Curious phone calls and letter, care to comment?

[yy4me]

About 4 or 5 weeks ago, I got a call from the campaign office of one of the Democratic presidential candidates asking for a contribution. I said no because I am not a supporter of this person. About 2 weeks ago, I got a bill from this same office for a contribution of $52.08. I ripped it up and threw it out after thinking that not only was there no excuse for this bill but also, what a strange amount to tell me I pledged and did not send send.

Well, yesterday I got a phone call from this same candidates office saying they did not get my contribution. I told the caller that not only did I not pledge this money but that I don't support the person who is running and certainly do not like this kind of attempt at fund raising. I was told that they were sorry and that sometimes these things get messed up. Well, that is probably the case here but from now on, I won't even listen to these callers. When the time comes, I will give what little I can to the candidate of my choosing, not because I got some kind of an intimidating phone call.

[closeupready]

1. A rep soliciting money for the House caucus pulled something similar on me a couple weeks ago.

A real turn-off.

[Freddie Stubbs]

2. It may very well have been an honest mistake

Someone may have entered the data for a donor into your file by mistake.

[BOSSHOG]

3. I think that was deliberate and not a mistake

They are banking on you "forgetting" or just ponying up instead of doing what you intended to do. I wonder how much money they make in this fashion. I had an allotment going to a state candidate before the 06 election. After the election I requested the allotment be stopped. It continued. Took me a few phone calls and I shared my complete "fucking disgust" at the way the issue was handled and that I'd remember it during the next election and would share my experience with my neighbors.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. No big deal....

just some of the usual telemarketing screwups.

[Catherine Vincent]

5. Come on! Tell us which candidate!

:)

[Donnachaidh]

6. I would have kept the letter

Because this sort of action is highly illegal, isn't it?

Did you ask that they send you another letter, stating that the *bill* they issued you was a MISTAKE and that it was not valid?

I would also have kept it to keep those folks *honest* by threatening to release it to a local paper with the entire story. If you've received a phonied up bill, then others probably have too.

[woodsprite]

7. I got a call from the DNC requesting that amount. Apparently

it's 50 states for 2008 - hence the 52.08 total. I told them I'd been put on a donation budget from hubby and I had spent my quota this year. (Not totally untrue).

[Alcibiades]

8. Telemarketers are paid on commission

The take in political telemarketing is usually 50%, of which some small percentage (when I did it it was around 10%, but it wasn't a percentage, it was a per-pledge commission) goes to the individual solicitor.

Though supervisors routinely listen in to calls, there is no guarantee that the salesperson marked the paperwork correctly. A dishonest person can simply mark you down as a "sale" and get the commission for your donation. Since roughly 50% of the people don't mail in pledges anyway, they get the money even if you send it in.

Telemarketing is an annoying way to raise money. What I do nowadays is to agree to pledge something but don't send it in. This maximizes the costs of the telemarketing company, but minimizes the reward to the "charity."