Is it Pat Haines or Is It AARP?

At first glance, I thought the latest sleazy-looking item that showed up in my mailbox was from good old Pat Haines at N.M.E. This time, I was wrong.

It appears that AARP, otherwise known as the American Association of Retired Persons, has taken a page from the N.M.E. playbook. Go ahead and compare this recent mailing (pictured here) that we received at our house to an N.M.E. mailing that we received over a year ago.

Since this is a tactic that is being used by more than one organization in an effort to get these letters opened, that suggests to me that this technique works.

An organization like AARP, with millions to spend on effective marketing campaigns probably knows what they are doing.

I a bit disappointed to see an organization like AARP stoop to using tactics like this, which I consider sleazy.

As you can see, they use the same “OFFICAL NOTICE” language on the front of the envelope, which is just a total crock. There’s absolutely nothing “official” about this bit of junk mail. The idea, of course, is to make recipients believe it actually is some kind of official letter from their auto insurance company or some regulatory agency.

Then there’s the “Auto Insurance Premium Adjustment” crap across the top that suggests to the recipient that perhaps their auto insurance rates have changed or something. Another total crock.

Notice how they do not include the return address on the front of the envelope? Naturally, when someone sees something like this from AARP, they will know it is just another one of the endless promotional pieces that this organization bombards people with as they are getting close to, or have just turned 50 years old. That, if I am not mistaken, is the age of eligibility to become an AARP member.

The return address is on the back of the envelope, of course. Since I never open an envelope without checking the return address, I knew pretty much what to expect when I opened it and probably would have just shredded it without opening it had I not wanted to talk about it here.

So what is really in this important-looking envelope? As you might suspect, it is just a sales pitch for an auto insurance policy that is being offered by “The Hartford” insurance company in association with AARP. Real “official,” wouldn’t you say?

It must be harder and harder for junk mail senders to get people to open up the envelopes they send out these days. I can think of no other reason for AARP to use tactics like this.

Although neither my wife or I plan to join their organization, their reputation (which I did not regard highly to begin with) just took a nose dive as a result of this sleazy stunt.

Maybe I’m not like most other consumers, but I don’t like it when I think someone is trying to trick me.