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DSEF & CBBB: Facebook to Start Charging for New Profile Changes?

DSEF & CBBB: Facebook to Start Charging for New Profile Changes?

Facebook to Start Charging for New Profile Changes?

Will Facebook start charging due to the new profile changes? The answer is NO!

There’s a chain letter spreading through social media saying that Facebook will begin charging due to the new profile changes. It’s false.

It says:

IT IS OFFICIAL. IT WAS EVEN ON THE NEWS. FACEBOOK WILL START CHARGING DUE TO THE NEW PROFILE CHANGES. IF YOU COPY THIS ON YOUR WALL YOUR ICON WILL TURN BLUE AND FACEBOOK WILL BE FREE FOR YOU. PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ON, IF NOT YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED IF YOU DO NOT PAY

 

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.

 

 

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DSEF & CBBB: Should I Buy Medication Online?

DSEF & CBBB: Should I Buy Medication Online?

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)

Should I Buy Medication Online?

– DECEMBER 13, 2011 POSTED IN: HEALTH CARE SERVICES, NATIONAL

You gotta love spam. Or maybe not. Either way, an unsolicited email from “CANAD1AN-DRUGSTORE” caught my eye this morning. It promised me “80% OFF CIAL1S-V1AGRA-LEV1TRA.”

Hmmm. I need two bottles of insulin about every three weeks in order to live. Not to mention test strips, syringes, ketone kits, emergency blood sugar tablets and other supplies. These items are very expensive. Worse than a $5 a day coffee habit. Eighty percent off would be fantastic. But…

But me being me, I’m a little leery. Here’s what the U.S. Food and Drug Administrationhas to say about buying medications online:

Good points

  • It’s easier to get products. This is helpful if you can’t leave your home or live far from a drug store.
  • You can check many different sites to check out products and prices.
  • You can ask a pharmacist questions in private.

Dangers

Some web sites:

  • May not know the cause of your health problem. They could also give you the wrong medicine for your illness.
  • Some sites will sell you prescription drugs even if you don’t have a prescription. This is against the law.
  • Don’t protect your private information, like your credit card number.

Some medicines sold online:

  • Are fake
  • Have things in them that are could hurt you
  • Are too strong or too weak
  • Are too old to work
  • Aren’t approved by the FDA
  • Aren’t made using safe standards
  • Aren’t safe to use with other meds or products you use
  • Aren’t labeled
  • Aren’t stored or shipped the right way

How can I buy online safely?

  • There is a program that makes sure online drug stores are legal and honest. It is called the VIPPS (Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site). Websites can choose to apply or not to apply to use the VIPPS seal. Before using a website, check for the VIPPS seal.
  • Don’t buy from sites that sell:
    • Prescription drugs even if you don’t have a prescription.
    • Products that are not approved by FDA.
  • Use sites that have a pharmacist to answer your questions online. Only buy from sites based in the US. It’s against the law to buy prescription drugs from other countries. It could also be unsafe.
  • Go to your doctor or clinic before using any medicine for the first time.
  • For more information, you can contact the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, which works with the FDA to ensure drug safety, or the FDA athttp://www.fda.gov/default.htm or 1-888-INFO-FDA.

If I do decide to try to buy diabetic supplies online, it won’t be by clicking on an unsolicited email with suspect spelling, that’s for sure.

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.

 

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DSEF & FTC: Thinking about Layaway? Know the Fees Before You Shop

DSEF & FTC: Thinking about Layaway? Know the Fees Before You Shop

Today’s highlighted blog post from FTC/NCPW:

Thinking about Layaway? Know the Fees Before You Shop

November 17th, 2011 by Lisa

As Black Friday draws near, thoughts turn to holiday shopping, and how to get the items you want for a price you can afford.  If you choose to buy using layaway, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, has a few holiday tips for you:

  • First, get all the details about the retailer’s layaway plan in writing before you shop.  Look for the terms of the plan — including the time you have to pay for your items, the store’s refund policy for layaway items, minimum payments, and layaway charges or other fees.
  • Second, it’s useful to compare the costs of using layaway versus using credit.  Add up the total amount in fees you will pay at a specific store before you get your item(s) out of layaway.  Then, if you have a credit card, determine how much money in interest you would pay if you charged the same item(s).
  • Third, be sure to check out the store, including online retailers, before you shop there at all. Your state Attorney General’s Office (www.naag.org), local consumer protection agency (www.consumeraction.gov), and your local Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) can tell you if consumers have filed complaints against the retailer or online service.

Before you hit the stores, take a look at the FTC’s consumer alert on layaway plans.  Also, if a store fails to disclose important terms of its layaway plan, it may be breaking the law.  If a retailer hasn’t explained its layaway terms, or has otherwise misled you about them, file a complaint with the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).

For 13 years, the DSEF has been proud to partner with the FTC and other organizations to offer a wide array of education events and resources that encourage consumers nationwide to take full advantage of their rights and make better-informed decisions.

You’ll find a wealth of resources at www.ncpw.gov that will help you protect your privacy, manage your money, learn more about credit and debt, decipher advertising messages, and steer clear of fraud and scams.

Please take a moment to share the resources on this Web site with others in your communities and companies and, together, we’ll help build a nation of better-informed and educated consumers.

Charles. L. Orr
Executive Director

Direct Selling Education Foundation

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DSEF & CBBB: Facebook Lottery Scam

DSEF & CBBB: Facebook Lottery Scam

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)

Facebook Lottery Scam

BBB has received reports recently about an email scam involving Facebook.  The email purports to be directly from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and says you’re the winner of a million-dollar Facebook sweepstakes.  The email is a scam and it’s suspected that it’s being used to deliver malware onto consumers’ computers.  As a result, BBB warns anyone who receives it to avoid clicking any links and to delete the email immediately. 

Aside from the use of Facebook to draw consumers in, the email scam carries with it many common red flags: consumers are being emailed out of the blue, they’re being asked to click on suspect links in order to “claim a prize,” and there’s often an explicit demand for confidentiality, as well.

Should you receive an email like this, you can report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

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.

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DSEF & CBBB: Can Google Find You?

DSEF & CBBB: Can Google Find You?

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)

Can Google Find You?

Here’s how to boost your Google Search Ranking in 2 easy steps.

A few months ago, I wrote about what Google+ was and wasn’t doing for small business owners. Here’s what it’s not doing: welcoming your social network marketing efforts with business profiles on the site. Here’s what it is doing: offering you an easy way to demonstrate your relevancy and increase your ranking.

It wasn’t long ago that we were all scrambling to add Facebook “like” or “recommend” buttons to main websites, blog posts, and product pages. You may very well have a half a dozen or more widgets allowing your fans to link to your pages via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Delicious, and other link sharing sites. Some link sharing sites have staying power, and others were temporary fads. Only time can reveal whether new sites will appeal to users.

So, why do you need a Google+ widget?

Because it’s Google, obviously. The same company on which you depend to summon up your link in response to relevant queries is offering you an opportunity to embed on any site an easy way for your customers to validate your page to Google.

Whether or not Google+ will succeed is still to be seen. There’s no sense in going ‘all in’ just yet, in the same way that you wouldn’t invest everything to base your entire business on HP Touchpads. But a small, inexpensive, and simple campaign based on Google+ can improve your local search results and drive traffic—virtual or physical—to your site.

A few easy steps:

* Create a profile on Google Places

* Identify customers with Google accounts—those using gmail addresses

* Create an email campaign asking for online reviews on Google Places

* Embed code allowing customers to easily give you plusses on Google+

* Ask customers to share your Google+ badge

Google has recently made public their intentions to help every business get online. They have been unrolling the program slowly, overseas, and beginning in the US in the state of Texas. Google wants to support small business owners online; this much is clear. So don’t worry about the latest fad. Instead, just make these two sensible changes. Get on Google Places, if you’re not already, and get your Google+ badge so you can claim your piece of Internet real estate and start collecting plusses.

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.

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Are You a Spammer? Tips to Better Email Marketing

Are You a Spammer? Tips to Better Email Marketing

Are you a spammer?

We all hate spammers. But what’s worse is having your friends and family think you’re a spammer. So, before you get caught up in all the excitement of your new business and the great idea of sending out a mass email to everyone you know about your new business, Stop! Ask yourself: “Is this spam?”

What spammers do:

  • Send emails to people they don’t know and/or don’t know well
  • Send emails to people who have not asked for the information
  • Send emails to lists of people (unless those people signed up for the list or have already done business with you)
  • Send emails with misleading content and subject lines
  • Send emails with no unsubscribe information

Here are ways to avoid being a spammer:

  • Send emails to subscribers only
  • Send emails one to one
  • Send emails with a working unsubscribe button/link
  • Send emails with truthful and appropriate content

Tips for better email marketing:

  1. Emails connected to current events and popular themes get better responses
  2. Use Facebook and Twitter to find subscribers
  3. Make sure that your emails are relevant to your prospects
  4. Offer promotions for becoming a subscriber
  5. Maximize your email message for mobile devices

If you find yourself in the awkward position of being known as a spammer by some, you should apologize to them. Having a successful business involves risk taking and sometimes an idea can misfire. When that happens you have to come clean, apologize, fix the problem and learn from your mistake.

Have you used email marketing? How did you respond to a mistake you made in business? We would love to hear from you in the comments.

Image credit: pandemia

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DSEF & CBBB: Should I Put My Social Security Number on a Job Application?

DSEF & CBBB: Should I Put My Social Security Number on a Job Application?

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)

Should I Put My Social Security Number on a Job Application?

You’ve been laid off. Your full-time job now is looking for a full-time job. Naturally, you turn to the Internet.

Wow, there’s something in your field on Craigslist. It’s recent. The salary looks good. All you have to do is email them…and provide your social security number.

WAIT.

 

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.

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DSEF & FTC Consumer Resources: Hang Up On Credit Card Interest Reduction Offers

DSEF & FTC Consumer Resources: Hang Up On Credit Card Interest Reduction Offers

Today’s highlighted blog post from FTC:

Hang Up On Credit Card Interest Reduction Offers

You just got home from work and sit down to read the mail. There they are, like clockwork – your credit card bills. You look at the balances and then the finance charges and think, there’s got to be a way to cut the interest rates – especially since you carry a balance most months. You check your phone messages and, low and behold, there’s one from a company that claims it can negotiate better rates on your credit cards.

 

For 13 years, the DSEF has been proud to partner with the FTC and other organizations to offer a wide array of education events and resources that encourage consumers nationwide to take full advantage of their rights and make better-informed decisions.

You’ll find a wealth of resources at www.ncpw.gov that will help you protect your privacy, manage your money, learn more about credit and debt, decipher advertising messages, and steer clear of fraud and scams.

Please take a moment to share the resources on this Web site with others in your communities and companies and, together, we’ll help build a nation of better-informed and educated consumers.

Charles. L. Orr
Executive Director

Direct Selling Education Foundation

 

Blog

DSEF & CBBB How Responsible Are You?

DSEF & CBBB How Responsible Are You?

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)

How Responsible Are You?

Many years ago, when I was growing up, my dad told me: “A man is only as good as his word.” (My dad is one of these old-fashioned Idaho guys who says “man” when he means “person.” But I got the message.) I didn’t get it from what he said though.

 

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.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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DSEF & CBBB Facebook Adds Virus Protection

DSEF & CBBB Facebook Adds Virus Protection

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB):

Facebook Adds Virus Protection

 

Facebook has announced it will now check outgoing links for viruses, reports The Next Web.

Viruses, phishing attempts and Trojans have become increasingly prevalent on Facebook. People often fall prey by clicking on links on the social network itself or on their walls, which in turn posts to their own wall for others to click.

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 Academic Engagement

Complete a brief survey to help us identify academic or university connections companywide.

This survey will help us learn more about:

  • The various partnerships each department has with a professor, college or university.
  • The existing connections that our employees may have with a university.
  • How our team can better support or align with these relationships.

Please provide us with the following contact information:

Do you or your department have an ongoing professional partnership or personal relationship with a university, college professor, program or department?