Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-09-08

they complain that they signed
what they thought was a credit
application but it turned out to
be a promisSory note.
Some wig promoters, however,
have introduced methods not
suitable to the used car trade,
but long employed by other
high-pressure statesmen.
They have hired veterans Of
door -to-door selling, particular
ly in the housewares lines.
These statesmen have gone
through downtown office build
ings telling secretaries how they
can get a wig free If they just
sign up to have the wig serviced
or, conversely, how they can
get free wig settings If they buy
a wig.
To reach women in their
homes, the promoters have
fastened on the gimmick OF wig
parties. Women are promised
or led to believe-that they can
get a free wig or free settings
If they get enough Of their
friends together to listen to a
salesman'S spiel.
A typical complaint came
from a woman who had bought
a wig and agreed to give a wig
party-only to find that her
friends were being offered the
same wig at a lower price than
she had paid.
Cater to Negroes
Some wig firms are making a
special drive for Negro clientele.
One Connecticut avenue firm
reputedly has 80 per cent Ne
gro customers. The firm en-
phasizes pictures Of famous
Negro models" and Negro
actresses in its advertisements.
What the customers don't know
is that a long-established
beauty parlor patronized by the
wives of Negro Government Of
ficials and professional men is
charging $92.50 for French i'm
ports comparable in quality and
workmanship to the wigs the
Connecticut avenue firm sells
for $l87.
Something new was added to
the wonderful world Of wigs
recently when Wig World
carried an ad "in the public
interest" advising wig buyers
to patronize shops showing the
emblem Of the Association OF
Quality Wig Salons. The en-
blem was also featured In an
advertisement in the Baltimore
Al o-American announcing
that 1.-The famous Wig World
of Washington, D. c., Paris,
Rome, New York" had row
opened a Wig World in Balti-
more.
Checks by the Better Bust
ness Bureaus Of Baltimore and
| Washington failed to disclose
at the time OF the check, any
members of the Association Of
Quality Wig Salons except Wis
World.
Free" Wigs Not Free
The Better Business Bureau
here has been checking the
wig ads and shopping the wig
firms since the business began
to boom last spring.
Leland S. Mccarthy, man.
aging director Of the Better
Business Bureau, repeatedly
warned one firm that 1t was
violating the Federal Trade
Commission Act by claiming
its wigs we're free" The Wigs
he said, were not free because
the customer had TO sign a
contract obligating her to pay
a certain amount Of money
before she could get the wig
Actually, the customer had
to contract to pay 1886 plus q
$2l down payment TO get her
free" wig. The actual tota,
never appeared in an ad. AL
she had to do for her free
wig was agree TO have her wis
set 48 times at 81 a setting
The settings could be spread
over four years-if the wis
lasted that long-but the $685.
had to be paid off in two
years.
Mr.. Mccarthy said the Bet.
ter BUSINESS Bureau was alsC
concerned because the adver,
tisements have specified l0t
per cent human hair. Hi