Double Dealers (1960s)

[Music] from her early history America has known the hit and run salesman he arrived with a wagon load of promises sold his Wares then quietly disappeared before his customers discovered that things weren't exactly what they were cracked up to be [Music] today's hitandrun salesman is more sophisticated this jet age Peddler has Mobility his doorstep is the world like his predecessors he offers something for nothing a lot for a little but unlike his ancestors it's almost impossible to pick him out from a any crowd of honest [Music] businessmen case in point sewing machine Charlie one of the double [Music] dealers the name of the game bait and switch sewing machine man thank you what uh what kind of machine You're Now using I don't have one now that's why I called about your ad well have you uh have you ever used a sewing machine before well I used to use my mother's where's H your outlet right over there oh thank you is your mother's uh machine a fairly new machine it's a touch and so or at least I think it is it's a singer it's got the dials and stuff well would you uh would you prefer to have one like uh like your mother's got sure I would I can't afford it it's uh that's why I called you about the ad oh uh listen that's not like uh when you had in ad it's a portable in ad you said you had a console with a double needle oh this thing always is difficult to handle uh well you see the fact of the matter is that um what happens is we advertised it other model and uh I only had two and I sold both of them just this morning but this machine right here is just as as good as that machine and uh for the money I think it's even better buy see here show you how this works here what makes a noise like that well uh see that's because this is a plastic model this is not our um this is not our best model you understand see our our best models um well they run about $15 more and they're really not the best if you understand what I'm saying uh the best run anywhere from $40 to $50 on what year is that machine well it's a 65 or 66 why why don't you uh why don't you try it come on right over here that's it and uh you know the pedal's right down there okay okay okay um oh oh be careful be careful I forgot to tell you there's a there's a little chip on the flywheel there and you might cut your hand so be careful careful he say this thing a little bit beat up well you see that's because uh it's a used machine and you know how people are when they have things repossessed they just don't just don't care about taking care of them well look I I really I really want a sewing machine but $59 I I thought I'd get something you know a little bit better than this I I don't know if I could run it or not oh well be careful be careful down here now see this is this plate here this is is not the proper plate we had had this machine repaired and um well the repairment just didn't have the proper plate so so be careful that too oh yes while I'm here uh notice this this is a plastic bobin oh and um right here we we're missing the the rubber gasket here so you won't be able to to wind the uh wind the bobin say uh how did you uh how did you intend to to pay for the machine were you going to uh going to pay cash or what did you think of getting it on time be doing on Time Finance it if we could well that that's that's perf right you see we could we could give you a special plan whereby I could let you have this machine for about um7 or $8 a month look I really want a swing machine but to tell you the truth I wouldn't give you 50 cents for this thing it's it's just it's just not what I wanted I don't know I I guess I'm spoiled I wanted something else just a I'll tell you what now don't don't don't become discouraged because I think I've got something that might be just what you're looking for so now I'll be I'll be right back just give me a minute I don't think I could ever make this thing run I don't know whether they did it on purpose or not I I think you find this a a little more to your liking I think it's probably just exactly what your mother's got oh very close to it just as good a machine that's really nice you can sew with that let's get this out of here put this down right here okay plug this in over here like so this I think is uh it's got a better pedal oh it's uh where our extension cord go to here right here oh yes thank you all right now you just uh try this one I think you'll find this much much more to your luing there's not an attractive machine it really is yeah how much is it oh uh now this one's a a demonstrator and we've got an ad breaking tomorrow on this this machine and um I'm sure that by uh the end of the week we're not going to have any of them left listen to that motor s certainly that sound a lot better and uh I'll tell you this um this machine's got a lifetime guarantee see the other one here only had a 30-day guarantee but with this one you're not going to have any problems at all full lifetime guarantee and now down here I want to show you this so you know see Factory bobbing that's the greatest thing how much more is this in the other machine well as I said this is a demonstrator and um uh because of the special advertising campaign we're going to be having I can let you have this one at a special price see the machine normally runs 219 but because I've used it for demonstrations I've used it for 3 weeks now I can let you have it for 129 uh this one isn't a singer aren't you a singer salesman well see I've been selling machines for about 10 years now and I want to tell you about something about machines this one right here this machine is as good or better than any Singer sewing machine on the market and at 1229 it's a real Real Steal as I said with that advertising campaign breaking we're not going to have many left now I want to show something over here see see this light right here right there see it's right down by the needle know it's not uh not behind the needle like on this one over here uhhuh now can't you see that that's it's a lot better it's really nice well with the colors uh are blue beige and brown and you can have any one of those colors as long as it's blue beige or brown you know I I really would like it but well let me tell you more about it now it's solidly constructed you can see that just by looking at it's a much much better machine I mean just visually also the lifetime guarantee means that you're not going to have any problems with this machine price $19 now I can let you have it on a special Arrangement where you'll pay the same amount per month as you paid on that machine remember that's a lifetime guarantee against a 30-day guarantee same amount per month well I mean I I I wouldn't have to pay any more than than that it's I don't know it's it's just too much I I don't feel like I can do it it it we have so many other things to buy well let me say feel shouldn't buy a singer song I understand that people can get hung up you know with obligations and things like that now what I could also do is I can let you have the machine for no money down understand me nothing you know out of hand right now uh I can uh put it on the sales slip as if you didn't receive any attachments and the sales manager is a personal friend of mine so he'll let that you know sort of slide through and as I said for $7 or $8 per month you can have this machine instead of that machine I'd like to I have a don't have a dress I want to make for this weekend but well you'll save a lot of money I can't do it I I hate to bring you out here and all this but it's just too much money well look look um I'll tell you try this machine now I've come out here I've come some distance and I know you want this machine so I I'll leave it with you so anything you want absolutely no obligation I know you're going to buy a machine someday and I hope you'll buy for me I'll come back next week and I'll pick the machine no obligation how does that sound that sounds pretty good no obligation at all absolutely no obligation whatsoever well uh just just one uh tiny little obligation I um I I have to ask you to sign this because uh my sales manager insists I account for all of my machines and uh what is it it's just uh just a little form that tells where the machine is you know being used and you can read it of course but it's just a lot of U legal jargon take 12 Philadelphia attorneys to to decipher it it's just a just a formality so uh if you just sign right here no obligation whatsoever and I as I said I'll come back next week and I'll uh I'll pick up the machine uh this is a kind contract and once this is signed this woman will become a victim the name of the game is bait and switch a salesman has no loyalties no ties with the decent honest businessmen in this community the indicators knocking the advertised product switching you to a higher price Model and just plain lying to make a sale they will stop at nothing to reach you we're looking for people with character and standing and we've heard from your neighbors and friends and they all recommend you as an outstanding citizen for participation in our special leader development CL we're not selling anything mind you yeah this sort of thing should really be done every year you know I could really save you some money you see I have a crew and I have a lot of equipment right across the street doing your neighbor's driveway right now and I could really save you some money if I brought them over here and I took care of this thing right away you know driveway should be sealed at least once a year and if I brought my crew back here on a special job why this would cost you twice as much but we're closing a home show in Chicago there's three demonstrat pools they're being reshipped right now back to the factory now I can redirect one of these pools right to your house have it set for you day after tomorrow and you'll be swimming this summer now this summer it'll be a $5,000 pool and you won't have to pay that you only cost you half that we are trying to build up the business in this area as a test market and so are able to offer this product to you for 5 years absolutely free so that we might point to you as your neighbors and your neighbors as a success story your name will not be used in any manner and I assure you it is free for the cost of postage only it's yours absolutely free and if you qualify as an agent representative you'll be permitted to recommend six of of your neighbors or friends who would also like to have a free car in turn we'll pay you $100 for every qualified Word of Mouth representative that sets up an appointment with our programs operations we can do this because we find that less than 45% of our actual advertising Budget affs Sales and we get more sales just having one person tell another person we're conducting an advertising research program and we'd like to get your reaction on new product we've been showing in town we're pulling for big circulation we'd like to show it to you and your wife give a demonstration and record your opinions we have a nice gift for you for giving up your time all you do is pour this into your bath water three times a week and it'll take off pounds of weight you can earn extra money Be Your Own Boss and still keep your old job look we get so many calls I must urge you to decide now tonight it's a service you simply can't deny your child and it is free they are a small minority that prey and scheme they trade on the names of honest businessmen they offer something for nothing a lot for a little an unsuspecting public awaits them eager to embrace their usual pitch you must decide now at once before you can think it over before you can check on their reliability their goal is to get your name in a contract you don't understand or don't bother to read once that happens it's too late youve bitten promises are their stock in trade and lies their key to Prosperity well this man had come up to the steps and said that there was a few slates was uh loose on the uh on the roof so I said to him well if you see any slate Loop you fix them because I said when they coming on I said I wouldn't want any leaks now I couldn't Up on the Roof to know they were leaking so I said what you see to be fixed I said you just do it so uh he started up there to look it over and I think he worked about maybe a half an hour and he said he'd be back in the morning so he came real early the next morning and he got up there and he put some of this aluminum around and he came down and then he said I said oh I'm afraid I look at that bill he said uh well it's $1,100 he said if you give me a th000 cash I'll throw the $100 off so he said now this fellow take where do you keep your savings and I said Eureka and he said well he'll drive you down and you get the cash so I got the cash and brought it up and he was sitting on the couch and writing this out and I thought natural he'd put his name down which he didn't and uh I had paid him $1,000 well after I knew I had been really robbed you might as well say why uh I did call the police and I said in the meantime while he was fixing we when we were fixing the roof the two men in he must have been the boss or something because he was going around the neighborhood looking for the elderly couples if the young ones came to the door he didn't bother and because I know people up above are elderly and they said he went to their place but they wanted to find out a little bit more about him and he said he'd drop a card in their mailbox but he never dropped the card in so after he had gone I noticed that he hadn't even signed his name to this here piece of paper that he gave me so and at the time we had sickness in the house and I wasn't feeling well that day and I think he just took advantage of us the salesman guaranteed that guaranteed us that we'd get the same C back so upon those conditions we signed an agreement with him so uh during the discussion he said to us your Springs are uh rather worn and lost attention which I agreed he says well how's about us putting all new construction in this and I says Fine that'd be great so which he said he' do for us well following day couple of men come out and took the couch I guess of a period of about four to five weeks we're waiting on a return to the cotch well as my wife got it she was very pleased with the upholstering but when she opened the bed it was completely new and different bed it wasn't ours at all no way shape or form they call it a high boy and ours was a low boy so I got rather disturbed about it and I called the company so he insisted that it was my bed and after I told him I had photographs of the couch and I marked my name on it as well as file my name on it I guess he realized I meant the truth and I did have this proof so um actually it wasn't giving any satisfaction I wrote to Better Business Bureau so they sent him a letter in return and he finally got on a phone with me and he wanted to make it good by giving me any hadot but my own which I wasn't satisfied with so I insisted upon myot and he says what I couldn't give it to you cuz I don't have it it's junp being a Suburban family with five children we were certainly interested in Saving any amount that we can on our food bills and when we saw the ad placed in the windshield of our car for this food plan we answered it and uh the salesman arrived late one evening after listening to his sales talk it sounded as though we'd really be ahead on our food budget although he had no printed price list that we could at the time compare with the prices we knew were current at the stores but even with a $15.72 membership fee this being paid once a month for two years we still felt that we would be able to save money on uh the items that they had now of course having no complete sales brochure with him we still didn't know what this included but he did say that you had a 30day trial to um try out the food and gave us the impression that if we were dissatisfied we could then get out of the program so on this assumption we signed up and with the fact that the prices seem so good we signed our name and I guess that was our mistake later on to be honest they did call to check and see whether the or was right and later said that we could have gotten out at this time which I didn't realize it didn't State this in so many words but they said this was our opportunity if we were dis satisfied but the call coming at dinner time and being an out of time call I just went ahead and told them that we had ordered and it would be satisfactory for them to send the food which they did but when the food arrived we found out that it was $50 more than we had originally planned to pay and that I think was our first real notice that we would be paying a lot more than we were used to to pay for our food this is a so-called um plan where he had said how would you purchase this cleaner if you could get it for 1635 I said who wouldn't I said to him what's the sales pitch he said as I explained in the beginning we do no advertising we don't do not pay a high price for advertising you do the advertising for us and therefore you can purchase this it's possible for you to get the cleaner for 1635 then the rub came the gimmick was that uh it's a so-called referral plan they give you the cards to mail out to your friends if you get a certain number of sales in 2 months you get the sweeper for the 1635 if you don't make it in two months you have 6 months to get 10 sales at this point I I have contacted the company they refuse to take the cleaner back the salesman is no longer in their employee the finance company and a third party to the whole there isn't much he can do about it and we're stuck with a cleaner that we didn't want on the basis of us listening to a stupid salesman's testimony in our own negligence in reading a signed contract Mr Charles R Burke president and general manager of the Better Business Bureau of the Greater Pittsburgh area you have just seen examples of how the public has been swindled by the unscrupulous businessman this could have been you this could have been your neighbor the unscrupulous businessman the illegitimate businessman is by far the minority of all business we figure he counts for less than 1% of the sales in any area however it's 1% minority that makes the news the bad guys make the news the Good Fellas don't we at the Better Business Bureau urge you to avoid doing business with the unscrupulous who would take you we're in business to try to help you avoid doing business with this person we have a few words of general advice that we can give that will probably prove a good test without further check if a company has been in business for many many years and has a good reputation and you have done business with it chances are if you do business with it again you will not be victimized you will not be swindled however if you're doing business with a company for the first time or you're doing business with a company that's just come into the area how do you determine whether this company is any good is it the type of company you want to do business with you can call us at the Better Business Bureau we're in business to give you some idea of what you can expect if you do business with this company we have what is known as a customer experience record it is simply a record of how its customers felt about having done business with the company and by and large this is is basically the best test because if a company doesn't satisfy its customers chances are it won't satisfy you we are ready to report that to you the Better Business Bureau is a nonprofit corporation it exists for one purpose to promote a better orderly Marketplace in the area in which it operates we are trying to promote a better Marketplace we are trying to help the public achieve maximum satisfaction from its dealings with business we can help you we urge you to call us the old Latin axium caveat empor says let the buyer beware when the offer is unbelievable it's often for a good reason 4 in high did it say or did the ad say nearly now when you don't know the carpet firm the Lush sample they showed you may shrink slightly when it's spread on your floor how about a gim Dandy body Improvement kit just how you uh improve your body with these is up to you ah here's something a flashlight that never needs batteries or bulbs it burned out in a week but they were right you couldn't replace the batteries or the bulbs here's one guaranteed safe no dangerous fumes cannot harm pets [Music] now you know that this cannot be but people answered this ad you could have bought this for a [Music] dime speaking of sewing machines whatever became of sewing machine Charlie I I hate for you to come all the way out here but um would you mind if I called the Better Business Bureau before I sign it [Music] [Music] [Music] we wish to thank the Better Business Bureau the Singer sewing machine company United Airlines Carnegie Library and the other honest businesses and citizens of this community whose cooperation has made this program possible this is John Ray G [Music]