Do you write this?

My mother-in-law who is 80, not highly educated, and prone to worry regularly gets direct mail telling her the government is going to take her Social Security away.

(At least that's the impression the copy leaves her with.)

And it scares her.

I'm sure you can guess what the pitch is. Send us a donation and we'll fight against your benefits being taken away.

If you're one of the scum-sucking, no-conscience copywriters writing this crap, shame on you. You're pathetic and one of the lowest forms of life on the planet.

VL

In a real world, there will be con-artists, whose only mission on earth is to shamelessly defraud innocent citizens, young and old. That's how it was during the days of George Washington; it was like that in the midst of the first depression in the 1920s and I doubt it is about to change. That's why every individual should have his B.S antenna tuned to detect this.

For the young and old, who are vulnerable, family and Government come in to protect them. Perhaps you may consider urging the relevant authorities do an investigation.

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Rezbi

12 years ago

Yes, there are copywriters out there who are scum.

Some of them are pretty well known. And you'd know them if I named them.

I got scammed by one of them when I started out. He was supposed to mentor me and then give me some work.

That work never materialised, even after he said my writing was good enough.

I lost $4,000 to that dirt bag.

So, I'll repeat... yes, there are scumbags who couldn't give a monkey's donut about anyone else.

Oh, and as soon as I paid him the $4,000, his laptop was 'playing up'. So he couldn't give me my mentoring for about two weeks.

He he did get 'back online' he actually had the nerve to tell me he'd been out partying.

With the money he'd just scammed off me, no doubt.

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Rezbi

12 years ago

Yes, there are copywriters out there who are scum.

Some of them are pretty well known. And you'd know them if I named them.

I got scammed by one of them when I started out. He was supposed to mentor me and then give me some work.

That work never materialised, even after he said my writing was good enough.

I lost $4,000 to that dirt bag.

So, I'll repeat... yes, there are scumbags who couldn't give a monkey's donut about anyone else.

Oh, and as soon as I paid him the $4,000, his laptop was 'playing up'. So he couldn't give me my mentoring for about two weeks.

He he did get 'back online' he actually had the nerve to tell me he'd been out partying.

With the money he'd just scammed off me, no doubt.

It seems, after I wrote this, I may have scared at least one person into thinking all mentors could be the same.

That couldn't be further from the truth. There are some great ones.

Someone asked me what I thought of Raydal.

My answer?

He under-charges and over-delivers.

Hope that clears things up.

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Bruce Wedding

12 years ago

Can we see the piece in question before rendering them dirtbags? There is lots of copy which is fear-based out there, targeting all ages. Is it all wrong or just when directed at seniors?

I happen to know that people like Makepeace and Bencivenga have written plenty of copy targeted at seniors. Doesn't make them scumbags.

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Steve Hill

12 years ago

Originally Posted by videolover7

My mother-in-law who is 80, not highly educated, and prone to worry regularly gets direct mail telling her the government is going to take her Social Security away.

(At least that's the impression the copy leaves her with.)

And it scares her.

I'm sure you can guess what the pitch is. Send us a donation and we'll fight against your benefits being taken away.

If you're one of the scum-sucking, no-conscience copywriters writing this crap, shame on you. You're pathetic and one of the lowest forms of life on the planet.

VL

I see. And you know for a fact they are wrong?

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abugah

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Steve Hill

I see. And you know for a fact they are wrong?

Ok...I tend to think the copywriter may after all be right with the assertion that the social security checks will be withdrawn.

Going by these press reports...

Mayor reduces police & firefighters pay to that of a McDonald’s employee but his salary is intact – FreakOutNation

Mayor takes $90,000 pay cut to help struggling Mississippi city - CNN

When States and Towns Go Broke - US News and World Report

Why The United States Of America Is Broke - Business Insider

...Most US states are broke some are already sending home firefighters and downsizing the police. Others are reducing their wage to minimum scale.

The federal government is equally in trouble; credit rating was reduced last year.
Is there any reason to believe social security checks can't be withdrawn? I doubt.

A government that has no money can't pay; won't pay; it doesn't matter the nature of the obligations.

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abugah

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill

No, sir. The question is how in the **** a direct mail piece playing on an old woman's fears does anything to alleviate the situation.

Perhaps we need to see the sales letter in question before we deviate from the argument that ''the scum-sucking, no-conscience copywriter is writing crap.''

But are you sure in future the Government won't cut the social security checks if nothing is done to reverse the current downward economic trends?

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Bruce Wedding

12 years ago

Originally Posted by abugah

Perhaps we need to see the sales letter in question before we deviate from the argument that ''the scum-sucking, no-conscience copywriter is writing crap.''

But are you sure in future the Government won't cut the social security checks if nothing is done to reverse the current downward economic trends?

The fact is, the US government can't pay its obligations. And with $5 TRILLION in new debt under Obama, the situation is worse now than it was 3 years ago, when we already had no hope of paying them.

Another fact is, social security will be cut one way or another, either by raising the age to get it or means testing. It has to be because it is a pyramid scheme and all pyramid schemes are doomed to fail.

Now, all that said, are current recipients going to have their checks eliminated? No, I don't believe so. That would be political suicide for any legislator participating in the bill. Though they've certainly discussed eliminating or adjusting the COLA (cost of living adjustments), which could mean grannie's checks won't get any bigger.

The bottom line is, they won't get smaller but social security will change for FUTURE recipients. And not for the better.

As someone who has contributed the maximum to social security for 2 decades, this pisses me off, but that's the way it is.

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Steve Hill 12 years ago

Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill

Are you lamb enough to think they are right?

You can do the research and make up your own mind on that, but the numbers don't look very good.

Perhaps the copywriting pieces in question are legitimate fundraising request from genuine activist groups, or perhaps they are scams from fake charities interested in lining their own pockets. Without seeing the pieces in question, there is no way to tell who they are or determine their legitimacy.
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danielp

12 years ago

To VL, im sorry your gramma feels that way. I too have a auntie who just turned 91 and get the same type of direct reponse letters sent to her but she asks me what they mean and i explain them to her not to worry its just a form of sales letter to get her to join a cause. But i do make sure she understands IT'S NOT FREE! But that it is a sales letter targerting seniors. I encourage you to do the same and don't get yourself worked up about it. Just be the gate keeper for her and she'll be just fine. As long as you don't get worked up, she won't get worked up about it. She's lucky to have you.
Best of luck to u!.......DP

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Do you write this?

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