All posts tagged community outreach

DSEF & BBB: 10 Tips to Help You be a Savvier Shopper in 2013

DSEF & BBB: 10 Tips to Help You be a Savvier Shopper in 2013

blue_with_website-225x30022By Kelsey Owen

A new year is a great time to resolve to be a smarter, safer shopper. BBB has 10 resolutions that can help you fight scammers, prevent identity theft and save money in 2013.

  1. Always check a business out with BBB before you buy.  Nearly 400,000 businesses meet BBB standards and are qualified to use an Accredited Business seal on their websites and business locations.  Visit www.bbb.org to find BBB Business Reviews for more than 4 million businesses across North America.
  2. Be skeptical of “job offers” that promise easy money. With high unemployment and long job searches common, scammers are targeting people desperate to find jobs. Beware of any job offer, work-at-home scheme or business opportunity that promises big money for little work and no experience.
  3. Always read the fine print—especially with “free” trial offers.Thousands of consumers complained to BBB this year after signing up for a “free” trial offer online that resulted in repeated charges to their credit or debit cards, sometimes amounting to hundreds of dollars every month. Read the terms and conditions of any “free” trial offer before handing over credit or debit card numbers.
  4. Keep your computer safe. If you haven’t already done so, install anti-virus software on your computer and check regularly for software and operating system updates and patches. Don’t open attachments or click on links in emails unless you can confirm the email came from someone you trust.
  5. Never wire money to someone you don’t know. Many scams require that the victim wire money back to the scammers. Scammers know that tracking money sent via MoneyGram or Western Union is extremely difficult. Once you’ve wired the money, it’s almost impossible to get it back. Stay up-to-date on the latest scams via BBB’s Scam Stopper.
  6. Fight identity theft. Shred paper documents that include sensitive financial data and dispose of computers, cell phones and digital data safely. BBB offers tips and checklists on what to shred, and hosts annual Secure Your ID Day events nationwide to help you stay safe.
  7. Ask BBB for help. File a complaint with your BBB if you have a disagreement with a business or have been ripped off by a scammer.
  8. Create a budget and stick to it.  Setting a budget can help you stay afloat in 2013. BBB has advice on how to create a budget to help you get out of debt and stay out of debt at www.bbb.org.
  9. Fight fake check fraud.  Thanks to advances in printing technology, scammers have the ability to create professional-looking phony checks. Educate yourself on the common types of check fraud and be extremely wary of checks that come with claims that you’ve won the lottery, are eligible for a government grant or have landed a job as a secret shopper. These are almost always scams.
  10. Get everything in writing. Don’t just take a company’s word for it. Get every verbal agreement in writing to limit miscommunication and misunderstandings between what you expect and what the business delivers.

DSEF and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) foster honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers—instilling consumer confidence and advancing a trustworthy marketplace for all.

About the Better Business Bureaus
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews® and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visit www.bbb.org/us for more information.

DSEF & BBB: Not All Customer Reviews & Review Sites Are Created Equal

DSEF & BBB: Not All Customer Reviews & Review Sites Are Created Equal

blue_with_website-225x30022By Myriam Cruz

Looking for pre-purchase advice, more and more consumers are turning to reviews for products and services. However, not all reviews are created equal and many consumers question their validity after several reports claim fake reviews are more common than expected.

An article by TIME Magazine highlights that while various review sites – such as YelpTripAdvisorExpedia and Google – are implementing steps to identify both positive and negative fake reviews, “the system is being manipulated…and that’s all negative for consumers who are using them to try and make smart choices.”

Aside from company staff and marketers, freelance writers are also paid for reviews praising a company, product or service. In one case, a Wall Street Journal reporter plugged the name of a reviewer into a search engine and discovered the “consumer” was a communications manager at the company whose product she was praising.

Are there any consequences for such misleading behavior, you might ask?

Considering similar situations misleading, theFederal Trade Commission (FTC) revised its Endorsement Guides in 2009 to reflect three basic truth-in-advertising principles:

  1. Endorsements must be truthful and not misleading.
  2.  If the advertiser doesn’t have proof that the endorser’s experience represents what consumers will achieve by using the product, the ad must clearly and conspicuously disclose the generally expected results in the depicted circumstances.
  3. If there is a connection between endorser and the marketer of the product that would affect how people evaluate the endorsement, it should be disclosed.

While FTC guidelines provide some protection from misleading customer review practices, they are only part of the solution. Consumers play a vital role when it comes to identifying and denouncing misleading practices.

As Better Business Bureau (BBB) joins the customer review industry, it provides guidelines to help identify real reviews from fake or paid praise. In the end, the best way to obtain information about a product or service is to become familiar with the review process and use review sites that have a user verification process, such as BBB’s email verification.

Do you think it’s worth looking at reviews before purchasing a product or service? Are you more likely to consider reviews for higher priced items?

 

DSEF and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) foster honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers—instilling consumer confidence and advancing a trustworthy marketplace for all.

About the Better Business Bureaus
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews® and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visit www.bbb.org/us for more information.

DSEF & BBB: The Customer is Always Right – This Minute (Part 3)

DSEF & BBB: The Customer is Always Right – This Minute (Part 3)

By Lance Trebesch

Timing Is Everything

In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, we established that always-happy customers represent 1% of the average organization’s customer base. The other 99% are likely willing to flock to your competitors or slander you on their social networks the moment you fail to please them. Your window for rectifying the situation, addressing their problems, and proving your loyalty to them is small and shrinks quickly.

You have a two-fold strategy: first, identify problem areas and address or eradicate them before your customers have an unpleasant experience to begin with. Second, create mechanisms that allow you to instantly communicate with anyone who still isn’t satisfied.

Likely, you already know what areas are causing trouble in your business model. As Mark Hurd demonstrated, most of your customers are willing to pay more money for better service. Now is the time to invest in improvements:

  • Product Quality: Obviously, address this first. If your product or service is substandard, why are you in business? Sell something worth selling.
  • Website Design: Everything needs to load properly, be easy to use, and look up-to-date. If customers can’t interface with the site, you can’t sell online.
  • Delivery Options: Partner with a reliable company. Offer multiple options. If your product is expensive, consider whether free shipping gives you an edge.
  • Support Staff: You need smart, friendly people, familiar with all aspects of the business, able to deal with cranky customers, and ready to fix problems.

Most people with complaints would rather complain to someone who can help them, rather than barking randomly into space. Be available to hear problems. Go out of your way to make it easy for people to provide feedback. It’s far better if they complain to you than to a public website!

  • Webforms: Your website should include an easy-to-find link where customers can contact you. Any complaints should be answered immediately.
  • 800 Number: If call volume is low, maybe you only need twelve hours of customer support a day, but for bigger business, 24-hour toll free numbers are a must.
  • Social Networks: Your customers are connected. Are you? Many people head for Facebook or Twitter first. Be there, waiting for them, ready to answer.
  • Reach Out: Don’t wait for folks to complain. Customer surveys and other direct contact soliciting feedback help you provide everyone with what they want.

DSEF and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) foster honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers—instilling consumer confidence and advancing a trustworthy marketplace for all.

About the Better Business Bureaus
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews® and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visit www.bbb.org/us for more information.

DSEF & BBB: Shop Small on Small Business Saturday

DSEF & BBB: Shop Small on Small Business Saturday

After such a close U.S. election, it’s hard to imagine 93% of Americans agreeing on anything! But that’s the percentage of consumers who think it’s important to support small businesses in their community.

If you agree, now’s your chance to show it! Small Business Saturday is November 24 (sandwiched in-between Black Friday and Cyber Monday), and everyone is encouraged to shop local and support hometown businesses.

Here’s a fun infographic to show just how important small businesses are to our economy.

NOTE: Small Business Saturday is sponsored by American Express, a BBB Accredited Business and a National Partner.

About the Better Business Bureaus
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews® and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visit www.bbb.org/us for more information.

Do You Have a Plan B … and Plan C?

Do You Have a Plan B … and Plan C?

by Judy Dahl

Small-business owners have to be ready for anything, be it a change in your personal financial situation or an outside trend that blows you out of the water. You have to forecast events as much as possible and have a plan B. Even more important, you should have a business model that gives you the flexibility to adapt when the unexpected happens.

Too many eggs in one basket

To my chagrin, I’ve learned this lesson the hard way—twice—in recent years. I don’t blame myself for not predicting the recession. If top-notch economists didn’t see it coming, how would I?

In 2008 my solo freelance writing/editing business was sailing along. The previous year, my fifth in business, had been my best ever. I was busy and confident, adding new clients, serving existing ones, and planning my growth strategy. Then, boom. Economic Armageddon.

Hmm, let’s see. When businesses take a financial hit, what’s their first step? Cutting discretionary spending, of course. Things like training, travel, and communications. Oh no.

I would have been OK if two clients hadn’t comprised nearly 75% of my business. About halfway through the year, one “revamped” its communications plan to send fewer, more targeted pieces. The other stopped using freelance writers altogether through year-end.

I belatedly started an aggressive search for new clients—marketing, networking, you name it—but most, if not all, businesses were in the same boat. Our family cut back spending—no easy task with a graduating high school senior about to head off for college and a high school junior who played (expensive) hockey.

After exhausting cash reserves, we turned to our credit card (we only have one, thankfully), our home equity line of credit, and even our overdraft protection accounts. That sentence bespeaks another article about the bad financial behavior one finds oneself indulging in when under stress. Why didn’t I call a nonprofit financial counselor and get a real plan in place? But I digress.

Fortunately, by mid-2009 both clients were better positioned financially and using my services again. At home we put in place a strict budget and dug out of the hole. But—lesson learned—don’t concentrate too much of your business with too few clients.

No benefits, no business

By 2011 it was again smooth sailing for my business. Then, without warning, my husband lost his longtime job and its sweet, sweet benefits. I was sure he’d get a new one very shortly, with his statewide and national connections and stellar work record. But that hasn’t been the case. Know anyone who wants to hire a good—strike that, GREAT—entomologist?

Anyway, as time passes I realize my business model doesn’t work long-term if we have to buy our own health insurance, especially with our two young-adult daughters still dependent on us for health care.

So, we pay $800 a month for catastrophic care, go to the doctor only in grave emergencies (knock on wood), and cut spending. Again. (No loading up the credit card, etc. this time, though. Ahem.)

And, I’m looking for a job with benefits. I’m excited about it, really. One reason I went into business was to be available to my daughters, and they live across the country now. The dogs (my interns) and I get a little lonely in the home office. And I miss having coworkers. I figure I can work fulltime and still keep the freelance business going—but only with my favorite clients.

Lesson learned again: Structure your business model so that if something out of your control changes, you have a way to stay solvent. So I had to learn the same lesson twice.

It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks, you know?

Judy Dahl is a small-business owner in Madison, Wis., who now has a Plan B, C, and D, and three accomplished canine interns. Also an entomologist husband and two New York daughters.

 

DSEF & CBBB: Always Getting Better: Applying Sports Theory to Business

DSEF & CBBB: Always Getting Better: Applying Sports Theory to Business

Continuous Improvement and the 2012 Olympics

Top Olympic athletes and their trainers achieve continuous improvement with constant examination and measurement. The proof of their success can be measured in seconds, inches, pounds, or, in the case of the 2012 Olympics, in personal improvements and world records:  44 new world records, 117 new Olympic records. In business, teams can adopt a similar philosophy in order to identify and confront key issues.

Kaizen vs. TQM

Kaizen is a Japanese word that translates to “continuous improvement” in English. The Kaizen philosophy points to a disciplined process of systematic exploration, controlled experimentation, and adopting new procedures.

The Kaizen philosophy is only the Japanese version of what business professionals the world over call Total Quality Management (TQM).

TQM incorporates continuous improvement though increasing quality and performance in order to meet (or hopefully exceed) the customer’s expectations. This is done by integrating key functions and processes throughout the business and examining overall quality measures used by the company.

How is this done? Lots and LOTS of data. Big Data.

BIG Data

Today’s Olympic athletes are “big data,” in that every facet of their health, diet, and performance are measured to the smallest increment.  They are the most quantified athletes in history; the so-called quantified self.

In business, recent advances in technology provide easier access to more robust data and different kinds of digital dashboard software available. You can measure your company’s health and performance too: it simply comes down to choosing the right software in order to measure your data.

The more data you have about your company, the more you can drive a culture for continuous improvement. The more you measure your business processes, the more you learn about how the customer is affected by each process.

Bring it on Home

TicketPrinting.com utilizes a number of different techniques for managing and improving our customers’ experience such as call center software, emails, and live chat.  Each one can be measured in terms of success and overall customer satisfaction.

Measuring our customer’s satisfaction with surveys provides customer-specific feedback and allows us to take into account specific issues that matter most to the customer and improve them to provide the best possible experience. Just like a professional athlete, we measure our success and then strive for perfection.

Record-breaking 2012 Olympics

Over the course of time, we can see that athletes who compete in the Olympics are getting better, stronger, and faster than their previous counterparts. For example,Usain Bolt’s incredible 100m world record breaking time was worlds away from any gold medal winner’s time back in the early 1900s.  In fact, today the top U.S. sprinter in the 8 year old age group, would handily beat the gold medal winner from the early 1900s’.  Amazing.

The 2012 Olympic competitors broke 44 world records and 117 Olympic recordsthroughout the games. This would not have been possible without a philosophy of continuous improvement. Every four years, records are broken and new ones are set, which means, Olympic athletes are only getting better and better.

To continuously improve your business, you must think like an Olympic athlete in terms of getting better.  Nothing is more indicative of ways to improve then measuring your own performance.

DSEF & CBBB: New iPhone App May Help Us Say Goodbye to Our Wallets

DSEF & CBBB: New iPhone App May Help Us Say Goodbye to Our Wallets

The tech industry is buzzing about a new iPhone app that may one day be able to function as our virtual wallet.  The app is called Passbook, and is currently being used as a central hub for all of consumers’ digital coupons, tickets, and loyalty cards.

Over the past few years, companies like Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and Google have been working hard for widespread mainstream adoption of mobile payments, but the technology has not yet caught on.  Many tech analysts like Shaw Wu, believe that Passbook will be Apple’s vehicle for mobile payment once it catches on and becomes mainstream.

According to Gartner research, the mobile payments industry will grow to over $600 billion by 2016, so it may not be long until the only thing we will need when making a purchase will be the swipe of our phone.

To read the full article, visit http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-09-11/apple-passbook-app/57749550/1.

DSEF and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) foster honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers—instilling consumer confidence and advancing a trustworthy marketplace for all.

About the Better Business Bureaus
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews® and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visit www.bbb.org/us for more information.

DSEF & CBBB: Does Your Business Plan Have ADD?

DSEF & CBBB: Does Your Business Plan Have ADD?

By Lance Trebesch

In a recent podcast, Daniel Ek, the CEO of Spotify, was asked if he feels that he is a visionary or a genius. He demurred, replying, “Absolutely not. For me it’s all about execution.”

I completely agree with this twenty-seven year old millionaire.Execution is everything. It doesn’t matter how many great ideas an individual, team, or company comes up with. Until you implement one, you haven’t made any progress. Execution is what builds lasting success, and splitting your business’s energy among too many outcomes can hinder your ability to execute good ideas and achieve your goals.

Planning: Fragmentation versus Integration

Many organizations go through an elaborate planning processes. While their goals may be strategic, their process is lengthy and involved. If your method is overly time consuming, it takes away from more important work. More problematic, reliance on the idea generation phase of planning frequently results in a fragmented outcome. Whether you measure the results of your planning process in goals, objectives, or KPIs, if you’re trying to achieve too many outcomes, your business starts to suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder.

It’s tough to achieve your desired execution when your attention is split in a million directions.

Your Top Three Goals

One of the keys to execution is focus. You may want to achieve a hundred different things, but most of us find it impossible to focus if we’re intent on more than four all-important goals. In fact, four may be too many. I would suggest erring on the side of success: choose your top three goals and be uncompromising in your pursuit of excellence in these areas. A relentless focus makes a positive outcome all the more likely.

At TicketPrinting.com, we’ve found success by choosing three goals on which to focus:

  • Customer satisfaction
  • Revenue
  • Products (improving existing base or adding new ones)

It may not seem like a lot on paper, but executing these three goals is our focus, and we devote one hundred percent of our efforts into their integration. It’s become our formula for success, and it’s become the hallmark of our company. Every year we add or improve hundreds of products. Every day we work to improve customer satisfaction. And every moment, we seek to increase our revenue. For us, a focus on executing these three goals is the key to prosperity.

What are your 3 goals?

DSEF and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) foster honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers—instilling consumer confidence and advancing a trustworthy marketplace for all.

About the Better Business Bureaus
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews® and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visit www.bbb.org/us for more information.

DSEF & CBBB: Facebook Wants To Hear About Phishing Scams

DSEF & CBBB: Facebook Wants To Hear About Phishing Scams

By Amy Fowler

Facebook Security just announced a new way to report phishing attempts to the company. Phishing is a way for scammers to steal your personal information, including username, password, bank account numbers, Social Security numbers and more.

If you see or receive a phishing email or message, then forward the information tophish@fb.com. Facebook Security encouraged consumers to report these malicious messages:

By providing Facebook with reports, we can investigate and request for browser blacklisting and site takedowns where appropriate. We will then work with our eCrime team to ensure we hold bad actors accountable. Additionally, in some cases, we’ll be able to identify victims, and secure their accounts.

BBB has identified several common phishing scams related to Facebook, including:

Friend in Distress Scam
Facebook users may receive a message in their inbox from a friend saying that they are in a dire situation — such as stranded in a foreign country — and need money wired to them. The recipient of the message doesn’t realize that their friend’s account has been hacked and that the message was actually sent by scammers. If the Facebook user does wire money to the scammers, they have no way of recovering the money after they learn that their friend is actually safe and sound.
Phishing Friends
You see a provacative post on a friend’s wall or receive a personal message from a friend enticing you to click a link to watch a shocking video or read an unbelievable story. You click on the link and are asked whether you are 18 or are told you must agree to certain conditions. When you agree, you are actually allowing scammers access to your account or computer. Sometimes the link includes a computer virus or other malware.
Viral Wall Post
This also involves provocative messages enticing readers to click a link. However, the end result is that the post you fell victim to is posted to your wall for your friends to see and proliferate.

In addition to reporting any such scams to Facebook Security’s new email address, BBB offers the following tips to stay safe on social media sites:

    • Be extremely wary of messages from friends or strangers that direct the user to another website via a hyperlink.
    • Before wiring money to a friend in a jam, users should attempt to contact their friend outside of the social networking site, such as over the phone or via e-mail to confirm the situation. If that’s not possible, BBB recommends asking them a question that only they would know the answer to.
    • Users should always make sure their computer’s operating system and antivirus and firewall software are up to date.
    • Social networking sites are about sharing information, but BBB recommends that users take steps to keep important information private, espeically details like contact information, vacation dates and other information scammers can use to trick you, your family or friends.
    • Be selective when choosing friends. While a user might not want to be rude, BBB recommends that it’s best to decline a request for friendship if the user doesn’t actually know the person.

For more tips and information, visit Watch Your Buck, the local blog for BBB Serving Central, Coastal, Southwest Texas and the Permian Basin.

DSEF and Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) fosters honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers—instilling consumer confidence and advancing a trustworthy marketplace for all.

About the Better Business Bureaus
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews® and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visitwww.bbb.org/us for more information.

DSEF & CBBB: “Truth in Advertising FAQs: Did You Know…?”

DSEF & CBBB: “Truth in Advertising FAQs: Did You Know…?”

By Marjorie Stephens

The BBB’s Code of Advertising was created to be a helpful guide for advertisers but also is very useful to consumers.  It
can help in understanding whether an advertisement is misleading and what stipulations should be met.  Should you see or hear an advertisement that you might question, please bring it to a local BBB’s attention so we can check into it further.  Here are some questions below to test your knowledge of advertising Do’s and Don’ts:

  1. If an advertised product is marked as “free”, is it or isn’t it acceptable to use an asterisk(*) to refer to conditions in the fine print below that must be met, to receive the “free” product?  According to the BBB Code, an “advertiser must disclose this condition clearly and conspicuously together with the “free” offer (not by placing an asterisk or symbol next to “free” and referring to the condition(s) in a footnote”.
  2. True or false?  When ordering products online, do sellers need to include the cost of postage, tax, shipping and handling, installation, and other fees?  “Whenever a price is mentioned in advertising, any extra charges should also be disclosed in immediate conjunction with the price, (e.g. delivery, installation, assembly, excise tax, postage and handling).”
  3.  Is it an advertising offense to place an ad in the paper, where a computer or other product is marked way down and to not have the product available?  If the product is intentionally unavailable by the seller, is it a good business practice to promote another more expensive product?  Obviously, there are certain, very popular products that are impossible to keep on the shelves, and it is next to impossible to keep up with the demand.  However, a business may promote a product because they know it is a draw for consumers and not have it in stock, with the intention of up selling a different product.  Since the consumer is already in the store, time is of essence and rather than taking the time to look for this product at another store at the marked down price, a consumer may opt to just buy the higher-priced product. This tactic is known as “bait and switch” and is a big no-no.
  4. “An advertiser should have on hand a sufficient quantity of advertised merchandise to meet reasonably anticipated demands, unless the ad discloses the number of items available or state ‘while supplies last.’ If items are available only at certain branches, their specific locations should be disclosed.  The use of ‘rain checks’ is no justification for inadequate estimates of reasonably anticipated demand.”
  5. If “easy credit” is offered at a used car business for those, who have bad credit or no credit, is it acceptable to charge higher interest fees?  No, it is not acceptable to charge higher fees.  The fee schedule and down payment should be the same as for someone with good credit.  Phrasing such as “no credit rejected” should be avoided, unless absolutely true.  There are definitely consumers, who cannot and will not honor a credit agreement, no matter how good their intentions.
  6.  If a warranty is offered on a product or service, must a business disclose the terms of the offer in writing?  “When the term ‘warranty’ (or ‘guarantee’) is used in product advertising, the following disclosure should be made clearly and prominently: a statement that the complete details of the warranty can be seen at the advertiser’s store prior to sale or in the case of mail or telephone order sales are available free on written request.” 
  7. Is it okay for a company to say, “We’re the best!” or “Our product is the best!” in their advertising?  Claims of superiority should be objective, measurable against an accepted, industry standard or “performance values of a product or service”.  Substantiation should be provided for the claim and should disclose negative as well as positive details.  Subjective claims, personal opinions, etc. should be avoided. 
  8. What credentials are required for a person to endorse a product or service in an ad?  Can anyone do it?  It is recommended that an endorsement is genuine and is quoted in its entirety so misleading information is not given.  An endorser should be qualified in a certain area of expertise.  For instance, it doesn’t make sense for a world champion boxer to give an expert medical opinion on a new medication, just released for use by the FDA.
  9. An ad for a new diet product says that you can lose hundreds of pounds and that it is doctor recommended.  Does this meet the BBB’s Advertising Code?  Ad claims with results such as this should be “based on recent and competent scientific, engineering or other objective data”. 
  10. A retailer has been selling laptop notebooks like crazy and decides to increase the “sale” price of it in an ad?  Is this an acceptable practice?  Sale may only be used in advertising, if there is a significant reduction from the advertiser’s usual and customary price of the merchandise offered and the sale is for a limited period of time.  If the sale exceeds thirty days, advertisers should be prepared to substantiate that the offering is indeed a valid reduction and has not become their regular price.”
  11. If a car dealer sells a car “As Is”, is he or she responsible for telling the consumer about any problems with the car?  The car dealer does not have to disclose any problems with the car.  It is up to the consumer to have the car physically inspected by a reputable car mechanic, prior to agreeing to purchase the vehicle.  Should any problems arise, once the vehicle is purchased, it is the consumer’s responsibility to have them fixed. 

For further questions regarding the BBB Code of Advertising, visit us online atwww.bbb.org/us/code-of-advertising. For any concerns with advertisements that you may see on the internet, TV, billboard or hear on the radio, please contact your localBetter Business Bureau.