N.M.E. - NATIONAL MAGAZINE EXCHANGE RIPOFF Misleading Mailings Clearwater Florida

If this company is not engaged in misleading, if not outright fraudulent, practices, then why do they use this type of mail advertising?

I received a postcard colored very much like the confirmation cards used by the United State Post Office for registered mail. It has "Official Business" printed in drop-out type on a black box on the top.

The letter includes a return address for "N.M.E." but no other identifying information. It tells me to call an 800 number.

On the back, the message states: "We are trying to reach you. Please call us at the number shown on the reverse of this card. This is a free call." It is signed, "Sincerely, Pat Haines Sales Representative." The back also has "PostGram" printed in drop-out type on a black box; a "tracking number" with a bar code at the bottom; and -- get this -- a box and spaces so you can record the date and time you returned the telephone call to "retain for your records."

I'm generally suspicious of this stuff, so I Googled the information and found that this card has nothing to do with any Official Business, but is just a come-on for a boiler-room operation to sell magazines. I ran across this site and had to laugh at the pathetic attempts by some to defend N.M.E.'s tactics.

I wonder what the postal inspectors will think about N.M.E.'s advertising method.

So, I end with the question I posed at the beginning: If this is an up-and-up operation, why do they use misleading mail to dupe people into calling them?

Ken
Bainbridge Island, Washington
U.S.A.