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02/07/2012
Memphis TN, February 7, 2012 – The BBB is issuing a consumer alert about Mo Money Taxes, a tax preparation company headquartered in Memphis. Mo Money Taxes has had an F rating with the BBB in Memphis for several years for failure to respond to consumer complaints.
The BBB of the Mid-South has received 24 complaints on Mo Money Taxes in the past three years; 6 of those remain unanswered. Another 8 complaints that were recently filed are pending.
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02/04/2012
In a 2007 poll conducted for Lawyers.com, Harris Interactive found that 55 percent of the adults surveyed didn't have a will. Reasons given included:
Not wanting to think about dying.
Not knowing where to start or who to talk to about setting up an estate plan.
Not believing they had enough assets to need one.
Estate planning isn't only for the wealthy. Anyone who has something of value that they want to pass on to family members or loved ones at their death needs a plan to make it happen in accordance with their wishes. Estate planning isn't the most pleasant of topics to contemplate, but people without a will are leaving it up to the state to decide what happens to their assets, and maybe even their children, if they should pass away.
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02/01/2012
Consumers looking for advice on where to spend their money consulted the BBB in record numbers in 2011. Requests for BBB Business Review reports jumped 25% over 2010 to 754,494.
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01/28/2012
Scam artists and unethical companies succeed because they appeal to the needs and aspirations of their victims. This is the time of year that people make resolutions to improve their lives, and I wondered if there was any correlation between the most common New Year's resolutions and the most common scams.
I went on Google to find out what the most common resolutions were and found many listings.
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01/14/2012
What would you think if you received a letter with this language on the envelope – “Warning: $2,000 Fine For Any Person Interfering or Obstructing With Delivery Of This Letter. U.S. Mail TTT.18 U.S. Code”?
Is it possible the sender wants you to think it’s some sort of official mailing from the government that you need to open immediately? Additional language on the envelope says that time sensitive material is enclosed and requests a response within five days. In this column, I’ll offer advice on two topics – these kinds of mailings and a troublesome industry that makes use of them.
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01/09/2012
The BBB of the Mid-South has elected officers and new directors for 2012.
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12/30/2011
What do rebate and refund policies have in common, particularly this time of year? They're a source of confusion and aggravation for consumers who didn't fully understand them when making a purchase.
An editor at Consumer Reports estimated that 40 percent or more of people who are enticed to buy a product by the offer of a rebate never get it because they fail to meet processing requirements. Others simply forget to file for the rebate.
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12/23/2011
While more than 150 million numbers have been added to the National Do Not Call Registry, the Better Business Bureau continues to get calls from people who aren't aware of this resource.
The registry began in 2003 to give consumers a choice on telemarketing calls. It's managed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). If you decide to register your number, telemarketers covered by the registry have 31 days to comply and stop calling you. If they continue to call you, they can be fined thousands of dollars.
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12/20/2011
Many people will be traveling to see family and friends in the next few weeks. Scammers know this too, and may try to trick you into divulging your credit card information by posing as hotel employees. The BBB is warning holiday travelers to beware of a telephone phishing scam designed to steal credit card numbers.
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12/20/2011
An email scam using BBB's name and logo continues to proliferate. Most of the emails containe the subject line “Complaint from your customers" and have a link or attachment containing phishing malware that steals information.
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12/07/2011
The Better Business Bureau is issuing a second urgent SCAM alert cautioning businesses and consumers about an email that looks like it is from the BBB, with the subject line “Complaint from your customers.”
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12/03/2011
While many of us are pulling the decorations out of the attic and getting ready for food, family and friendship, the crooks are dusting off old holiday scams and inventing new ones. Many of them take advantage of the increasing propensity of people to shop online.
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11/28/2011
Every year, more people head online rather than to the mall to get their holiday shopping done. Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, has officially replaced Black Friday as the most popular day to shop for the holidays. Shopping online means avoiding the crowds, but it also opens up the buyer to attacks from scammers and hackers.
“You can’t beat shopping online for convenience, comfort and comparing prices,” said Randy Hutchinson, BBB president. “But don’t let your guard down. Take the necessary precautions to avoid fraudulent websites, scammers and other ‘Grinches’ who would just love to ruin your holidays.”
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11/26/2011
You may be planning to get your carpets or rugs cleaned for holiday parties and guests. With so many companies to choose from and advertised prices that run the gamut, you want to be sure you get your money's worth and don't run into problems.
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11/23/2011
BBBs around the nation are receiving calls today about a phishing email purportedly coming from the BBB. Please note that the BBB is NOT sending this email!
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