Given that I just "received" a solicitation to donate my hair on their behalf, and because there are legitimate concerns about their operations, I am personally very disappointed that the Goody company would even consider supporting Locks of Love, much less actually decide to do so.
It seems to me that Goody's support of Locks of Love is detrimental to their business:
1) How much will demand for their products be reduced if their customers' hair is reduced?
2) I personally refuse to purchase any more products from the Goody company until they cease and desist any affiliation with Locks of Love. What do you all think of the idea of a boycott of the Goody company? Further, we might want to write to them to express our dismay that they choose to support the Locks of Love organization.
Kind regards to all LHS'ers.
grenwich
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Member
Joined: April 07 2002
Location: upstate NY
Status: Offline
Points: 111
Agreed - perhaps sending Goody the BBB's documentation on Locks of Love would open their eyes, but I definitely think we should contact them and express our dismay that a company whose livelihood is HAIR CARE would support such a dubious organization.
Boycott GOODY until the link is removed, and support withdrawn from LOL.
Gren
1bCiii between tailbone and classic (43.5inches)
uzma
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Senior Member
Joined: August 27 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1057
Lock of Love – what a misnomer for a hair-butchering organisation acting under cover of a legitimate charity.
I too will boycott Goody products and am happy to support a collective response form the members of this board/forum to explain the action.
I cannot word my distrust, dislike and distaste for “Locks of Love” strongly enough. Likewise those who sell human hair on the internet (e.g. ebay) and through the Temple hair market.
The whole long hair dismemberment business stinks.
Uzi
Debbie
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Junior Member
Senior Member
Joined: October 18 2002
Status: Offline
Points: 396
How can you say anything bad about locks of love? They help children with Cancer and alopecia! And Goody makes wonderful products! I think you are making a bad mistake here folks! A very bad mistake! Debbie P.S. I am NOT trying to cause trouble- just wondering what the deal is!
"I cannot word my distrust, dislike and distaste for “Locks of Love” strongly enough. Likewise those who sell human hair on the internet (e.g. ebay) and through the Temple hair market. The whole long hair dismemberment business stinks. "
That sure sounds like this struck a nerve. I am curious about your reaction. Is the issue that there should be no market in human hair? Or is about the way LOL conducts itself as a charity operation in that marketplace?
It does seem like bad business sense, doesn't it? I will have to check out the BBB site, as well. It sounds as if this is not the altruistic, venerable organization I once believed it to be.
I checked out ebay's human hair market. I was lurking on the other board last night, and today, after reading Uzma's remarks, I had to see for myself. That's disgusting, to say the least. Dismemberment is the right word. It's like selling an internal organ. With those tape measures lying next to those severed braids, they look like the crime evidence they are.
Count me in on the boycott.
Talk to you later,
Jean
grenwich
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Member
Joined: April 07 2002
Location: upstate NY
Status: Offline
Points: 111
Locks of Love (LOL) does not meet the following 3 CBBB Standards for Charitable Solicitations.
A1: Soliciting organizations shall provide on request an annual report. The annual report, an annually-updated written account, shall present the organization's purposes; descriptions of overall programs, activities, and accomplishments; eligibility to receive deductible contributions; information about the governing body and structure; and information about financial activities and financial position.
LOL does not produce an annual report in the form of a single document that includes all of the above-mentioned information. In response, LOL states that it does provide this information in supporting documents.
C5: Solicitations in conjunction with the sale of goods, services or admissions shall identify at the point of solicitation: a) the benefiting organization; b) a source from which written information is available; and c) the actual or anticipated portion of the sales or admission price to benefit the charitable organization or cause.
A LOL newsletter included a reference to the sale of a cookbook advertised to benefit LOL, that states, in part, "proceeds from the sale of [the cookbook]…will directly benefit Locks of Love. LOL also promotes a supermarket card that states in part, that " [f]or every purchase you make at [the supermarket], they will make a donation to Locks of Love. In addition, an LOL fund raising event promotion for a piano concert stated, in part, that "all proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to Locks of Love. However, the promotions do not specify the actual or anticipated portion of the purchase price and admission price to benefit the organization.
D1: Soliciting organizations shall establish and exercise controls over fund raising activities conducted for their behalf by staff, volunteers, consultants, contractors, and controlled or affiliated entities, including commitment to writing of all fund raising contracts and agreements.
LOL states that they do not have written agreements with organizers used in the past year who conducted fund raisers on LOL's behalf.
Locks of Love meets the remaining 20 CBBB Standards for Charitable Solicitations
Locks of Love collects hair donations and financial contributions to produce hairpieces for children in the United States who have applied to Locks of Love. All applications are evaluated by the Board of Directors. Children must be under 18, living in the United States and have long-term or permanent hair loss, usually from Alopecia Areata, severe burns or radiation therapy.
For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2000, Locks of Love's program expenses were:
Chief Executive Officer: Jennifer K. Cox, Executive Director Compensation*: $40,383 Chair of the Board: Madonna W. Coffman
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Not provided
Board Size: 6
Paid Staff Size: 4
* December 1, 1999 - November 30, 2000; compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fund Raising --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Method(s) Used: Direct mail, special events, grant proposals, and Internet appeals.
Fund raising costs were 3% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $189,767, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tax Status --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.
Detailed information is on file with the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. Donors must decide for themselves the significance of any variation from the CBBB Standards, taking into account the relative importance of the practice in question in the context of the organization's total performance.
A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgement. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.
This report is not to be used for fund raising or promotional purposes.
Home / Better Business Bureaus Homepage / About the BBB / Privacy Policy
Copyright 2002, BBB Wise Giving Alliance 4200 Wilson Blvd, Suite 800 Arlington, VA 22203 (703) 276-0100 *****note - edited to remove piechart - the graphic doesn't show.
LOL has long had a reputation on the hair boards - and for the most part, I have avoided discussions, because facts are NOT readily available. The attached report has a couple of questionable areas - most charities want you to know how much they spend a year on paperclips - not so for locks of love - no annual report?
The thing I have heard over and over is that LOL sells 90% of the donated hair, because only virgin ( uncolored, undamaged) hair from teens and young girls can be used ( adult hair is of a different texture and not usable for wigs for children). Then why, if they were to sell this hair, would they solicit folks like Dave? They're just going to sell it anyway?
Personally, I'd much rather make a donation to a pediatric cancer center.
I'll post anything else I find. Gren
1bCiii between tailbone and classic (43.5inches)
princessmonica
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Member
Joined: February 26 2003
Status: Offline
Points: 653
the problem i have is the word ''donation'' donation is when you WANT TO DO IT! when someone tells you you should donate i feel it's wrong. this is off the subject alittle. my daughter will come home with feild trip slips that say they need a donation of x amount of dollars. to me that is not a donation. it's a fee. a donation is what you want or have to give. i feel it's wonderful if you decide to cut your hair you would like to donate it. when they make you feel gulity because you have long hair i feel is wrong. why does the hair have to be not colored? i always wondered that.
I don't know anything about this organization, but I have spent my entire career in non-profit fiscal management and do know a few things about the non-profit world:
1)The IRS does not easily grant 501(c)3 status, and does monitor organizations with tax-exempt status quite closely, particularly those with business income. There is no way LOL is selling the hairpieces to their "clients". They have to be donating a good portion of them. They are allowed to sell some hair if the proceeds go back into the organization to fund it's mission (including a reasonable overhead component).
2)Organizations of certain size are required to have annual certified CPA audits of their financial statements. Depending upon the size of LOL (in total revenue), they may or may not have their financials audited. No CPA would give them a "clean" opinion if they were not carrying out a bona fide mission.
3)every 501(c)3 has to file a 990 with the IRS annually. This is a non-profit federal tax return, and it has all kinds of information. Charities have to provide you with a copy of the 990 upon written request. If they don't, they face severe IRS penalties. So anyone who is very interested in seeing LOL's financial stuff should definitely make the request.
If anyone has any specific questions on non-profit financial stuff I can attempt to answer.
Monica, if registered charities didn't solicit donations, they would not be able to carry on their missions. Unfortunately, they must ask because no one is breaking down the doors trying to give money. Certain types of fundraising can be very annoying though, I will grant you that. Especially telemarketing.
Elissa
[/url]
uzma
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Senior Member
Joined: August 27 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1057
I find this subject very distressing, nevertheless I will qualify my initial response.
The kids who suffer hair loss due to cancer treatments do not require human hair. Synthetic hair does the job.
I do not believe there is any need for human hair to be removed from it’s owner and sold or used for any purpose whatsoever. Those women who agree to cutting their hair in this manner for “donation” or for money should know that they are party to a long running exploitation scenario. In India and Pakistan poor women sell their hair in order to eat. Other women allow their long tresses to be cut off as an act of religious devotion, not knowing that their hair is bought and sold on the global human hair market for big bucks. Much of this hair ends up in the first world countries and is used to make hair products – not for suffering people, but as an ornament, a decoration, providing instant long hair for African-American extensions, for celebrities and those who follow the mercurial hair fashions. There are many incidences of South Asian women’s long hair being forcibly and violently removed for sale or fetish purposes. For these women, who live in cultures where long hair is considered an intrinsic part of a woman’s beauty, spirit and integrity, the cutting off of their long braids has emotionally and psychologically damaging effects. Aside from the hair that is sacrificed at the religious altar (a scam), women are often alienated from rural and tribal societies when their hair is shorn. In the recent past, the only women who had their hair cut short were adulteresses, so you can image the stigma. These women have to endure the double agony of hairloss and social rejection.
In the western world, Locks of Love has resulted in the shearing of women’s long hair as an entertainment on game shows. They also promote the view that cutting off long hair is an “easy” way to get children involved in making charitable donations. Certainly, some longhaired adults and children do not feel any personal connection to their hair. After all, it is dead isn’t it? It doesn’t hurt when you cut it off, does it? Locks of Love inform us on their webpage that it takes 10-15 ponytails to make a wig. They also admit that hair that is not used is sold. To be used elsewhere…for what..? Wig-making? How much shorn hair is sold?
How many times I have seen the controlled emotions on the face of women who subject themselves to the violation of having their long hair cut off. The forced smiles afterwards, trying to hide tear-filled eyes. Is that “donation”? No. that is social pressure, from the hair-hating, misogynistic and sadistic elements of society.
Basically, my position is that the trade in human hair – be it for children with cancer or hair extensions for first world women – is unnecessary. It is the commoditisation of a body part. Another way of damaging the beauty of living long hair and the psyche of women.
Draw your own conclusions.
Note: these are just my personal opinions. Apologies if I have offended anyone.
Uzi
uzma
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Senior Member
Joined: August 27 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1057
"For a while now, I've been doing business with an eccentric fellow who has a hair-cutting fetish. He's consumed with the act of cutting and isn't concerned with what's left or recouping his cost (a percentage of the ebay sale is fine with him). As he tells me, "their willingness is payment in itself". He gets about one a month. All are from girls accepting his cash offers, even though they end up hacked with no style. He's evidently a real charmer and targets girls who might be desperate for cash in shady parts of town, which offers promise of many interesting stories to come. Ponytails of this variety will be labeled "headhunter" in the auction title."
There's something a little odd about that ebay seller, Pantene (from Uzma's link.) He/she looks legitimate, but several of their recent listings include wording such as "Holly burst into tears when her ponytail was cut off." Now I am no marketing expert, but that kind of information doesn't exactly hold mass appeal for potential buyers, except perhaps those with a covetous streak. As a long-time eBay buyer/seller, I can say that that line seems a bit off to me. Almost as if the seller enjoys watching people chop their ponies off. Almost...dare I say the F-word...a fetish? Who knows. I am no expert but this just seems weird for an eBay "professional."
I'm sorry to diverge from LOL. I'm interested in what else everyone has to say about this topic.
Look for beauty, and you will find no intelligence. Look for intelligence and you will find both.Proud member of the Cult of All Soft
While you may not be forced to make a donation of your hair or anything else you care about, there is still tremendous societal pressure to do so, often from people who have no other motivation than to take advantage of the chance to be confrontational under the guise of altruism and generosity. Some people are hypocrites who really don't give a d*** about the welfare of others. Please notice I said some, not all. There are many folks out there who mean well.
That link to ebay sounds just as frightening as the story of a guy in Los Angeles who went around cutting off women's long hair. It was pretty creepy.. imagine sitting at a bus stop when some guy comes by and hacks off your hair..
OMG, Papillon! I think if I had the means to do so, I would severely wound this person. I always carry a nail scissor in my purse! And I did take a self defense class in HS where we learned to stab things in people's eyeballs.
And then there's always that curious punch-em-in-the-solar-plexis thing that's supposed to kill anybody but how would you really know?
I agree Locks of Love is mostly a sham. But if you want to cut your hair short, I guess it's a fine thing to do. Why not? My husband had to cut off his nearly waist length hair a couple years ago because he just wasn't getting any job offers, and in his conservative field, it was probably the cause. :( He's growing it out again now. Now that he has his foot in the door already and has proven himself a good worker. :) But anyway... we saved his ponytail. We figure maybe someday we'll have a daughter and make her a doll with daddy's hair. :) OK, maybe not.
Anyhue... having known a couple kids with cancer... it isn't envogue to wear wigs anymore when you're going through chemo. Most kids seem to feel more comfortable going bald. Which I can see how they feel. Wearing a wig is kind of a denial. Kids that are more self confident don't mind it, and it almost seems they're bald head shows they are strong, working hard to survive cancer, so they are proud of it. Which I think is great.
I wonder why LOL doesn't serve adults. Chemo is expensive and excruciating for everyone, regardless of age. I think adults are just as likely to not be able to afford a wig when they are paying all the medical expenses. And it seems adults would be more likely to want a wig... and probably be less picky about how "virgin" the hair is.
Elissa! You have a new icon! You're obviously a Disney nut. My sorority big sis had Mickey and Minnie on her wedding cake. :) Not long til your wedding!
"Hair is a part of you. It is not a part of me, because I am a frog." - Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street1b/N/ii ~ ??"/27"/32"
Oh and I forgot to say what I set out to say in the first place!
Boycotting Goody products won't be difficult. Most of them have a rough plastic seam anyway. Yikes! And their "Ouchless" elastics are still narrow enough to bend my hair. Though they are superior to the old kind with the metal seam... Scuunci's nylon ones are the best I've found so far.
"Hair is a part of you. It is not a part of me, because I am a frog." - Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street1b/N/ii ~ ??"/27"/32"
I realize I am a short haired woman and don't have an attachment to long hair as some do, but I did have very long hair for years, so I know the pleasure,-(and sometimes the hassle)- of having long hair. And I very much like long hair on people! I love beautiful long hair!
.....But folks, please, it is just hair. And whether LOL is a scam to make money or a genuine charity, they are not cutting off a limb of someone here!
.....I grew up with a girl who lived in my neighborhood and went to my school who was born missing an arm at the shoulder, she only had one arm. I also knew a girl whose leg quit growing and had to have her leg amputated when she was about ten years old, because one leg grew normally and the other leg was a little leg that quit growing. These people were missing a limb! Think how difficult that must be. And their limb that is missing doesn't grow back!!! Hair grows back!!! So sure, I understand that people love their long hair, I like long hair too, but people really need to keep a little perspective on things.
No offense to the many nice people on the long haired board, and I very much respect you and usually enjoy what you write, but this thread seems almost fanatic. Hair does grow back. Those girls I knew back home will always have to go through life missing a limb that doesn't grow back. They are handicapped-(or differently abled)-. I am not handicapped because I have short hair, I can do everything you folks can.
So enjoy your long hair,.......... But people do keep some perspective on things and be grateful for our good fortune and health.
tina
princessmonica
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Member
Joined: February 26 2003
Status: Offline
Points: 653
tina you are comparing apples and oranges in my opinion. i'm handicap. thank god i don't have missing limbs. but my close friend does. he has missing limbs on both arms and one leg. yes hair grows back. some people do find there hair apart of them. yes it grows back. that's not the point. i hate when people strart comparing different things on a hair board.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Topic Options
Post Options
Thanks(0)
[/url]
There are many folks out there who mean well. 
