller if they are a volunteer or if they work for a
third party telemarketing firm. The majority are the latter.
I tell them if the charity can afford to hire a third party to
make their calls then they already have too much money
and not enough people interested in their cause to volunteer.

Almost a Scam

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