Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning that consumers nationwide, including Tucson, are receiving letters stating that they have won two round-trip tickets courtesy of American Airlines or US Airlines with a retail value of up to $1,298. US Airlines is not a real company, and this letter is not from the real American Airlines.

Recipients of the letter are encouraged to call a provided number and then invited to attend a presentation. Upon arrival at the presentation, attendees discover the meeting is not hosted by American Airlines or US Airlines, but a travel package agency.

Documents acquired by BBB indicate the Florida firm behind this promotion has numerous complaints filed against them with the BBB.

BBB tips for purchasing a travel package:

• Find out exactly what the package contains in terms of transportation and accommodations and for how many people
• How much money must be given as a deposit, if the deposit is refundable, and how much is later required.
• Get the name of the hotel, personally confirm all reservations, and get written verification.
• Before you decide to accept this type of offer do comparative shopping with a local travel agency before making your final decision. Companies that offer this type of service in Florida are required to be registered with the Sellers of Travel Act at 800-435-7352.
• Do not be pressured by any company to give an immediate decision or to give your cash, check, or credit card number until you are satisfied

For additional information and advice you can trust, start with bbb.org.

An ‘F’ rated credit card company based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area is generating a growing number of complaints to  Better Business Bureau from throughout the U.S.

BBB reports that it received over 266 complaints over the past three years primarily about the advertising practices of Union Workers Credit Services. Eighty-five of those complaints have been filed since Jan. 1 from consumers in almost every state in the country. As might be expected, the larger states accounted for a higher number of complaints (California, Pennsylvania and New York).

Many of the complaints cite a promotional letter alerting the consumer that he or she has been “pre-approved for a platinum card membership.” The letter also notes, “You don’t have to worry if you have been denied access to Visa® or MasterCard®.”

The card, which comes with a $37 fee, offers a “guaranteed” $10,000-credit limit. However, many consumers often overlook a reference in the letter that credit can only be applied to purchases from Union Workers Credit Services. The company touts that its members enjoy discounts on motels, hotels and resorts, and assistance in receiving the lowest airfare, cruise prices and car rentals.

“Many of the consumers we’ve heard from believed that the Union Workers Platinum Card would have widespread acceptance, like Visa or MasterCard. That is clearly not the case,” said Kim States, BBB President.

States said BBB has also received complaints about the company’s name, which suggests it is affiliated with a labor union. A BBB investigation reveals there is no such affiliation.

BBB recommends that consumers always take the time to read a company’s promotional literature carefully, including the “fine print.” Ask questions. Be sure you understand all of the provisions before signing.

Complaints about false or misleading advertising should be directed to BBB at (520)888-5353.

The Council of Better Business Bureaus has announced two new steps in the implementation of its online Interest-Based Advertising Accountability Program: the appointment of Eugenie N. Barton, former vice president and general counsel to the United States Telecom Association, as Director of the program and the signing of a contract with Evidon, Inc., a commercial marketer of monitoring services.

These developments advance enforcement of the Principles established by the cross-industry Self-Regulatory Program for Online Behavioral Advertising. The Principles apply consumer-friendly standards to online interest-based advertising and they were developed and are supported by the leading advertising industry trade organizations. The Council was tasked with building an accountability program to promote compliance with the Principles.

Ms. Barton is a privacy and communications industry expert with a strong record of accomplishments across a broad array of major public policy initiatives. Ms. Barton has served the public interest in positions with U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Congress’s Office of Compliance and the Federal Communications Commission.

“Genie brings to this position a deep background in communications law and policy and a commitment to assuring the Council’s enforcement program achieves the same high standards of industry accountability as our other self-regulatory programs,” said Steven A. Cox, President and CEO, Council of Better Business Bureaus. “We are confident that her strong leadership will ensure that the advertising industry lives up to the Principles of the Self-Regulatory Program for Online Behavioral Advertising.”

The Council announced also that it has signed a contract with Evidon to supply technology to monitor online interest-based advertising activities. Evidon will provide services that include analytics derived through its Ghostery unit, lab analysis and its database of companies potentially engaged in the collection and use of information for interest-based advertising.

“These services will provide the accountability program with a bird’s eye view of online interest-based advertising and an early warning system to detect potentially problematic data collection” said Ms. Barton. “We will be monitoring everyone engaged in interest-based advertising – advertising networks, advertising agencies, Web publishers, advertisers and service providers.”

The online Interest-Based Advertising Accountability Program:

• Monitors the marketplace externally for data that suggests non-compliance with key notice and choice requirements
• Reviews reports from consumers and other stakeholders regarding potential non-compliance.  The report form is available here.
• Conducts inquiries into instances of potential non-compliance
• Reports non-compliance and refers uncorrected non-compliance to government

The online Interest-Based Advertising Accountability Program supports a system of “enhanced notice” to consumers. The advertising industry has created an industry icon that appears in or near interest-based ads, or elsewhere on the Webpage where the ads are served or data is collected for interest-based advertising, to signal to consumers that the site they are browsing may collect data.  The icon links to a notice of the data collector’s practices and provide consumer a “choice” – the ability to opt out of future interest-based advertising.

The industry also has built an expanded industry-wide Website that lists most of the major interest-based advertising data collectors and provides consumers with an easy-to-use link to an opt-out destination. Additional information about the self-regulatory program is available at the site, www.aboutads.info.

The Council administers the advertising industry’s self-regulatory programs, including the National Advertising Division, Children’s Advertising Review Unit, Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program, and Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, while the National Advertising Review Council (NARC) sets policies and procedures for advertising industry self-regulation.

The NARC Board of Directors – which includes the leadership of the 4As, American Advertising Federation (AAF), American Association of National Advertisers (ANA), CBBB, Direct Marketing Association (DMA), Electronic Retailing Association (ERA) and Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) – has endorsed the Council’s Interest-Based Advertising Accountability Program.

“For nearly 40 years, the advertising industry has supported rigorous and effective self-regulation and we have a deep commitment to the principle that consumers are best served when they are fully informed. We look forward to applying the same principles of transparency and full disclosure to the dynamic new online advertising market,” said Lee Peeler, NARC President and CEO and Executive Vice President, National Advertising Self-Regulation, CBBB.