Door-to-door children’s book sales spark concern

The door-to-door sale is a dying art, but for the past few summers in Central Oregon, it’s found life with an educational sales company based out of Tennessee. However, an aggressive sales approach has led to controversy in the high desert and beyond.

Southwestern Advantage was founded in 1855 as a publishing company. Following the Civil War, the company hired young men to go door-to-door to sell bibles and educational products. Today, the company recruits men and women from around the country and world to continue the educational sales tradition.

Egle Alisauskaite is from Lithuania, spending her summer in Bend as she raises money for school back home. Like her co-workers, she buys the books from Southwestern at wholesale value, and then sells at retail.

“We try to see about 30 families a day,” said Alisauskaite. “We’ll go door-to-door, and ask around in neighborhoods to find out which homes have kids, so we’re not bothering everyone.”

But it’s an approach that leaves some residents a little bit uncomfortable. Nathan Dayton of Bend was visited by a Southwestern Advantage salesperson, and the experience raised concern.

“You hear stories of abduction and trafficking, and you know it’s a huge business and it’s scary,” said Dayton, a father of three. “So when someone’s asking questions and saying that I’ve heard and seen that you have kids, it’s definitely discomforting.”

It’s a discomfort that’s been shared in other parts of the country. In places like Lubbock, Texas and Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Facebook posts accused the company of being a front for a child abduction ring. In Lee’s Summit, the fears reached the point where the local police department had to post a status confirming that the accusations were false. But to this day, Southwestern Advantage still feels the sting of social media.

“This is how (students) are spending their summer, to get themselves through school,” said Trey Campbell, the Communications Director for Southwestern Advantage. “It’s frustrating to see how a post on Facebook can take off and ruin these kids summers.”

But in Bend, the wives tales fall to the wayside. Southwestern Advantage employees have set up shop in Bend for years, and City Business Advocate Carolyn Eagan says she’s seen nor heard of any problems with the student salespeople.

“Our experience is that they’re very polite and very diligent about the work that they set out to do,” said Eagan.

But for some parents, the diligence of making a sale borders on uncomfortable.

“I’ve watched your house, I’ve seen your kids, and now I want to sell you something? That’s just creepy,” said Dayton.