Latest from The Spokesman-Review

• BBB: If you have time to complain, you have time to seek solution

  May 27, 2012 in Business on Page E2 All my life I’ve had a pet peeve: complainers with all the excuses in the world and no solutions. We all know someone like that. The person who doesn’t have … 4

• BBB Tip of the Week

  May 27, 2012 in Business on Page E2 • Fly-away escape or fly-by-night offer? This weekend I got a postcard at home from Vacation Choices. Congratulations! I’d receive “2 Round Trip Airfares to Hawaii or anywhere that US …

• BBB Tip of the Week: The truth about grants

  May 20, 2012 in Business on Page E2 • The truth about grants: One of my best friends just won a grant. Did that sentence make you do a double-take? It should have. That tiny word “won” is …

• BBB Tip of the Week

  May 13, 2012 in Business on Page E2 • Get paid to drive your own car? Have you seen an online ad offering cash to put a company logo on your personal vehicle? “Get Paid to Drive Your …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Online coupons

  May 6, 2012 in Business on Page E2 • “Clip” online coupons with caution: Many years ago, when I subscribed to the Washington Post, I used to throw away ads, coupons, perfume supplements. If it wasn’t news, it … 1

• BBB Tip of the Week: Online privacy

  April 29, 2012 in Business on Page E2 • Online privacy: According to the Washington state attorney general, sharing personal information with the wrong people is one of your biggest risks online. Make sure your child knows to …

• BBB Tip of the Week: The green, green grass of home

  April 22, 2012 in Business on Page E2 • The green, green grass of home: With all the recent rain, it may be time to consider hiring a lawn service. Think about what you want: Are you looking …

• BBB Tip of the Week: All marketing begins with trust

  April 15, 2012 in Business on Page E2 • Quick, which comes first – trust or likability? “They’re inseparable,” says author and consultant Michael Lovas, co-owner (with wife Pam Holloway) of the Spokane firm About People. “When you …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Protect your business barn

  April 8, 2012 in Business on Page E2 Most Westerners are familiar with the concept of “closing the barn door after the horse is gone.” Waiting to write a policy until after you’ve suffered a business crime is …

• BBB Tip of the Week: I filed my taxes: Now what?

  April 1, 2012 in Business on Page E2 Whew, I filed my taxes: Now what? Did you know that according to the IRS, even if a tax return is prepared by someone else, you are legally responsible for …

• BBB: Don’t let harmful email make you an April fool

  April 1, 2012 in Business on Page E2 Ed Cushman, owner of C&H Foreign Auto, opened his email one morning to find a complaint from the Better Business Bureau. Little did Ed know that this message would end …

• BBB Tip of the Week: The high cost of hidden fees

  March 25, 2012 in Business on Page E2 The high cost of hidden fees: According to a 2006 study by the Ponemon Institute, you’re paying at least $942 a year in hidden fees, if you’re an average American …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Safely using ATMs

  March 18, 2012 in Business on Page E2 How to use an ATM safely: First of all, try to use only ATMs inside banks and other buildings; these are least likely to have been tampered with. If you …

• BBB Tip of the Week: What’s your IQ on ID theft?

  March 11, 2012 in Business on Page E2 What’s your IQ on ID theft? As National Consumer Protection Week draws to a close, ask yourself if you’re at risk for ID theft. I myself scored 45 on this …

• Quintrall: Big decisions require as much input as courage

  March 4, 2012 in Business on Page E2 When I travel across the three states the BBB serves, I’m very comfortable eating alone. I see no reason to eat bad fast food, so I seek the locally owned … 2

• BBB Tip of the Week: eBay scam warning signs

  February 26, 2012 in Business on Page E2 My husband and I enjoy playing board games and cards. I have noticed a significant difference in our approach. He likes to sit down and read the rules thoroughly first …

• BBB: Ambitious job seekers offer valuable lessons

  February 19, 2012 in Business on Page E2 Email rescues me from multiple phone calls every day. Texting saves even more time: “I’m running late” or “Can you talk?” are quick updates that eliminate the need to go … 1

• BBB Tip of the Week: Timeshares

  February 12, 2012 in Business on Page E2 If it sounds too good to be true: First it was swampland in Florida. Then ownership of London Bridge. Now, timeshare owners across the country are being scammed out of … 1

• BBB Tip of the Week: counterfeit items

  February 5, 2012 in Business on Page E2 There are good reasons not to buy counterfeit helmets, jerseys and autographed footballs, including this one: Counterfeit items are stolen goods. Fakers are using the name of the team or …

• BBB Tip of the Week

  January 29, 2012 in Business on Page E2 This week we continue reviewing the top 10 scams of 2011: • Top phishing scam: The most pernicious phishing scam last year disguised itself as official communication from NACHA – …

• BBB Tip of the Week

  January 22, 2012 in Business on Page E2 What to do with a debt collector: First, know your rights. If you’re contacted by a debt collector, the first thing to do is to go to www.ftc.gov and read …

• BBB: Customer service comes in for landing

  January 22, 2012 in Business on Page E2 If you want to get people talking, just toss out a comment about what a pain in the neck it is to fly these days. Then stand back. But wait! … 2

• BBB Tip of the Week: Most common scams, Part 1

  January 15, 2012 in Business on Page E2 Most common scams, Part 1: This year, the BBB celebrates its 100th anniversary. Unfortunately, con artists have been around even longer. Today, the BBB’s Scam Source (www.bbb.org/scam) is available to …

• Quintrall: BBB, Forbes don’t see eye to eye about Spokane

  January 8, 2012 in Business on Page E2 The lists compiled by Forbes magazine often seem to cast Spokane in a bad light. We were previously painted as a scam capital, and now we rank at the bottom … 3

• BBB Tip of the Week

  January 1, 2012 in Business on Page E2 College crime: It’s a new semester, or quarter, depending on what school your college-age student attends. Back when I was a student at the University of Idaho, we had a …

• BBB Tip of the Week

  December 18, 2011 in Business on Page E2 Financial abuse of the elderly: People over 50 control more than 70 percent of the nation’s wealth. Some older people are unsophisticated about financial matters. Many seniors have to depend …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Be informed about infomercials

  December 11, 2011 in Business on Page E2 Be informed about infomercials: Eliminate the hassle of annoying bra straps. Yes, this is the salutation in an email I received recently. (I must say, I’ve never felt hassled by …

• BBB: Don’t let dust gather on bargain coupons

  December 11, 2011 in Business on Page E2 On Friday a young, single mom called our BBB office about a coupon she purchased. It offered her $200 worth of day care services, but she only paid $100 for …

• BBB Tip of the Week

  December 4, 2011 in Business on Page E2 Away from home: During the holiday season, many Americans will have to travel. Over Thanksgiving, I drove to McCall, Idaho, to see my parents. My aunt and uncle, who live …

• BBB: Moving forward means keeping up with technology

  November 27, 2011 in Business on Page E2 The phone books get delivered outside our condo building each year. One of the residents hauls them into the common area for each owner to take into their home. Those …

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