NRA - are you kidding me? Junk mail, that requires a response!?!?

[joseywales]

I received a DVD from the NRA. It's been laying on my table for a couple weeks. Today, I'm cleaning house and I actually read the letter. This is NOT a free disc. If I don't want to pay $12.95 for the disc, subscribing also to some publication, and then receive more discs, for purchase, as they are available, I have to send this DVD back to them. Are they kidding me.

This reminds me of the old book clubs scams. What the heck is going on?

Just last week I completely swore off buying anything online that requires a Money Order, because I simply don't have time for the post office anymore. If an electronic form of payment can't buy it, I don't need it that much. Now I have to worry about returning junk email from the NRA, then dispose of the plastic DVD case? Now, the case doesn't sound like an issue, but I recycle as best I can. Some weeks, we have so much plastic that our recycle bin is filled by Tuesday, I kid you not.

Perhaps as a member, I missed the fine print that said if you don't want crap in your US Mail, please check here. This is not going over well with me.

[BestDefense=StrongOffense]

Tell us how you really feel...

[Johannes_Paulsen]

I received a DVD from the NRA. It's been laying on my table for a couple weeks. Today, I'm cleaning house and I actually read the letter. This is NOT a free disc. If I don't want to pay $12.95 for the disc, subscribing also to some publication, and then receive more discs, for purchase, as they are available, I have to send this DVD back to them. Are they kidding me.

This reminds me of the old book clubs scams. What the heck is going on?

Just last week I completely swore off buying anything online that requires a Money Order, because I simply don't have time for the post office anymore. If an electronic form of payment can't buy it, I don't need it that much. Now I have to worry about returning junk email from the NRA, then dispose of the plastic DVD case? Now, the case doesn't sound like an issue, but I recycle as best I can. Some weeks, we have so much plastic that our recycle bin is filled by Tuesday, I kid you not.

Perhaps as a member, I missed the fine print that said if you don't want crap in your US Mail, please check here. This is not going over well with me.

Completely agree. I received something like this. Had to completely mangle the package to get the slip to show where I was supposed to return it. Put a very strong letter in the package, wrote "NEVER SEND THINGS LIKE THIS AGAIN IF YOU WANT ME TO KEEP GIVING MONEY" with a big black marker on the package, duck-taped it together and dropped it back in the mail. That was last year -- haven't received another one.

[Philbert]

I received a DVD from the NRA. It's been laying on my table for a couple weeks. Today, I'm cleaning house and I actually read the letter. This is NOT a free disc. If I don't want to pay $12.95 for the disc, subscribing also to some publication, and then receive more discs, for purchase, as they are available, I have to send this DVD back to them. Are they kidding me.

This reminds me of the old book clubs scams. What the heck is going on?

Just last week I completely swore off buying anything online that requires a Money Order, because I simply don't have time for the post office anymore. If an electronic form of payment can't buy it, I don't need it that much. Now I have to worry about returning junk email from the NRA, then dispose of the plastic DVD case? Now, the case doesn't sound like an issue, but I recycle as best I can. Some weeks, we have so much plastic that our recycle bin is filled by Tuesday, I kid you not.

Perhaps as a member, I missed the fine print that said if you don't want crap in your US Mail, please check here. This is not going over well with me.

Q: How can I reduce the amount of mail I receive from the NRA?
A: Simply email us at membership@nrahq.org or dial 800-NRA-3888 and request to be placed on the "Do Not Promote" list. This will significantly reduce the amount of mail you receive without affecting important mailings, magazine service, or your membership renewal.

Doing this helps, though I still get some things.

You don't need to return any DVD, they can't mail you things and demand they be returned. It's a scam.

[joseywales]

The truth is, it might actually be a worthwhile DVD. One can always learn something. But the tactics are shady.

I wonder how many of these actually get returned by folks who don't want them? My concern is that if I don't return it, what is their recourse? Will they simply charge the credit card I signed up with? I highly doubt it. That, IMO, would be electronic payment and mail fraud. (I managed electronic payment and CC fraud for our company and that's my opinion).

[Emptymag]

Keep reading. I can pretty much guarantee that you are not obligated to send anything. Not just legally (because by law, they can't do that and they aren't THAT stupid), but because it will SAY SO somewhere in there.

They did that years ago with those "coins". Sneaky? Yes. Offensive? Yes.
Obligated to pay? Nope.

[joseywales]

thinking this through, I think this is what irritates me the most.

The NRA knows most people will not send these back, nor will they pay the $12.95.

So how much of my membership dues are going to this wasteful campaign? I like to assume that more pay, than not, and the campaign generates revenue. Perhaps that's the case, but I'm skeptical.

[joseywales]

Keep reading. I can pretty much guarantee that you are not obligated to send anything. Not just legally (because by law, they can't do that and they aren't THAT stupid), but because it will SAY SO somewhere in there.

They did that years ago with those "coins". Sneaky? Yes. Offensive? Yes.
Obligated to pay? Nope.

All I read was: This is not an invoice. Still shady.

[dannyb]

I believe that this comes under "unsolicited merchandise." As such, there is no legal obligation to either pay or return. I think the thought is that they were nice enough to send this "important" DVD so you should "contribute" its value.

I donate to the NRA, but I donate online on a regular basis. I prefer my donation to go fully to the organization without any cut going to paid solicitors or gimmicks to those who just desperately need another NRA hat (if I want one, I'll buy it from the NRA store).

[joseywales]

I believe that this comes under "unsolicited merchandise." As such, there is no legal obligation to either pay or return. I think the thought is that they were nice enough to send this "important" DVD so you should "contribute" its value.

I donate to the NRA, but I donate online on a regular basis. I prefer my donation to go fully to the organization without any cut going to paid solicitors or gimmicks to those who just desperately need another NRA hat (if I want one, I'll buy it from the NRA store).

Aaah, the NRA hat. Or as I call it, the visor with a billboard. For a minute, I thought my vision had been miraculously corrected to 20/20. Then Iput my glasses on and realized the NRA embroider on the hat was the size of a highway billboard! My son loved it though, so there you go.