TIP NUMBER ONE

Regional Magazine Sales Door-to-Door: Fresh Start Opportunities of WA Ignored WA AG Warnings, Says it’s a Charity

The Washington Attorney General’s Office issued a warning about a company selling magazine subscriptions door-to-door in Washington and several other states. Fresh Start Opportunities claims that money from the subscriptions will be used to help young people get a “fresh start on life,” but the company isn’t a registered charity.

The company lists a downtown Seattle address on its Web site at www.freshstartopportunities.com but the address is simply a mailbox and the company’s owner is believed to reside in another state.

Solicitors represent that the purchase of subscriptions will help young people get off the street and back on their feet so they can earn money to go to school. The Web site describes Fresh Start Opportunities as a “job business training company designed to teach young adults about self discipline, personal growth, self esteem and setting goals for the future.”

Consumers have paid between $50 and $295 for subscriptions which, according to the company’s site, may take up to 120 days to arrive. Calls to the company’s phone number and letters sent to its Seattle address are ignored.

The company has ignored inquiries from the Secretary of State’s Office concerning its failure to register as a charity. It also hasn’t responded to the many complaints received by the Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau.

A 19-year-old man working for Fresh Start Opportunities was arrested in October after he allegedly broke into an Edmonds home, attacked the owner and stole her purse. The man was also a suspect in burglaries in Sammamish and Tumwater. Incidents of theft by Fresh Start Opportunities employees have also been reported in California.

Always check out a charity with the Secretary of State prior to making a donation. Ask solicitors for the need of the charity that they are representing, as well as the name of their employer. Request paperwork. Then search www.secstate.wa.gov/charities or call the office’s charities program at 800-332-4483. You can whether a charity is registered and how much of each dollar raised is used to help.

If you gave money to Fresh Start Opportunities, contact your local police department.

BBB NOTE

This company has the BBB of WWA’s lowest rating. To check out the full report on this company, go to: www.bbb.org

TIP NUMBER TWO

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “http and https”

An email that has been circulating over time explaining the difference between http and https (the acronyms placed before web site addresses) is circulating again and has been brought to BBB’s attention.

BBB wishes to make people aware of what the difference is between having either of these acronyms before a web site address because it refers directly to safeguarding your computer use AND your personal info!

What is the difference between http and https? Snopes has a good explanation here:

http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/https.asp

TIP NUMBER THREE

TRITON IMAGING SYSTEMS aka RIBBON DIVISION, LTD. of CA Targeting Regional Businesses

Triton Imaging Systems aka Ribbon Division Ltd
1464 Madera Rd #N
Simi Valley, CA 93065
Phone: (800) 228-9585
Fax: (805) 376-8206

BBB received a call from a Bozeman, MT business inquiring about this above mentioned company. The MT business reported to BBB that this company is calling asking for the name of the cash register they are using. The business told BBB that it was then sent an unauthorized box of register tape.

BBB complaints show the company gave proper consideration to some complaints presented by BBB, although in some cases the company failed to respond to complaints. This company has the BBB’s lowest rating. For a full report, go to: www.bbb.org

BBB ADVICE

Deceptive telemarketers often claim that an order was placed and verified by someone else within a company. Before you accept, or pay for, any merchandise that arrives under less-than-clear circumstances, protect yourself by insisting on proof that an order was placed. If no proof is provided, offer to return the merchandise at no cost to you. Give them a specific and reasonable amount of time (30 days, etc.) to pick up the merchandise. Tell the sellers that you reserve the right to keep the merchandise or dispose of it after the specified time has passed.

Under federal law, you are entitled to regard unordered merchandise sent through the U.S. mail as a free gift. The same law makes it illegal to mail bills for such unordered merchandise. If you do not wish to pay for unsolicited merchandise, you have three options. In each case, by law, you have no obligation to the sender. If you have not opened the package, you may mark it "Return to Sender," and the Postal Service will return it with no additional postage charged to you. If you open the package and don't like what you find, you may throw it away; or, if you like what you find, you may keep it for free. In this instance, "finders-keepers" applies unconditionally.

If unordered merchandise arrives by private delivery, do not accept the shipment. If you have already accepted the shipment, send the shipper a certified letter with return receipt requested, demanding proof of your order. If there is no valid proof, inform the sender that unless the merchandise is picked up within 30 days, you will dispose of it. By giving the sender an opportunity to recover the merchandise, you invalidate any claim that you accepted an offer of sale merely by keeping the shipment. If an invoice for the unordered merchandise arrives, withhold payment and do not use the merchandise. If the firm fails to respond to your letter, or if the sender threatens you with legal action, contact an attorney and your state attorney general's office.

TIP NUMBER FOUR

TTY RELAY SCAM CALLS AGAINST BUSINESSES ON THE UPSWING:
New Twist being Used with Auto Repair and Service Industry

A Helena, MT auto repair business wished us to warn especially auto parts dealer and repair businesses about a recent twist they’ve seen using TTY Relay against their industry.

BBBs nationwide are seeing an upsurge in this scam activity across the board, but the scenario being reported by Helena, MT auto repair and service businesses goes like this:
 
There is someone calling people through TTY relay.  They say they are from Helena and have a car down in Arizona that needs to be shipped back to Helena for repairs, but the shipping company won’t accept credit cards.  They are calling because they want your business to take their credit card number, run it through your machine then send them a money order to Arizona so they could have the car sent to your place of business for repair. 
 
You never talk to the actual person on the phone.  It is always through a relay person only.  We thought it sounded off the wall, so we went as far as to ask them to confirm a physical address for Helena, MT because the caller stated that that is where he lived and had to get the car back to.

The address the caller gave didn't exist so the Helena auto repair facility knew for sure that this call was, in fact, a scam. 
 
There were a lot of red flags that went up, so the business just kept asking more questions. Finally, after 5 phone calls from the relay people, the MT business ended its interaction with the caller.

BBB ADVICE

If the call seems strange, don’t follow through with the request.  Ask as many questions you need to in order to feel right about the transaction. It is your business, and you have a right to accept or reject the transaction. If a transaction requires you to: transfer funds, turn credit card transactions into cash or money orders, wire money somewhere as part of the transaction, consider these requests to be red flags.

TIP NUMBER FIVE

Mortgage Protection Center of NC Mailing Region:
Company Has F Rating

Mortgage Protection Center aka Family Protection Center
(336) 421-5235
P.O. Box 3067 or P.O. Box 9001
Burlington, NC  27215

BBB had a report from a regional consumer stating that she received a mailing from the above mentioned company that had no phone number on it, but was asking for sensitive information. The consumer stated that the mailing was asking her name, DOB, gender, weight, smoking or not, phone number, requested signatures, etc. The mailing was also aware of who her lender is.

BBB ADVICE

BBB urges you to read all mailings such as this, to gain further information about the company (look their report up at: www.bbb.org), consult first with your own lender prior to responding to any third-party lenders, and to read and understand the terms and conditions of such an offer---all the while safeguarding your personal information until you are satisfied with the research you have done PRIOR to signing.