man, you have the absolute right to change your mind and cancel the contract by giving written notice to that effect to the seller before midnight of the third business day after the sale. This right to cancel a contract within three business days only applies to door to door sales, unless the sales contract provides you with that right. What do I do if I receive something I did not order? If you receive goods in the mail that you did not order, both state and federal laws allow you to keep them as a gift! You do not have to pay for them. Of course, if something is delivered to you by mistake (it has someone else’s name on it, for instance), you cannot keep it and must return it to the post office or to the proper person. If any company sends you unsolicited merchandise and then attempts to make you pay for it, it is breaking the law. If this happens to you, inform the postmaster in your town or city, or the Attorney General’s Office in the company’s state. If that doesn’t work, contact the Postal Inspection Service, 2901 Scott Futrell Dr., Charlotte, NC 28228-3000, (877) 8762455. What can I do about telemarketers? Learn to say no. Don’t be pressured into making a quick decision. Make it a firm rule to think the situation out, and don’t buy immediately. Tell the salesman that is your rule. With a telephone sale, ask the caller to send the information in writing, and don’t promise to buy until you receive the written facts. Remember: It is your money and you are under no obligation to spend it unless you want or need the product. Be courteous but firm. Tell him you want to discuss it with your spouse, you are not interested, you hate to waste his time, or that you don’t appreciate pressure tactics. The salesman has received special training to sell you the product. It is up to you to train yourself to resist. The Attorney General’s Office has identified several kinds of telemarketing scams to avoid. Many of them share common elements. For example, look out for any telephone caller who requests your credit card number. They may tell you they need it for identification purposes. As a rule of thumb, do not give your credit card number out unless you initiate the telephone call. 17
Also beware of “free gifts” that require you to give out your credit card number or call a 900 number in order to collect it. Finally, beware of any highpressure sales tactics. If you must “act now or lose the opportunity forever,” your best bet is to miss it. There is now a national “Do Not Call” registry, which, if you sign up, prohibits most telemarketers from calling you. On the Web, it’s at: www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx. Register your personal cell phone and home phone numbers with the “Do Not Call Registry” by calling 1-888-382-1222 toll-free or by visiting www.ftc.gov. What is there to know about CD, tape and book clubs? “If it sounds too good to be true … It’s not true.” —The Maine Attorney General’s Consumer Law Guide. Book, compact disc and tape club advertisers give an appealing sales pitch—your choice of four books for 99 cents or 12 CDs for one cent, if you join the club. Before you succumb to the urge to get a great deal, understand what your obligations will be after you join. Generally, mail order clubs require you to purchase a certain number of books or tapes within a specified period of time. Usually, you will be sent a small catalogue of books or tapes every few weeks from which you can choose. The club will generally select one book or tape as its “selection of the month,” and unless you notify the club that you do not want that selection, it will automatically be sent to you, and you will be billed for it. Silence means you want the selection. Because your membership in the club is a contract, if you break any of the terms of the agreement you could be sued. If you’re not very good at remembering to do things, perhaps you ought to say “no” to the record and book club option. Keep in mind, too, that it may be difficult to keep your commitment. Some clubs have only a few selections that appeal to most young people, and all 10 arrive with your first purchase. You may have to choose from among books or CDs that you do not like in order to keep making monthly purchases. Do companies have a limit on how long it takes to deliver an item? If you order something by mail, the law requires the