better-business-bureau

(tjean314)

Beware Of Super Bowl Scams
By Maggie Shader on January 25, 2012 11:15 AM   23 Comments
The countdown to Super Bowl XLVI has begun, and while you're gearing up to cheer on either the NY Giants or the New England Patriots (may we suggest a color palette of red, white and blue?) the Better Business Bureau is reminding football fans to avoid being sacked by knock-off team jerseys, counterfeit memorabilia, and phony game tickets. More »

(Great Beyond)

A Dozen Scams Certain To Spoil Your Holiday Spirit
By consumerist.com on December 15, 2011 3:30 PM   22 Comments
With Christmas just 10 days away and Hanukkah even sooner, it's no wonder that most of us are feeling harried and distracted. But don't take leave of your senses. Thieves and scammers celebrate the season by taking advantage of people who don't have time to give things the usual scrutiny. More »

Consumer Reports: "Still Reason For Concern" About BBB Ratings
By Marc Perton on July 12, 2011 4:00 PM   49 Comments
Citing examples such as the Better Business Bureau's A- ratings for Publisher's Clearinghouse and coin-dealer Universal Syndications, Consumer Reports says there's "still reason for concern about the accuracy" of the BBB's ratings, despite recent changes made by the agency. More »

(PaulBarwick)

Man Receives Scammy-Looking Inheritance Letter, Ends Up With $800K In Bank Account
By Chris Morran on June 1, 2011 2:30 PM   128 Comments
If you're like us, you've been on the receiving end of more than a few e-mails falsely claiming that you've inherited millions from a relative you didn't know you have. All you have to do is hand over your bank account info — and have it drained rather quickly. One young man in Nashville says his inheritance is the real deal, though experts are waiting for the other shoe to drop. More »

(tjean314)

5 Ways To Avoid Getting Ripped Off On Super Bowl Tickets
By Phil Villarreal on February 3, 2011 3:23 PM   37 Comments
The Better Business Bureau sent out an alert to warn fans about Super Bowl ticket cons. The advice is geared specifically toward Sunday's big game, but rings true for most sporting events: More »

(tjean314)

Beware After-Market Auto Warranties From Third Parties
By Phil Villarreal on January 26, 2011 1:30 PM   52 Comments
The Better Business Bureau sent out an alert that it's been bombarded with complaints about extended auto warranty companies. Gripes include deceptive sales practices — including high-pressure phone sales tactics to get customers to pay upfront for contracts they can't see — as well as insurance fraud. More »

(geoff_fox)

BBB Offers Tips On Returning All The Unwanted Stuff You'll Get Tomorrow
By Phil Villarreal on December 24, 2010 9:45 AM   26 Comments
Face it — you don't actually want anything you'll receive tomorrow, otherwise you would have found a way to have gotten it yourself by now. So you'll either be lazy and shove all your gifts in a closet, or get ambitious and go on a returning spree. More »

(strobist)

What To Do With Recalled Toys
By Phil Villarreal on December 8, 2010 9:45 AM   12 Comments
Before allowing your kids to play with toys relatives give them during the holidays, it's a good idea to make sure they aren't known death traps. The Better Business Bureau sent in some suggestions on how to make sure your toys haven't been recalled, and what to if you find out they have been summoned to toy hell. More »

(afagen)

BBB: Beware Of Online Halloween Shops That Pop Up Overnight
By Phil Villarreal on October 13, 2010 9:45 AM   14 Comments
Like the fly-by-night carnival in Something Wicked This Way Comes, seasonal Halloween costume and decoration sites that pop up on dirty online street corners are irresistible to bargain hunters. Although you can find good deals at the retailers, the Better Business Bureau warns you to beware of poorly-constructed materials and shady return policies. More »

(Patricia Oliveira)

Overstock Accepts Returned Sony Reader But Charges $93.41 For Missing USB Cable
By Carey Alexander on August 8, 2010 2:00 PM   59 Comments
If you ever wondered why Sony eBook readers cost so much, it's apparently because of the included mini USB cable—at least according to Overstock.com. When reader Matt forgot to include the cable when returning his $147 Sony Reader Touch Edition, Overstock smacked him with a $93.41 charge. More »

(mightynine)

The Top 5 Consumer Complaints About Satellite TV Providers
By Chris Morran on August 6, 2010 12:15 PM   48 Comments
After seeing our story from yesterday about a DirecTV subscriber misled into believing he was signing an 18-month contract, the folks at the Better Business Bureau sent us their recent research on the complaints they've received about DirecTV, Dish Network and other satellite providers. More »

(smcgee)

Watch Out For Too-Good-To-Be-True Car Deals Online
By Phil Villarreal on July 2, 2010 9:45 AM   15 Comments
The Better Busines Bureau warns against flim-flam folks who pretend to sell cars, posing with websites with syntax close to the names of reputable dealers. These guys aim to take you for a ride all right. More »

(Doug)

Look Out For iPad Scams
By Phil Villarreal on April 7, 2010 8:00 AM   34 Comments
The BBB put out an alert warning consumers against falling for "test & keep" iPad scams that ask suckers to give them their email addresses and passwords. While anyone dumb enough to fall for such a ruse almost deserves to be victimized, the advice is worth a look, if only to chuckle at examples of the wild scams criminals concoct. More »

(moxythecat)

BBB: You Complain A Lot, Especially Against Cell Phone Companies, Banks
By Phil Villarreal on March 9, 2010 10:46 AM   16 Comments
People stood up for themselves and went to the Business Bureau 10 percent more often in 2009 than they did in 2008, according to BBB's figures, which also say complainers focused their ire on cell phone companies and banks. More »

Better Business Bureau Kicks Out Four Businesses
By Chris Walters on July 9, 2009 6:53 PM   35 Comments

—>What can you do if you're too small to have a shot in our Worst Company In America contest, but too awful to not earn some sort of notoriety? Well, you can get your BBB membership revoked and earn a big fat F ranking. It's no golden poo, but it's a start.  More »

No, You Can't Get Rich Quick Via Twitter
By Laura Northrup on July 7, 2009 8:34 PM   25 Comments

—>The Better Business Bureau warns job-hunters and other money-seekers that no, you can't earn massive amounts of money through secretive Twitter tricks.   More »

That Probably Isn't Really Michael Jackson's Stuff You're Buying, BBB Warns
By Phil Villarreal on July 1, 2009 1:00 PM   22 Comments

—>We know how it is. As soon as a big star dies, you feel the immediate urge to buy his old stage-used sweat rag on Craigslist.  More »

Ticketmaster Tries To Evade California Law By Calling "Gift Card" A "Discount Card"
By Carey Alexander on May 3, 2009 4:00 PM   164 Comments

—>See this gift card, the one that says "GIFT CARD" in big letters? Ticketmaster insists it's really a "Discount Card," and thus, not covered by the California law preventing gift cards from expiring.  More »

Big Publisher's Clearing House Scam Drop Hits Mailboxes
By Ben Popken on April 7, 2009 1:57 PM   58 Comments

—>Call your grandma: the BBB reports a big mailing of Publisher's Clearing house scam letters went out on March 6th and March 20th, promising people big bucks in exchange for a hefty up-front fee. The fraudulent letters use the name Publisher's Clearing House and Reader's Digest but are sent by flim-flammers, not these organizations.The prize never materializes and the scammers dematerialize after you stop forking over bogus processing fees. One grandma, thinking she won $1 million, got taken for over $4,000. The fraudsters sent her a "downpayment" check of $6,000 and told to deposit it and send $3,700 of it elsewhere to claim her million-dollar-prize. Inside, what the scam letter and check look like so you know what to call your grandma and tell her to watch out for.  More »

Dell Hasn't Refunded Money For 45 Days
By Ben Popken on February 23, 2009 10:45 PM   44 Comments

—>Rob bought a monitor from Dell. Not just any monitor, a defective one. Ok, he didn't specifically request it to come defective, but that's how it did. So did its replacement. "The backlight was flickering constantly and it made me feel nauseous just looking at it," writes Rob. He's returned the monitors but Dell has yet to give him back his money. Every time he calls, they tell him it will be just 7-10 days more and that he paid with two credit cards is complicating things. So far it's been 45 days.   More »