Facts for Consumers
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Work-at-Home Schemes
Be part of one of America's Fastest Growing Industries!
Earn thousand of dollars a month - from your home - Processing Medical Billing Claims.
You can find ads like this everywhere - from the street light and telephone pole on your corner to your newspaper and PC. While you may find these ads appealing, especially if you can't work outside your home, proceed with caution. Not all work-at-home opportunities deliver on their promises.
Many ads omit the fact that you may have to work many hours without pay. Or they don't disclose all the costs you will have to pay. Countless work-at-home schemes require you to spend your own money to place newspaper ads; make photocopies; or buy the envelopes, paper, stamps, and other supplies or equipment you need to do the job. The companies sponsoring the ads also may demand that you pay for instructions or "tutorial" software. Consumers deceived by these ads have lost thousands of dollars, in addition to their time and energy.
Classic Work-at-Home Schemes
Several types of offers are classic work-at-home schemes.
Medical billing. Ads for pre-packaged businesses - known as billing centers - are in newspapers, on television and on the Internet. If you respond, you'll get a sales pitch that may sound something like this: There's "a crisis" in the health care system, due partly to the overwhelming task of processing paper claims. The solution is electronic claim processing. Because only a small percentage of claims are transmitted electronically, the market for billing centers is wide open.
The promoter also may tell you that many doctors who process claims electronically want to "outsource" or contract out their billing services to save money. Promoters will promise that you can earn a substantial income working full or part time, providing services like billing, accounts receivable, electronic insurance claim processing and practice management to doctors and dentists. They also may assure you that no experience is required, that they will provide clients eager to buy your services or that their qualified salespeople will find clients for you.
The reality: you will have to sell. These promoters rarely provide experienced sales staff or contacts within the medical community.
The promoter will follow up by sending you materials that typically include a brochure, application, sample diskettes, a contract (licensing agreement), disclosure document, and in some cases, testimonial letters, videocassettes and reference lists. For your investment of $2,000 to $8,000, a promoter will promise software, training and technical support. And the company will encourage you to call its references. Make sure you get many names from which to chose. If only one or two names are given, they may be "shills" - people hired to give favorable testimonials. It's best to interview people in person, preferably where the business operates, to reduce your risk of being mislead by shills and also to get a better sense of how the business works.
Few consumers who purchase a medical billing business opportunity are able to find clients, start a business and generate revenues - let alone recover their investment and earn a substantial income. Competition in the medical billing market is fierce and revolves around a number of large and well-established firms.
Envelope stuffing. Promoters usually advertise that, for a "small" fee, they will tell you how to earn money stuffing envelopes at home. Later - when it's too late - you find out that the promoter never had any employment to offer. Instead, for your fee, you're likely to get a letter telling you to place the same "envelope-stuffing" ad in newspapers or magazines, or to send the ad to friends and relatives. The only way you'll earn money is if people respond to your work-at-home ad.
Assembly or craft work. These programs often require you to invest hundreds of dollars in equipment or supplies. Or they require you to spend many hours producing goods for a company that has promised to buy them. For example, you might have to buy a sewing or sign-making machine from the company, or materials to make items like aprons, baby shoes or plastic signs. However, after you've purchased the supplies or equipment and performed the work, fraudulent operators don't pay you. In fact, many consumers have had companies refuse to pay for their work because it didn't meet "quality standards."
Unfortunately, no work is ever "up to standard," leaving workers with relatively expensive equipment and supplies - and no income. To sell their goods, these workers must find their own customers.
Questions to Ask
Legitimate work-at-home program sponsors should tell you - in writing - what's involved in the program they are selling. Here are some questions you might ask a promoter:
What tasks will I have to perform? (Ask the program sponsor to list every step of the job.)
Will I be paid a salary or will my pay be based on commission?
Who will pay me?
When will I get my first paycheck?
What is the total cost of the work-at-home program, including supplies, equipment and membership fees? What will I get for my money?
The answers to these questions may help you determine whether a work-at-home program is appropriate for your circumstances, and whether it is legitimate.
You also might want to check out the company with your local consumer protection agency, state Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau, not only where the company is located, but also where you live. These organizations can tell you whether they have received complaints about the work-at-home program that interests you. But be wary: the absence of complaints doesn't necessarily mean the company is legitimate. Unscrupulous companies may settle complaints, change their names or move to avoid detection.
Where to Complain
If you have spent money and time on a work-at-home program and now believe the program may not be legitimate, contact the company and ask for a refund. Let company representatives know that you plan to notify officials about your experience. If you can't resolve the dispute with the company, file a complaint with these organizations:
The Federal Trade Commission works for the consumer to prevent fraud and deception. Call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or log on to http://www.ftc.gov/.
The Attorney General's office in your state or the state where the company is located. The office will be able to tell you whether you're protected by any state law that may regulate work-at-home programs.
Your local consumer protection offices.
Your local Better Business Bureau.
Your local postmaster. The U.S. Postal Service investigates fraudulent mail practices.
The advertising manager of the publication that ran the ad. The manager may be interested to learn about the problems you've had with the company.
For More Information
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
How about those new bankruptcy laws!
Check out bankruptcy filing info on this site: http://www.FileFastBankruptcy.com
I checked out this site http://www.filefastbankruptcy.com/ and I found alot of useful info there
I checked out this site http://www.filefastbankruptcy.com/ and I found alot of useful info there
Working from home? I do, so can you!
Check out this great site for more info! http://www.ezinfocenter.com/9991769/FREE
Tips on Working at Home
Ten Tips on How to avoid Work at Home Scams and Home Based Business Scams
1. Never pay for the chance to work!
The reality of the situation is that any information that you have to pay for is obtainable for free on the internet. You might feel that it is worth a small investment of money not to have to do the research. However, you will probably end up with outdated information that is virtually useless.
Treat working at home as if you would treat working for an employer at their place of business. Imagine if an interviewer asked you for money before they could consider you for the job. Would they ask for a "good faith" payment to be sure you were interested? Nope.
Some home-based business might require money for start-up costs or to cover the costs of materials. If that's the case, know exactly what you are getting, how much the total costs will be, and their refund policy.
2. Check out the business before you pay anything.
Use my checklist to ensure you have covered everything in detail.
3. Use your credit card to make purchases.
Have a low limit credit card available for online purchases. Even better is a prepaid credit card. Never send cash, wire money, or give out your bank information. That way, if you don't receive the items, or if things go wrong, you can dispute the charges with your credit card company. It is wise to speak to your credit card company before you make the purchase to find out their refund policies.
4. Beware of vagueness and incredible claims.
What they don't say is just as important as what they do say. Companies that don't state their names, costs, or other important information in their ads usually have a good reason. They don't want you to know why they are or what they are really offering. If they can't be honest with you up front, what makes you think they will be honest with you later?
5. Put yourself in the employer's or client's shoes.
If you were an honest employer, think about whether you would make the same kind of offer you're being pitched. Think about why they are saying what they are saying. What is their motivation? It's generally not to earn you thousands of dollars a day or get you out of debt. Why would an employer pay someone a dollar per piece to stuff envelopes when it would be cheaper to use mailing equipment that can stuff thousands of envelopes in an hour?
For example, you've read an ad where you can earn $1-2 per piece stuffing envelopes. But companies nowadays have access to sophisticated mailing equipment that can stuff thousands of envelopes an hour -- why would they pay you so much more?
6. Never reply to spam or any other unsolicited emails.
Most unsolicited emails are fraudulent. The better it sounds, the less likely that it's legitimate. There is a reason that spam rhymes with scam. Be wise; delete spam without reading it--no matter how good the claim sounds.
If you get an unsolicited email telling you that a company you have never heard of wants to hire you for a job where you don't need experience or skills and can make a lot of money, trash it. There's lots of out there, some of which are personalized and sound quite legitimate.
7. Be patient.
If you're looking to start a home-based business, or looking for telecommuting work you can do at home, you may have a considerable search ahead of you. Don't let scammers use high-pressure tactics to sucker you in. If you're given a time-limited offer, there's usually a reason why -- scammers know that pressure brings in people!
8. Protect yourself from virus, Trojan horses, and identity theft.
Always invest in a quality virus protection and spyware protection. Never open attachments to emails unless you are sure what it is. Never download files for the same reason. Spyware can be attached to word documents and .pdf files. Never give out your social security number. It is also a good idea to use a secondary email account when answering offers, rather than having it all come into your primary account. Sure, they may claim they don't sell their lists, but play it safe.
9. Avoid signing up for anything in order to gain more information.
Why would they need to protect the information if it's free? Why do they want your name, address, email and phone number so badly? That's right. They probably have another purpose for it.
10. Don't trust anyone unless you know them.
Remember how I said don't trust me. Well, don't trust them either. You don't know them. Would you give a stranger on the street $30 and expect something in return? So why would you trust a stranger on the internet?
1. Never pay for the chance to work!
The reality of the situation is that any information that you have to pay for is obtainable for free on the internet. You might feel that it is worth a small investment of money not to have to do the research. However, you will probably end up with outdated information that is virtually useless.
Treat working at home as if you would treat working for an employer at their place of business. Imagine if an interviewer asked you for money before they could consider you for the job. Would they ask for a "good faith" payment to be sure you were interested? Nope.
Some home-based business might require money for start-up costs or to cover the costs of materials. If that's the case, know exactly what you are getting, how much the total costs will be, and their refund policy.
2. Check out the business before you pay anything.
Use my checklist to ensure you have covered everything in detail.
3. Use your credit card to make purchases.
Have a low limit credit card available for online purchases. Even better is a prepaid credit card. Never send cash, wire money, or give out your bank information. That way, if you don't receive the items, or if things go wrong, you can dispute the charges with your credit card company. It is wise to speak to your credit card company before you make the purchase to find out their refund policies.
4. Beware of vagueness and incredible claims.
What they don't say is just as important as what they do say. Companies that don't state their names, costs, or other important information in their ads usually have a good reason. They don't want you to know why they are or what they are really offering. If they can't be honest with you up front, what makes you think they will be honest with you later?
5. Put yourself in the employer's or client's shoes.
If you were an honest employer, think about whether you would make the same kind of offer you're being pitched. Think about why they are saying what they are saying. What is their motivation? It's generally not to earn you thousands of dollars a day or get you out of debt. Why would an employer pay someone a dollar per piece to stuff envelopes when it would be cheaper to use mailing equipment that can stuff thousands of envelopes in an hour?
For example, you've read an ad where you can earn $1-2 per piece stuffing envelopes. But companies nowadays have access to sophisticated mailing equipment that can stuff thousands of envelopes an hour -- why would they pay you so much more?
6. Never reply to spam or any other unsolicited emails.
Most unsolicited emails are fraudulent. The better it sounds, the less likely that it's legitimate. There is a reason that spam rhymes with scam. Be wise; delete spam without reading it--no matter how good the claim sounds.
If you get an unsolicited email telling you that a company you have never heard of wants to hire you for a job where you don't need experience or skills and can make a lot of money, trash it. There's lots of out there, some of which are personalized and sound quite legitimate.
7. Be patient.
If you're looking to start a home-based business, or looking for telecommuting work you can do at home, you may have a considerable search ahead of you. Don't let scammers use high-pressure tactics to sucker you in. If you're given a time-limited offer, there's usually a reason why -- scammers know that pressure brings in people!
8. Protect yourself from virus, Trojan horses, and identity theft.
Always invest in a quality virus protection and spyware protection. Never open attachments to emails unless you are sure what it is. Never download files for the same reason. Spyware can be attached to word documents and .pdf files. Never give out your social security number. It is also a good idea to use a secondary email account when answering offers, rather than having it all come into your primary account. Sure, they may claim they don't sell their lists, but play it safe.
9. Avoid signing up for anything in order to gain more information.
Why would they need to protect the information if it's free? Why do they want your name, address, email and phone number so badly? That's right. They probably have another purpose for it.
10. Don't trust anyone unless you know them.
Remember how I said don't trust me. Well, don't trust them either. You don't know them. Would you give a stranger on the street $30 and expect something in return? So why would you trust a stranger on the internet?
Is anyone paying attention?
I really am not sure but if you are the check out http://www.filefastbankruptcy.com
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Learning your way in the "work at home world"
Let's be honest with ourselves..
The web is filled with more scams then legit opportunities.
It's hard to find something that really does deliver what it promises.
I have been looking for REAL paid survey site for a while now.
I paid to join the top 5 I could find. I have to say that 3 of them were total crap. One was so-so, but it only had about 25 companies to work with.
One of them was definitely head and shoulders above the others.
It had everything it said it had, and it was easy to get started making money.
https://paydotcom.com/r/11804/delta98/511670/
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The web is filled with more scams then legit opportunities.
It's hard to find something that really does deliver what it promises.
I have been looking for REAL paid survey site for a while now.
I paid to join the top 5 I could find. I have to say that 3 of them were total crap. One was so-so, but it only had about 25 companies to work with.
One of them was definitely head and shoulders above the others.
It had everything it said it had, and it was easy to get started making money.
https://paydotcom.com/r/11804/delta98/511670/
(
Monday, December 31, 2007
Ten Tips on How to avoid Work at Home Scams and Home Based Business Scams
1. Never pay for the chance to work!
The reality of the situation is that any information that you have to pay for is obtainable for free on the internet. You might feel that it is worth a small investment of money not to have to do the research. However, you will probably end up with outdated information that is virtually useless.
Treat working at home as if you would treat working for an employer at their place of business. Imagine if an interviewer asked you for money before they could consider you for the job. Would they ask for a "good faith" payment to be sure you were interested? Nope.
Some home-based business might require money for start-up costs or to cover the costs of materials. If that's the case, know exactly what you are getting, how much the total costs will be, and their refund policy.
2. Check out the business before you pay anything.
Use my checklist to ensure you have covered everything in detail.
3. Use your credit card to make purchases.
Have a low limit credit card available for online purchases. Even better is a prepaid credit card. Never send cash, wire money, or give out your bank information. That way, if you don't receive the items, or if things go wrong, you can dispute the charges with your credit card company. It is wise to speak to your credit card company before you make the purchase to find out their refund policies.
4. Beware of vagueness and incredible claims.
What they don't say is just as important as what they do say. Companies that don't state their names, costs, or other important information in their ads usually have a good reason. They don't want you to know why they are or what they are really offering. If they can't be honest with you up front, what makes you think they will be honest with you later?
5. Put yourself in the employer's or client's shoes.
If you were an honest employer, think about whether you would make the same kind of offer you're being pitched. Think about why they are saying what they are saying. What is their motivation? It's generally not to earn you thousands of dollars a day or get you out of debt. Why would an employer pay someone a dollar per piece to stuff envelopes when it would be cheaper to use mailing equipment that can stuff thousands of envelopes in an hour?
For example, you've read an ad where you can earn $1-2 per piece stuffing envelopes. But companies nowadays have access to sophisticated mailing equipment that can stuff thousands of envelopes an hour -- why would they pay you so much more?
6. Never reply to spam or any other unsolicited emails.
Most unsolicited emails are fraudulent. The better it sounds, the less likely that it's legitimate. There is a reason that spam rhymes with scam. Be wise; delete spam without reading it--no matter how good the claim sounds.
If you get an unsolicited email telling you that a company you have never heard of wants to hire you for a job where you don't need experience or skills and can make a lot of money, trash it. There's lots of out there, some of which are personalized and sound quite legitimate.
7. Be patient.
If you're looking to start a home-based business, or looking for telecommuting work you can do at home, you may have a considerable search ahead of you. Don't let scammers use high-pressure tactics to sucker you in. If you're given a time-limited offer, there's usually a reason why -- scammers know that pressure brings in people!
8. Protect yourself from virus, Trojan horses, and identity theft.
Always invest in a quality virus protection and spyware protection. Never open attachments to emails unless you are sure what it is. Never download files for the same reason. Spyware can be attached to word documents and .pdf files. Never give out your social security number. It is also a good idea to use a secondary email account when answering offers, rather than having it all come into your primary account. Sure, they may claim they don't sell their lists, but play it safe.
9. Avoid signing up for anything in order to gain more information.
Why would they need to protect the information if it's free? Why do they want your name, address, email and phone number so badly? That's right. They probably have another purpose for it.
10. Don't trust anyone unless you know them.
Remember how I said don't trust me. Well, don't trust them either. You don't know them. Would you give a stranger on the street $30 and expect something in return? So why would you trust a stranger on the internet?
1. Never pay for the chance to work!
The reality of the situation is that any information that you have to pay for is obtainable for free on the internet. You might feel that it is worth a small investment of money not to have to do the research. However, you will probably end up with outdated information that is virtually useless.
Treat working at home as if you would treat working for an employer at their place of business. Imagine if an interviewer asked you for money before they could consider you for the job. Would they ask for a "good faith" payment to be sure you were interested? Nope.
Some home-based business might require money for start-up costs or to cover the costs of materials. If that's the case, know exactly what you are getting, how much the total costs will be, and their refund policy.
2. Check out the business before you pay anything.
Use my checklist to ensure you have covered everything in detail.
3. Use your credit card to make purchases.
Have a low limit credit card available for online purchases. Even better is a prepaid credit card. Never send cash, wire money, or give out your bank information. That way, if you don't receive the items, or if things go wrong, you can dispute the charges with your credit card company. It is wise to speak to your credit card company before you make the purchase to find out their refund policies.
4. Beware of vagueness and incredible claims.
What they don't say is just as important as what they do say. Companies that don't state their names, costs, or other important information in their ads usually have a good reason. They don't want you to know why they are or what they are really offering. If they can't be honest with you up front, what makes you think they will be honest with you later?
5. Put yourself in the employer's or client's shoes.
If you were an honest employer, think about whether you would make the same kind of offer you're being pitched. Think about why they are saying what they are saying. What is their motivation? It's generally not to earn you thousands of dollars a day or get you out of debt. Why would an employer pay someone a dollar per piece to stuff envelopes when it would be cheaper to use mailing equipment that can stuff thousands of envelopes in an hour?
For example, you've read an ad where you can earn $1-2 per piece stuffing envelopes. But companies nowadays have access to sophisticated mailing equipment that can stuff thousands of envelopes an hour -- why would they pay you so much more?
6. Never reply to spam or any other unsolicited emails.
Most unsolicited emails are fraudulent. The better it sounds, the less likely that it's legitimate. There is a reason that spam rhymes with scam. Be wise; delete spam without reading it--no matter how good the claim sounds.
If you get an unsolicited email telling you that a company you have never heard of wants to hire you for a job where you don't need experience or skills and can make a lot of money, trash it. There's lots of out there, some of which are personalized and sound quite legitimate.
7. Be patient.
If you're looking to start a home-based business, or looking for telecommuting work you can do at home, you may have a considerable search ahead of you. Don't let scammers use high-pressure tactics to sucker you in. If you're given a time-limited offer, there's usually a reason why -- scammers know that pressure brings in people!
8. Protect yourself from virus, Trojan horses, and identity theft.
Always invest in a quality virus protection and spyware protection. Never open attachments to emails unless you are sure what it is. Never download files for the same reason. Spyware can be attached to word documents and .pdf files. Never give out your social security number. It is also a good idea to use a secondary email account when answering offers, rather than having it all come into your primary account. Sure, they may claim they don't sell their lists, but play it safe.
9. Avoid signing up for anything in order to gain more information.
Why would they need to protect the information if it's free? Why do they want your name, address, email and phone number so badly? That's right. They probably have another purpose for it.
10. Don't trust anyone unless you know them.
Remember how I said don't trust me. Well, don't trust them either. You don't know them. Would you give a stranger on the street $30 and expect something in return? So why would you trust a stranger on the internet?
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