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Crackheads Selling Magazines
By Max | June 1, 2007
If you have ever seen the movie office space, then you might recall the scene where the salesman shows up to the door attempting to sell the guys some magazines when he overhears part of their conversation about stealing the fractional cents. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but now I know all about this line of work.
I moved into a large apartment complex about 7 months ago. Since then, I have had two crackheads (they weren’t really crackheads from what I could tell, but you get the idea) show up at my door trying to sell me magazine subscriptions. They weren’t from the same company, but both operated the same way. You get a knock and answer the door. If you are lucky the person in your doorway doesn’t look like a complete thug-crackhead when you open it. They usually talk really fast, and sucker slow southern people like me into buying a magazine subscription. I fell for it both times.
The first time it happened I got railroaded by a girl. She talked so fast and her story sounded so pathetic, that I caved and ordered 12 issues of “Wired.” The price was about what I had paid before, and as soon as I got out my checkbook, she drops the “plus $10 service charge” line on me. Ugh… I look at it as charitable donation. Its too bad I can’t deduct it from my taxes.
The second guy looked like he just had finished up a drug deal. His story was even more pathetic than the first girl, so I ended up buying a $50 subscription to Maxim. It has been about 4 months since all that happened. I got my Wired magazine after only about 2 months, which still seems like an incredibly long time. My Maxim finally showed up today. It was funny because I had almost forgotten about it, and then last week remembered that I probably was getting ripped off by the drug dealer.
This job has to be one of the worst around. They work strictly on commission. These people can’t be earning more than minimum wage. Both salesmen I dealt with had some story about a prize they would get if I “helped them reach their sales goal.” Both also told me they were very close to achieving the goal. I think its part of the pitch. The prize must be how the company gets people to work for them. The girl was excited about a trip to Europe for a week. Apparently the guy was going to be getting a cash bonus of $3000 or something ridiculous. He said he had plans to open his own business with the money. 
At least I finally got my magazine. I was getting a little worried.
Topics: Max |
June 1st, 2007 at 9:52 pm
I am thinking that whole magazine selling thing must be some sort of scam.
As for Maxim, why not just get Playboy?
June 1st, 2007 at 10:19 pm
This is pretty hilarious. I always question the people who approach to sell. They always look SUPER strung-out, and the store gets more and more pathetic the longer you resist buying. Anyway, good to hear that you got your mags.
- Mike
June 2nd, 2007 at 12:11 am
They didn’t offer Playboy. I think they might have had Penthouse or Hustler though. Now I wish I had gotten those. Maxim kinda sucks.
June 2nd, 2007 at 4:51 pm
The same thing happened in my southern neighborhood but I didn’t get a subscription. I did give them a $10 donation though. Pity stories always seem to work.
June 3rd, 2007 at 1:37 am
Yeah, they seem to really target high density housing. I am surprised they got all the way to your neighborhood though.
June 3rd, 2007 at 4:41 pm
The last time one of those kids came to my house, they tried to recruit me to sell magazines! No thank you.
June 5th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
Hey Max,
I had one of these guys once approach me at my apts as I was getting out of my car in the parking lot. He was going to win a trip to Acapulco.