Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be wary of free trial offers online for diet pills, work at home jobs and teeth whiteners among other products and services. In this year alone, BBB has received thousands of complaints from consumers across the country who thought they were getting a free trial, but ended up losing hundreds of dollars in recurring credit or debit card charges.

Ubiquitous, deceptive online ads for “free trials” of various products and services can be found on popular sites like MSN.com, ESPN.com, and Weather.com. Often the ads link to websites of phony news outlets which, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, commonly feature the photo of a well-known French journalist—without her permission—under various names.

“Fighting deceptive free trial offers seems insurmountable at times,” said Kim States, BBB President. “Just as soon as one company is put out of business it’s replaced by another with the same model of ripping consumers off under the guise of a no-risk, free trial offer.”

One company behind these not-so-free trials is XM Brands which has an F rating with BBB. According to the nearly 2,000 complaints to the West Palm Beach BBB, the company sells roughly 40 teeth whiteners, acai diet pills and colon cleansers online.  Complainants say they agreed to pay anywhere from $1.49 to $3.87 to cover shipping for the product trial but were (more…)

As the unemployment rate hovers around 10 percent, Better Business Bureau warns that scammers are taking advantage of the opportunity by preying on the unemployed. Identifying the common red flags of a scam is one way for job hunters to protect themselves and their wallet.

According to the Labor Department, new jobless claims in mid-August unexpectedly jumped to 500,000, an increase of 12,000 over the previous week. Not only did jobless claims rise suddenly, but the length of unemployment is bleak for many. According to a July report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 45 percent of unemployed Americans had been out of work for more than 6 months.

“The dismal employment rate means that a lot of people are desperate for work and may be grasping for any job which creates a great opportunity for scammers,” Kim States, BBB President. “Not thoroughly researching a job opportunity can make a bad situation even worse and a victim can lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars to any number of job-related scams.”

BBB recommends looking out for the following seven red flags when searching for a job:

Red Flag: The employer offers the opportunity to become rich without leaving home
While many legitimate businesses allow employees to work from home, there are also a lot of scammers trying to take advantage of senior citizens, stay-at-home moms, students and injured or handicapped people looking to make money conveniently at home. Job hunters should use extreme caution when considering a work-at-home offer and always research the company with their BBB first www.tucson.bbb.org.

Red Flag: The employer asks for money upfront
It is rarely advisable for an applicant to pay upfront fees or make a required purchase to get a job. BBB often hears from job hunters who paid a phony employer for supposedly required background checks or training for jobs that didn’t exist. Always research the job thoroughly before opening up your wallet. (more…)

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is alerting consumers to Pacific Publications, an online company that purports to sell a “genuine” employment opportunity, in which consumers can make money from home by stuffing and mailing envelopes.

Using two Web sites, www.pacificpubs.com and www.funsimplework.com, Pacific Publications claims that for $42-$50 consumers will be paid $5 for each envelope they stuff and mail, when they enroll in the company’s “Free Mailer’s Program.”

However, consumers, including two in Arizona, who purchased the program say they either never received anything from the company, or they only received a booklet outlining other work-from-home opportunities.

BBB in Western Washington, where the company is based, reports that in the past year Pacific Publications has received 21 complaints originating in 12 states, and has racked up over 9,000 consumer inquiries.

BBB Tips:

• When considering any online purchase always read the terms and conditions, and make sure you’re clear on what the company’s refund policy is.
• Beware of upfront fees. Legitimate employment opportunities will never require that you pay a fee before being hired.
• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you come across an offer that promises easy money for not a lot of time or effort, there’s a very good chance it is not a legitimate offer.
• Be extremely wary of any company that asks you pay via money order for their services. These types of transactions are extremely hard to trace, and tend to be the favorites of fraudsters and scammers around the world.
• Before doing business with any online company research the company with BBB by calling (520)888-5353 or visiting www.tucson.bbb.org.