1. The Barre Company of Indianapolis sells ballet-related products such as ballet barres. The BBB has received numerous complaints from consumers who allege the company has failed to deliver products for which they’ve paid. Complainants also allege that when attempting to contact the company either by telephone or e-mail to inquire on the status of their order, their e-mails and phone calls were not answered or returned. This company has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau. The Federal Trade Commission has outlined specific guidelines on Prompt Delivery Rules. The rules spell out the grounds for making promises to consumers about shipments, notifying consumers about expected delays and refunding consumers’ money. Enforced by the FTC, the Mail or Telephone Order Rule applies to orders placed by phone, fax or the internet. A company must have a reasonable basis for stating that a product can be shipped within a certain timeframe. If it can’t be shipped within 30 days or by a promised delivery date, the company must notify the customer of the delay, provide a revised shipment date and explain the consumer’s right to cancel and get a full and prompt refund. To view the complete FTC’s Prompt Delivery Rules, go to http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/alerts/alt051.shtm.
2. Exclusive Media Services of Oxford, MS has contacted an Indianapolis consumer stating that she had a chance to be a winner if she purchased discounted magazine subscriptions through their company. The consumer reports being told her chances of winning would increase if she ordered the magazines. The BBB of Mississippi reports a pattern of complaints filed by consumers contacted by this company that have also been given the same information. Consumers report they are led to believe they would be paying a specific amount for the magazine subscriptions, yet find that they are being charged weekly, and the charges often total several hundreds of dollars for a single magazine subscription. In some cases, consumers also allege the company places debits on their credit card without authorization. Some consumers report they’ve never received the magazines or their promised “prize” of either watches or vacations. This company has an F rating with the BBB. To view this report in its entirety, go to http://ms.app.bbb.org/commonreport.html?compid=044005167. The BBB offers tips for consumers on various consumer-related topics, including magazine subscription solicitations. To view tips on this specific topic, please visit http://www.bbb.org/us/article/magazine-subscription-solicitations-245.
3. H1N1, Swine Flu! Whatever you want to call it, everyone is taking precautions against getting it. Unfortunately, this is a golden opportunity for some to capitalize on the situation. There have already been reports of companies marketing air filtering systems, herbal products, shampoos, immunity supplements and even fake Tamiflu, all promising to help ward off the flu virus. Consumers are urged to contact their physicians to discuss any health-related issues before purchasing any kind of product that hasn’t been properly tested or proven to be effective in treating any ailment or illness. Without getting all of the facts, using any such product could be harmful. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has posted an H1N1 (Swine) flu page on their website that has information on many topics related to this subject. View the FDA website at www.fda.gov.
4. Alternative business directories. The BBB has recently been contacted by several local companies confused over invoices that appear to be for ad space listings in locally-distributed yellow page directories. The Better Business Bureau warns that these invoices may actually be solicitations for listings in alternative business directories that are not the well-known local “Real” Yellow Pages. Alternative directories may not be widely distributed, can be of little or no value to advertisers, or in some cases may never be published at all. Because the name “yellow pages” and the “walking fingers” logo are not protected by any federal trade mark registrations, they can be used by anyone. Businesses should ask their accounting and/or bill payer to investigate a “yellow pages” invoice before making payment. The BBB has specifically checked out company reports on two businesses that have billed Hoosier companies -- Ypages Group of Columbus, OH and National Business Publishing Corporation of Winter Park, FL. Both companies have an F rating with the BBB. If in doubt, check it out!! Go to www.bbb.org.