Here is a post I made over on the HERBA board this afternoon. I made clear my pleasure at the first step and also my concern about the future...
03/20/02 06:44 pm ET Msg: 2993 of 2993
I am not surprised that my previous posting turned out to be factual and directly quoted from official HERBA sources.
HERBA's official announcement and new policy regarding the illegal posting of signs is very welcome news -- and I think stockholders will be better off because of it. As others have said, it also needs to be enforced. We'll see if that happens. I will glady assist HERBA in enforcement as long as they make clear reporting channels available to the general public.
For those who say that the sign issue does not belong on a stock board: HERBA's announcement clearly states the signs "are unfortunately producing a negative image of the company." If your corporate office admits this, why do shareholders and distributors argue otherwise? Those interested in the price of HERBA stock should be very happy with this part of HERBA's new policy.
In any event, kudos to HERBA for taking the FIRST big step in eliminating the illegal advertising signs. At the same time, if the signs are just replaced by other illegal advertising on public or private property, the battle is not over.
Maybe the new policy is why I'm now seeing pocket spam (with the same web addresses and phone numbers from the coroplast signs) posted on QWest property (usually phone booths), drink machines and other private property. These law-breakers uses extremely sticky tape that is impossible to remove completely -- and the law calls that defacing or destroying private property.
HERBA's announcement also includes the statement that that pull-tabs and flyers are "extremely effective sales tools" and that distributors "can continue to saturate" their areas. They quote the same mealy-mouthed caveat they used to use for signs: only in "a manner specifically allowed by any federal, state or local ordinance, law or regulation." And we all know how non-effective that caveat was for signs.
If these people didn't look up the law regulating illegal signs, what makes anyone associated with HERBA think these same distributors will do so for other types of advertising? Illegal advertising and trashing of our communities will not be tolerated, be it coroplast or cardboard signs, pocket spam, flyers or any other advertising that is posted contrary to the law.
You won't hear much more from me on this board -- until I see more illegally posted HERBA spam in my community. Remember, HERBA officially says that illegal advertising methods "are unfortunately producing a negative image of the company."
And that hurts shareholder value.
I wish HERBA much success as long as they and their distributors advertise legally and responsibly.
Jeffco, let me be the first to express my appreciation for the outstanding work you've done on the Yahoo Herbalife board.
Your posts there have been consistently germane and concise, and I think you deserve a lot of credit for helping get Herbalife to announce this anti-sign policy.
Now, of course, we have to hold their feet to the fire in order to make sure they enforce the new policy. Then on to Mega Insurance!
Gee, thanks Redstone, but I think you give me more credit than I deserve.
I think the combined approach of consistent sharking, media coverage, and bringing a relevant point of concern to HERBA shareholders is what got us to this point.
I also think that keeping one's cool when posting in public forums goes a LONG WAY towards adding legitimacy to our activities.
The message is getting through. The founders of CAUSS have every right to be proud of this accomplishment.
Say, are MEGA and Midwest National Ins. Co. related in any way? Or just two insurance companies that think illegal advertising is somehow OK?
Say, are MEGA and Midwest National Ins. Co. related in any way? Or just two insurance companies that think illegal advertising is somehow OK?
I have absolutely no idea if they're related; we've only ever had Mega signs around here. It's easy to tell if the signs are from Mega, since they all have a small "underwritten by Mega insurance" note on the lower right of the sign.
There have been a few lately without that note, so I'll have to track down the source.
Word on the street is that the Mega signs are put up by membres of NASE (do a search on that term for my prior messages about insurance signs), so I think that NASE may be the actual target for us to shoot at, not Mega.
Here in Colorado we've been seeing signs from both MEGA and Midwest National. In my experience Midwest National outnumbers MEGA 5 to 1 in my area. Hence my question.
>Word on the street is that >the Mega signs are put >up by membres of NASE >(do a search on that >term for my prior messages >about insurance signs), so I >think that NASE may be >the actual target for us >to shoot at, not Mega. > > >Redstone
One of the advertised phone numbers on those signs is 800-NASE-NOW. That shows a connection. "Underwritten by PFL Life Ins Co or the Mega Life and Health Ins Co".
