Latest from The Spokesman-Review

• BBB Tip of the Week: Prepaid phone cards

  May 12, 2013 in Business on Page E2 The Federal Trade Commission investigated the prepaid phone cards of the company DR Phone Communications for more than 12 months and found the cards averaged only 40 percent of the …

• BBB Tip of the Week: T-Mobile’s ‘no contract’ service plan

  May 5, 2013 in Business on Page E2 An investigation by the Washington State Attorney General’s Office found that T-Mobile didn’t adequately disclose terms to customers signing up for their “no contract” service plan. Specifically, the company didn’t … 2

• BBB Tip of the Week: Airline travel scams

  April 28, 2013 in Business, Travel on Page E2 Airline travel scams are abundant, and the BBB wants you to be aware of a few common ones. Two arrive through the mail. The first is a letter claiming you …

• BBB Tip of the Week: the Funeral Rule

  April 21, 2013 in Business on Page E2 The funeral business is a $15 billion to $20 billion industry. Sadly, unscrupulous funeral directors may use deceptive or unfair business practices to prey on grieving families. To combat these … 1

• BBB Tip of the Week: Home inventories

  April 14, 2013 in Business on Page E2 For years I have protected my personal property with an insurance policy, first as a renter and then as a home owner. I lock my doors. I make sure to …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Unethical ‘advisers’

  April 7, 2013 in Business on Page E2 Beware unscrupulous attorneys, financial planners and insurance agents targeting veterans and their families. They begin their pitch with an offer for free pension advice. However, the qualifications for the extended …

• BBB: Steps can ensure vacation is worth remembering

  March 31, 2013 in Business on Page E2 Several years ago we had a complaint I will never forget. A customer booked a hotel online – a quaint little chalet in the mountains promising beauty, luxury and relaxation. …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Event ticket scams

  March 31, 2013 in Business on Page E2 Major sporting events like the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, NASCAR and the Super Bowl bring out the scammers who capitalize on the scarcity of tickets and fans’ desire to … 1

• BBB Tip of the Week: Phony FTC emails

  March 24, 2013 in Business on Page E2 Scammers are targeting small businesses with emails pretending to be from the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau. The latest wave of fake emails occurred earlier this month. … 1

• BBB Tip of the Week: False health claims

  March 10, 2013 in Business on Page E2 The Federal Trade Commission reached a $5.5 million settlement with Iovate Health Sciences U.S.A. after filing charges against the company for false health claims about its dietary supplements. Iovate misled …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Consumer rights

  March 3, 2013 in Business on Page E2 National Consumer Protection Week starts today, and an education campaign coordinated by 60 groups seeks to motivate people to make better decisions by helping them learn about their consumer rights. …

• BBB: Even irrational customers deserve chance to be heard

  March 3, 2013 in Business on Page E2 We’ve all had them – the crazy customer who won’t calm down no matter how much you listen, rationalize, cajole or empathize. Most of our work at the BBB is …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Robocalls

  February 17, 2013 in Business on Page E2 The Federal Trade Commission received more than 700 submissions to its Robocall Challenge ( robocall.challenge.gov), a competition urging innovators to find solutions to block illegal robocalls. The judges will review …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Social media sharing

  February 10, 2013 in Business on Page E2 Social media sites are quick and fun ways to keep in contact with family and friends. But we may share too much. Profile pages can be one-stop phishing grounds for …

• Effective communication creates level of trust, happy customers

  February 3, 2013 in Business on Page E2 There is a local auto parts shop that I visited last year because it was on my way home. A police officer had pulled me over; I needed to replace …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Smartphone security measures

  February 3, 2013 in Business on Page E2 Most of us have taken steps to protect our home and business computers with anti-virus software and firewalls. Now that cell phones are used as handheld computing devices, we need …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Low-tech ATM scams

  January 27, 2013 in Business on Page E2 For many people, the words “ATM scam” would conjure sophisticated computer technology that steals from the checking and savings accounts of the unsuspecting. But two ATM scams don’t use high … 1

• BBB Tip of the Week: Penny auction sites

  January 20, 2013 in Business on Page E2 The Washington State Attorney General’s Office has reached a settlement with ArrowOutlet.com, a penny auction site that rigged auctions using a bidbot – automated software – to bid up the … 1

• BBB Tip of the Week: Check out charity before donating

  January 13, 2013 in Business on Page E2 Stories of scammers looking to profit after Hurricane Sandy and the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary have been in the news. In the wake of tragedy or disaster, scammers prey …

• BBB: Use new year to jump start aspirations for your business

  January 6, 2013 in Business on Page E2 It’s that time of year again people make New Year’s resolutions. Many of us make resolutions to get healthier. Others make resolutions to manage their finances better. A few may …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Privacy and kids’ digital toys

  January 6, 2013 in Business on Page E2 Before kids get immersed in the wonders of the digital world found on a new cell phone, tablet or gaming device, parents need to explore and determine the level of …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Mobile apps for kids

  December 30, 2012 in Business on Page E2 Companies with mobile applications focusing on kids could find themselves under Federal Trade Commission scrutiny for failing to follow the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. In a recent report from …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Fake invoices

  December 23, 2012 in Business on Page E2 Small businesses, schools and other organizations in Washington received fake invoices over the past year from a California-based company, UST Development Inc., also going by the name US Telecom. The …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Mortgage foreclosure rescue scams

  December 16, 2012 in Business on Page E2 As part of the Federal Trade Commission’s ongoing efforts to protect consumers in financial distress, it obtained judgment against Dinamica Financiera LLC, Soluciones Dinamicas Inc., Valentin Benitez, and Jose Mario … 3

• BBB Tip of the Week: Mortgage settlement

  December 9, 2012 in Business on Page E2 In February 2012, 49 states and the federal government reached an agreement with the top five loan servicers, called the National Mortgage Settlement, which provides as much as $25 billion …

• BBB: May cooler heads prevail during stressful shopping

  December 9, 2012 in Business on Page E2 The holidays have a special way of bringing out the best – and sometimes worst – in all of us. November and December provide abundant opportunities for business transactions: shopping …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Jamaican scammers’ latest efforts

  November 18, 2012 in Business on Page E2 Jamaican scammers are calling unsuspecting consumers across the country, but this time they are pretending to be representatives of BBB. According to Emily Patterson of the Council of Better Business …

• BBB: Smart holiday shoppers should do their homework first

  November 11, 2012 in Business on Page E2 Who likes shopping? With the Black Friday melee just around the corner, everyone is starting to think about finding the best bargains on Christmas presents. People search high and low …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Credit reports

  November 11, 2012 in Business on Page E2 These days, your credit report affects your ability to get house and car loans at decent interest rates and a host of other things. Some employers even do a background …

• BBB Tip of the Week: Online payday loan debt collector

  November 4, 2012 in Business on Page E2 A California man at the center of 4,000 complaints to the Federal Trade Commission and state attorney generals’ offices has agreed to settle charges that he and his companies worked … 1

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