Compiled by Zan Deery, Communications/Investigations

8/17/09

zan@spokane.bbb.org
800-356-1007 or 509-455-4200

www.bbb.org

Readers of these tips should take into consideration the importance of the practice in question and the total performance of a company.

For complete information and BBB reports, please visit
 www.bbb.org 

TIP NUMBER ONE

www.stars-automart.com & www.autoaven.com
Falsely Stating BBB Accreditation

Stars Auto Mart Inc and its subsidiary AutoAven, Inc. run www.stars-automart.com and www.autoaven.com which sells repossessed vehicles. These sites falsely display a BBB logo and stars-automart.com links to a fake BBB report giving the company an A+ rating and a spotless record since 1989. BBB sent a 'cease and desist' notice for trademark infringement, and the BBB's legal team is trying to have the link to the fake BBB reports shut down.

According to the BBB, autoaven.com says it is located at 10701 W. 6th Ave., in Denver, which is a false address belonging to a BBB-accredited company, Automotive Avenues, Inc.

The BBB reports the company asks its customers to send a majority payment to be sent via MoneyGram to an address in Denver, but once the money is sent, the company stops all communication and the customer never sees the car or their money ever again.

BBB ADVICE
Sad to say, just seeing a seal doesn’t always mean it’s real! This type of set up could fool even the best researcher. When shopping online, always make sure to check the legitimacy of businesses, and try to do business with reputable companies with good track records. If a company is displaying the BBB seal, take the extra step to check with the BBB on that company to make certain they are accredited with the BBB.

If you'd like to see what the BBB has on file about the business, go directly to www.bbb.org and look up company reports right there.

The BBB also says to check to be sure the Web site has a privacy policy with an agreement to keep your information private and secure, and then print that policy for your records. They say to only do business with companies that provide a mailing address.

Furthermore, they say never to wire money as a form of payment.

If you think you've been the victim of online fraud, you're urged to report it at ic3.gov.

TIP NUMBER TWO

www.iSpeedway.com aka The Internet Speedway, Inc.
Work-at-Home Program Too Ramped Up?

iSpeedway.com
1201 S. Alma School Road #15500
Mesa, AZ 85210

This company’s offer? Work from home and collect payments from customers for everything from perfume to car stereos starting off with a CD for $9.95. You first sign up to receive a "free CD" but have to pay $9.95 for shipping.

You are enrolled in the program that sets up your Web page and membership to warehouses across the nation. You are told to keep an eye on your pages, and when a sale comes through, the products would be shipped directly from the warehouses owned by iSpeedway.

The original $9.95 turns into thousands when persuaded to upgrade services to include things such as "coaching sessions" on how to manage the site and a "traffic accelerator" that supposedly increases page views.

Complaints allege that after paying the initial fee of $9.95 for the software, the product is never received or is received several weeks later. Additionally, complaints allege that although the service is cancelled within the 30 day free trial period, the company either bills the consumers for 5 payments of $69.95 or the company drafts funds from the consumers bank account without authorization. The company's website states "You do not need to know anything about HTML, computers, shopping carts or even e-commerce to design your very own professional-looking Web site using Internet Speedway's SiteBuilder. Our user-friendly Express Set Up Wizard will take you through a very simple five step process to get your Web site up and running"; however, consumers experience technical difficulties and allege the website set up is confusing. 

BBB ADVICE
This company has the BBB’s lowest rating of F. Be aware that this company's money back guarantee and refund policy on its web site states "You can cancel your Internet Speedway hosting subscription at anytime. If you signed up under any type of payment plan and you have exceeded the 30-day trial period you will still be obligated to fulfill your entire agreement."

TIP NUMBER THREE

Threat from Car Thieves: VIN Cloning

Scammers take VINs, or vehicle identification numbers, from legal vehicles, create counterfeit labels and apply them to stolen vehicles, eliminating any easy possibility of tracing the stolen ride. This type of cloning is difficult to detect.

The problem with VIN cloning is there is no immediate indication of theft. With expertly forged documents and the clean VIN number of another vehicle, a stolen auto can pass any standard history check, the Better Business Bureau reports.

BBB ADVICE

Buy from licensed, reputable car dealers. Consumers wary about the legitimacy of their vehicle can contact their state DMV to inquire about it. Here are further tips to reduce your risks of having a VIN-cloned vehicle:

* Be cautious if you see a late-model luxury vehicle selling significantly under normal market price.
* Don't fall for the "we need cash quickly" excuse; exercise due diligence.
* Check the VIN number on the dashboard, inside the door jamb and under the hood against the car's title documents for discrepancies.
* Closely examine the car's title, registration and other documents. Fake documents sometimes contain misspelled words.
* Obtain a comprehensive vehicle-history report from the seller.
* If you believe your car has been cloned -- one giveaway, according to the FBI, is if you receive a notice for unpaid parking tickets -- contact your local police.

TIP NUMBER FOUR

JOB HUNTING? SCAM SCENARIO TO KNOW

ELITE ESCORT SERVICE of KY Makes You Pay for “Phone for Job” Upfront, Then Disappears

Scam Places Ads in Newspapers, Uses Name “Pal Linard,” # Probably Throwaway Phone

Thanks to Louisville, KY BBB for this Scenario

This is a new twist to the variety of job scam scenarios BBB has seen over time. If you are hunting for a job online, or are responding to a job opportunity via any ad, pay heed to such a scenario, as it could be used in several other job scam twists.

Consumers have reported responding to newspaper ads for jobs as drivers with this company. After meeting at a local hotel job applicants were told that they had been hired and could start the next day but were first required to pay for a phone from the company, at a cost of $150, which would be used in their employment.

When applicants attempted to make contact subsequent to the job interview they were unable to contact anyone from the company. No further contact has been possible since the date of applying for employment and it is believed that the applicants were bilked out of their money.

BBB ADVICE

If you have encountered any situation similar to this, or you are aware of a similar activity taking place in your area please contact your local police department and your local BBB.

TIP NUMBER FIVE

VARSITY PUBLICATIONS of IL Targeting Montana Businesses with Deceptive Advertising Opportunity

Thanks to the Belgrade MT Chamber for this Warning

Businesses Beware, this is the time of year, as we enter the new school year, that deceptive advertising opportunities with questionable endorsement claims and pitches are being made to our entire service area businesses. Don’t be deceived! Here is a recent report:

Please be aware that Varsity Publications, Inc. is in the process of selling advertising in Belgrade for a Belgrade Panther Basketball Schedule Poster. 

Varsity Publications, Inc. of Illinois does not have permission to use the Belgrade High School Varsity Basketball Schedule and is NOT endorsed by the school. No money from the sale of these posters goes to the school. 

Any publication or advertising that is endorsed by Belgrade High School states that the money must stay locally. 

BBB ADVICE

Varsity Publications BBB report here (on 8/18/09 a D- rating):
http://www.bbb.org/central-illinois/business-reviews/directory-advertising-companies/varsity-publications-in-pekin-il-11001967

If you are contacted by anyone cold calling to sell ads on behalf of your area high school, chamber or another association, tell them that you wish to verify with that group directly that they are indeed affiliated or endorsed to sell on their behalf using the name of the group PRIOR to agreeing to anything.

If you come to find that they are not authorized to pitch using these names, consider it deceptive selling tactics and report it to your BBB and local chamber ASAP. 

EXTRA TIP FOR THE GIP!

SPOKANE AREA SENIORS BEING TARGETED WITH “ECONOMIC STIMULUS SCAM” CALLS

Scams Purported via Web Sites, Email and/or Calls

BBB has had a number of calls from seniors this afternoon (8/18/09) reporting that they are receiving suspicious calls from someone with a heavy accent, so don't clearly understand what is being said, stating something about social security, government money, how old are they. (Some scammers even throw in the word “Medicare” or “Medicaid” to try to get you hooked.) Smartly, no callers gave out personal info.

BBB warns seniors and others about such calls, deemed “economic stimulus grant scam calls,” meant to confuse seniors and others into thinking they are getting a deal as a result of the economic stimulus program incentives that are currently being offered by the Federal Government.

TIPS HERE from AARP: http://tinyurl.com/csrxtq