ENVELOPE STUFFING
What Can the Envelope Stuffing Ads Do For You? Absolutely Nothing. Smart Entrepreneurs Are Skeptical About Such Schemes.
By Douglas D. Watson
The scammasters of mail order are perpetually planting their seeds of schemes and rip-offs and pruning their orchards of scams. Envelope-stuffing scams have been a rude introduction to mail order for many. Experts tell us that this scam hit its peak in the late '70s and early '80s. But these scams are still breathing today because people are gullible enough to believe riches can be had for little or no work.
To those answering the ads, the expected sweet tasting nectar turns out to leave a bitter aftertaste. Years after the scam has been laid to rest, the memory still coats the taste buds of the mind. Many people needing money have embarked on the envelope-stuffing journey, anxiously awaiting riches while losing what little money they had.
Envelope-stuffing ads promise anywhere from 50 cents to four dollars for each envelope a person stuffs. The headlines capture the reader and nudges her/him to fill in the blanks. To sell in mail order, the headlines have to sell the reader. Then the text merely enhances the concept. People who need money the most will gobble up these very suggestive ads. Their minds will work overtime filling in the blanks. They will think they have finally stumbled upon the golden goose. Some will even rationalize it as a gift from God.
The headlines may read, "Amazing Home-Mailing Program Pay you $4 for Every Envelope You Stuff." The innocent mind will leave common sense on the doorstep as it invites the ad into the mind. "If I stuff 1,000 envelopes, I'll have $4,000. I can quit my job and just work for this envelope-stuffing company."
Visions of things beautiful and costly dance in the closed mind. The mind has closed and locked all doors to prevent common sense from entering. If common sense were allowed in, it would ask questions such as, "How can a company afford to pay a set price for each envelope stuffed regardless if a sale is made or not from the stuffing?" or "Why doesn't the company explain what kind of circulars people will be stuffing the envelopes with except to state they will NEVER mail out anything objectionable or pornographic?"
What you receive for your registration fee ($15 to $39.95) are the instructions for stuffing envelopes. You are to place an ad which the company supplies in the publications of your choosing. The cost of advertising comes out of your pocket. Publications reaching the most prospects sell ad space for $10 per word and up. The ad asks interested readers to send you a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE). Upon receiving the envelopes, you will stuff them with the literature (or copies) sent to you by the company. You will not be paid for each envelope you stuff, but rather each order the company receives with your code number on it. Of course, all orders go directly to the company, so how will you know if anyone sent in an order or not?
Perhaps you will come up with a clever plot to test the home office. What if you sent an out-of-state friend the literature and the money to purchase the item? If you don't get the money from the company for your sale, you'll know you're dealing with crooks. This is why the home office (often an individual working out of his/her apartment) won't hire anybody living remotely close to them. If you sue, you have to travel (or have your representative travel) to the city of the alleged scam seller and file suit. Travel, lawyer and filing charges will be in triple figures. Is it worth it?
When you send in your registration fee to the company, you're in the red and the longer to stay with the company, the deeper into the crimson-colored sea you will sink.
About once a month, I receive a four-page flyer from a person who says they make a couple of thousand dollars a week stuffing envelopes. This person is selling a book that tells which companies to trust and which to distrust on envelope-stuffing opportunities.
Being highly skeptical, I sent a letter to the person asking some questions. I also sent along a SASE for their convenience. I wrote that I was writing an article about envelope-stuffing scams and if they were on the up and up, this would be an ideal way to get some free publicity. They never answered, which gave me the feeling that no envelope-stuffing company was playing by the rules of the fair and just.
One question I asked was why any company would pay home workers to stuff envelopes when there are machines that can be purchased that will do the job for a fraction of the cost they suggest they are paying? Another question--why do people have to mail out 500 envelopes before a money-back guarantee kicks in on your book?"
I also inquired, "If you have been making all this money mailing out literature for all these companies, why is it the only literature I've ever received from you was concerning your book?"
The bottom line is the trees of the envelope stuffing scams can only produce rotting fruit. There is no way to make money out of rotting and fly-infested fruit. The fruit-filled pies cooling on the window sill will only exist in your mind.
Douglas D. Watson is the editor of the MAIL ORDER TRUTH newsletter. The MOT is committed to exposing the scams of the mail-order profession. A six-month subscription is $5, a one-year subscription is $10. You may receive two sample copies for $2. Arm yourself against the bad guys/gals of mail order by attaining knowledge. Rush a check or money order to:
Douglas D. Watson P.O. Box 4784 Evansville, IN 47724
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