The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-01-27
Confessions St. a
Mail Order Man
By Mr.. M. O. x. a
Revelations BY One Whose Experience In
the Business Covers Range From
: Once Boy to General Manager
HOW l WORKED THE CREDIT
SYSTEM.

It was slways my custom to state
in the catalogue in several places
money cheerfulIy refunded"
IL you sre dissatisfied, how many
times do you get your money back? !?
Did you ever get it back promptly
AMI without a struggle? ~
This is my game--to pretend that
your money will be returned in case
you are not pleased with your pur-
chase and then, If you do send in a
good hot kick you will get a letter
back asking you to select something
else from the catalogue. You Will
be tired cut with letters and sug-
gestions a, to what you should take
instead of the article you kicked on
until you finally decide to save any
more trouble and take something else,
something gcu didn't want at all. e;
Eut suppose that really the great
est joke Of all is played on the peo-
pie in the small towns by my So
called "cresit" system.
] send .fau q catalogue and In
vite, you tr buy anything you want
and to take your own time to- payefor
It.: The literature ! send out leads
you to believe that do not care for
money at all. try to, make you he
Heve that you are a great friend OF my
concern, that you are entitled to great
consideration, that, your wants shall be
supplied with the greatest possible care
and that you are reliable and entitled
to credit. e%5493t ~ IS
'I will not make any inquiries con.
cerning yoar credit" says my litera.
ture. i5sasa i SIEi, Z. 4. ,s.55 s5, 7; 4
mo questions viii be asked Of your
neighbors." says another paragraph 4
Your ,neighbors and friends viii
never knowsthat you are dealing with
us on credit says still another sec
ton of my letter. But / most certainly
do Inquire about you. For instance: II
I had an outside concern that is q
concern running under another name
and with q separate address from the
main store. This address was the
home Of my credit manager or the Of
fee Of my, collection lawyer" y X.
When you write In for credit this
is the way do it. have you isign.
first Of. all, a paper which Is part Of
the order blank and is really q legal
contract, giving me power and author
ity to come into your home and take
out, not only the things you have pur-
chased on credit from me but also
everything else. When you sign ali or:
der for goods on credit you unwilling
ly sign a ehattel mortgage on your
household property. Then. after this
paper is In my possession can swoop
down on you, and drag out every stick
of.furniture you have In the place and
sell 1t at auction to pay the amount
still due. . t.,s .,ia',.ts !, II
IT, bookkeeper makes an error In
figures, II some, clerk steals remit
tancet from YOU, sent in to apply on
your account, you have absolutely no
chance to object, It is the law. { "a
Now, when you send in your order
and application Cor credit, yon must
send. also-for such is my rule --an
order and tho amount specified ais the
first payment You expect to get othe
goods right away but no, there are GER
tain things to be done before / ship
the goods. / have your money. so
you must wait. 4, r5!S -
Then my credit man sends q letter,
written on the fake" letterhead of my
outside concern, to some Of your neigh
bors, asking them II your character is
good, If you are In the habit of paying
your bills, II yollr morals are good,
how much you earn a week, etc. Your
order Is held until answers are re-.
ceived from those of your neighbors
to whom the letters of inquiry were
sent. Then H. the answers have been
satisfactory, you are sent contract
to be signed by you and you must wait
until this has been received by my.
credit department. p.
Then the goods are shipped. And
the awful prlces-goodness gracious
what prices charged for the very
cheapest, and most unreliable class of
goods My policy is to set a price, the
first payment of which pays for .the
actual cost Of the goods. Then all the
rest is velvet" All or the future pay
ments are profit to my house. You
really pay for the goods, the actual
value, when you send in the first pay
meat.. won't lose anything If you
never send in another cent
But think Of it--you must keep
sending in money to meet the other
payments for perhaps two years-so
much each month Any time you fail
to meet monthly payment 1send the
papers to a local lawyer and he can
take possession of your household
goods and sell them on the street. p.
Some of the goods I send you
are not worth hauling to the cars. I
remember one lot OF parlor furniture
that had lot of damages, one of
which was broken leg on the divan.
It never could be fixed. sent that
set out every time / could substi-
tute it for another on an order ard
1t always came back. We had a lot
Of joking about that old crippled set
Of parlor furniture and, well, it had
lot of adventures. l shipped that
set to nearly every state In the Union.