Mouth and Foot Painting Artists - beware!!

summerlady_2

No point in telling them to take you off their mailing list - they just ignore it. My father used to purchase his cards through these people, but stopped (obviously) when he died. I wrote three times telling them and every year we get a pack of cards addressed to him.
I now keep the calendar and throw away the rest.

hollydays

MouthPaintingArtist wrote: »

I know this thread is very old, but please don't form your opinion of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists based on this one thread. I am an artist with the organization. They are a great organization. It is not a scam. They are not a charity nor do they pose as one. "The MFPA is an international, for-profit association wholly owned and run by disabled artists to help them meet their financial needs.". They are very clear on this. If you admire the artwork & enjoy the cards please continue to purchase them. I cannot post links, but Google MFPA Canada or MFPA USA… Etc. depending where you live to find their website.

You Do not need to worry about telemarketing phone calls from them either.

There are clearly problems.
How are they great?

SnowTiger

I've received cards from the Mouth and Foot people, but I didn't think they were a charity.

They're not the only organisation to send unsolicited goods hoping for a payout.

About three weeks ago some goodies from Cats Protection arrived: a fridge magnet, notebook, cards, 3D bookmark and, of course, a pen.

And today I received goodies from British Red Cross: cards and a bookmark. But no pen - very disappointed.

And remember all the prize draw gumpf Which?, the Consumers' Association used to send out?:

Until 2006 the association used prize draws similar to Reader's Digest's to attract subscribers, but following criticism they were discontinued. The Association now attracts subscribers to its publications with free mini-guides and trial offers.

Mojisola

SnowTiger wrote: »

I've received cards from the Mouth and Foot people, but I didn't think they were a charity.

They're not the only organisation to send unsolicited goods hoping for a payout.

About three weeks ago some goodies from Cats Protection arrived: a fridge magnet, notebook, cards, 3D bookmark and, of course, a pen.

And today I received goodies from British Red Cross: cards and a bookmark. But no pen - very disappointed.

When you buy things from a 'charity', you are buying from a business - the British Red Cross charity doesn't sell you things but the business Britcross Ltd does. Such businesses are usually owned by the charity and all profits are given to the charity.

SnowTiger

Mojisola wrote: »

When you buy things from a 'charity', you are buying from a business - the British Red Cross charity doesn't sell you things but the business Britcross Ltd does. Such businesses are usually owned by the charity and all profits are given to the charity.

I haven't received catalogues or purchased items from these charities.

They've simply sent unsolicited freebies with a begging letter and a Direct Debit mandate or donation form. At least Cats Protect sent a pen!

Very similar way to how the Mouth and Foot folk operate. I wonder if they'll include a pen with my free Christmas cards this year? If they don't I can use the one from the Cat People.

pendragon_arther

Mojisola wrote: »

When you buy things from a 'charity', you are buying from a business - the British Red Cross charity doesn't sell you things but the business Britcross Ltd does. Such businesses are usually owned by the charity and all profits are given to the charity.

Judging by their prices Oxfam is now a business.

Pollycat

SnowTiger wrote: »

I haven't received catalogues or purchased items from these charities.

They've simply sent unsolicited freebies with a begging letter and a Direct Debit mandate or donation form. At least Cats Protect sent a pen!

Very similar way to how the Mouth and Foot folk operate. I wonder if they'll include a pen with my free Christmas cards this year? If they don't I can use the one from the Cat People.

My OH received the same from Cat Protection.

What a waste of money!

tom_yendell

Thank you for your post on the money saving expert forum. I would like to tell you about the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists. My name is Tom Yendell I have been receiving an income as a Mouth and Foot Painting Artists for nearly thirty years. I started as a Student Artist with the Association and have gradually worked my way up the company ladder, as one would do in most companies.
Our wonderfall self-help co-operative was founded nearly 60 years ago by a Mouth Painter called Erich Stegmann. Erich really beilieved that as a disabled artist himself, if he was given the same chance to publish his artwork to the public as his able-bodied counterparts there should be no reason for him not to be earn an income. He saw his artistic friends earning an income from their artwork, they did not have to rely on charity to earn an income so why couldn't he also do this? Stegmann looked for very disabled Mouth and Foot Painting Artists who wanted to earn a living, not having to rely fully from state benefits. In 1957 he had found 17 artists within Europe, he invited them to join the MFPA, Stegmann believed that the Association should be non-political, non religious but above all a business, not a Charity.
Since 1957 our self-help co-operative has grown and we now look after 800 artists in 80 countries around the world. Each artist is supported financially each month, the amount of income depends on where on their Artistic developement they are.
In 1957 the MFPA were one of the first companies to send our packs of cards out to the public in hope that they would see the benefit of our wonderful organisation, like our products and contribute to our artists careers by purchasing the cards, calendars and other merchandise. As our pack states customers are under no obligation to buy from us, or send the pack back. 'Pulling on the heart strings' is something we definately don't want to do, it is society that gives us the defintion of being disabled. Our artists would like you to purchase our cards because of the amazing artwork that is printed on the products, not because you feel 'sorry' for us. You can read much about our Artists in their individual websites mine is Tom Yendell for example, or go onto our worldwide web pages. (Sorry this page won't let me list webpages!) or Google mfpa.uk
Please don't rely on websites such as wikipedia for truthfull knowledge, ask your questions to us the Artists, the people who own and run the company. With this you will receive the correct information and realise what a fantastic company we own and run...one which you could support?
Regards Tom ....see me painting on Youtube!

Mweya

Oh dear! Us British! If we can’t find something to moan about, we make it up….. and we’re so suspicious! I defy anyone to find any business or any charity in which you cannot find fault making it look as bad as or worse than anything you have dug up about AMFPA. If you base your decisions on that, you will never buy anything from any business or support any charity.
I buy from MFPA only because they ARE a business! Anyone who overcomes adversity and creates an income for themselves instead of relying on charity is to be honoured and admired, not criticised, so support them! There is no self-respect in living on charitable hand-outs, and their products are fair value anyway. I honestly don’t know how I would cope with the disabilities these artists have, and I wonder if any of your contributors have given any thought to that?
Regarding the other criticisms, their sales method is perfectly legal and used by many highly respected mail order businesses, so that does not make them a scam. They do not apply pressure to buy, as proved by the number of people who use the cards without having the simple human decency to pay for them. In fact, I suspect the financial cost to AMFPA of unpaid-for stock must be very high.
The investigation of Companies House records shows nothing out of the ordinary. Although under normal circumstances I, too, do not like tax free havens like Liechenstein and think they should be made illegal, they are nevertheless legal and used to a lesser or greater extent by many businesses, MNCs and even the UK government itself. The difference is that in the case of companies like AMFPA, I can forgive them.
Regarding AMFPA’s failure to appeal the legal decision in the Danish libel case, having been in the law myself, I can confirm that a very large number of findings that should be appealed are not because the appellant either can no longer afford the legal costs or a management decision is made not to risk it because, frankly, going to court is extremely risky. I obviously don’t know if that is the case with AMFPA but I suspect it could be, given that at some stage in the legal proceedings, the additional legal costs would almost certainly have impinged on the artists’ share.

Mojisola

Lumstorm wrote: »

They are also ripping of the artists by not paying a fair share for their work while a few directors make a fortune. So by supporting them you are supporting the exploitation of people with disabilities.

Alison Lapper is one of the artists. I can't see her sitting back quietly while she gets ripped off by anyone.