MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE
MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE
Many people are not who they say they are. A friend was in line at the local Post Office when a lady in the next line became very agitated because she had phoned ahead and told "someone" what she wanted, then she had produced identification, and "they" still wouldn't let her have the package for her "sister." By the looks of the package, it looked like food stamps, my friend told me. At one point there were three male clerks and one female clerk trying to explain to the woman that "many people are not who they say they are." But the woman became louder, finally getting so agitated that it seemed like the police were going to be called to calm her down. It seems that some people go to the Post Office and tell them all kinds of stories, and one of the male clerks explained that they could only release the "package" if the local Social Services Office would send them a letter stating that this lady could pick up mail for her "sister." Needless to say, she left without getting the "package" she came for. She was probably going to stop by the grocery store on the way back to her "sister's house."
Another friend related another story that shows that many people are not who they say they are. He worked for a company selling a product to people in their homes. He said that he made a sale to a couple, and it seemed that the man didn't seem to be especially interested in the product, but he didn't object when the woman wanted it and bought it. He just didn't want to sign the Order Form. A few months later the account became delinquent, so my friend went back out to the house to collect some money. A man answered the door and stated that his wife was gone, and he seemed unfamiliar and didn't seem to know much about the sale or delinquency. When my friend began describing the situation on the day of the sale, the man at the door asked some questions about the time of day and similar details that soon made it apparent to both that the man with the woman on the day of the sale was not the woman's husband, as my friend had assumed.
Since many people are not who they say they are, this explained the fact that it seemed that the man didn't seem to be especially interested in the product, but he didn't object when the woman wanted it and bought it. He just didn't want to sign the Order Form! No wonder!
Another friend related a story about answering an ad to buy a house. The fellow who met him at the door and showed him through the house stated that he would give "a Deed conveying everything I own in the house, in other words my entire interest in the house." When my friend couldn't pass up the ridiculously low price and bought the house, he found that many people are not who they say they are, as the real owner of the house showed up in a month or so and wanted to know what was going on! It seems that he had rented the house to the first fellow who met my friend at the door and showed him through the house, stating that he would give "a Deed conveying everything I own in the house, in other words my entire interest in the house." It seems that the renter didn't own much interest in the house (none, in fact). The renter made off with my friend's money, which not only proves that many people are not who they say they are, but it also proves the saying that "if something seems too good to be true, it probably is!"
When the river flooded a few miles from my house a few years ago, the story went around that some of the people who lived the closest to the river found that, not only would their flood insurance not pay off (if they had any), but that they didn't actually own the land their house had been built on. It seems that some sharp developer had obtained a 99-year lease on the land from the government, then built and sold a bunch of houses. Years later, when the flood came, the homeowners found that many people are not who they say they are, as they didn't actually own title to the land.
Another friend found that he was going to be away on vacation for an extended period of time, so he put a Temporary Forwarding Order on his mail at his local Post Office.
Within a week or so, he received a letter from his local Post Office at both his original address and his new vacation address stating that they had received a Temporary Forwarding Order to re-route his mail. The letter went on to say that, if this information was correct, he didn't need to do anything; but if this information was incorrect, then he should come in and notify them in person. It seems that many people are not who they say they are, as some people had been putting in Temporary Forwarding Orders and Change of Address Forms on other people's mail, then receiving checks belonging to the unsuspecting victim, then going out and cashing the checks. This may be why more places are asking for identification if they don't know you, and why more places are putting up signs that they don't accept out-of-town checks and similar pieces of paper.
This same friend had ordered a new debit card from his bank, and it was to be mailed to his original address. He also received a check at the same address every month. When neither the debit card or the check showed up at the new vacation address, my friend found that they had been returned to the senders (that is what it means when an envelope you receive says something like "Address Correction Requested" or "Do Not Forward" or "Form 3691 Requested.") It probably isn't 3691, but it means that, for a small additional fee, the Post Office will notify the sender of the new address from the Temporary Forwarding Orders and Change of Address Forms. This also explains how collection agencies seem to be able to find people who move frequently, and why some people don't notify the Post Office of their new address when they move!
When neither the debit card or the check showed up at the new vacation address, my friend found that they had been returned to the senders, so he made some phone calls to explain the situation to the bank and the sender of the monthly check. It seems that many people are not who they say they are, as some people receive credit cards and checks from someone else this way, and they go out and use the credit cards and cash the checks that don't belong to them.
A number of years ago, my grandfather decided to buy a clothing store. This was not so unusual, except that he was supposedly “retired” and in his 70's at the time. He never learned to drive a car, so he would always pay me a few dollars to take him where he wanted to go, and he would usually buy our lunch, too, which made it even nicer! He wanted to go see a clothing store that was for sale, having talked to the owner on the phone earlier. When we arrived, at about 4:30 p.m. one day, the place was full of clothes on racks, where one would expect them to be after they had been tagged with the price and other pertinent information. My grandfather talked to the fellow for a good 30 minutes or so, then we went on our way. A few days later, my grandfather again wanted me to take him to the same clothing store, which I didn’t think was too odd, as he apparently had thought it over and made a decision. This time, however, the owner was not expecting us. In other words, we just walked in “unannounced.” One thing I did notice, was that the store was a lot emptier than it had been a few days earlier! When we got back out to the car, I remarked about this to my grandfather. He had noticed it, too! He thought that the owner was “seeding” the inventory, adding clothes brought from home or borrowed elsewhere, to make the inventory look bigger, especially when a buyer was expected! Another thing my grandfather pointed out, was that there had been NO CUSTOMERS either day, and both times we were there when there should have been at least a few customers! The 4:30 p.m. time was when most people were getting off work, and this should be a busy time for a clothing store, especially if people wanted to shop after work (which they did in those days, while waiting for a streetcar or a bus).
My grandfather and father took me to a nice little coffee shop in the downtown area one day, introducing me to the proprietor and such. On our next trip to the same little coffee shop, a new person introduced himself as being the new owner, saying he had bought the coffee shop from the previous fellow. A month or so later, when we again visited the same little coffee shop, the original fellow appeared, saying that the “new owner” had not paid him the agreed monthly payment, so he took his coffee shop back! This happened quite a few times in the coming months, with the original owner “selling” the coffee shop to someone else, who only stayed a month or two, then the original owner appeared again. My father and grandfather figured out that the “new owners” thought they were buying a going restaurant business, as it was in the downtown area where a lot of people worked at that time. After operating the coffee shop for a month or two, they would discover that, instead of the business being a going restaurant business, it was only a little coffee shop, with very little restaurant business! Of course, they couldn’t make any money just selling coffee, and when it came time to make a payment, most of them would simply return the coffee shop to the original owner. This fellow sold the same coffee shop about a dozen times during the year or two we watched it, with each “new owner” thinking they had bought a thriving restaurant business, only to find that they had bought a little coffee shop that didn’t make much money. We figured that the original owner made more money out of selling the coffee shop over and over, than he did out of selling coffee!
So, when you run into small problems in your daily walk through life, just remember that many people are not who they say they are, and be glad that someone asks you for identification and double-checks on Temporary Forwarding Orders and Change of Address Forms. This is for your benefit. Like a lady once told me in a bank, "You don't want the bank to give your money to some stranger, do you?" Another friend who worked in a bank said that they "make people mad every day," probably because they don't want to cash checks for strangers, cash checks on other banks (which is why they ask if you have an account there), don't want to loan money on "questionable deals" and many other things that people seem to dream up.
The next time you go to buy a house, remember the story of the fellow who was quite willing to give "a Deed conveying everything I own in the house, in other words my entire interest in the house." And remember the story of the lady who had phoned ahead and told "someone" what she wanted, then she had produced identification, and "they" still wouldn't let her have the package for her "sister." And remember that the story of the man with the woman on the day of the sale was not the woman's husband, as my friend had assumed. This explained the fact that it seemed that the man didn't seem to be especially interested in the product, but he didn't object when the woman wanted it and bought it. He just didn't want to sign the Order Form! And remember the story of the sharp developer who had obtained a 99-year lease on the land from the government, then built and sold a bunch of houses. Years later, when the flood came, the homeowners found that they didn't actually own title to the land. And remember the story of the "Address Correction Requested" or "Do Not Forward" or "Form 3691 Requested," as well as the Temporary Forwarding Orders and Change of Address Forms. Perhaps these stories will save you some headaches as well as some time and trouble, not to mention money!
If and when you decide to buy a business, remember the fellow who “seeded” the inventory in his clothing store, and remember the fellow who sold and re-sold the little coffee shop that didn’t make much money! Regardless of the situation, remember that many people are not who or what they say they are! Buyer beware! And, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!”
Copyright 2011 by Preston Smith, Walker Enterprises/Silver Dollar Press. All Rights Reserved.
Here’s a good website to check out: “Studio Quality Portraits For Less” - http://studio-quality-portraits-for-less.weblodge.net
Here’s another good website to check out: “Green Cleaning Products” - http://green-cleaning-products.weblodge.net
Here’s another good website to check out: “How To Adjust & Repair Your Sewing Machine” - http://www.silver-dollar.zoomshare.com
Here’s a good Forum to check out: http://dachshund-forum.forumotion.com
Another friend related another story that shows that many people are not who they say they are. He worked for a company selling a product to people in their homes. He said that he made a sale to a couple, and it seemed that the man didn't seem to be especially interested in the product, but he didn't object when the woman wanted it and bought it. He just didn't want to sign the Order Form. A few months later the account became delinquent, so my friend went back out to the house to collect some money. A man answered the door and stated that his wife was gone, and he seemed unfamiliar and didn't seem to know much about the sale or delinquency. When my friend began describing the situation on the day of the sale, the man at the door asked some questions about the time of day and similar details that soon made it apparent to both that the man with the woman on the day of the sale was not the woman's husband, as my friend had assumed.
Since many people are not who they say they are, this explained the fact that it seemed that the man didn't seem to be especially interested in the product, but he didn't object when the woman wanted it and bought it. He just didn't want to sign the Order Form! No wonder!
Another friend related a story about answering an ad to buy a house. The fellow who met him at the door and showed him through the house stated that he would give "a Deed conveying everything I own in the house, in other words my entire interest in the house." When my friend couldn't pass up the ridiculously low price and bought the house, he found that many people are not who they say they are, as the real owner of the house showed up in a month or so and wanted to know what was going on! It seems that he had rented the house to the first fellow who met my friend at the door and showed him through the house, stating that he would give "a Deed conveying everything I own in the house, in other words my entire interest in the house." It seems that the renter didn't own much interest in the house (none, in fact). The renter made off with my friend's money, which not only proves that many people are not who they say they are, but it also proves the saying that "if something seems too good to be true, it probably is!"
When the river flooded a few miles from my house a few years ago, the story went around that some of the people who lived the closest to the river found that, not only would their flood insurance not pay off (if they had any), but that they didn't actually own the land their house had been built on. It seems that some sharp developer had obtained a 99-year lease on the land from the government, then built and sold a bunch of houses. Years later, when the flood came, the homeowners found that many people are not who they say they are, as they didn't actually own title to the land.
Another friend found that he was going to be away on vacation for an extended period of time, so he put a Temporary Forwarding Order on his mail at his local Post Office.
Within a week or so, he received a letter from his local Post Office at both his original address and his new vacation address stating that they had received a Temporary Forwarding Order to re-route his mail. The letter went on to say that, if this information was correct, he didn't need to do anything; but if this information was incorrect, then he should come in and notify them in person. It seems that many people are not who they say they are, as some people had been putting in Temporary Forwarding Orders and Change of Address Forms on other people's mail, then receiving checks belonging to the unsuspecting victim, then going out and cashing the checks. This may be why more places are asking for identification if they don't know you, and why more places are putting up signs that they don't accept out-of-town checks and similar pieces of paper.
This same friend had ordered a new debit card from his bank, and it was to be mailed to his original address. He also received a check at the same address every month. When neither the debit card or the check showed up at the new vacation address, my friend found that they had been returned to the senders (that is what it means when an envelope you receive says something like "Address Correction Requested" or "Do Not Forward" or "Form 3691 Requested.") It probably isn't 3691, but it means that, for a small additional fee, the Post Office will notify the sender of the new address from the Temporary Forwarding Orders and Change of Address Forms. This also explains how collection agencies seem to be able to find people who move frequently, and why some people don't notify the Post Office of their new address when they move!
When neither the debit card or the check showed up at the new vacation address, my friend found that they had been returned to the senders, so he made some phone calls to explain the situation to the bank and the sender of the monthly check. It seems that many people are not who they say they are, as some people receive credit cards and checks from someone else this way, and they go out and use the credit cards and cash the checks that don't belong to them.
A number of years ago, my grandfather decided to buy a clothing store. This was not so unusual, except that he was supposedly “retired” and in his 70's at the time. He never learned to drive a car, so he would always pay me a few dollars to take him where he wanted to go, and he would usually buy our lunch, too, which made it even nicer! He wanted to go see a clothing store that was for sale, having talked to the owner on the phone earlier. When we arrived, at about 4:30 p.m. one day, the place was full of clothes on racks, where one would expect them to be after they had been tagged with the price and other pertinent information. My grandfather talked to the fellow for a good 30 minutes or so, then we went on our way. A few days later, my grandfather again wanted me to take him to the same clothing store, which I didn’t think was too odd, as he apparently had thought it over and made a decision. This time, however, the owner was not expecting us. In other words, we just walked in “unannounced.” One thing I did notice, was that the store was a lot emptier than it had been a few days earlier! When we got back out to the car, I remarked about this to my grandfather. He had noticed it, too! He thought that the owner was “seeding” the inventory, adding clothes brought from home or borrowed elsewhere, to make the inventory look bigger, especially when a buyer was expected! Another thing my grandfather pointed out, was that there had been NO CUSTOMERS either day, and both times we were there when there should have been at least a few customers! The 4:30 p.m. time was when most people were getting off work, and this should be a busy time for a clothing store, especially if people wanted to shop after work (which they did in those days, while waiting for a streetcar or a bus).
My grandfather and father took me to a nice little coffee shop in the downtown area one day, introducing me to the proprietor and such. On our next trip to the same little coffee shop, a new person introduced himself as being the new owner, saying he had bought the coffee shop from the previous fellow. A month or so later, when we again visited the same little coffee shop, the original fellow appeared, saying that the “new owner” had not paid him the agreed monthly payment, so he took his coffee shop back! This happened quite a few times in the coming months, with the original owner “selling” the coffee shop to someone else, who only stayed a month or two, then the original owner appeared again. My father and grandfather figured out that the “new owners” thought they were buying a going restaurant business, as it was in the downtown area where a lot of people worked at that time. After operating the coffee shop for a month or two, they would discover that, instead of the business being a going restaurant business, it was only a little coffee shop, with very little restaurant business! Of course, they couldn’t make any money just selling coffee, and when it came time to make a payment, most of them would simply return the coffee shop to the original owner. This fellow sold the same coffee shop about a dozen times during the year or two we watched it, with each “new owner” thinking they had bought a thriving restaurant business, only to find that they had bought a little coffee shop that didn’t make much money. We figured that the original owner made more money out of selling the coffee shop over and over, than he did out of selling coffee!
So, when you run into small problems in your daily walk through life, just remember that many people are not who they say they are, and be glad that someone asks you for identification and double-checks on Temporary Forwarding Orders and Change of Address Forms. This is for your benefit. Like a lady once told me in a bank, "You don't want the bank to give your money to some stranger, do you?" Another friend who worked in a bank said that they "make people mad every day," probably because they don't want to cash checks for strangers, cash checks on other banks (which is why they ask if you have an account there), don't want to loan money on "questionable deals" and many other things that people seem to dream up.
The next time you go to buy a house, remember the story of the fellow who was quite willing to give "a Deed conveying everything I own in the house, in other words my entire interest in the house." And remember the story of the lady who had phoned ahead and told "someone" what she wanted, then she had produced identification, and "they" still wouldn't let her have the package for her "sister." And remember that the story of the man with the woman on the day of the sale was not the woman's husband, as my friend had assumed. This explained the fact that it seemed that the man didn't seem to be especially interested in the product, but he didn't object when the woman wanted it and bought it. He just didn't want to sign the Order Form! And remember the story of the sharp developer who had obtained a 99-year lease on the land from the government, then built and sold a bunch of houses. Years later, when the flood came, the homeowners found that they didn't actually own title to the land. And remember the story of the "Address Correction Requested" or "Do Not Forward" or "Form 3691 Requested," as well as the Temporary Forwarding Orders and Change of Address Forms. Perhaps these stories will save you some headaches as well as some time and trouble, not to mention money!
If and when you decide to buy a business, remember the fellow who “seeded” the inventory in his clothing store, and remember the fellow who sold and re-sold the little coffee shop that didn’t make much money! Regardless of the situation, remember that many people are not who or what they say they are! Buyer beware! And, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!”
Here’s a good website to check out: “Studio Quality Portraits For Less” - http://studio-quality-portraits-for-less.weblodge.net
Here’s another good website to check out: “Green Cleaning Products” - http://green-cleaning-products.weblodge.net
Here’s another good website to check out: “How To Adjust & Repair Your Sewing Machine” - http://www.silver-dollar.zoomshare.com
Here’s a good Forum to check out: http://dachshund-forum.forumotion.com
Labels: buying a business, house buying, owning property, scams
posted by PRESTON at 11:58 PM
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