Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2013 · 227 posts · 31 votes
Any wholesalers have this happen to them? Just had two cops swing by my house because of a letter I sent out from my direct mail campaign. He was checking out our legitamacy and I was able to convince him that we were a real business.
But its kinda annoying that this was happened at all...
I've had the local BBB call and ask some questions, but nothing with law enforcement.
Did you ask them if they needed to sell? Never miss an opportunity :)
Mike
I've had the local BBB call and ask some questions, but nothing with law enforcement.
Did you ask them if they needed to sell? Never miss an opportunity :)
Mike
Unless they were from the Attorney General's office or were Postal Inspectors, this seems very weird to me.
Nonetheless, my rule of thumb is to never talk to the police without a lawyer present, even when you've done nothing wrong. Listen to this talk by a well-respected law professor and there's a good chance you'll choose to adopt the same stance:
@Samson Kay Are you using your home address as the return address on your mailings?
I used my home address as the return on my last mailing and then was advised not to for reasons like this. I believe you can still get an address that appears to be a home address from a Mailboxes etc. type place.
My question would have been first: What is the suspected illegal activity they are there about?
Sending mail is not in any way illegal, so I would want to know what it was that they believed placed my mailing into a "suspicious category"? If they said it was just the fact that I sent it, I'd absolutely cooperate but make it clear that if they believed it to be fraudulent they should have instead opened a formal investigation into the matter. I wouldn't be looking to start troublt, but they need to understand that this was definitely a waste of resources and a clear overstep in their boundaries as law enforcement based on the information provided.
Unless they were from the Attorney General's office or were Postal Inspectors, this seems very weird to me.
Nonetheless, my rule of thumb is to never talk to the police without a lawyer present, even when you've done nothing wrong. Listen to this talk by a well-respected law professor and there's a good chance you'll choose to adopt the same stance:
This is a long video. I know that most people have never and never plan to commit a crime, but after seeing several of my friends go through the system, I also tell everyone I meet to watch this video. It is more true than you can imagine.
Do the following agencies (all unConstitutional, mind you) strike you as needing law enforcement?
•The U.S. Department of Education
•The Bureau of Land Management (200 uniformed law enforcement rangers and 70 special agents)
•The U.S. Department of the Interior
•The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (with an armed uniformed division of 1.000)
•The National Park Service (made up of NPS protection park rangers and U.S. Park Police officers that operate independently)
•The Environmental Protection Agency (200 special agents)
•The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (224 special agents)
•The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
“The whole notion of police operations these days, that they’re dressed to kill, that they’re up against an enemy, is wrong. Citizens are not the enemy.”
Any wholesalers have this happen to them? Just had two cops swing by my house because of a letter I sent out from my direct mail campaign. He was checking out our legitamacy and I was able to convince him that we were a real business.
But its kinda annoying that this was happened at all...
Anybody else get the cops called on them?
Were they plain clothed detectives? Or were they in uniform? There's something so not right about beat cops showing up to "check out your legitimacy" based on a mail marketing campaign. Cops don't usually investigate mail complaints. Are you sure they weren't detectives working for the DAs office? Cops are are not in a position to judge whether you're a legit business. They don't analyze entities, licenses needed, taxes filed, etc. That's what the DA's office and detectives do.
Law enforcement aside, another reason to not use your home address is crazy homeowners. I've received threats, including one death threat. Sure most are just venting, but when you send out many thousands, you might just reach a sociopath that says, "YOU."
Did you get the address of the person that complained? You don't want to accidentally send them another letter.
Also, cops coming to your house to see if you are legit just does not make sense? What if you were just someone that saw the house and wanted to buy it? Why do you need to be a "legit" business just to buy a property?
Where you able to get anymore information regarding the complaint?
It was interesting actuAlly, I use a pobox for my business address. So they researched my name and some how came to find my home address and also identified my car. My letters don't say anything irregular or misrepresentative. Just who I am and that I am interested in buying there house.
There were two cops, one in uniform and one in plain clothes who identified himself as a detective. I guess there's a scam going around that targeted the elderly. So he thought we were some sort of scam operation. I told him we are the same as the "we buy houses" people and he seemed to get it.
I don't think I'm gonna have any problems, it's just the extent that people go to using this strategy, only to get harrassed by cops in the end is discouraging in general
So it probably was the DAs office, which makes more sense. IMO, that's even more reason not to speak to them without an attorney present. All you need is one detective who "doesn't get it" or is looking to make a case (even if it's unrelated to the scam) and then they are asking for this that or the other thing. They are just doing their job, but being innocent isn't always enough.
Do you have a website sellers can use to vet you, with your real name and picture? Do you use your real name in you letters and marketing? That stuff really makes a difference IMO.
Other than the cops, did you get any other response to your direct mail ad? What type of response are they? Positive? Negative?
There may be something in your ad that's coming across the wrong way especially if you are mailing to pre-foreclosure owners or people that gets scared easily. Maybe a slight re-wording of your ad will be more effective and get you targeted leads.
Maybe you can share your ad here so BP members can help you improve it.
Unless they were from the Attorney General's office or were Postal Inspectors, this seems very weird to me.
Nonetheless, my rule of thumb is to never talk to the police without a lawyer present, even when you've done nothing wrong. Listen to this talk by a well-respected law professor and there's a good chance you'll choose to adopt the same stance:
@Samson Kay thanks for sharing your story, very interesting. Did they at least give you an address, so you don't send anymore mail if it was someone particular complaining. Sometimes I've had people call and complain but I get no address, what a waste of time. But on the other end I've had some very, very nice people call that simply say don't send anything.
Don't let it stop you from moving forward, things are going to happen.
@Samson Kay for what its worth I think you did the right thing. It also appears things worked out just fine. I see a lot of folks get defrauded by internet or mail solicitations. To be honest I am surprised that officers showed up. All too often they do not show up until folks have lost money, and there is no way to contact Nigeria to get it back. There are some bad apples in every profession, but the officers job is protect the vulnerable folks, and all of us. By and large the ones I see do just that. If you are going to be in business and you refuse to talk to police about your business that may make other folks suspicious. If an 80 year old man called them and said is this letter legitimate? If you explain your business they call him back and say yes it is, if you say I want a lawyer they will call him back and say something is very fishy. Now if you were posting illegal bandit signs shut up and call your lawyer :).
I think for the most part my business is set up pretty good.
I have all the letter reference my PO Box.
I use a google voice line for all my numbers.
The message on the letters are clear and do no have any information that can otherwise be misinterpreted.
I have business cards/a web address (still under development)
I was getting tired of all the calls to go eff myself, so now all my calls get filtered through a VA.
And although I don't have any deals yet, My response rate has been pretty good, about about 10% of the addresses called me back.
The cops seemed nice enough and were making me feel like I was a suspect in an illegal drug ring, so I did my best to convey to them that I was a legitament business with rental properties all around my town. He didnt say I had to stop what I was doing. Just that one person in particular wasn't interested. Now that I think about it, it was probably a relative of the detective which is why he bothered swinging by at all.
I had our Acq Manager tell me that he got a call from the police one day....
We mail to over 65 high equity here in Houston, and one lady got our branded, glossy, ambiguous (it doesn't say DEAR MRS XXXX i want to buy your house on XXXX) post card and she drove to the police station and was very worried. So she had the police call to check it out. Our Acq manager got the call, explained everything to the police, was very cordial. The officer asked a few questions and and ended the conversation with "well that sounds cool, good luck with the business and I will let Mrs. XXX that she has nothing to worry about.
I have had police call me... They thought it was funny and asked me to take the lady off my list. I have some funny voicemails saved that people have left....
I work out of an office space and at least 3 times I have had sellers who have received my mail piece show up looking for us. Nothing bad though.. They all wanted to sell... So motivated they stopped by :)