My 7 year old son received a letter from North American Fishing Club (NAFC) stating someone had referred his name to NAFC as an avid and highly respected fisherman and as such, invited him to join NAFC. The enticing letter, especially for a 7 year old, promised a "Filet Knife Set", "2 bobbers", magazines, and the chance of receiving numerous other free gifts with his membership at a special $10 introductory rate for a 1 year membership, to be paid at a later time. The free gifts were suppose to include various new high quality fishing products from various manufactures who wanted to test market their products through NAFC members. How could a 7 year old resist. Even after my wife and I explained to him how if something seems to good to be true, it probably is not true. Our son persisted and agreed that he was willing to pay $10 of his own money for the 1 year membership, to include receiving the free knife, bobbers, and magazines. My wife and I wavered from our better judgment and allowed our son to send in the membership card with his signature - well knowing we were not going to let him run wild with the knife, and figuring it was only for a $10 fee which he said he was willing to pay. The decision to join was ultimately his. A few weeks later my son initially received a cheesy membership card and window decal sticker. These were later followed by his receiving a low quality fishing magazine from NAFC and a small pack of very cheap looking fishing hooks, but no "Filet Knives" and "bobbers" as noted in the $10 special they initially enticed him with. NAFC seemed to make more promises about my son's receiving bigger and better prizes if he would commit to longer membership, of course at higher prices. Recognizing that NAFC's promises were more of a scam than initially suspected, that NAFC had not fulfilled their contractual obligation, and knowing that under contract law that a contract with a minor is not binding on behalf of the minor, we advised our son that he did not have to pay the $10 membership fee until NAFC held up to their end and he received the free gifts they PROMISED, at which time he would send them the $10 they quoted to him for his 1 year trail membership. My son began receiving notices from NAFC stating he had an outstanding balance of $24 dollars and that if he did not send them payment, that it would be turned over to a collection agency. Eventually, my son received a letter from Retrieval-Masters Creditors Bureau, Inc., a collection agency. NAFC's practices are extremely questionable and appear to be more geared to extorting money from its members than providing any kind of fair product in exchange for its members dues.
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