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^cliemed to Take Your Money
By GEORGE M. HUSSER, Manager Kansas City Better Business Bureau
BETTER Business Bureaus throughout the country work constantly to break up schemes perpetrated upon the public. Some are ancient, some brand new, but they all have this in common — if you fall for them, you can't win.
Among the major schemes now swinging into activity are phony war charities and refugee benefits, which solicit funds or sell tickets and advertising space on a basis which yields from ?ero to 10 per cent of the proceeds to actual charity. The remainder is delivered to the promoters. Legitimate charities and beneficial organizations need every cent you can spare; every time you give to some shady promotion, you waste money that would do great good if turned over to a reliable agency. No matter how plausible or heart-rending the appeal, check up carefully before you give or before you buy.
Complaints have been filed by servicemen and their families against certain fly-by-night dealers regarding watches which were sold as new but later proved to be used movements in new cases. Bureau warnings have abated this evil to a great extent.
The wife of a member of the armed forces purchased a watch for her husband at a pawn shop. It was sold to her as a new watch, and from the shiny case and bright dial, she believed
it was new. She paid $59.50 for it, and sent it to her husband. In a few weeks, he returned it, with the remark that it didn't keep time and stopped frequently. She took it to a watch repair shop and was told the "'orks were old. She brought the watch to the office of the Better Business Bureau. Upon writing to the manu' facturer of the moverrient, it was found the movement dated from 1883 and that the ceiling price on that type movement in a new case would be $27.50. Armed with this information, a representative of the Bureau called upon the dealer and refund was made.
Another pawn shop refunded $24.50, the purchase price of a new imported Swiss watch sold to a soldier. This refund was made after investigations following the soldier's complaint to the Better Business Bureau revealed the ceiling price of the watch was $17.00. The Bureau works closely with the Office of Price Administration on items of this kind. OPA regulations were promulgated setting prices on three types of Swiss watches, which are being imported in greater quantities than usual since war conversion of watch factories create a shortage of inexpensive Amer' ican-made watches. Importers or wholesalers of these watches are required to attach to each watch a tag