Do you know anyone who has ever won the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes?
Me neither, but every year I’m encouraged to try ONE MORE TIME by the good folks at PCH. Yes, they start sending those lovely packets – otherwise known as junk mail – to virtually every household in America months in advance of the drawing.
The come-ons are so enticing: “You Could Be a Winner,” “Just One More Step,” “Final Step Required for Permanent Placement On the Winner Selection List”!
They used to say you were a “finalist” for a major cash award, but a lawsuit made PCH stop using that language.
Begun in 1953 in New York out of a magazine salesman’s basement, PCH has grown into a direct sales monster nearly 70 years later. The company says a total of $360 million has been awarded over the years, with the next BIG AWARD set for April 30.
I’ve been getting these fat envelopes regularly in the mail for the last six months, urging me to do The Right Thing and enter the sweepstakes. I’ve been ignoring them, tossing them in the trash. But that hasn’t stopped PCH from keeping the heat on me, culminating this week with the “Final Step” envelope.
Over the years, PCH has found itself in court on several occasions charged with deceptive advertising -- paying at least $85.5 million in legal settlements with other lawsuits still pending.
"No purchase necessary" says the familiar PCH entry pitch.
Oh, really?
PCH has been frequently reprimanded for suggesting that those who DON'T order something when they send in their entry might not have the same chance of winning as those who do.
Oh, no, no, everyone has the same chance, PCH insists. No preferential treatment at all.
So I wonder why my latest PCH envelope included a sticker to put on my return envelope that says: “Rewards Claim Only for Orderers”?
Hmmmmm...that sounds EXACTLY like product orderers DO get preferential treatment.
In fact, in the body of the PCH info pack it plainly states: “1 order is all it takes to upgrade your customer status to preferred customer.”
Is there any other way to interpret that?
In 1992, thousands of entries from people who had NOT bought anything were found in the company’s trash. PCH’s response: “Must have been a disgruntled employee.”
Yeah, right.
And here’s another suspicious thing: When I attempted to enter – hey, why not? – they asked me my date of birth and would NOT accept my entry without it.
PCH has been accused of targeting the elderly, who might be more inclined to be confused by the whole "you're-a-winner" thing. Is forcing you to state your age how they do that?
Or finding out that giving you something "for life" has less impact on PCH's bottom line if they know you're an older, closer-to-dying person?
Makes you wonder.
While PCH started out just selling discounted magazine subscriptions, over the years it’s morphed to include pushing all kinds of junk you really don’t need, like foot callus removers, under-bed shoe organizers, no-stick frying pans, fancy sunglasses, etc., etc.
Today, the majority of the money PCH rakes in comes from peddling this kind of crap.
But – really – what’s wrong with taking a chance and buying a $20 garlic press to maybe win $7,000 a week for life?
Nothing, I guess. But remember one thing: Your odds of winning are 1 in 6.2 billion, and there are only 7.7 billion people in The Whole Entire World.
So hey – Good Luck with that!
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