So the new junkmail is from ACSIA with an offer of "Long Term Care" for me and my family.
Whether NHQ sold my name to some financial services junkmail list, or they are getting
a piece off the top, this needs to stop.
I spend a fair amount of time keeping myself off of these lists, always opting out, and
being less then friendly to robocalls.
The membership is not a revenue pool.
^^^ Yup!
Seriously - NHQ sold (sells?) member lists? For sure, or are you supposing?
I have no way to know "for sure", but...
The return address has the CAP logo and Maxwell's return address.
It was addressed to me personally including my CAP Grade.
It has the CAP logo on the top of the sheet.
Signed by Don Rowland.
So either CAP rented my name, or their system is compromised.
I've also confirmed I am opted out of 3rd party solicitation.
We'll see if any more of us get the same thing..
Have you had them try and come to the unit to pitch life insurance?
Really annoying waste of time.
Quote from: a2capt on May 07, 2014, 08:12:16 PM
We'll see if any more of us get the same thing..
Have you had them try and come to the unit to pitch life insurance?
Really annoying waste of time.
Wait, are you serious, they've showed up to your unit meetings? Who allowed that?
Quote from: Eclipse on May 07, 2014, 08:14:58 PM
Quote from: a2capt on May 07, 2014, 08:12:16 PM
We'll see if any more of us get the same thing..
Have you had them try and come to the unit to pitch life insurance?
Really annoying waste of time.
Wait, are you serious, they've showed up to your unit meetings? Who allowed that?
The unit meeting times/places are public information. An enterprising salesman could look up the local meetings and go from there.
True enough, though they'd be wasting their gas around me.
Login to eServices.
Click "My Account" in the upper right-hand corner.
Find this checkbox, click it, then click the "Save Changes" button at the bottom.
Quote from: dwb on May 07, 2014, 08:26:00 PM
Login to eServices.
Click "My Account" in the upper right-hand corner.
Find this checkbox, click it, then click the "Save Changes" button at the bottom.
Done many moons ago and confirmed (above) that it was still checked, so apparently that means zero.
Quote from: Eclipse on May 07, 2014, 08:33:17 PM
Quote from: dwb on May 07, 2014, 08:26:00 PM
Login to eServices.
Click "My Account" in the upper right-hand corner.
Find this checkbox, click it, then click the "Save Changes" button at the bottom.
Done many moons ago and confirmed (above) that it was still checked, so apparently that means zero.
Based on what you've said the solicitation contained, I would file a complaint with NHQ about unauthorized disclosure of personal information. If nobody [censored]es, they'll just keep doing it.
Do I remember reading a rule about using CAP resources to further a private business enterprise, or maybe I dreamed it....
As for a salesman showing up to your meeting, bad form. Want to come to my unit and talk CAP, I'm all ears. Want to come to my unit and try to sell my members some magic beans, tell your tale while you're walking.
I CANNOT believe that this organization is using its membership for junkmail fodder. It's disgusting. I understand the fundraising aspect of being a nonprofit, but there is a line, and this drives right across it.
You're getting the solicitation directly from NHQ, so it doesn't really qualify as a 3rd party effort.
I'm going through this with another organization I belong to, and I have mixed feelings on it. On the one hand, it's an annoyance getting the ad in the mail. Conversely, it is essentially free money, and if it's done in-house, with only the mailing house getting the addresses, it's not really a big deal. If done correctly, the advertiser never sees the contact info.
The other organization has a big kerfluffle going on right now, because there's an ad on the back of the membership card, from some insurance outfit. Again, it's free money. I never look at the back, myself, and if someone wants to give us money, in case a few people actually act on the ad, so be it.
Quote from: THRAWN on May 07, 2014, 08:39:38 PM
Do I remember reading a rule about using CAP resources to further a private business enterprise, or maybe I dreamed it....
It's also pretty hard to receive a letter direct from NHQ, signed by the COO and then disavow any "endorsement" of the offering.
FWIW, they also used the MAJCOM, and if there was ever a place to use the new logo, this would be it.
Ah, does sound like CAP is fronting for an insurance company, and gets a cut on sales. So maybe, technically, CAP didn't sell us out; it's coming from CAP. Assuming they kept control of the mailing list - but knowing CAP IT, that list could be in the wind by now. . .that's why my DOB and some other essentials may not be perfectly accurate on my CAP records.
But wow, that's real cheesy, even by CAP's standards! I kinda expect "front" stuff from AOPA, my credit union, etc. . .I mean, I have a mercantile relationship with them; insurance, AOPA logo credit card offers, that kind of thing.
Cold light of day, I guess CAP is just another vendor, selling memberships, like AOPA or your credit union. I guess we prefer to think of CAP in a different way. This is "Development" in action, I imagine.
It won't hurt me any to drop it in the shredder, and CAP might make a buck. But it feels a little sleazy. And having a sales person show at a meeting isn't going to work for me. Not one bit. It's heaven-and-earth to find time to get there as it is, and fly, as well. Am not listening to anymore SAS than I have to. . .
Quote from: Eclipse on May 07, 2014, 08:50:34 PM
Quote from: THRAWN on May 07, 2014, 08:39:38 PM
Do I remember reading a rule about using CAP resources to further a private business enterprise, or maybe I dreamed it....
It's also pretty hard to receive a letter direct from NHQ, signed by the COO and then disavow any "endorsement" of the offering.
FWIW, they also used the MAJCOM, and if there was ever a place to use the new logo, this would be it.
Well, crap...that's just plain dumb.
Hit the "Ask the National Commander" button and see what kind of response you get!
Just what I needed, another reminder that I am old 8)
We already have some affiliate deals. The USAA credit card comes to mind. Still, the direct solicitation is really annoying. I guess hard budget times call for "outside the box" fundraising ideas. :-\
If they really wanted to offer us something worthwhile, I'd recommend some kind of mental health insurance.
As crazy as this makes us sometimes, they can consider it a return on their investment.....
8)
Quote from: dwb on May 07, 2014, 10:01:01 PM
We already have some affiliate deals. The USAA credit card comes to mind. Still, the direct solicitation is really annoying. I guess hard budget times call for "outside the box" fundraising ideas. :-\
That's cool, probably valid; I can live with SAS that I can ignore; won't begrudge (too much) the time to open it and shred it. Someone may be interested, it may even be a good deal. Just, personally, find it cheesy. . .
I get so much "junk" from postal mail, email, phone calls, texts etc, I guess one more piece won't make much difference. And if CAP makes a buck from the piece I'm shredding or throwing in the recycle, I would feel better about that piece than most I receive. I always wonder about the "no call" lists. I'm on and faithfully renew the state and federal no call lists yet those calls still get through.
Reminds me that I need to change my address...
Quote from: NIN on May 09, 2014, 10:38:59 AM
Reminds me that I need to change my address...
And the idea of putting in "fake" addresses into eServices is a sad consequence of this kind of behaviour by NHQ.
I know that I'm working on a project to model likely response times for disaster scenarios, and if people have fake addresses in their profiles, I get bad data out of that part of things (I can plug a start and end address into a Google API and get a drive-time).
Now, don't get me wrong...the idea of putting in a fake address until just before renewal time is tempting...and I don't begrudge people who do it, I really don't...but NHQ should not be incentivizing people to do that.
Not advocating nothin' but just saying, dithering your DOB might not be a bad idea, either. . .can always claim a inadvertant fat-finger input, if you're called out on it.
Quote from: SunDog on May 09, 2014, 02:16:19 PM
Not advocating nothin' but just saying, dithering your DOB might not be a bad idea, either. . .can always claim a inadvertant fat-finger input, if you're called out on it.
Most of the data that comes out of NHQ obfuscates your birthdate anyway...I'm sure that people have access to the real data somewhere, but if you look in CAPWATCH, you will see that everyone was born on the 1st day of the month.
Or instead of fake addresses, just take the 2 seconds to open the letter, read the first line, and then throw it into the recycling. If it includes an envelope that has paid postage for returns, mail your junk mail back to them at their cost.
The real issue here is, who is spending the money to send out the mailings? NHQ or the company?
By the way, I was not advocating that people fake their address. I recently moved, and I remembered because of this thread that I need to change my address with CAP
Quote from: NIN on May 09, 2014, 03:03:31 PM
By the way, I was not advocating that people fake their address. I recently moved, and I remembered because of this thread that I need to change my address with CAP
Ahhh...others have (don't remember who) advocated putting in a fake address until right before renewal time, then putting the real one in for a couple weeks...
Quote from: JeffDG on May 09, 2014, 02:31:17 PM
Quote from: SunDog on May 09, 2014, 02:16:19 PM
Not advocating nothin' but just saying, dithering your DOB might not be a bad idea, either. . .can always claim a inadvertant fat-finger input, if you're called out on it.
Most of the data that comes out of NHQ obfuscates your birthdate anyway...I'm sure that people have access to the real data somewhere, but if you look in CAPWATCH, you will see that everyone was born on the 1st day of the month.
I'm not worried about NHQ putting the DOB out there on purpose; I give them more credit than that. I'm just not confident it's protected from bad actors when at rest. MER had a breach, or perhaps more accurately, an inadvertant exposure a few years back. Pretty much impossible to get an answer from them on follow-up, etc. Somebody left a backup media somewhere, or lost it, or something.
If you press it with WMIRS, you can use something other than SSN with them, too, or at least you could a while back.
Quote from: JacobAnn on May 09, 2014, 10:32:18 AM
I get so much "junk" from postal mail, email, phone calls, texts etc, I guess one more piece won't make much difference. And if CAP makes a buck from the piece I'm shredding or throwing in the recycle, I would feel better about that piece than most I receive.
I feel the opposite way... most of the junk mail I get is from organizations I have no prior relationship with (Domino's excepted...) who are just shotgunning mailers in hopes of getting business (and, I might add, doing so on their own dime.)
It's much more aggravating to me if a professional organization that I pay to be a member of is trying to make a quick buck by selling my personal information to businesses I have no interest in.
Quote from: Eclipse on May 07, 2014, 08:11:37 PM
I have no way to know "for sure", but...
The return address has the CAP logo and Maxwell's return address.
It was addressed to me personally including my CAP Grade.
It has the CAP logo on the top of the sheet.
Signed by Don Rowland.
So either CAP rented my name, or their system is compromised.
I've also confirmed I am opted out of 3rd party solicitation.
They also solicit EX MEMBERS like myself....
and I am officially in the "EX" club since February!
Gen. Carr's new blog on this:
hird-party benefits and you
Posted by Dan Bailey | May 22, 2014 | 0 Comments
Several members have contacted me recently to express concern about 3rd-party mail. I want to be sure everyone understands the process and, most importantly, your ability to opt out of 3rd-party mail.
Third-party vendors are provided member mailing addresses and are contracted for only one mailing per vendor. These vendors offer CAP members various benefits, such as long-term health care insurance, automobile insurance, and even hotel discounts. These benefits are listed on our social media sites at www.capmembers.com (http://www.capmembers.com).
CAP receives annual profits from these vendors. The funds are based on a percentage of sales, and a significant portion of the royalties is used to support CAP's regional cadet programs.
If you do not wish to receive 3rd-party mail, go to eServices and "opt out." Opting out applies only to 3rd-party vendor mail; you will continue to receive correspondence from National Headquarters!
If you have a question about any of these member benefits, your point of contact is Skip Dotherow, CAP's Director of Development, at 334-953-774, extension 225, or you can email him at jdotherow@capnhq.gov.
You are also welcome to contact me as well via the "Ask the Commander" option on eServices.
Just got a solicitation for long term care insurance through the Coast Guard Auxiliary Association....
So since these were sent on behalf of the 3rd party, by and from NHQ, there is no way to opt out.
If they want to blow coin and send me stuff that I'm just going to drop in the bin.. let 'em.
It's not like the chances of it coming on a day that something else isn't going in there anyway.
Quote from: Eclipse on May 22, 2014, 11:46:15 PM
So since these were sent on behalf of the 3rd party, by and from NHQ, there is no way to opt out.
I have yet to receive any 3rd party advertisements. I receive the renewal letters and other required items, but no 3rd party items yet.
The process here appears to be different from the one I described above.
Quote from: Eclipse on May 22, 2014, 11:46:15 PM
So since these were sent on behalf of the 3rd party, by and from NHQ, there is no way to opt out.
That's exactly backwards from what Gen. Carr said.
Quote from: Gen. CarrThird-party vendors are provided member mailing addresses and are contracted for only one mailing per vendor.
The vendor does the mailing - provide the material and envelopes, pay the postage, and take care of the administrative aspects, either directly or hired out to other folks who specialize in the various tasks. And, they pay CAP for the privilege of doing so.
It's essentially free money for us, although I'm a little less comfortable about releasing the mailing list directly to a vendor, instead of just a mailing house.