Mouth and Foot Painting Artists - beware!!

This morning I have had a pack of 8 Christmas cards through the post from Mouth and Foot Painting Artists. It is a group of artists who paint with their mouths or feet due to disability.

I never asked for these cards and have no idea how I got onto their mailing list. There is a letter enclosed which says you can either keep the cards or send £6.95 for them, with no obligation to pay any money.....but there is a heavy guilt element attached.

After a bit of investigation this morning I have found out that this is not a charity and it is in fact a commercial venture. This is something that is not made clear in any of the bumf they have sent through. It's one of those 'tugging the heartstrings' type of things and personally I think it is a disgusting way to conduct 'business'.

Unsolicited mail, arriving in your post, making you feel guilty that you have to pay for the cards which you never asked for in the first place.

Here's a page about them in Wikipedia, it seems there are allegations that this company which allegedly makes millions of dollars every year, is not all it is cracked up to be:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Mouth_and_Foot_Painting_Artists_of_the_World

Also, if you do a quick google, you will see that many people have reported receiving these unwanted items in the post and have been fooled into assuming it is a charity and paying for them.

Beware!
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Comments

  • shammyjack
    shammyjack Posts: 2,685
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    Both myself and my Mother get these through the post every year and I am well aware it is a scam. Can't complain at free cards though, they are excellent quality and it means I never have to buy Christmas cards.
  • shammyjack wrote: »
    Both myself and my Mother get these through the post every year and I am well aware it is a scam. Can't complain at free cards though, they are excellent quality and it means I never have to buy Christmas cards.


    Cant really argue with that, keep the cards dont send them any money, what are they going to do???
  • My mother used to buy these cards back in the 1950's and 60's because she knew one of the handicapped artists involved. We always knew it wasn't a charity, but assumed it was a company run by the artists themselves to support themselves rather than having to rely on state benefits, and thus a worthy endeavour.

    We had no idea that the artists did not receive the bulk of the money - maybe this has changed since those early days? I hope that when she supported them the artists actually had a decent profite for their work.
  • maninthestreet
    maninthestreet Posts: 16,127
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    Send them back, in an envelope with no stamp on it......
    "You were only supposed to blow the bl**dy doors off!!"
  • Yes, I feel like doing that. It's such an intrusion and I'm just so against this type of emotional blackmail stuff. I'd imagine that more vulnerable people like pensioners, will just send off a cheque without even thinking about it. It's such a shame.

    I was going to call them today and complain but I've been in a very bad mood, so I will wait till tomorrow and hopefully be a bit more reasonable :-)
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,545
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    budgie123 wrote: »
    I was going to call them today and complain

    I wouldn't waste your time. They've been doing this for over 50 years and it's clearly a lucrative marketing exercise, so they're hardly going to stop doing it.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • DCFC79
    DCFC79 Posts: 40,598
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    Id either keep them or send them back with not at this address
  • It's probably a bit late to reply to this but....... I have received these cards for a number of years, and assuming that they were a charity have always sent the money. But this year I had been made redundant and had no cash. I was in the process of setting up my own business and made a promise to myself that I would send £10.00 (which is what I usually send) as soon as I made my first cash. I believe in 'luck money' and it would 'bless' the business so to speak. I earned my first money yesterday (Sat 26th Feb), so this morning I set out to find this 'charity' on the internet to donate. having found their site I couldn't find the donat button, so back to google, where I found this thread. So has anyone any suggestion as to which real charity I could send my 'luck money' to?
  • TheSaint_2
    TheSaint_2 Posts: 1,011
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    Help for Heros or the Red Cross
  • :heart2: British Heart Foundation :heart2:
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