I Received An NRA DVD In The Mail - Anybody Else Get One?

[Phydeaux642]

I arrived home after work today and found an NRA DVD in the mail entitled "Personal Firearm Defense". The accompanying material went on to say that if I wanted to keep the DVD then I needed to send them $59.95. If I didn't want to keep the DVD then I should mail it back.

I really don't like having items sent to me that I didn't order and then have some required action on my part to get it back to the sender if I don't want it. The NRA isn't a book club after all. I know legally I don't have to send it back or pay for it since they shipped it to me unsolicited. I'm curious to know how many of you have received a DVD like this and what did you do?

 

[edSky]

I received that a few months back and I was pretty miffed, myself. My first thought was great, I got something for free! Then I read (the letter that came with) it and got pretty agitated. I made sure I "got my money's worth" and watched it before sending it back. I hope they don't do that again.

 

[ctdemolay0405]

is that legally possible? can they charge u for something they sent u and u didnt ask for? i dont see how they can rightfully expect money back when u didnt send away for it

 

[wally]

I got one a while back. I strongly disapprove of unsolicited merchandise so I kept the DVD and stiffed 'em then ash canned the followup mailings. Never watched it.

--wally.

 

[evilelvis]

I'm gonna check my mail right now!

 

[bensdad]

I got it. Pretty good info on basic defensive shooting. If you've had a one-hour lesson with a reputable instructor, you've gotten the same info.

No, they can't do this legally. You can keep the vid and not pay for it. You never have to pay for something you didn't order.

 

[MT GUNNY]

Is it the Valhalla Series, with Rob Pincus. If so I have three that I sign up for from Guns and Ammo. They were $25 bucks apiece. http://www.icestore.us/servlet/the-DVDs/Categories

 

[gbran]

Here's a copy of my letter to the NRA.

Wilson H. Phillips, Jr. 8/21/08
Treasurer & CFO
NRA
PO Box 1592
Minneapolis MN 55440

Re: Your letter, dated August 9, 2008 “DVD Series”

In your letter to me you are asking for either payment for the last DVD sent or the return thereof.

Let me tell you that this is the second unsolicited DVD that has been sent to me. First, I do not appreciate being sent something that requires me to either mail it back or pay for it. When you sent the first DVD, it aggravated me, but I dutifully mailed the DVD back and requested that no more be sent.

When the second DVD was sent, it angered me to the point I threw it away, so here I sit not wanting to pay for something and not having it to return. This is a whole lot of grief and hassle that I never asked for in the first place……….. and by the way, I don’t even own a DVD player.

I’d rather be reading my American Rifleman than responding to this issue. I am very appreciative of NRA and what it does, especially on the legal and political fronts. I also realize that this DVD offer helps in raising money for the NRA.

I’ll make you a deal. This friendly letter of yours is asking for $27.44 from me. Trust me. As a matter of principle, I will not pay this.

Here’s the deal; I’ve enclosed $50 as a donation to the NRA. What I’d like you to do is to is to make this invoice go way and never send me another unsolicited DVD or invoice thereof in the future.

Lastly, I’d like a response to this correspondence.

Sincerely,

 

[basicblur]

Jest chill...and enjoy your FREE DVD!

Had the same thing happen to me years ago-I would have returned the DVD if I had known what it was, but it was in an unmarked box and I ripped it open to find a "10 Guns That Changed The World" DVD with the same "offer" as yours.
Law sez you don't have to pay for unsolicited items, and I wasn't going to go through the hassle/time/money to repackage and send back, so I kept it. They sent me letters/bills/invoices for a while and they went straight to the trash. Someone finally called me and I informed them I knew of the law regarding unsolicited items, and AFA I was concerned it was "end of story"-sho 'nuff, it was!

If I remember correctly, it was not the NRA that sent the DVD, but a 3rd party that no doubt got my name from the NRA and was using the NRA logo etc, apparently with the NRA's blessing.

Short story-don't worry 'bout it and enjoy your new DVD! Trust me-do what I did and you won't be receiving 'em for long!

I'd be worried your "offer" will only encourage 'em.

Now you wanna talk about something you want no dealings with-never, EVER go near those NRA credit cards (from a Midwestern bank)! I once got one, they ticked me off so bad with their screwy accounting practices resulting in interest charges (even though I paid the bill in full each month) that after canceling the card I wrote a letter to the NRA telling them how they are hurting the NRA name by being a party to such a deceptive financial institution.

 

[akodo]

I'd really read that letter closely, I suspect it is some other group that is using NRA's name.

NRA recomended

something like that

 

[Rob Pincus]

Hi Guys... you can google around and find plenty of threads on this series of videos.

The NRA is using the content as a fund-raiser and has been for about 18 months. To date, we've distributed over 1 million copies of the CFS DVD (the first in the series) through the NRA, 2nd Amendment Foundation and Guns & Ammo Magazine. All of the content is basically the same, the only thing that changes is the packaging and the logos. Occasionally, because of liability concerns, some of the footage is edited a little more in the American Rifleman (NRA) Series.

Obviously, the NRA would not be doing it if they were losing money on it. Some people do not appreciate the method of distribution (handled by a third company) and that is well documented. The fact is that you do not have to pay (certainly not $59!!) at all in regard to the preview, which costs $12.95 or $9.95 depending on a number of variables. Keep it for free or send it back (at their cost)... no problem. If you do pay for it, you'll get another DVD every 21-50 days which should cost you around $25.

Through the link provided above, you can purchase any of the DVDs individually as well and not be obligated to do anything else.

Or, you can ignore the whole things as junk mail.

Thanks to those of you who have taken a look at the material and appreciated it.

Happy New Year.

-RJP

 

[moooose102]

no, i have not recieved one,YET! thanks for the heads up though. if i do get one, i think i will enjoy it for free. roughly 15 years ago, i belonged to the NRA, and ended up quitting due to all the crap they kept sending me. including some memorandom saying that my state representitive was going to vote for some kind of gun control bill. i ended up calling him (a long process to actually talk to a rep) and it turned out that my rep. had no intention of voting for thie bill in the first place. that he was indeed an avid hunter and PRO GUN SUPPORTER! i felt like a complete idiot. that, was the last straw. when my membership came due, it got chucked in the trash. it was a long time before i re-entererd my membership (i am now a member again). so far, it has been much better. i do not remember who was running the NRA back then, but what they were doing was wrong, and i did not appreciate it.

 

[Thin Black Line]

I'd really read that letter closely, I suspect it is some other group that is using NRA's name.

I received a VHS tape many years ago from the NRA with the "please donate
money" letter. It really was the NRA. I did not send them money and have
not received another VHS tape or DVD ever again.

I received one or two calendars from the NRA with the "please donate" letters
10+ years ago and didn't send $5 or $10 and haven't seen one since then.

I received a bronze coin...a silver bullet...etc...at least 5+ years ago with
the same response from me. They no longer send me trinkets. The computer
system has removed me from the trinket list.

I pay for my membership --YEARLY-- and will send ILA some money time to
time if it looks like additional funds will be needed for key legal battles at
the federal level. There is nothing going on at my state level and we continue
to swim in CCW, EBR, hi-cap waters....

 

[GTFord1]

They CANNOT mail you something that you didn't order and tell you to pay for it. In fact, at least in Florida consumer protection laws, it explicitly states that you may keep any such item that is sent to you unsolicited, no matter what the value.

I'm an NRA member, but I never received one.

 

[Old Fuff]

I sometimes take exception to the NRA’s methods of raising money, but I am mostly forgiving. Quite frankly, money is the mother’s milk to political lobbying and activism, and by now everybody should have figured out that the main thing standing between the incoming president’s vision of reasonable and sensible restrictions on firearms is the NRA. They may sometimes be wrong, but they are the only gun-rights organization the gun-control crowd is really afraid of. In the near future we are going to need them badly, and hopefully they will be well funded.

 

[Animal Mother]

From the NRA membership FAQ:

Q: How can I reduce the amount of mail I receive from the NRA?
A: Simply email us at [email protected] or dial 800-NRA-3888 and request to be placed on the "Do Not Promote" list. This will significantly reduce the amount of mail you receive without affecting important mailings, magazine service, or your membership renewal.

I had them add me to their "Do Not Promote" list after they sent me a DVD, I rarely get anything from them now except for critical legislative updates and my American Rifleman magazine. If you don't want that stuff they send you please get on the list so that they won't waste the extra money I donate to them.

 

[GBExpat]

I received the DVD end of last year, IIRC. I have been trashing payment/return requests ever since.

They need to ask for my permission before sending such things.

Interesting video, though.

 

[akodo]

Phydeaux needs to re-read his letter. Again, either he has the details wrong, or the NRA didnt' send it and someone else is using their name to make it look that way.

As stated numerous times, anything you get in the mail unsolicited is free to keep.

IF they are asking for a payment, it is to start a subscription to gun-related DVDs...If it isn't to start a subscription, then it isn't the NRA or one of their subcontractors.

 

[Phydeaux642]

I did read the letter, and I will refer you to post #11 by the host of the DVD series. It is a fund raising effort by the NRA.

 

[Clipper]

I had this same thing happen to me with the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics). They let an outside outfit send the 'authorized' DVDs, and then this third party pays a percentage to the outfit that gave them their mailing list. After my wife and I kept, but did not pay for, the DVDs, we got a few invoices, but we never got any more DVDs...

Anyway, as already pointed out, you are under no legal or moral obligation to either pay for, or return unsolicited merchandise. Keep it and do NOT pay unless you want to keep getting that kind of junk.

 

[7.62X25mm]

Dear NRA,

Re: The DVD from the NRA --
Stop spending my contribution money on unsolicited junk mail. You're wasting my time, pi$$ing me off, and undermining your credibility.

I'd stop sending my dues, but I'm paid up for LIFE. The next time you ask me for a contribution, you're not going to get one.

 

[ColinthePilot]

I read the letter that came with mine and it was asking for $9.99 but also mentioned that if I didn't want to pay or return it, I could consider it a "free gift." So I did.

I watched the "Home Defense" part last night and it had a bunch of good tips. good stuff.

 

[stevemis]

if I didn't want to pay or return it, I could consider it a "free gift."

The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 requires unsolicited items to be treated as a gift.

I suggest the OP send the NRA a thank-you note.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/39/3009.shtml

(a) Except for

(1) free samples clearly and conspicuously marked as such, and

(2) merchandise mailed by a charitable organization soliciting contributions, the mailing of un*ordered merchandise or of communications prohibited by subsection (c) of this section constitutes an unfair method of competition and an unfair trade practice in violation of section 45 (a)(1) of title 15.

(b) Any merchandise mailed in violation of subsection (a) of this section, or within the exceptions contained therein, may be treated as a gift by the recipient, who shall have the right to retain, use, discard, or dispose of it in any manner he sees fit without any obligation whatsoever to the sender. All such merchandise shall have attached to it a clear and conspicuous statement informing the recipient that he may treat the merchandise as a gift to him and has the right to retain, use, discard, or dispose of it in any manner he sees fit without any obligation whatsoever to the sender.

(c) No mailer of any merchandise mailed in violation of subsection (a) of this section, or within the exceptions contained therein, shall mail to any recipient of such merchandise a bill for such merchandise or any dunning communications.

(d) For the purposes of this section, “un*ordered merchandise” means merchandise mailed without the prior expressed request or consent of the recipient.

 

[Sato Ord]

All I got was some nonsense from AARP.

To reiterate what others have told you, if someone sends you something unsolicited as far as the US Postal Service is concerned, by federal law, it's a gift and you are not obligated to either send it back, or return it.

I got a deer hunting guide like that once. They spent more sending me follow up letters trying to guilt trip me into paying for it than the book was worth. Never read it, either.

 

[MedWheeler]

Not from the NRA, no. But I used to subscribe to a 4x4 magazine, and got one from them. It was the first in what I guess was going to be a series of four. The one I got was about a challenge between "tough trucks", and it was actually pretty good. It was sent to me in both DVD and VHS format, with instructions to keep it if I wanted to and pay something like $15 or $20 or so, or return it. I cannot remember if I was supposed to return one of the formats if I kept the other. I really intended to buy it, but never got around to sending a check. A few months later, I noticed the magazines stopped coming. Could have sworn I had a couple more issues due, and never even got a renewal notice. I just wrote if off "even Steven", as the mag wasn't really all the great for me anyway..