Archive for online
Business Bureaus top 10 Complaints 2009
Posted by: | CommentsThe Better Business Bureau has released a list of the top ten scams to be aware of. This year, the list focuses in on dubious practices of online commerce, such as asking consumers to read the fine print before you click “yes.” Complaints in 2009 run the gamut from teeth whiteners to premium text messages to government grants, but all tie back to consumers unwittingly consenting to sign up for the service or product.
1. Health Claim Scams
Bogus products that make “breakthrough” health claims on the Internet or promise cures for illnesses, such as cancer, target the most vulnerable consumers. Be wary of on-line swine flu remedies not authorized by Health Canada that are making unsubstantiated health claims that they kill or ward off the virus. Consult your health care practitioner before trying any new treatment. Don’t be influenced by “miraculous” testimonials discussed on websites and blogs. Think twice before buying a product that claims it can “do it all.”
QUICK TIP: If you have questions or complaints about counterfeit drugs and/or drugs purchased over the Internet, please call Health Canada’s toll-free line at 1 800 267 9675. If you suspect that a website is promoting a treatment or cure that is too good to be true.
2. Not So “Free” Trials
You may want to try out a new diet product, an acne cream or teeth whitener, but be careful about signing up for ‘free’ trial offers. Many websites offering a free trial for products do not disclose the billing terms and conditions or do not have such details prominently displayed on their website. Before providing any credit or debit card information, review the website fully to avoid in repeated billing. Remember that money transfers and direct debit are two of the main methods by which scam artists seek to obtain your money.
QUICK TIP: When considering trial offers, be sure to first determine whether you are enrolling in a membership, subscription or service contract that allows the company.
3. ID Theft
Often people find out that they are victims of identity theft after they are contacted by a collections’ agency for an account they never set up or because their credit has taken a hit. ID theft is when someone uses your information to obtain loans, goods, or services and does not pay the bills. Increasingly, people are being lured online into revealing personal information.
QUICK TIP: Do not fall for requests for information, or other scare tactics. Online scammers send emails that look legitimate, requesting that your “account information needs to be updated.” Another new tactic called “scareware” has a pop-up message showing that your computer is infected with a virus and that you need to visit a website to purchase and download anti-virus software that would fix the problem. These are all phishing tactics, ways to get you to reveal personal or financial information. If you receive these messages just delete them and do not click on any links. Doing so may compromise your computer’s security. If you are a victim of ID Theft call your financial institutions to request that your current cards be cancelled and that new cards be issued. You should also contact your local police and Canada’s main credit reporting agencies: TransUnion Canada at tuc.ca (1 866 525 0262) and Equifax Canada at equifax.ca (1 866 779 6440).
4. Home Repair Rip-Offs
Imagine hearing that your furnace is leaking dangerous carbon monoxide into your home. Many times homeowners are told that they need to do an immediate replacement due to a crack in their heat exchanger or because the contractor has a gas-sniffer device which shows high carbon monoxide levels. This high pressure safety situation often ends up in unnecessary and costly repairs.
QUICK TIP: Do not make a decision to repair right away. Start with the Better Business Bureau and search for a company reliability report at bbb.org. Ask the person to provide a gas permit and a license with the BC Safety Authority and call to verify it at: 1 866 566 7233.
6. Free Government Money Schemes
Do you think you are entitled to free money from the Canadian government? Be suspicious of companies offering “free” advice on obtaining government grants. Often social networking sites and online ads will point to blogs that appear to be written by everyday people who are sharing the secret of how they received thousands of dollars in grants from the government to pay off their debt. In reality, this is a mass marketing scheme that does not provide an easy way for you to get a government grant. Rather, it costs you money to participate.
7. Business Opportunities
Your friend or a family member may have invited you to attend a presentation involving an investment opportunity. You don’t know anything about the company, and are desperate to hear that it is legit. These investments appear lucrative, but often involve more hype than substance. The promoter convinces investors that they can be part owners of an exciting investment portfolio, provided that they enlist new recruits. The promoter may even offer promising commissions in cash and bullion.
QUICK TIP: In reality, this could be an illegal pyramid scheme. The new capital brought on by new investors is keeping this imaginary investment afloat. Get the facts. If you attend an information session, be sure to collect business cards and promotional materials
8. Cashback Fraud
Cashback fraud usually begins when you advertise something for sale, such as a car. A buyer agrees to pay your asking price, but sends you a cheque or banker’s draft for a larger sum. The person asks you to bank his cheque and send him a money transfer for the difference. Sure enough, his or her cheque bounces a few days after your money transfer has left your account. You’re now out of pocket and looking for a bogus buyer who’s out-of-reach.
QUICK TIP: Criminal cashback works because cheques take longer to clear than electronic bank transfers. Do not ever wire money to a stranger. Do not allow greed to be your guide – be careful of offers higher than the asking price.
9. Hidden Cell Phone Charges
If you own a cell phone and see new and unexplained charges on your bill each month, it may be due to premium text message services. People complain that they did not realize they were signing up for this service when they agreed to play an online game or to take an IQ test. In the end they receive monthly billings which do not come from their cell phone service providers, but through other third-party companies.
10. Mystery Jobs Scams
The scenario sounds too good to be true, and it is. You have been led to believe that you will be paid to mystery shop via a wire-transfer service. You receive a cheque, which you are told to deposit, keeping a small percentage of the money as your wage. You are then asked to send the back difference via a wire transfer and to complete a survey on the service you encounter. In the end, the cheque bounces and you lose all your money.
QUICK TIP: Be skeptical of mystery shopper ads in newspapers or online. In most cases these are bogus services requiring you to pay money upfront. Avoid companies that promise guaranteed jobs, and that sell directories of companies that provide mystery shoppers
Rocky Boy lending business in confusing world of complaints
Posted by: | CommentsA new local business has embroiled the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation in a confusing world of complaints and investigations. The Better Business Bureau assigned the online payday loan company PDL Ventures — which Neil Rosette, the executive administrative officer for the Chippewa Cree Tribe, said originally was named Rocky Boy Technologies and Rocky Boy Ventures — 90 complaints filed in 13 months, with more complaints coming in during September and October. “This group doesn’t only draw a lot of inquiries, but also a lot of complaints,” said Zan Deery of the Spokane Better Business Bureau, which covers eastern Washington, northern Idaho and Montana. “It is probably in our top three complaintgetters.”
The bureau reports that some complaints were resolved by PDL Ventures, but 82 complaints remain unanswered. Rosette said new procedures were being implemented to make sure the staff members at PDL Ventures at Rocky Boy respond to complaints and also keep the Tribal officials informed. “We’re not doing anything wrong,” Rosette said. “The more information and discussion we provide to people the better.” In the first conference call, Belcourt said the online business was started to promote economic development. “We look after the interests of the Tribe,” he said. At least one complaint appears to Be connected to the Tribal business. Michael Lee of Rochester, N.Y., said he had “a terrible experience” with Rocky Boy Technologies.
Lee said he suddenly saw unexplained activity on his bank account statement — someone had deposited money into his account without his permission, then debited payments back out. Even after receiving some repayment from Rocky Boy Technologies, Lee said, with bank fees and charges he still has lost money. “I am at a loss of $390 due to this company,” Lee said. In a letter faxed to the Havre Daily News after the second conference call on Oct. 23, Rosette wrote that the Rocky Boy company does “not provide payday loans to residents of Rocky Boy, Havre or in the state of Montana for that matter so we are very confused as to why you want to publish a story of this nature in the first place.” Rosette did not respond to messages asking why the Rocky Boy business did not provide loans to Montana residents.
Payday loans go online The concept of online payday loans raises questions about the payday loan business — already under increasing scrutiny — to a new level. Payday loans are short-term loans made against the borrower’s payday, typically using a check written by the loan applicant to the lender at the time the loan is awarded as the only security.
AHCA launches online complaint form
Posted by: | CommentsThe Florida Agency for Health Care Administration has launched an online health care facility complaint form.
The state agency regulates 41 types of health care service providers, including hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and home health agencies.
In 2008, the agency received 7,788 complaints from Floridians through phone calls and written correspondence. Many complaints involved patient or resident care concerns within the health care facilities regulated by the agency, according to a Nov. 9 AHCA
The most frequent concerns involved issues such as billing practices, responsiveness to grievances, and care provided to residents at assisted living facilities and home health agencies. They also included concerns about nursing care, administration of medication and quality of food.
“The new online health care facility complaint form will give Floridians direct access to our agency when they feel a violation has occurred, allowing us to act quickly and efficiently to help correct the issue,” AHCA Secretary Thomas Arnold said in a news release.
Complaints Mount as Modern Warfare 2 Launch Nears
Posted by: | CommentsAfter statements during online chats hosted by Infinity Ward and Activision’s public statements, members of the hardcore gaming community are feeling slighted by a dearth of features in Modern Warfare 2.
PC gamers have been most shocked by the relelations to come out of Infinity Ward. During an online chat session, the following new news about the game was discovered:
Of course, people understand by now that PC players will not have dedicated servers. In addition, however, Modern Warfare 2 will not have the ability to vote-kick players from a match. When pressed about the issue, Infinity Ward has stated that they’ll be taking action against hackers that make their way past VAC (the anti-cheating system). Infinity Ward has confirmed that gamers cannot opt-out of hosting matches, a concern for those players that are on ISPs that don’t allow dedicated servers. With all of these limits, it’s hard to imagine more, but… Modern Warfare 2 is also limited to 9 vs 9 matches, only 18 total players on a map.
One last kick to the PC gamers is the lack of a Console Mode (a mode where PC gamers are able to enter commands directly into the game). When asked if Modern Warfare 2 was simply a console port, Infinity Ward said “No, PC has custom stuff like mouse control, text chat in game, and graphics settings.”
Apparently, they have absolutely no idea what was meant by the question. And the real answer is “Yes, why the hell would we develop 2 games, when we can just make one and get the same amount of money?”
Sears Holdings Settles FTC Behavioral Tracking Complaint
Posted by: | CommentsSears Holdings Corp. has settled with the Federal Trade Commission on a complaint that it persuaded consumers to agree to the collection of data about their online activities without giving them a full warning about the scope of the collection effort.
The charges relate to a complaint by the FTC against online market research SHC conducted from April 2007 through January 2008. During that time, according to the commission, Sears delivered pop-up ads to 15 of every 100 visitors to its Web site, inviting them to submit their e-mail address. Those who did so were then invited to join “My SHC Community” by downloading software that would monitor “online browsing.”
Users were allegedly told that joining the community would help them keep track of items such as warranties on their Sears-bought appliances. They were also offered $10 as an inducement to opt in.
According to the FTC, the Web tracking Sears then engaged in extended to non-Sears sites and included online banking transactions, names and addresses of e-mail correspondents, online video rentals and health and prescription information users had stored on the Internet.
Most users did not realize the real scope of this monitoring at sign-up, the commission alleged. While the software license produced at download explained that the program would track all Web activity, the offering e-mail did not make it sufficiently clear that the program would follow and retain data on “nearly all of the Internet behavior that occurs on consumers computers,” the FTC complaint said.
Instead, the FTC seemed to be signaling its will to pursue complaints in which marketers are simply crossing the limits of behavioral tracking without paying proper attention to disclosure.
Rip Off Report: Musick Loss Management, Inc. Highest Ethics
Posted by: | Comments
We only work with businesses who we trust and believe in. Our clients are pre-screened to determine if they are eligible for our program. If a company is determined to have unethical or questionable practices, Katz Recruiters will not work on their behalf!
Musick Loss Management is a highly reputable emergency services company with zero complaints with the Better Business Bureau! If it can happened to a company like MLM, then it can happen to any small or medium sized business. Many Courts have interpreted Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act as giving immunity to ISPs and online forum hosts from liability for the speech of their users.Visit www.OrganicRankingSystems.blogspot.com for tips on how to promote and protect your company’s online reputation or call Katz Recruiters at 630.269.3723.
Author: OnlineReputation
Keywords: rip-off ripoff rip off Musick Loss Management Company Emergency Services
Added: August 29, 2008