RALEIGH, NC November 22, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina (www.bbb.org) warns online shoppers that some deals online are too good to be true.
Online shopping has made it more convenient for consumers to shop from home for gifts for the holidays in addition to everyday items. Unfortunately, along with the convenience of online shopping comes possible scams and an abundance of businesses to purchase from that may be untrustworthy.
One online store BBB warns consumers about in their November Consumer Alerts is ThePerchStore.net. ThePerchStore.net is an online pet supply store claiming to be located at a Raleigh address. The store sells items including cages, cleaning supplies, and toys on their Web site.
BBB started receiving complaints from consumers in December of 2007, but more recently has seen an increase in inquiries and complaints on the company. Since January 2009, BBB has received 204 inquiries on the company from consumers, compared to only 27 inquiries in 2008. BBB has recently received 22 complaints concerning products not being shipped in a reasonable timeframe and communication issues. These complaints are currently pending as the BBB is waiting for the company's response. BBB has processed a total of 12 complaints in the last four weeks against ThePerchStore.net. Eight of these complaints were closed with no response from the company. The complaints came from consumers who ordered their pet supplies online, but never received the order they paid for, or they received broken items. Customers who have tried to reach the company have been unable to contact the business. When BBB called the three phone numbers they have for the business, they reached recordings stating that one number is not accepting calls, one has been disconnected, and the other has a full mailbox.
BBB cautions consumers to exercise caution when considering purchasing items from an unfamiliar store online.
"With ThePerchStore.net, and many other online stores, if a consumer calls BBB before doing business with them, we can let them know about any complaints or provide other details we are aware of to help them make a more informed decision when deciding which site to utilize," said Beverly Baskin, President & CEO of BBB serving Eastern North Carolina.
If you are not familiar with a particular store you want to purchase from online, BBB recommends that shoppers look for the following red flags:
The prices for items are too good to be true. Everyone is looking for a bargain and scammers use tantalizingly low prices online to lure victims in. If the prices for items are well below those of trusted competitors, it's a sign to walk away.
Spelling and grammatical errors abound. Some phony Web sites are created by scammers overseas. As a result, the Web sites, or spam e-mails directing shoppers to the site, might have many grammatical mistakes or spelling errors. However, if the site is polished and without grammatical error, don't rely on the professional look of the Web site as proof of a company's quality or good reputation.
The business accepts payment via wire transfer only. Scammers often ask victims to wire payment through Western Union or MoneyGram because the money cannot be easily tracked or retrieved in the case of fraud. BBB recommends always using a credit card to pay for items online. If the Web site turns out to be fraudulent, you can dispute the charge with your credit card carrier and hopefully get your money back. It is also a good idea to check your credit card statements often.
The business has earned a rating that does not meet your standards. Always review the business' reliability report online at http://www.bbb.org to find out what rating it has received from BBB. If you don't find a BBB Reliability Report , it doesn't necessarily mean the business is fraudulent, but it may indicate the business has not been around for long or has yet to develop a track record with consumers.
The Web site fraudulently uses security seals. Scam websites will often display the seals from certification organizations such as VeriSign, IQNet or TRUSTe without authorization or falsely claim to be accredited by BBB. When shopping online you want to look for the seals of trusted organizations and confirm that the business's use of the seal is legitimate. To ensure that your transaction is safe, before you enter your credit card digits, make sure the URL reads 'https,' or it has a golden box at the bottom to make sure that the transaction is encrypted and secure.
For more information on how to be a savvy shopper this season, visit bbb.org.
About the BBB serving Eastern North Carolina:
The Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina is a 501 (c)(6) not-for-profit corporation serving 33 counties in Eastern North Carolina. The organization is funded primarily by membership dues from more than 2,900 local businesses and professional firms. The BBB promotes integrity, consumer confidence and business ethics through business self-regulation in the local marketplace. Services provided by the BBB include, reports on companies and charitable organizations, general monitoring of advertising in the marketplace, dispute resolution services, and consumer/business education programs. All services are provided at no cost to the public, with the occasional exception of mediation and arbitration. Visit bbb.org.
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Consumer Alerts for November 2009
In an effort to keep the media and public informed, the Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina offers monthly BBB Consumer Alerts as potential story or interview ideas. Readers should take into consideration the importance of the practice in question and the total performance of a company. This list is current as of release date. Information regarding business or consumer topics reported here can be obtained through the BBB office by contacting csmith@raleigh.bbb.org.
Crown Holding Solutions claims to be located at 222 W. Morgan Street in Raleigh, but a physical inspection of the property by BBB staff on October 19, 2009 showed the address is a parking lot situated between a church annex and Campbell Law School. The United States Postal Service was unable to certify 222 West Morgan as a deliverable address. Crown Holding Solutions is contacting individuals and offering a loan. Their loan agreement states that several monthly payments are required in advance, as "collateral" on the loan. Collecting money up-front, or advance fees, as a condition of credit approval is prohibited by the North Carolina General Statutes. Crown Holding Solutions currently has an "F" rating with BBB. BBB recommends that you proceed with caution when dealing with any unfamiliar loan company requesting an upfront fee.
The Prestige Lenders claim to offer advanced fee loans from their location in Wilson, NC. A review of the Wilson County Register of Deeds was unable to yield results for The Prestige Lenders. The United States Postal Service was unable to certify 228 E. Nash Street as a deliverable address. NC law prohibits businesses from requiring advance fees in order to obtain a loan. The BBB recommends that you proceed with caution when dealing with any unfamiliar loan company requesting an upfront fee.
Paumanok Publications, Inc is a legitimate company in Cary NC, specializing in industrial market research services. A Nebraska consumer called BBB inquiring about this company after receiving a check and a letter with this company's name on them, but mailed out of Canada. According to the consumer, the company's name was misspelled on all the information they received, but the contact information was the same as the Cary company. The instructions sent to the consumer along with a fraudulent check for $1800 instructed the consumer to wire $1100 back to an undisclosed location in Canada. BBB advises consumers exercise caution when they receive unsolicited checks. In most cases these checks are fraudulent and consumers are left paying large fees for the bounced checks.
ThePerchStore.net offers supplies for pet birds including cages, cleaning supplies, and toys. This online business opened in 2004 and BBB has received 12 complaints against ThePerchStore.net within the last four weeks. The company has a pattern of complaints concerning products not being shipped in a reasonable timeframe and communication issues. On October 9, 2009 the company was invited to meet with the BBB to discuss ways to correct the underlying cause of the complaints. The company has failed to respond to our request. ThePerchStore.net has an "F" rating with BBB due to their failure to respond to consumer complaints.
The Corporate Image Group is based in Cary and claims to offer products and services including telephone answering systems, the digital player and adapter and a recorded MP3 or CD of the answering messages. BBB has received 10 complaints in the last 12 months for The Corporate Image Group. Most complaints have come from small businesses who never received the products or services paid for, or a refund upon request. The Corporate Image Group has a BBB rating of "F" due to a failure to respond to complaints.
Fake North Carolina prize offers have been sent to consumers in North Carolina via the mail, from a business claiming to be the State of North Carolina Commissioners of Registration. The letter includes a form and a request to return it with $20. Consumers should beware that there is no state agency by the name of the Commissioners of Registration. The mailings claiming to be from this department may look official and even include a fake state seal, but the promised prizes do not exist and it is illegal to require consumers to pay a fee in order to win a prize. If consumers receive a similar mailing they should not reply to the letter or send money. Thank you to the North Carolina Department of Justice for bringing this scam to our attention.
The BBB name is being used for a phone scam all across the country. Several local BBBs have received calls from consumers claiming they received a phone call from a person claiming to be from the New York or Washington D.C. BBB. The phony caller states that the consumer has won two million dollars in prize money, but they need to pay $230 in administrative fees to process the claim. BBB does not give away money. Nor does it offer contests for prize winnings such as these. If anyone calls you using the BBB name, consumers should protect their personal information and call BBB to confirm or verify the call, no matter what it is about.
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