How NAM Got StartedA Promise Is a PromiseWe promised, back in 1996, that we would do all we could to help people who were being bullied and cheated by Thousand Adventures (TAI). We stuck it out for about 10 years, so far, and we’re doing all we can. We quickly learned that the TAI schemes were only the tip of the iceberg. Several other companies were doing the same kind of high-pressure tricks to get money from their victims - their own members... They succeeded in their efforts by convincing us each that we were alone in any effort to resist their pressure. It would be easier, they would say, to pay, each year, than to hire an attorney. I remember little Jackie Bryant crying at a campground when they attacked her and her husband Gill. I asked her what was wrong. “Why are you crying?”. “I’m not crying”, she said. “I’m MAD!” Jackie, myself, and several others organized a meeting of over 300 people who were also upset with the tactics of that company and decided to do something about it. We hired an attorney in Florida (Mr. Zussman) to protect us in the TAI Florida bankruptcy and Mr. Napier, in Iowa, to go after the parent company, its subsidiaries, and associates. The owner has since spent time in jail and his lieutenants have spread to the four winds... We set up telephone “Hot Lines” and soon started getting calls from victims of other companies: 5 Star in Mississippi, All Seasons (ASR) of California, President’s Travel Club a subsidiary of ASR, and several others. “What can I do?” people would ask. We tell them what others have done, successfully, to stop the harassment. We formed partnerships and liaisons with Attorneys General in several states, with the US Federal Trade Commission, the US Department of Justice, individual attorneys, and others to work on individual cases and on efforts to identify and stop these kinds of abuse. I’m still amazed at the amount of sacrifice individuals will make to help others in need of support; what others will do to let their neighbors know that they are not alone in the face of this kind of adversity. I am also sad that some people are too easily intimidated into forking over their life savings, their limited and sometimes fixed income. I’m sad that some have had to choose between buying the medicine they need or paying the abusive scam artists “dues money” every year - until they die - for a campground membership that they can no longer afford to use. We promised we would do what we can - We’re not done yet... Dan Hopper, NAM Why I Joined a Camping ClubI joined a camping club expecting that I would find their campgrounds to be better maintained than the average public facility. I expected more organized recreational activities. I expected that a club with multiple campgrounds would provide a way to stay in occasional touch with friends I made as I traveled and still provide a way for me to meet new ones. This has been a happy time in my life - mostly. Camping clubs are NOT a way to save money, no matter what the salesperson says. Some people I trust insist that they have found a way to save money with this kind of membership but all of these are full-timers who spend at least 6 months out of the year on the road. I have always known that the time would come when I would no longer be able to go camping as much, that I would have to get rid of the membership. I still go camping - just not as much. I joined Passport America (there are others) and I get a discount at participating campgounds. Where else but at a campground can you meet so many good honest and friendly people. See you down the road. Dan Hopper, NAM |
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THE TIME HAS COME TO GET DOWN TO BUSINESS!By Norma Hopper and Shirley HammondsSeptember 2001 - Good, honest, hard working people are being lied to, cheated, and tricked out of their wages and retirement savings by some of the unscrupulous campground developers. You know that and so do we. Laws are not strict enough and justice is neither timely nor equal to the offenses. The scammers (we call them 'Marketeers') are doing whatever they want because they know the laws will not be enforced or changed. They commit their offenses on such a large scale that they know we (as individuals) can't afford to fight back. We have to work together. Honest people need to come together and help one another. If we help one another we won't have the Marketeers defrauding, cheating, stealing, or trying to do everybody else in. We have to get the laws enforced or changed so that our children, grandchildren, and future generations can enjoy the camping lifestyle without being defrauded by the same Marketeers who took our money – or others like them. Are you willing to participate in this effort? If so, please let us know as soon as possible. The sooner we get moving on this, the sooner we will prevent others from getting taken. We look forward to your support! So let's join together and beat these criminals so that we can help America be what it should be for ALL of us. Thank you, ** Shirley Hammons has often worked until 2 -3 oclock in the morning helping Norma and I with the newsletters, court documents, etc. She is a good person with a big heart. Both of them really care about you. -editor |
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