Evening star., 1960-06-07

the furnace half dismantled, he
tells the mother her children
might be asphyxiated if she
doesn't get a new furnace in
a hurry. The terrified mother
is ready to sign before her hus-
band gets home from the Office.
A third type of salesman car
ries white mice in his pocket
and managers to drop one in
the fireplace. Then he tells the
homeowner she's got chimney
rats.
The "Bait and Switch"-The
homeowner is baited with. an
ad for storm windows, jalousieS,
or carport at bargain prices.
The salesman shows UP with
such flimsy stuff that the
homeowner wouldn't consider
it. This opens the door to
selling the higher-priced but
never advertised product.
The salesman sometimes
sells the bargain product and
then switches to the better one
and tears up the first contract.
Or the salesman gives some
excuse for not even trying to
sell the bargain.
A Hyattsville housewife was
puzzled when the salesman told
her he couldn't sell the $6,49
variety of storm window to her
because all but one or two of
her windows were of different
sizes. She couldn't understand
that because she had just meas
ured her five bedroom windows
for curtains and they seemed
the same size then.
A Washington woman an
sWered an ad for a $l25 car
port. The salesman told her it
was "a little tin something
with four little legs" He as
sured her that she should get
a durable, well-built one that
wouldn't collapse under the
first snow. Cost: $1,496.36. Il
knew it was too much all the
time but if it was all right I
wouldn't fret" she said. She
bought it. It's been trouble ever
since.
The Rush Act-ThiS is a basic
tool of the st-talking sales
man. The homeowner is told
that this special offer goes off
at midnight" or "if you're not
interested in getting bargain
rates for US to use your home
as a model, We'll try your
neighbor." ;" The salesman is de-
termined not to let the home
owner weigh the deal overnight
or check on the reliability of
the contractor. The complaint
of every other victimized home
owners begins, 1T all happened
so fast. E"
One young sailor -homeoWner
signed a contract and an FHA
credit application on a Sunday
light and had changed his
mind by $50 am. Monday
When he called the salesman
to stop the deal, he was told
It had already gone through.
He protested that the FHA of
fees weren't even open for
business at that hour. But
they have an answering serv-
ice" was the retort.
The Kickback Scheme-When
the homeoWner tries to resist
the sale by explaining she has
doctors bills to pay or needs
a washing machine more than
an inclosed porch, the sales
man comes up with this
clincher: He will write UP a
contract for more than the
home Improvements cost and
she can use the extra money
Immediately to consolidate her
debts or buy what she wants.
She rarely sees the money. If
she doesn't know she has vio-
lated FILA rules, she finds it
out when she calls the bank
to ask where her money is.
The Lifetime Guarantee"-
whose lifetime? Enforcement
officers say the more extrava-
CANT the guarantee, the less
likely it is to be honored
HomeoWnerS complain fire.
quently that when the water
proofed" basement floods OF
the storm door says or the
storm windows warp, they
can't find the salesman who
promised the guarantee nor the
firm that was supposed tt
honor it.
A Rockville housewife who
bought a $425 aluminium sidins
patio awning with a Lifetime
guarantee" complained that the