Census Bureau ... do you do it??

blueriver · Jan 7, 2009

This may be a double post ... didn't get it done the first time.

About 3 weeks ago we recieved the pkg, did nothing. Tonight we got a phone call, the lady informed my wife that it is mandatory by law and we are subject to a $5k fine.

What you think??

Wayne County Hose · Jan 7, 2009

Did it come certified mail? That's the only method of delivery recognized by the courts.

blueriver · Jan 7, 2009

No it did not come certified ... the caller claimed even thought it was addressed "Resident" that it is bar coded and thus our phone number is in the code thus the reminder phone call. Claims she did not know our names ... just the address and the phone number.

Wayne County Hose · Jan 7, 2009

My response next time she calls. "Sorry lady, 3 weeks ago? I forgot what came inthe mail yesterday. I don't know what you're talking about." That is, if you don't want to respond. Otherwise, fill it out and send it in.

ToadHill · Jan 7, 2009

I'd fill it our and send it in. First I'd cut off the bar code and address info, when they called I'd tell them I don't know what happened, I sent it in.

ragkar · Jan 7, 2009

Could this be a scam or a ploy? What sort of things are they asking? A buddy of mine owns a mailing company. He claims that if you want to mail your advertisement to all the motels within a hundred miles with between six and twenty rooms, he can do it. One year he says that he managed to get income tax records for his area.
I gave up volunteering information on warranty cards that ask my age, family composition, household salary etc. when I learned that they sell that info to advertisers over and over again.
I would bring up the Census Bureau on the web and email ask them if they sent your survey.

smfcpacfp · Jan 7, 2009

Whoever called you is trying pull some sort of scam. The fine for non response is $100. The fine for lying is $500. Also the census is next to be taken on 4/1 of 2010, so why would you be contacted now?

The last time I was asked to complete the long form (how much do you make, how much do you spend on heat, etc.) and I refused to do so, but I did complete the imformation on the people living at my residence, since the original purpose of the census was to find out how many representatives each state should receive.

I was wondering if I would be fined $100. I never heard anymore from the government. In any event they aren't going to do the long form census in 2010, just information on the number of people in the household and their ethnicity.

LBrown59 · Jan 7, 2009

ragkar said:
Could this be a scam or a ploy? What sort of things are they asking? A buddy of mine owns a mailing company. He claims that if you want to mail your advertisement to all the motels within a hundred miles with between six and twenty rooms, he can do it. One year he says that he managed to get income tax records for his area.
I gave up volunteering information on warranty cards that ask my age, family composition, household salary etc. when I learned that they sell that info to advertisers over and over again.
I would bring up the IRS on the web and ask them if they sent your survey.

The
Census Bureau ... and the IRS are 2 different things.