Mouth and Foot Artists

babaloushka

Does anyone know if this organisation with an address in Firhouse, Dublin is genuine? I've just received a set of 6 Christmas cards (unsolicited) for €9.99 and I'm pretty sure I read something a while back suggesting it was not as it seemed.
I found this article on Wikipedia which seems to bear this out my suspicions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Mouth_and_Foot_Painting_Artists_of_the_World Contrary to what many might think, it's not a charity and perhaps a lot of people might send money off thinking they are helping when there's very little evidence that disabled artists gain much at all If anyone has any information to the contrary, I'd really like to know.

jmbkay

I have been getting cards from these from years and have always sent them the money at Christmas. The letter enclosed with the cards says they are not a charity, they work for their money. The amount for the pack they sent me is E16.90, it has been around that for the past few years.

Wikipedia says much the same thing that its work not charity.

GER12

Organisations with CHY status usually have CHY numbers.... and this should be on the cards. You can cross reference the number with Revenue who publish a list of organisations who have CHY status online.

babaloushka

jmbkay wrote: »

I have been getting cards from these from years and have always sent them the money at Christmas. The letter enclosed with the cards says they are not a charity, they work for their money. The amount for the pack they sent me is E16.90, it has been around that for the past few years.

Wikipedia says much the same thing that its work not charity.

But this quote from further down in the Wikipedia article is worrying:
On October 10 2008 the High Court of Eastern Denmark ruled in favor of the accused journalists, stating that there was sufficient factual basis for statements like: "Behind the scenes we found a well-oiled money making machine with economic puppeteers, who are scraping in money with arms and legs", "People think they are supporting a charity, but in reality we are looking at a money making machine" and "...only a measly 3% is going to the mouth and foot painting artists"

the groutch

if they're unsolicited, all you need to do is call them (best through skype so that you have a record of the call being made), tell them you don't want them, and ask them to take them back
if they don't take them back within X days (not sure if it's 10, 14, or 28), then they are legally yours without paying anything

brightspark

It's Inertia Selling

Covered here

http://www.ecic.ie/topics/buyinggoodsandservices/catalogues.html

"In such cases, you should not be required to pay any money for the goods or services supplied, and absence of a response should not be treated as consent i.e. if you don’t respond at all, it cannot be taken that you have agreed to the contract."

babaloushka

I know that I don't have to pay for unsolicited goods and the cards will definitely be binned. I'm more concerned about the number of people who may fall for their pitch, thinking they're helping disabled artists. There are plenty of genuine charities around that are crying out for funds. If that 3% figure is true, that's an abysmal amount for the artists - not to mention the secrecy of MFA accounts etc Seems like a racket to me

smelltheglove

We got the same ourselves last week. I wonder how they got our details, its was under my husbands name and we are living here less than 2 years so they must have gotten the details somewhere, we arent listed and he is quite careful about who he gives details too, its strange. I was a bit concerned at first being unsolicited but they do state in the correspondence that you are under no obligation to return.

brettmirl

Electoral register perhaps?

Acoustic

happy days free xmas cards

i got them also , so i'll use them and send them to people i know for xmas

i didnt ask for them so i wont be paying for them

dudara

They've been doing the rounds since I was a kid (at least 25 years or more). Surprised to hear that they're still available.

smelltheglove

brettmirl wrote: »

Electoral register perhaps?

Not on it. Its strange.

babaloushka

smelltheglove wrote: »

Not on it. Its strange.

Maybe the phone book? It was my husband's name that was used too and the address corresponds to the phone book entry, which is slightly different to what we normally use elsewhere.
I really wouldn't mind sending them money if I thought it was genuine.

jmbkay

My husbands name and address corresponded to the phone book entry too.

Tarakiwa

So - if you use them and dont pay, there is no comeback on you?

smelltheglove

The phone is under my name for business purposes although I am sure it isnt listed, even if it is they wouldnt have gotten his name from it. I'd love to know where they get the details from though as it is really irritating me, they most likely bought data from some dodgy company or something.

jor el

Tarakiwa wrote: »

So - if you use them and dont pay, there is no comeback on you?

Nope. Use them if you want, or bin them, or send them back. Whichever you do, you can pay or not, it's your choice.

If it's true that only 30c out of every €10 actually goes to the artist, then I wouldn't feel bad about not paying for these. That's €9.70 going to someone else if you do pay, someone that probably doesn't deserve it.

ShatterProof

Tarakiwa wrote: »

So - if you use them and dont pay, there is no comeback on you?

None whatsoever. They are a gift to you.

I've been receiving them for years and have never sent them anything.

humanji

Well according to the European Consumer Centre site linked above you can only use them after a certain amount of time.

According to Section 47 of the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, 1980, such goods may be treated by the recipient as an unconditional gift if they have not been reclaimed by the sender within 6 months of their delivery and the recipient did not unreasonably prevent the sender from doing so. This period may be shortened to 30 days where the recipient gives written notice to the sender and they are not reclaimed within that period

ShatterProof

humanji wrote: »

Well according to the European Consumer Centre site linked above you can only use them after a certain amount of time.

But when their own letter says you do not have to return them or pay for them you can use them now if you wish. But I'd recommend waiting until a bit closer to the 25th Dec before you do use them.

bcirl03

Got 2 dozen before from similar crowd, unsolicited of course.

Sent them back their 2 dozen cards in the post, individually addressed with no stamp wishing them a Merry Christmas.

sham69

Feel like a fool now, I sent money to these twice in the past.
I have gotten more in the post last week and was going to send off the 16.90
I saw it as my way of donating to some charity.
It seems pretty genuine with artists stories of what happened them etc.
I guess I won't be sending any money this time.
I feel like sending a letter back to them explaining my change of heart.
If the artist is only getting a small percentage I am disgusted.

Fnergg

Got cards from them yesterday and they went straight into the bin.

Regards,

Fnergg

bcirl03

Fnergg wrote: »

Got cards from them yesterday and they went straight into the bin.

Regards,

Fnergg

Recycling bin I hope

foggy_lad

babaloushka wrote: »

I know that I don't have to pay for unsolicited goods and the cards will definitely be binned.

use the cards as binning them is only a waste

smelltheglove wrote: »

We got the same ourselves last week. I wonder how they got our details, its was under my husbands name and we are living here less than 2 years so they must have gotten the details somewhere, we arent listed and he is quite careful about who he gives details too, its strange. I was a bit concerned at first being unsolicited but they do state in the correspondence that you are under no obligation to return.

some companies get details from newspaper obituary colums or from contacting undertakers after a bereavement asking for the address of relatives to send condolence cards. this happened with a relative after a death in the family when they started getting begging letters from some african arch-bishop!

Tarakiwa wrote: »

So - if you use them and dont pay, there is no comeback on you?

none at all

Fnergg wrote: »

Got cards from them yesterday and they went straight into the bin.

Regards,

Fnergg

dont waste the cards, if you like them use them and if you dont like them just send them to the in-laws:)

Fnergg

foggy_lad wrote: »

dont waste the cards, if you like them use them and if you dont like them just send them to the in-laws:)

I wouldn't send the cards to anyone - they'd think I'm a cheapskate for sending something that I got for free in the post.

Regards,

Fnergg

leck

My mother just received a package from these people today. I remember these from years ago. I think she used to send off money to them and keep the cards as she felt the money was going to some starving disabled artists. My memory is that the quality of the cards was crap and we had no idea if the charity was legitimate.

The entry on Wikipedia does not make me feel any better about them:
Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists of the World - Controversies

Now what to do with this latest envelope? If I cross out my mother's name and address and mark "Return to Sender" will it go back to the sender or do the PO just dump stuff like this as I presume it's third class post? And will we keep getting these cards every year?

homer911

This is a bit like the Spanish lottery letter or the Nigerian Royal family letter. Ignore and bin.

HeidiHeidi

I ignored, but used them as Christmas cards when I last got them. Was that very bad of me?

Never got them again after that though.

L1011

Unsolicited goods, they're yours now. They give up rapidly if you don't return them

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I returned them for years but they kept coming. Then I kept them without recourse to the sender and I never got them again.