Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Lucky me!

Dear Booray Perry,


I'd like to be able to issue you an official PPALife Certificate.  But first I need to verify your file information.

That's how the letter starts that I received from Professional Photographers of America (PPA).  The letter came in an envelope with the PPA logo and was stamped, "Reply requested within 14 days."

Wow, is this some benefit of membership in the PPA that I am unaware of?  I'm a member in good standing.  I pay my dues and I even purchase my liability insurance through PPA. I guess I need to verify my information so that I can get my official PPALife Certificate.

Let's see... they need my age and medical information and then they'll start to bill me monthly.... WAIT A MINUTE!  THIS IS LIFE INSURANCE!

I expect this sort of thing from random solicitors but it really ticks me off when an organization that I pay dues to tries to sell me something by exploiting my membership.  If you want to send me an envelope that says, "Life insurance offer for PPA Members," that's fine.  But sending me an envelope that looks like PPA business and starts with a cleverly worded paragraph designed to trick me into buying something is cheez-ball.

That's right, I said cheez-ball and I meant it. That's how I roll...