He’s Not Charged Up About It

Citicorp’s much-ballyhooed “price protection” for credit card users needs publicity protection in tiny Solvang, Calif.

Art gallery owner Howard E. Morseburg has formed the “Concerned Retailers of Solvang” to fight the New York banking giant’s program, which he calls a “publicity ploy” that will create friction between shoppers and merchants.

Shoppers using Citibank credit cards, who buy certain products and spot them later at lower prices, can receive up to $250 in refunds from Citicorp, “even if the store won’t do it,” a bank mailing says.

Morseburg’s merchandise isn’t covered because Citicorp won’t guarantee artwork, but he fears that it may some day. He says price promises can make a merchant “look like a louse” because few stores guarantee prices and customers will go to the merchant first to demand their money.

Morseburg says he got Citicorp’s attention by putting a “Citibank Cards not welcome here” sign in his window and mailing a photo to Citicorp President Richard Braddock. That earned him a two-page warning from the bank that his gallery risked losing its Visa and MasterCard affiliation. Morseburg removed the sign but vows to continue fighting.

A Citicorp spokesman said the program is not intended to change store price and refund policies.

Strange Business Bedfellows

First, Simon & Schuster published Kitty Kelley’s scathing book on former First Lady Nancy Reagan after publishing former President Ronald Reagan’s autobiography.

Now comes the disclosure last week that MCA is developing a one-hour daytime talk show for Kelley. MCA lauded Kelley as a person who “possesses great intelligence, a magnetic personality and a wonderful ability to communicate.”

The disclosure might appear curious considering that MCA Chairman Lew R. Wasserman was once Reagan’s Hollywood agent. Also, the Wasserman and Reagan families have remained close, with Wasserman a key fund raiser for Reagan’s presidential library.

Ironically, MCA has another talk show planned for this fall: “Up Late With Ron Reagan,” hosted by the son of the former First Couple.

An MCA spokesman said the decision on the Kelley show was made by MCA TV President Shelly Schwab, not Wasserman. He added that Ron Reagan (the son) has known about the Kelley show and “to our knowledge had no problem with it.”

Said Bill Garber, the former President’s spokesman: “Nothing anymore strikes me as ironic.”

Patriotism No Longer Trendy

The “Socio-Economic Research Institute”--sort of a Standard & Poor’s of popular culture--has “downgraded to a fad from a trend” patriotic themes and products, as the Persian Gulf War fades.

Contributing to the decision to downgrade patriotic themes, the institute said, was survey evidence showing that yellow ribbon sales are declining. No word on whether Tony Orlando songs have been downgraded to a fad as well.

Briefly. . .

Recession-battered Australia says U.S. con artists offer for $189 information on $85,000-a-year tax-free jobs Down Under that don’t exist.