So I Got a Call...

I got a call the other night, and this guy identifies himself as "Philip". He says he's calling on behalf of the Policeman Benevolent Association of Virginia and he's reading off of this prepared script.

He's wants to send some information through the mail, but wants me to promise an amount that I will donate before he sends anything.

I get these calls all the time from these people, and I usually won't promise anything until they send me something in the mail - how hard is that? Apparently, it just isn't how they do it. So the call usually ends with me asking then to remove me from their calling list. You would think after the umpteenth time, they would figure it out.

So lately, I have begun to ask when they call how much of their proceeds make it to the intended recipients. Its a question that they are supposed to know by law, and if they don't know, I'm sure not going to give them any money.

So when I posed this question to "Philip", he answers that "100 percent goes to the charity".

This is a misleading statement, because of course 100 percent goes to the charity, but not all of it gets to the intended recipients.

I point this out to "Philip" and he politely thanks me and wishes me a good evening. I ask him to take me off his calling list.

If "Philip" calls you, ask him how much money makes it to the intended recipients.