Booster Club Backers Beware

By Lori Fullbright, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- There is a word of caution when asked to support your local football team.  Businesses are often asked to give money or buy advertising to benefit the local booster club, but not all of those offers deliver on their promises.

Small business owners have limited advertising dollars, so every penny they spend has to count.  They are often the first ones who agree to support their local schools.  Now, it seems a company called A2Z Sports is taking advantage of that community spirit.

Robert Haugh owns a landscaping and curbing business.  Two of his kids graduated from Memorial High and he has another one there now.  So, when a company called A2Z Sports offered him T-shirts with his business logo on the back and the Chargers' logo on front, he agreed and paid $360.

"They promised me two shirts would come to me. I don't remember the percentage, but a percentage would benefit the Memorial High School Booster Club," said Curbmaster owner Robert Haugh.

But, the T-shirt he got says Bulldogs, not Chargers.  Plus, Robert learned A2Z Sports was not working with Memorial's booster club.

"It makes me very angry. Being a small company, I jumped my advertising from 2% to 5% this year and that 5% went to nothing," said Curbmaster owner Robert Haugh.

Curbmaster isn't the only business that bought advertising from A2Z Sports.

Jerrie Heck of Sensational Tans also got a call from A2Z.  They told her they were with Jenks, Bixby and Broken Arrow and offered her shirts with the Bixby Spartan logo on front and her business as the only advertiser on back. 

That's not the shirt she received.

"Of course, this is the Bulldogs, not the Spartans and there are several names on the back," said Jerrie Heck with Sensational Tans.

Jerrie refused to pay up front so, she is not out any money.  She was upset to learn the company is not local, but in Texas and has no connection to Bixby High.

The Dallas Better Business Bureau says it began investigating similar complaints about the company in 2005 and finally cut its accreditation this year because the complaints continued.

Before you give money to a company for something, call the school or booster club to see if there is a relationship.  Also, check for complaints.

A2Z Sports contacted The News On 6 by phone and said two other businesses in Tulsa also ordered Memorial Charger shirts and they said they made a misprint.  They said they would be shipping new shirts this Friday.  They didn't explain the Bixby mix-up, but said they would fix any mistakes.