Knock-knock: Don’t Let Deception in the Door!

You hear a knock at your door. You look through the peephole and see a salesperson. In this day and age, you can never be too cautious when it comes to who you choose to do business with.
NCL teaches consumers how to identify salespeople from honest door-to-door sales companies. These salespeople will:

• Identify themselves and the company’s products they represent by name. They should explain the purpose of their visit upfront and present proper identification.
• Respect your wishes. It’s a sign of fraud if they try to pressure you into buying something on the spot or refuse to honor your request to end the sales presentation.

For more information, including tips on deceptive sales tactics, read this month’s 2008 Consumer Calendar: Do We Have Tips for You! June’s tips are sponsored by The Southwestern Company.

Hitting the Pavement? Choose Sales Job Wisely!

With summer just around the corner, many teens are on the prowl for the perfect job. NCL has partnered with the Direct Selling Education Foundation to offer advice to young adults considering door-to-door sales jobs. We have created two new brochures filled with tips to help keep teens and consumers safe by avoiding joining or buying from unethical traveling sales crews, which have been known to cause harm to both crew members and consumers!

Teens, be sure your contract spells out the terms of your agreement.

• How, when, and in what form will you be paid?
• Will the company pay for your living expenses (food, travel and housing)?  Will this be deducted from your income?
• What are the working conditions?  Ask about the hours, travel, and living arrangements.
• If you’re not completely comfortable with the answers, don’t agree to work for the company, it’s not worth the risk!

Want to learn how to spot the difference between a legitimate sales person and a traveling sales crew scam? Read more here.

Stay tuned for more tips from NCL this summer to help millions of teens avoid dangerous jobs.