Work At Home
These are some of the tips and advice that the Better Business gives on its website.
THE BBB PROVIDES INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL ADVICE ON MANY SUBJECTS. THE REMAINDER OF THIS REPORT PROVIDES ONLY GENERAL INFORMATION ON "WORK-AT-HOME OPPORTUNITIES". PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT WHAT FOLLOWS IS A GENERAL REPORT , SOME OR ALL OF WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT APPLY TO THIS PARTICULAR COMPANY.
The Better Business Bureau suggests you resist the temptation to get involved with any work at home Type Company, especially those who require any kind of up-front fee. Never give a work at home company your credit card or bank account numbers. If you have already bought a program you now believe may not be legitimate, take these steps: First, contact the company and ask for your money back. If your efforts are not successful, complain to the Better Business Bureau.
Even if the company refuses to resolve your complaint, a number of complaints against the same company may help other callers to avoid the scheme. You may also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Although the FTC will not help resolve individual disputes, it will take action if a pattern can be found.
The Better Business Bureau receives more consumer inquiries every year on Work-at-Home promoters than any other type of business. Companies offering such services often advertise in local shopper type papers and business opportunity magazines and/or manuals and on the Internet. Most of their advertising makes claims such as "make $1000 reading books, watching TV, typing, stuffing envelopes, making jewelry or crafts etc".
Often, solicitations will promise you can earn hundreds, even thousands of dollars, every week, full or part time, in the comfort of your own home. Some of the more recent schemes being currently promoted promise easy money doing medical billing, using your computer from home, or offering various Internet services.
In addition to the fact there is little or no demand or market for most of the work at home activities, the BBB has determined most, if not all, of the claims of earnings are highly exaggerated. Not one of the many work at home companies the BBB has investigated in the past could substantiate earnings claims.
Most, if not all, of these companies require you to pay an up front fee to them in order to participate in their program. The Bureau advises that money back guarantees often offered by work at home companies contain so many restrictions that no one gets their money back. Further, some consumers mistakenly believe these companies are employing them. Such companies are not employers and do not offer jobs with their organizations.
