Keeping in Mind the Sources Cited, Discuss the Credibility of the Claim(s)

question 100

Essay

Keeping in mind the sources cited, discuss the credibility of the claim(s) made in the following passage:
"The mail order company Hammacher Schlemmer & Co. says in its consumer catalogs that it sells nothing but the best. The company supports its claims by what it calls independent testing. But Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo, in a book called The Mis-Fortune 500 (New York: Pocket Books, 1988), say that while a 1986 letter to potential customers claimed that a 'completely separate' 'consumer' organization tested and compared the products offered by Hammacher Schlemmer, in reality:
"the testing organization is called the Hammacher Schlemmer Institute."
"the institute is funded by Hammacher Schlemmer & Co."
"the institute's board of directors is composed of Hammacher Schlemmer officials."
"the institute is located at Hammacher Schlemmer company headquarters in Chicago."

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Definitions:

Human Rights Watch

An international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights.

Complaints of Rape

Formal allegations made by individuals claiming to have been sexually assaulted or raped.

Transgender

A descriptor for people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth.

Transsexual

A person who identifies as, or desires to live and be accepted as, a member of the gender opposite to that assigned at birth, often pursuing medical assistance to transition.