A warning...

[steven c newman]

There is a "woodworker's group" out there that sends out a nice cardboard box through the mail. Inside this box will be another such box. READ the paperwork before you even open that second box! IF you do open that second box, it will be at the cost of $24.95 for a set of "Made in China" router bits. And, they will bill you for it!:eek:

[John Jendro]

If you didn't order it, you didn't receive it. Reminds me of the instructional DVD's that I received without ordering. They sent a couple of bills, but I just threw them away. Eventually they gave up. I think they hope there is a percent of people that will actually pay for them. Mass marketing at work.

[Dan Friedrichs]

No, you just get to keep the bits for free :) If you receive an unsolicited product in the mail, you are under no obligation to pay for it. You can contact the US Postal Inspectors if the company attempts to charge you.

See: http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cos50.htm

[michael case]

I got a Work Sharp I did not order. But, it was mine if I wanted it. It was Delivered to my door with my name without any solicitation on my part. I was honest and sent it back. But in your case I would just keep the bits your under no obligation to return them. They are the ones being dishonest.

[John Coloccia]

No, you just get to keep the bits for free :) If you receive an unsolicited product in the mail, you are under no obligation to pay for it. You can contact the US Postal Inspectors if the company attempts to charge you.

See: http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cos50.htm

Exactly. This hasn't happened to me in a LONG time, but the last time it did I called the company back and told them I didn't want them. They said, no problem... "just ship them back". LOL. I told them that if they want them back, I'll be happy to oblige them. All they have to do is arrange to have them picked up by a representative, and oh by the way, I charge a $1 a day storage fee.

Not that I really needed another filet knife....

I wish someone would send me free router bits, and other shop supplies, and then try to charge me for them! That'd be awesome.

[glenn bradley]

+1 on Dan. Those unsolicited Bozos deserve to lose money trying to bill you. Laugh it off. My apologies if anyone out there is in the "spray and pray" in-the-mail advertising business but, I think anyone who sends me unsolicited mail should be made to send pick-up tags for it (at my request and at their expense). I'll even collect it all month and you can automatically call for it monthly. I stop at the recycle bin on the way in from the mailbox and drop off 98% of what comes in my mail. And yews I have done all the "1-800-don't send me that" stuff ;-) I live alone and only manage to fill a trash can about once a month but, my recycle bin is stuffed every week.

[george wilson]

I was sent a book I didn't order. they even turned me over to a collection agency. Eventually,they stopped mailing me demands for payment.

It seems that those "World's largest" collection agencies are nothing but some guy in a room full of computers mailing out threats. I wasn't about to go to the trouble to re pack and pay to ship their stupid book,which I STILL haven't read.

[Jim Heffner]

If "they" send you any items that you didn't order...tough luck! You have NO
obligation to pay for them, there is no proof that you ordered, received or even wanted any of their stuff. They have just lost out, on all accounts,
they may find someone stupid enough to pay for this type of scam and that is what they are hoping for in the first place!

[Richard Dragin]

There is a "woodworker's group" out there that sends out a nice cardboard box through the mail. Inside this box will be another such box. READ the paperwork before you even open that second box! IF you do open that second box, it will be at the cost of $24.95 for a set of "Made in China" router bits. And, they will bill you for it!:eek:


Did you send them the money?

[Don Dorn]

No, you just get to keep the bits for free :) If you receive an unsolicited product in the mail, you are under no obligation to pay for it. You can contact the US Postal Inspectors if the company attempts to charge you.

See: http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cos50.htm

Yep - just think about how much unsolicited stuff we would be receiving every day if we were obligated to either pay or send it back at our expense. This is an example of a much needed law, especially with today's marketing methods.

To the OP: Enjoy the router bits and as someone else said - don't fall for the "collection agency" or "credit rating" threat. Send them Dan's link.

[Tom Esh]

Well you sure don't have to pay for them, but I wouldn't use them either. They're amost certainly sub-standard crap (maybe even rejects) and somebody's getting a % to see how many they can unload to suckers. I wouldn't want to be in the same room with one of those spinning 20000 rpm.

[steven c newman]

Not this old boy! This warning came from a friend of mine. The "group" ( surprized?) was called "American Handyman". I had "dealings" with these "people' a few years back, don't look like anything fazes them. :p

[Peter Quinn]

I have yet to receive anything useful for free in the mail. Cheap router bits if used might wind up costing you more than are worth, even at the price of free. I'd send them a bill for waste disposal and chuck them, or bring them back to the post office after repacking the original box in used TP and labeling it: Return to Sender, address unknown......They better hope they don't get my address on their list. In the right mood I just might police after my dog and mail that back to them! Even exchange I'd say!

[Kevin Womer]

I hear from them (American Handyman) every once in a while, they usually send a plastic drill bit/dowel sizing template-I must have 5 of them. I miss the days when they used to send sanding sponges instead. I usually just throw the mailings away.

[Ruhi Arslan]

... They sent a couple of bills, but I just threw them away. Eventually they gave up. I think they hope there is a percent of people that will actually pay for them. Mass marketing at work.

I wouldn't believe it would work, if I didn't see it happen; my mother-in-law has subscriptions to Smithsonian and Nat Geo till well over year 2030+. As she receives the "renewal notices" she sends a check. It took me few hours once to get multiple subscriptions under ONE name at the same address.

[Chip Lindley]

I have not had the pleasure of receiving Free Tools in the mail for years. Funny all that stopped when I let my subcriptions lapse to Fine Woodworking and Wood magazines! But, I have had experiences with books and music CDs mailed to my wife after she ordered only ONE.

Be very aware when ordering on-line. Study and read the whole order form before finalizing your order. (ordering specific items from woodworking suppliers does not necessisarily apply) But, with things like books, magazines or music CDs, there is an obscure box already checked, to indicate you wish to receive future mailings at specified periods of time. If you overlook the box, you will surely receive the material and be billed for it, after a trial period. Usually the stuff can be mailed back in the same box it came in, with a return label.

I suppose they figure lots of folks are too lazy to send it back within the specified inspection period, and will pay the bill when received. They make it difficult to communicate and cancel everything. Not surprising that no phone number is listed to get in touch with a real person, to cancel everything.

[michael case]

Good point Tom!

[Dan Hintz]

Let's not get all out of whack on this one... I was sent the router bits, too, as part of my subscription to Wood magazine (which I intend to let run out after the 3 years I received with a single $20 payment runs out). The mailing says if you would like to receive the next bit in the series and a case to put all of them in (it's like a book of the month club, but with bits), pay the $25 for the ones you just received. It is not a bill.

I was happy to take unsolicited bits off of their hands, quality aside, and they did the same a year ago with a fairly decent project book (which looked a heck of a lot like a Time Life book series). They bugged me to no one to send it back, but I didn't ask for it, so I'm not wasting my time to rewrap it. They should have thought of that before sending it to me. Because they insisted on bugging me so much, that's partially what made me decide to drop their magazine.