Trying to Help a Good Cause Could Get Consumers Ripped Off
BBB Warns Against a Summer Scam Going Door-to-Door Nationwide
Austin, TX – May 12, 2009 - Better Business Bureau warns that deceptive door-to-door magazine sales crews are hitting the pavement and looking to earn a quick buck this summer. In the last 12 months alone, BBB has received 1,100 complaints from consumers in 46 states and the District of Columbia against more than 50 companies that are selling magazines door-to-door.
Many of these companies employ crews of high school and college-age people who are trying to earn money over the summer. These crews are sent to communities to knock on doors and sell magazines, sometimes without appropriate licensing. In the sales pitch, the representative might explain they are working to help get their lives back on track, raising money on behalf of a charity or for a school trip or even selling subscriptions to support troops in Iraq.
“Most complaints against these companies claim the sales reps took their check and the magazines never arrived", said Carrie A. Hurt, President and CEO of BBB serving Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas. "Because sales representatives are typically high school or college-age, victims readily believe the sales pitch and often pay several hundred dollars for the subscriptions by personal check given directly to the sales reps.”
In the last year BBB has received complaints on more than 50 companies operating from coast to coast conducting door-to-door magazines sales. BBB warns consumers in Texas may be next.
BBB serving Charlotte has received 286 complaints against two magazine companies owned by the same couple - Trinity Public Relations and Seedtime Publications.
BBB serving Central, Northern and Western Arizona has received 33 complaints from 12 states regarding Prestige Sales, LLC. In addition to not receiving magazines they paid for, consumers allege sales reps lied about being neighborhood youth who were trying to earn money for a school trip to Europe. Other customers were led to believe they were purchasing magazine subscriptions for troops deployed to Iraq.
Other door-to-door magazine companies with F ratings from BBB include:
- Michigan City, IN-based Omni Horizons Inc., which has received 122 complaints from consumers in 17 states according to BBB Serving Northern Indiana.
- Chesapeake, VA-based True Visions Inc., which has received 82 complaints from 13 states according to the BBB of Greater Hampton Roads.
- Memphis-based Greater Image, Inc., which has received 71 complaints from 16 states according to the BBB serving the Mid-South.
- Seattle-based Fresh Start Opportunities, which has received 66 complaints from seven states according to the BBB serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington.
“In some situations, consumers aren’t the only victims of this scam,” said Hurt. “The young salespeople are also potentially being taken advantage of by their employers and forced to work long hours, endure substandard living conditions and have their wages withheld from them.”
BBB offers the following advice to avoid getting scammed by a door-to-door magazine sales rep:
- Always research the company with your Better Business Bureau for free at www.bbb.org before filling out a check for a magazine subscription.
- The Federal Trade Commission’s Three-Day Cooling-Off Rule gives the customer three days to cancel purchases over $25 that are made in their home or at a location that is not the seller’s permanent place of business. Along with a receipt, salespeople should also include a completed cancellation form that customers can send to the company to cancel the agreement. By law, the company must give customers a refund within 10 days of receiving the cancellation notice.
- Victims of fraudulent magazine sales can file a complaint with their Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org, local law enforcement, and state Attorney General offices.
To check the reliability of a company, visit www.bbb.org.