Bucking the system...

Normally I don’t mind getting packages in the mail. A little brown box at my door usually holds some ebay treasure or some shiny computer thing or a new automotive doohickey to keep me occupied all weekend. One particular box always makes me cringe, though.

The North American Hunting Club has been around for awhile. And I was a member of their club a few years ago. But I canceled my membership after a big problem I had with them.

Supposedly they sent me a book in the mail in late 2006. This book was part of a “trial” and if I liked it, all I had to do was pay for it. If I didn’t like it, all I had to do was send it back in their postage paid box and everything was even.

Thing is, I never received any package from them with a book in it. Plus, I never asked to enroll in any trial or subscription of theirs!

I was very surprised to get a bill in the mail from a collection agency, demanding payment be made for an item I never received. After a LOT of arguing and calls to and from their collection agency, it finally got settled when I called in the US Postmaster. I was ready to file an affidavit that I never received this item and I never wanted any kind of subscription junk from them in the first place.

That seemed to do it.

For awhile.

But every so often I get a box from them. It is stamped with their logo in the corner so I can spot it a mile away. And since I work at the store late, any packages I get during the day while I am at work are stacked by my door when I get home.

This month’s prize? A deer bust.

Now I love hunting. I love firearms. But I don’t like deer head monuments. Or antelope-horn chandeliers. Or cow-patterned sofas. One does not necessarily lead to the other.

Enclosed with the deer bust was a letter stating their terms.

“The Breen Buck – your first sculpture in this one-of-a-kind collection – is yours to preview absolutely free for 14 days!”

It takes some people 14 days of this sculpture on their desk to decide if they like it or not? I can tell you in 5 seconds.

The letter continued…

“Take some time to admire the detail of this intricately rendered sculpture… the details of the trophy and the fascinating story surrounding him.”

Looks like a little deer head glued on a plastic pedestal.

“The Breen Buck, which is available to you at a discounted Member price of only $19.00”

On the reply form, here are the options…

“YES, I accept the Whitetail Legends challenge! I acknowledge the fact that only select Members were chosen to preview these sculptures and I’m one of them. The BREEN BUCK sculpture is great. Here is my payment of $19.00. I’d like to preview a new sculpture in the North American WHITETAIL LEGENDS series about every other month, mine to keep at the regular Member price plus shipping and handling. Be sure to include my $15.00 Free Mystery Gift with my next shipment. I understand that I can cancel my participation at any time.”

…and…

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m returning the sculpture using your postage-paid label and want no further sculptures in the Whitetail Legends collection at this time.”

So let me get this straight. I didn’t ask for this. I definitely don’t want this. And a little deer head glued on a plastic pedestal does not fall under the “great” category for me. But my options are to pay $19 to keep it, or to take the time out of my day to go by the post office and send it back in its box with the postage label attached.

Isn’t this a little… I don’t know… wrong?

I called the North American Hunting club’s 1-800 number and again told them I want nothing to do with them and want my name removed completely from their system. No more packages. No more letters. Das Vedana. Arriverdecci. Ciao. Buh bye. This is the third time I made this call to them. Maybe this one will stick.

I also called the local postmaster, and they said “well, just put the postage paid sticker back on the box and send it back to them!”

Right. That part isn’t difficult to understand. And I am doing just that on my lunch break today. What I don’t like is how they can do this without any confirmation I got the thing they sent. How is that right?

For example, supposing somebody started a campaign to send out a pencil to a few hundred people in the mail. They tell them if they want it, to just pay $1 for it. If they don’t want it, just send it back with a stamp enclosed in each letter. But this dishonest somebody skips every other block and just sends a collection bill a few months after the initial ship date. Who’s going to have to deal with it?

I’m sure the North American Hunting Club is NOT doing this. I know they are an honest company and that somehow that book from earlier got lost in the mail. And that this deer head package is the last unsolicited offer I will get from them.

But seriously... what is to keep someone from abusing this tactic in the mail system? What is keeping one of those CD companies from sending a bad album to everyone and saying “hey, if you like this album, just pay $18 to keep it!” Or a seed company… “hey, if you like these tomato plant seeds, just pay $5 to keep it!” ??

Or should this just be filed under “bad experience”?

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