It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of overpriced fundraisers. Just look at the Girl Scouts. I mean I’ll eat some cookies and all, but the way they sell those overpriced boxes of heaven is just ridiculous. Why don’t they just ask for the money? I don’t mean to pick on the girl scouts. Really. They aren’t alone.
When I was a kid, I came home with all sorts of things from school that I dutifully schlepped around the neighborhood, thinking that I was doing everyone a monumental service. Was it really so bad? Probably. These days, our kids bring home all sorts of overpriced crap, then they are made to feel bad when the teacher announces that they can’t have a pizza party until everyone turns in a purchase.
The other day I received a phone call from the firefighters, not wanting to miss out.
First let me say that “John” was nice about it – very friendly the whole time. But it took him a long while to get to the point. That alone is enough to really get under my skin. When I’m trying to work, it’s easy enough to distract me and then someone calls and tells me all about what wonderful things they do, expecting me to tell them how much I want to give them money. Why can’t they just say “give me your money”?
But no, John just rambles on and on. At least he was nice about it.
Then he tells me about the Country Music Concert that they are putting on in a while, and asks me if I like country music. I don’t, which I somehow think will get me out of the call. It doesn’t. John even says that he doesn’t like country music, and tries to get a laugh out of it. Like I said, he’s a nice guy. But then he takes it one step farther. He tells me that most people don’t use the tickets that they buy!
I can’t believe it – another opening. I tell him that I’m not going to buy something that I’m not going to use. Surely he’ll at least tell me that I can just give him the money, but he says that it’s the way it works, people buy their tickets and don’t use them. So I tell him again that I’m not going to buy something I won’t use, and by then I’m getting mad. He tries again, and I try again. Sorry, John. I just don’t have the time.
Is this for real? Can’t they get it through their head? Just ask for the money. I would so rather just give them money than pay for something I’m not going to use. I’d imagine that it has something to do with the deduction. If they give you something of value, you can’t write it off (at least not the whole thing), but what do I know?
Comments
One response to “Firefighters Sell You Tickets You Won't Use”
Well Chad, I loved your article on Scott Fraser, it saved me from putting all my retirement funds into the latest pump & dump wonder stock he dug up – Jayhawk! I’d be interested in hearing how that one will do. Of course, maybe this would stock will be the second winner, in which case, please, don’t tell me! In any case, I don’t think you dug deep enough with John the Fundraising Firefighter. In all likelihood, it is not John the Fundraising Firefighter but John the Foolfinding Fundraiser. Instead of engaging in a friendly conversation on country music and trying to politely argue your way out of buying those tickets, you should just ask him how much of the ticket goes to your friendly neighborhood firefighter, police officer, ambulance volunteer, etc., etc. You’ll then find out that only about 20 to 30 % of those funds go indeed to the good cause, the rest goes to John and his foolfinding fundraising organisation. Having this knowledge will probably instantaneously and involuntarily cause you to drop the receiver onto to the cradle and, hopefully, rupture John’s ear drum. Rick