OCR Text |
Show Chain letters and pyramid sales have a thing in common The Signpost - Friday, Oct. 7, 1988 3 By Dennis Hinkamp Consumer Information Writer Utah State University I thought chain letters went out with lava lamps, but I guess not. I saw a new lava lamp in a store the other day. I've also received two chain letters this year. You know the ones that promise you incredible wealth if you pass them on to six friends or impending doom if. you don't. Although chain letters are still fairly rare, pyramid, or multi-level sales practices are not. The same principles of multiplication hold true. According to Dr. Noleen Ackerman, Extension consumer educator in the Utah State University College of Family Life, if each new entrant into such a plan is supposed to recruit six new members to get a discount on the products, it only takes eight rotations to cover every living human in Utah. So, once everyone becomes a distributor, who is going to be left to buy the product? If you have a pocket calculator, try it for yourself: 6x6x6... eight times equals 1,679,616 which is approximately the population of Utah. Some of the recent multi-level operations that keep showing up in Utah have been for baby photography, diet programs, food storage and herbal remedies. Ackerman says the idea behind recruiting new distributors is that all of them are supposed to give you a cut of their profits. In other cases the original sellers keep getting their supply of the product at a lower price, depending on how many people they recruit. Of course none of these so-called friends are actually going to tell you that they want you to invest in pyramid sales because first, pyramid sales practices are illegal and second , they might not know it themselves, Ackerman says. She says one of the warning signals of pyramid sales is the promise of high earnings from a product "that sells itself." Emphasis is also placed on recruiting more salespeople or distributors rather than on the quality of the product. As with other areas of consumer fraud, you are protected by the law. Pyramid sales are illegal in Utah. However, this does not necessarily mean you will get your money back. In many cases, the fraudulent company has spent all the money, leaving little to be paid back to defrauded consumers. Issues (cont'd from front page) he added that under Proposition 13 local governments "lost their ability to make decisions because they lost their funding." Commenting on Initiative C, which would give a tax break to families with children in private schools, Shea said it makes public education a second-class alternative. "John Singer would be very proud of Initiative C," he said. Campus Update Deadline Tor Campus Update: Friday at noon for Monday's edition, Tuesday at noon for Wedncsday'sedition and Thursday af noon xfor Friday cdition.Deadtines areenforced. :::::: TAIL GATE PARTIES The Newman Center is sponsoring a Tail Gate Party on SaL, Oct. 8, at 5:30 p.m. Meet at the north stadium parking lot. All students are welcome. For more details, call 399-9531. The Weber State College Democrats co- sponsor a "Meet Gunn McKay tailgate party." Free Coke & other refreshments. SaL, Oct. 8, 5-6:30 p.m., north parking loL Be sure to bring the whole family. HONORS RETREAT The Honors department will be sponsoring a retreat at Bingham Ranch, Oct 14-15. Cost is $5.00 per person. Sign-up sheet in the Honors office. DON'T DRINK & DRIVE Beta Thcta Pi will sponsor a "Don't Drink & Drive" party Fri., Oct. 7, at 8:00p.m. in the UB Gallery. Admission is $5.00 perperson, $4.00 wGreek ID, and includes free pi?.7.a and soft drinks. Proceeds go to Students Against Drunk Driving. SIGN LANGUAGE CLUB MEETINGS The WSC Sign Language Club meets every other Thursday in Rm. 79 of the library at 10:30 a.m. For info, call 626-6413 or visit the Physically Challenged Student Ctr. STUDENT TEACHING Secondary student teaching applications for Winter Quarter 1989 are due Oct. 12. Appointments may be made in Student Services, ED 230 or by lhoning 626-6634. CRUSADERS OPEN HOUSE A rootbecr kegger open house will be held Friday, OcL 7, at Wasatch Residence Hall (Basement) at 7:00 p.m. All arc welcome to come and enjoy music, games, food and fun with us. Sponsored by "The Crusaders" (Campus Crusade for Christ). Announcements should be typed, precise and kept to 25 words or less. All entries are subject toediting. For consideration leavecopy at theSignpost offices; Unionx Ituiluing lonrn 24?. WSC REPUBLICANS WSC Republicans present "Bud Scruggs," campaign manager for Senator Orin Hatch Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. in UB 338. MARRIED STUDENTS' SEMINAR Seminars for married students will be held at the Ogden LDS Institute Friday evenings from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Cost: $7.50 for eight sessions. (If over 26 or not a student, course fee is $20 per couple). Regional representative Marlin Jensen will speak OcL 7. Babysitting provided. BROWN BAGGER "Come and Meet the Women's Volleyball Team" with Cindy Fredrick, Wed., OcL 12 at 12:30 p.m. in UB 417. SKI FILM The WSC Ski Team presents "The Blizzard of Aah's" in the Browning Ctr., Auslad Aud., OcL 14-15 at 8:00 p.m. PHYSICS SEMINAR The Department of Physics will be sponsoring a seminar with Dr. Bradley Carroll, Tues., OcL 1 1, at 10:30 a.m., LL 121 . RECEPTION AND LECTURE Phi Kappa Phi presents "Politics & Media" with Dr. Roy Gibson, U of U, Oct. 12, in UB 325. Buffet: 6:00 p.m. Lecture: 7:00 p.m. No cosL POLI-SCI INTERNSHIPS The Political Science DcpL is offering four full-time internships to students of all majors with the Utah Sale Legislature for Winter Quarter. Interns earn eight upper division credit hours and receive a stipend. Three internships in Washington, D.C. are offered to WSC students during Winter Quarter. Ten hours of Poli-Sci 491 credit is available. Apply for both in SS2S2 by Wed., Oct. 12. nezvsSriefs Lung Association: Haunting for breath The American Lung Association of Utah (ALAU) is putting on a haunted house during the month of October at 2615 Wall Avenue, in Ogden in an old candy manufacturing plant. All proceeds will go to further ALAU's lung education programs and patient sevices, said Shirlene Ripplinger, ALAU board member and Maniac Manor committee chairman. Ron Fielding, haunted house coordinator, and friends have been doing haunted houses since 1972. This is their first endeavor with ALAU. "We have worked with a different charity each year," Fielding said. "And we're looking for an organization we can stay with." The event is also being promoted by KJQ Radio Station in Ogden. Ripplinger, an Ogden resident, said that although this is the first haunted house attempt for ALAU, "we're planning on success." There are golhic creatures like Frankenstein and modern characters like Freddy Kruger of Nightmare on Elm Street in addition to original creations, Fielding said. "Some rooms are a little gory, but we've tried to tone it down. . . . We just hope people come in, get scared and have fun." It is suggested that children under 10 years of age be accompanied by an adult. For a small donation babysitting is provided from 7:30 to 10:30 in the "Pumpkin Patch." The haunted house will be open from October 6 to October 31. Mon. through Thurs. 7-11 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 7 p.m. to "whenever the people stop coming," Fielding said. Admission is $4.50 for adults, $3.50 for children 12 and under. For more info, contact the ALAU office at 484-4456. IRS offers seminar: Magnetic media The IRS announced a series of free seminars to help people who file information returns on magnetic media meet the legal and technical filing requirements. A seminar will be held Oct. 25 at the Salt Lake City Public Library, 209 E. Fifth S., SLC. The seminar will include presentations from the IRS and the Social Security Administration regarding filing information returns on B D B B B B fl fl B B fl fl B Ca R Now Open Sundays i.-r 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. VIM $2.00 Off with this coupon on any combination dinner valued at $5.95 or more. One coupon per person. Sunday -Thursday only. 4387 Harrison Blvd in Harrison Depot Across from Dee Events Center magnetic media. Discussions will provide requirements and conditions for filing information returns and programming guidelines. Although seminars are free, reservations are necessary. The phone number for reservations in Salt Lake is (801) 524-6095. Information about the seminar can also be obtained through the IRS Toll Free number, 1-800-424-1040. a B fl fl fl fl fl fl fl B fl fl fl B B f 'A life i 479-8620 Lunch 1 1 am to 3 pm Mon - Sat Dinner 5 pm to 10 pm Mon - Thurs 5 pm to 11 pmFri Sat Offer Expires 10-31-88 aliens tit. t1 7 ! .4.'. Inbound Do you have a polite, friendly telephone sty le? Is communication and follow-through your strength? Inbound agents receive product orders over the phone and enter them into the computer. Inbound Offers. . . A wide variety of shift schedules Computer training Professional work environment For inknieir call Leslie 629-6602 5 NICE CORPORATION illinium r3 ( I HS" South Airport Park Plaza Ogden. luh Outbound Are you a determined achiever with sales potential? Do you have the courage to change people's minds and commit them to action? Ouic-nd representatives make sales presentations over 'he phone to quali lied leads. Outbound Offers... Day and evening shifts Base wage plus incentives Association with talented people For mleniew call Vicky 62'J-MX) |