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Roland
Petit
Philadelphia Area Local
The APWU uses its members' list for marketing too. I've been solicited for both a USPS and APWU affinity credit cards.
Mr. Lasalle,
I finally received an email response
from Skaggs, they sent the following:
We get our mailing list directly from the USPS. We purchase a CD from them once
or twice a year. We do not resell any info we have and only use it for mailing
our Postal Catalog, since we are a licensed vendor.
Sorry for any trouble,
thanks
John Evans
Very interesting...this is definately a little known fact. As you have said
with scams, what does it take to be a vendor. How do we or the Union stop what
is going on? How do I bring a concern like this to the attention of national?
I do not like such information going out.
South Suburban P&DC, Bedford Park, IL
I am hoping someone here
can help. Monthly I get a solicitation from Skaggs Postal Uniforms in the form
of a sales ad. This sales ad has such detailed information about me not just
my name, but that I am an Electronic Technician, even pay location. The company
has known when I change postal facilities, even when I was upgraded to and ET
from MPE. I have inquired to this company where they receive such information
if I have never ordered, or requested a catalog from this company. I have never
ordered online ANY postal uniforms. This company refuses to reply to any of
my requests for information. Can anyone here lend a hand to find out why I keep
getting this and how my information has been released to them. Is the USPS allowing
my private information to be released? If so I have never signed a consent form.
Now I have received junk mail before but this information knows my pay location
as well as my PS level, and knows when I have changed from one facility to another.
This bothers me and I would definitely like to know how they get this information.
William Mix
South Suburban P&DC, Bedford Park, IL
William Mix,
The Postal Service sure does let personal information out to the public. Marketers
are particularly interested in getting at our members paychecks through the
information.
We here in Philly have been working for a number of years to thwart unscrupulous
insurance scams run on our members using information that should have remained
secure. Our members have been called and visited at home by salesman and saleswomen
who strongly suggest that they represent either FEGLI or TSP. In truth, they
represent neither. They always have some official-looking paperwork and know
enough about the programs to sound legit. They have the personal information
about the employee, as you described. They sell inferior insurance products
by signing the employee up for a paycheck allotment authorization into a checking
account where the insurance company can get an auto-draft to the account (preauthorized,
prescheduled withdrawals from the account, equal to the amount of the allotment
authorization). We have seen them encourage employees to reduce their contributions
to TSP so that there would be a zero-net effect on their paycheck. Once signed-up,
the operation can last for years, with the employee having little idea of where
the ‘deduction’ is actually going, or why. While everyone is at risk, the salespeople
like to target our most vulnerable coworkers, often in the lower pay classifications.
I have seen similar scams attempted at Health Benefits open season. The company
gained entry by registering as a provider, but was not interested in selling
health insurance. We have had solicitations mailed to employees right at their
workplace. Addressed by pay-location, USPS supervisors deliver the bait. There
was an operation in place right inside the USPS housing facility at NCED the
last time I was there by a pair of ‘retirement councilors’ who rented a weekend
room from Marriott in the facility. They were tossed after they were identified
but I was told that they rented weekend rooms regularly.
I complained to the Philadelphia Police after the USPS and Inspection Service
blew us off. They helped get some money refunded but they also tell us that
our members signed the authorizations and it is apparently not illegal to sell
garbage insurance policies to unsuspecting postal employees. The real bottom
line is that the Postal Service is not protecting their employees or their employees’
sensitive personal information.
William LaSalle
Philadelphia BMC Local 7048
Maintenance Steward