THAT 'FREE' WAL-MART GIFT CERTIFICATE

One day last week, the phone rang, about the fifth or sixth marketing call for the day. After 3 0'clock, I lose track of the count.

The caller wanted to send me a $25 Wal-Mart gift certificate for being such a loyal customer. I interrupted the marketing person, who undoubtedly was reading from a pre-arranged script, and asked, "how do you know I shop at Wal-Mart."

I guess she figured since there was a Wal-Mart in Bainbridge, everybody shopped there.

The call was a ruse. Wal-Mart may not like my calling it a ruse, but that's what it was, pure and simple.

See, for accepting the Wal-Mart gift certificate, you get to sample a wide ranging series of discounts from national big-time merchants, hotels, restaurants, department stores, travel locations, etc. And it only costs $1-- for the first month.

"How much is it after the first month," I interrupted again.

"Sir, if you don't want to participate after the first month, you can cancel the program. It's only a dollar."

How much after the first month, I asked again.

"$19," she answered.

So for $19 a month on an extended contract, I get all kinds of savings from companies I would rarely use, and I still get the Wal-Mart gift certificate?

"Yes sir, but you can cancel at any time."

"Fine," I said. "Cancel it right now. Don't send me the Wal-Mart gift certificate, don't bill me $1 for the first month, don't put me down for an additional $19 charge per month on my credit card. Just cancel it now."

End of marketing conversation.

Here's something I learned, the hard way. When you get one of those calls from some company you never heard of and the person says "We are updating our records, and need to verify your address and phone number."

Don't give it to them. If you do, your address and phone number gets added to a huge data bank which is sold to marketers, who in turn start making all those phone calls you get everyday.

Even Dunn & Bradstreet makes calls updating their files. Who could refuse Dunn & Bradstreet, wanting to verify your business or personal information?

Don't give it to them.

It's the same ruse.

Dear Mr. Wal-Mart. Where are these marketing people getting the information that those who answer their phones are Wall-Mart shoppers? Are you supplying our personal information to these marketing guys? Are you saving credit card charge information slips, information on our checks, with name, address, phone numbers, and passing it on to marketers?

Is that what you are doing?

Alright, I will admit it. I do shop at Wal-Mart on occasion only when I am fairly certain there would be no other place in Bainbridge to find that particular item.

As much as possible, I'm going to spend my money with local merchants.

Not all communities welcome a Wal-Mart into their retail mix, but this one came in with little opposition. Oh those of us in the retail business had heard all the horror stories that the mom and pop stores soon would be history, that local retail couldn't compete.

But a lot of local businesses fooled them. We can compete even with rising costs of almost everything from gas, to groceries, to clothing to everything else. But there's a new competitor to all retail business these days. The internet.

Sales on the internet are growing by the hour. Folks are shopping the internet and finding competitive best buys and bargains.

Retailers, don't you just love it when you quote a price to a customer, and they respond by saying, "well, I can get it cheaper on the internet."

Then there's the opposite. I love it when customers say to me, "I found it on the internet, but I really would prefer to buy it from you."

Wow. That's loyalty.

And as the saying goes, don't look a gift card in the mouth.