Make money from home with Google? Not so fast, warns BBB
The Better Business Bureau has received more than 1,500 complaints about several dozen Web sites that are trading on the Google name to scam people who want to learn about making money from home. Because the sites often use the Google name and prominently display its iconic logo, consumers often assume they are getting a job with Google when in fact they were getting taken in by yet another work-at-home scheme.
Many families are looking for ways to earn extra money for the holidays and Web sites touting the huge money-making potential of working from home often seem like an answer to prayer,â said Dana Badge­row, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota. Unfortu­nate­­ly, most work-at-home opportunities donât deliver on what they promise and victims find that instead of making a few extra dollars, they lose hundreds.â
Two Web sites, Google Treasure Chest and Google Money Tree, quickly racked up 523 and 782 BBB complaints respectively before being called out by the Federal Trade Commission and state Attorneys General for misleading consumers.âThe Web sites have been taken down;â however, the BBB has received complaints about many other work-at-home schemes using similar tactics, including Google Biz Kit, Google Cash, Google Money Profits, and Google Success Kit.
While the schemes go by many different names and are found on many different Web sites, the complaints to the BBB all tell a similar story. Complainants state that they signed up online to receive a free trial of a CD or access to information that would show them how to make money from home using Google. Consumers had to provide a credit or debit card number to cover shipping â which is typically only a few dollars.
Complainants to the BBB state that they were billed before their trial ended â or never even received the CD â and continued to be billed after they had cancelled their order. Complainants also found mystery charges from several other businesses for services they didnât realize they were signing up for with their âfreeâ trial. One Georgia complainantâs bank account was debited $433 by various entities including Grant Finder, Web Training, Power sale, Safe lock, Google Chest, Search Chest, A1Member and Auction Support.
Before signing up for any work-at-home opportunity, the BBB advises job hunters to:
â¢Review the businessâs BBB Reliability Report® at bbb.org to see if BBB reports complaints or other concerns you need to consider.
â¢Beware of any offer that guarantees a lot of money for little effort and no experience.
â¢Thoroughly read the Web siteâs terms and conditions, keeping in mind that a free trial could cost you in the end.
â¢Be wary of work-at-home offers that use logos from Google, Twitter or other prominent online businesses. Just because Google is in the name, it doesnât mean the business is affiliated with Google.
â¢Research the Web site with www.betterwhois.netâ or a similar site for determining domain name ownership. If the site is anonymous or individually registered, beware.
For more advice on evaluating work-at-home companies and schemes, visit www.thefirstbbb.org.
The mission of the Better Business Bureau is to promote through self-regulation, the highest standards of business ethics and conduct; and to instill public confidence in responsible businesses through programs of education and action that inform, protect and assist the general public. Contact the BBB at www.thefirstbbb.org or 651-699-1111, toll-free at 1-800-646-6222.
Source: http://www.reviewmessenger.com/inde...th-google-not-so-fast-warns-bbb&catid=40:news
The Better Business Bureau has received more than 1,500 complaints about several dozen Web sites that are trading on the Google name to scam people who want to learn about making money from home. Because the sites often use the Google name and prominently display its iconic logo, consumers often assume they are getting a job with Google when in fact they were getting taken in by yet another work-at-home scheme.
Many families are looking for ways to earn extra money for the holidays and Web sites touting the huge money-making potential of working from home often seem like an answer to prayer,â said Dana Badge­row, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota. Unfortu­nate­­ly, most work-at-home opportunities donât deliver on what they promise and victims find that instead of making a few extra dollars, they lose hundreds.â
Two Web sites, Google Treasure Chest and Google Money Tree, quickly racked up 523 and 782 BBB complaints respectively before being called out by the Federal Trade Commission and state Attorneys General for misleading consumers.âThe Web sites have been taken down;â however, the BBB has received complaints about many other work-at-home schemes using similar tactics, including Google Biz Kit, Google Cash, Google Money Profits, and Google Success Kit.
While the schemes go by many different names and are found on many different Web sites, the complaints to the BBB all tell a similar story. Complainants state that they signed up online to receive a free trial of a CD or access to information that would show them how to make money from home using Google. Consumers had to provide a credit or debit card number to cover shipping â which is typically only a few dollars.
Complainants to the BBB state that they were billed before their trial ended â or never even received the CD â and continued to be billed after they had cancelled their order. Complainants also found mystery charges from several other businesses for services they didnât realize they were signing up for with their âfreeâ trial. One Georgia complainantâs bank account was debited $433 by various entities including Grant Finder, Web Training, Power sale, Safe lock, Google Chest, Search Chest, A1Member and Auction Support.
Before signing up for any work-at-home opportunity, the BBB advises job hunters to:
â¢Review the businessâs BBB Reliability Report® at bbb.org to see if BBB reports complaints or other concerns you need to consider.
â¢Beware of any offer that guarantees a lot of money for little effort and no experience.
â¢Thoroughly read the Web siteâs terms and conditions, keeping in mind that a free trial could cost you in the end.
â¢Be wary of work-at-home offers that use logos from Google, Twitter or other prominent online businesses. Just because Google is in the name, it doesnât mean the business is affiliated with Google.
â¢Research the Web site with www.betterwhois.netâ or a similar site for determining domain name ownership. If the site is anonymous or individually registered, beware.
For more advice on evaluating work-at-home companies and schemes, visit www.thefirstbbb.org.
The mission of the Better Business Bureau is to promote through self-regulation, the highest standards of business ethics and conduct; and to instill public confidence in responsible businesses through programs of education and action that inform, protect and assist the general public. Contact the BBB at www.thefirstbbb.org or 651-699-1111, toll-free at 1-800-646-6222.
Source: http://www.reviewmessenger.com/inde...th-google-not-so-fast-warns-bbb&catid=40:news
