Business Link

KIM'S CATCH OF THE DAY: CLEAN DRY USA

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here's the catch: Clean Dry USA offers carpet cleaning at low, attractive prices, with satisfaction guaranteed, then ups the ante. Customers find the work quality low, the prices high, and satisfaction nonexistent. In the end, they feel truly “taken to the cleaners.”

Clean Dry USA, of Woodland Hills, runs ads in advertising circulars, offering to clean three rooms for $49.95 and five rooms for $89.95. The fine print on the coupon you are to clip qualifies those prices by limiting the s...Read More

THE CASE OF THE DUPLICITOUS DEBT COLLECTOR

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

With business profits elusive in the present economy, at least one debt collector may have become a bit more creative in his pursuit of them. And one woman, a debtor, who probably perceives the debt collector as more miscreant than creative, is fighting back.

But like a mystery with subplots unfolding, there's more here than meets the eye. As reported by the Los Angeles Daily Journal, the defendant, a Temple City resident who allegedly ...Read More

THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU’S NEXT ATTRACTION: ONLINE LEAD GENERATION

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Front page placement on internet search engines such as Google and Yahoo is rapidly replacing heavy paper phone books for people looking for local businesses they can trust. To help our members take advantage of this burgeoning trend, the Better Business Bureau will soon be deploying search engine marketing campaigns so that anyone seeking a particular category of local business (Plumbers in the Inland Empire, for example) will reach a directory of member businesses in their local area. Here'...Read More

HOLIDAY WISHES TO OUR MEMBERS

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When folks mention that the holidays are just around the corner, they often comment that it seems like only a short time since they were last here.

If your business has felt the effects of the recession, we hope the past year has gone by quickly for you. And if what we're told about the already improving, less blustery, economic climate is true, we can all look forward to a better year in 2010.

We're constantly working to make your business life better, and our only New Year'...Read More

PAYDAY BORROWERS GET HIT AGAIN

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If there's one truism about people falling upon hard times, it's that there are other people ready and willing to make their times even harder in order to reap a profit for themselves.

Take the case of payday borrowers, who have to be in pretty dire straits to resort to a payday loan in the first place. Though payday lenders in general tend to generate complaints to the Bureau, many (at least 80 to date, most since early May) payday borrowers are complaining about Crime Monitoring Div...Read More

KIM’S CATCH OF THE DAY: DREAM SCHOLARS FOUNDATION

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here's the catch: Dream Scholars Foundation (DSF), of Temecula, telemarkets SAT/ACT/PSAT preparation software for a $155 “donation.” Those who buy the software encounter problems more difficult to solve than any on the tests themselves, and both their pocketbooks and tempers come out sorely tested in the process. They undoubtedly give DSF an “F” grade, as we do.

Dream Scholars Foundation, known until early this year as Scholarship Fund America (SFA), telemarkets parents of students so...Read More

THE CENSUS-TAKER SCAM

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

You probably know the census drill by now: you fill out and mail back the form or someone calls on you at your home (at least if you repeatedly ignore requests for written information) to ask you questions about yourself and your family. But do you know where to draw the line in answering their questions?

It's important that you do, because scam artists aren't going to miss an opportunity to enrich themselves at your expense.

So if you're asked such questions as your name, age...Read More

MAKE THE MOST OF OUR ENHANCED REPORTS

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

During these challenging economic times, consumers are spending their money with care and relying more than ever on the Bureau's Reliability Reports to help them decide where to spend their money. Companies are also looking for effective and economical ways in which to advertise. Our improved Reliability Reports are filling the needs of both businesses and consumers alike.

Now when a consumer checks out your business it will be easier for them to find out more about your company becau...Read More

TRUSTLINK’S APPEAL CONTINUES TO GROW

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Did June's skyrocket catch your eye, as it did ours? We're talking about the 575,700 reliability reports we gave out during June – a record 73-plus percent increase over May!

Why? Possibly because consumers look even more to the Bureau's reliability reports when the economy is stagnant and mon proven to be true in past economic downturns.

Or possibly because scams continue to proliferate according to what's happening in the marketplace and how consumers can best be taken advan...Read More

KIM'S CATCH OF THE DAY: 200CASH.com

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here's the catch: 200cash.com's loans may seem like a godsend to those who have no other source of a few dollars to smooth out the road to payday. But that bumpy road becomes a high-speed feeway for borrowers who anticipate loan proceeds and instead get stung with application fees, other unexpected fees, and bank charges for overdrafts. What they never get are loan proceeds or communication from the company.

For the company, reaping fees from their customers, every day is payday. ...Read More

IVORY COAST GETS INTO THE INTRIGUE ACT

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Bureau President Bill Mitchell is one lucky man. Just this morning, he received an email from Emma Kanga, from Abidjan (known as the Paris of West Africa), Cote d’ Ivoire, Africa.

Addressing him as “Dearest one,” the 20-year-old Miss Kanga tells of the torture and murder of her parents for supporting the Zimbabwe Movement for Democratic Change against President Mugabe. She tells of running away (presumably grabbing her laptop on her way out) to an asylum camp in Cote d’ Ivoire. An...Read More

BUSINESS FURNITURE MIMICS NEW CLOTHES FOR THE EMPEROR

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If it’s generally accepted as true that you get what you pay for, at least some customers of International Business Interiors know that that’s not always true. The San Diego furniture company, which has done business under at least six other names and at least two San Diego locations, has been the subject of five complaints to the Southland Bureau about office furniture ordered and at least partially paid for, but never received.

From these complaints, it would seem that IBI make...Read More

TRUSTLINK’S APPEAL CONTINUES TO GROW

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

First launched in June 2008, TrustLink has attracted registrations, business “storefronts,” and users, all of which have increased not by hundreds of percentage points, but by thousands. Here are the impressive statistics: As of the end of March this year, upwards of 9,300 registrations (an increase of 3,221 percent over those as of October 31, 2008) have been submitted; almost 1,400 business storefronts (an increase of 4,937 percent over those in October) have been started up; and just unde...Read More

TRUSTLINK’S T-QUOTE: ANOTHER SOURCE OF BUSINESS

Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Accredited businesses may be overlooking a source of customers made available through TrustLink. If you’re an accredited business with your email address on file with us, you can sit back and wait for at least some of your business to come to you.

Here’s how it works: When consumers need a product or service and want to find a trustworthy business to fill their need, they complete a simple online form that’s automatically emailed to all BBB-accredited businesses in matching categor...Read More

KIM’S CATCH OF THE DAY: TANMAN

Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s the catch: Whether you want a summer or a year-round tan, TanMan offers various tanning methods at various costs. When clients sign up, they get unexpected surprises, and when they try to cancel they get still more surprises. They may be tan, but they’re also burned.

TanMan Tanning, of Los Angeles, attracts customers year around, mostly women and mostly from the Los Angeles area. From complaints, it would seem that they distribute at least some flyers, but their website a...Read More

HERE ARE THE LATEST SPECIAL REPORTS

Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Two reports relating to foreclosures, Foreclosure Frauds and Fixes and Home Equity Purchasers and Foreclosure Consultants, now contain important information about loan modifications offered by licensed real estate brokers and attorneys and some of the pitfalls of dealing, especially, wi...Read More

GOTCHA! TONER PHONERS BAIT, HOOK AND REEL IN UNWARY BUSINESSES

Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Name one business that isn’t trying to economize, if not struggling just to keep its head above water, these days. For all their effort to keep costs down, some of these businesses find it’s all for naught when someone comes along and offers them good deals for less money and then gouges them with exorbitant prices and shoddy products.

Enter two such villains: Reliable Printing Solutions, Inc., and Century Co...Read More

DON'T WAIT TO REDEEM GIFT CARDS

Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If you’re holding a gift card from one of today’s financially distressed retailers, you might want to step up your efforts to redeem it. Otherwise, you risk losing its value altogether.

When a business files Chapter 7 bankruptcy, closing its doors and liquidating its business, you’re likely going to lose the amount of the card. And in a Chapter 11 filing, where the company seeks to reorganize its business, restructure its debt, and continue in business, the debt the store owes you ...Read More

KIM’S CATCH OF THE DAY: LOW PAY, INC.

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here's the catch: Low Pay, Inc. offers a credit line that attracts those who need it most. But those who sign up, and even those who don't, get gouged with fees they say they neither authorized nor anticipated. Customers' bank balances drop, the company's customer service disappears, and complainants feel they've paid a high price for Low Pay.

Low Pay, Inc., or LPC, calls itself "one of the fastest growing membership-based consumer benefits, finance and marketing companies." According...Read More

JOB SCAMS ADD TO OUT-OF WORK WOES

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Think of it as making lemons out of lemonade or a sow’s ear from a silk purse. It’s a sort of reverse creativity sparked by hard economic times, and it hits hardest those who are jobless and who want and need work.

Here are a couple of companies now using their creativity to attract and victimize job seekers:

Outsourcing Technology, of Garden Grove, advertises in newspapers’ classified ads, offering work at home. Also known as ...Read More

WHAT'S IN YOUR PROFILE?

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Everything. Or at least, it should be.

If you haven't taken full advantage of your online profile opportunity yet, you're missing out on free advertising.

Here's a reminder of some of the things you can add to your business profile:

Photos of your business, your personnel, yourself
Products
Prices
Special offers and promotions
Discounts
Your location, how to get there, days and hours of operation
Informati...Read More

NEW LAWS FOR 2009

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here are some of the laws that become effective this year:

Text Messaging while Driving: Beginning July 2008, drivers were prohibited from talking on a cell phone while driving unless using a hands-free means of doing it. Now, you are also prohibited from reading, writing, or sending a text message, instant message, or electronic mail while driving. You may, though, read, select, or enter a phone number or name in an electronic wireless communications device for the purpose of ma...Read More

KIM'S CATCH OF THE DAY: MAAK ENTERPRISES

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here's the catch: Pet owners buy MAAK Enterprise's cat and dog products online. But when they receive nothing, whether nothing comes or whether it comes in a box, they realize they've got a bone to pick and a reason to growl.

MAAK Industries sells pet merchandise, including flea and tick control products, often in 6- and 12-month supplies, vitamins, leashes, toys for dogs and cats, etc. Their website advertises free shipping worldwide and other discounts, such as an additional 15 percent ...Read More

CHECK RUSE IS STILL BAD NEWS

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The $9.25 check Bureau President Bill Mitchell received in the mail last week was nothing new. The amount may have been different from others of its kind, it was sent out by a different company, and the product he'd be buying when he cashed it was different. But otherwise it's the same, tired plan, like the same play performed again and again but by different actors and with different costumes and scenery. Here's how this one works:

Budget Car Rentals thanked Mitchell for his past patrona...Read More

MEMBERS: WE WANT TO SHOW YOU OFF

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We need photos of our members on the job to be rotated on our website's splash page. What we need is a good photo of you that gives the feeling that you've just stopped for a moment in your normal day of business. The subject (you or an employee of yours) should confidently face the camera.

If you don't have or can't get this type of photo but can send us a portrait-style photo (that is, one without a business backdrop), please do. You may email it (sorry, we're unable to use prints) to u...Read More

WATCH OUT FOR THIS WATCH SELLER

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The clock was ticking for Becky Allen back in February of 2006. It was time for her to either undergo a kidney transplant or begin dialysis. She chose the transplant, and though matching requirements for a kidney transplant are not particularly stringent, the wait for a kidney can be years. In the end, she accepted a kidney from her husband, and the two of them went into the hospital, both for surgery, together. Despite minor initial complications, Becky’s recovery was smooth...Read More

KIM’S CATCH OF THE DAY: PROPERTY TAX REASSESSMENT

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s the catch: Property Tax Reassessment suggests that homeowners may be eligible for reduced property taxes because of the recent decline in property values. Some 63 consumers have asked us for a report on the company. So far, we’ve received only 11 complaints. Only three of those complainants had sent any payment. I hope that by shedding some light on the company now, we can help some homeowners save some money and avoid having to complain later.

Property T...Read More

HERE ARE THE LATEST SPECIAL REPORTS

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Know the Facts about Reverse Mortgages is the Better Business Bureau’s newest general information report. This report tells you what a reverse mortgage is, how it works, what you should consider before venturing into one, how to use it if you face foreclosure or bankruptcy, and more. Access it on our website, or call or write to ask us for a copy.

IN FOUL WEATHER, THE BBB IS STILL YOUR FRIEND

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

When the business and economic climate goes north and gets chilly, members sometimes decide that they can’t afford their Better Business Bureau membership. They drop their membership and plan to pick it up again when business picks up.

Sadly, opting out of membership is like opting out of advertising when times are tough--just when you need it most. The consuming public feels the pinch, too, and they’re more vigilant than ever to make sure their money goes as far as it possibly c...Read More

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO OUR MEMBERS

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:00:00 GMT

We won’t see much in the way of snow flurries here in the Southland, but we can already see the flurry of holidays that will be upon us almost before you finish reading this.

Whatever holidays you celebrate in the next few months, we at the Better Business Bureau send blizzards of good wishes to you in your celebration of them. Once again, we extend our sincere thanks to you for your membership and we wish you a most satisfying and rewarding 2009.

BBB MEMBERS CAN SAVE UP TO 26% ON SELECT FEDEX SHIPPING SERVICES

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMT

Your time and money are important, so we are finding ways to help you save both.

The Better Business Bureau of the Southland is proud to support our members and has teamed up with FedEx to help boost your bottom line. As a BBB member, you are now eligible to receive valuable discounts of up to 26% on select FedEx^® shipping services. Best of all, there are no costs and no minimum shipping ...Read More