howdy, While those folks may not technically be working a scam, their product is not worth the money and is very misleading. What they do is collect mailing lists like form the highway departments and other sources of junk mailers. They then sort it by surname name and zip code, print it and try to impress potential customers that they have actually researched the data they sell. Married women are left out because the sort done doesn't take into account the ladies maiden name consequently the product is more or less 50% valueless. There is no connection given to linage that a genealogist may be following. The postal service has at times "invited" these folks to cease and desist. They clean their act up a little and come back in a year or so. Again, while they may not be working a "scam" , you will do better to spend your money else where. At 11:40 AM 3/4/99 -0500, KATHY and BUTCH wrote: >Morning everyone, > I wanted to get your opions, please. I recieved by snail mail >yesterday a letter about a " The New World Book Of South's" from >Heirloom Book Offer, in Bath Ohio. This book is written by Bardor S. South. >It mentions in the leter that a Benjamin South who married Maria Pattison >in Clermont, Ohio in 1618. My husbands family lived in Clermont Co, but we >dont know if Benjamin was a part of his line. The book information looks >impressive, but I have heard of many scams offering wonderfull family >information. The letter doesnt say or imply this is my husbands family line, >but it does make me wonder. The book sells normally for $59.95 but is on >special for $39.95. Does anyone have any idea how I can check this out to >make sure it is on the up and up? As we all know, $39.95 isn't alot of money >for documented family lines, but I also don't want to throw my money to the >wind. > Kathy Roark South > >ROARK/BADGER/BARBERY/HIGHLEY/EPPERSON >SOULE/JONES/SOUTH/MANN/LEWIS > > > >==== SW_VA Mailing List ==== >#8 Anyone interested and researching SW VA and Appalachian history might >be interested in the Fincastle History Forum list. Contact Edgar at >ehoward@conknet.com or swvaroot@swva.net for a copy of the rules. > David. M. Burke deburgh@scescape.net