the
News for Better Business Bureau Accredited Businesses
MarketMonitor
BBB Serving Greater Cleveland
◊
®
June 2014
New! BBB Bus Advertising
Service to the
Community
Grab this unique opportunity to advertise your company as a BBB Accredited Business
that can be trusted. This exclusive member benefit will place your full color logo on
BOTH sides of one of the BBB Buses traveling throughout Cuyahoga County. Your
cost of $450 per month covers advertising placement on one bus (both sides) and
all artwork charges.
Each of the two BBB branded buses will display only 4 Accredited Businesses,
once on each side. Both BBB buses will run from the suburbs to downtown on
varying routes -- one on the east side, the other on the west with an estimated
2,750,000 impressions each month.
Space is limited so reserve TODAY! Scheduling through June of 2015 on a First
Come, First Served basis. Don’t miss out on the months you want! No artwork
charges. Discounts for 6 or more months.
Greater Cleveland BBB
Activity Report From
January - May 2014
Reports issued on
companies/charities.................. 507,483
Customer complaints filed.............. 3,390
Online Accredited Business Directory
listings viewed......................... 3,818,082
bbb.org/cleveland visits...............515,551
Advertising review cases initiated....... 168
The Short List
For the lexophiles in our
audience:
6 Days/5 Nights in Hawaii for $119?
We Didn’t Buy It - Neither Should You
A thief who stole a calendar
got twelve months.
BBB received a fax in late May offering 6 day/5 night trips to Cancun, Jamaica or Hawaii for
$119. The price included our choice of a 4-5 star resort, meals, drinks, unlimited activities,
and free rooms for kids. But Wait! There’s More! If we were one of the first 100 to respond,
we also received an incredible 60% off our airfare!
A boiled egg is hard to
beat.
When you’ve seen one
shopping center you’ve
seen a mall.
All we had to do was call (855) 883-1867. The fax did not list the name of any company.
How could we pass this up? We called the number and were asked for our Reservation Code
(WinterFun2014). We were told there were packages still available for 2 or 4 people. When we
asked for the name of the company offering the trips, the call was abruptly ended - and not by
us.
The phone number listed on the fax is identified in BBB records with Express Vacations Center
(Express). Apparently, Express has issues with their phone service as many consumers have also
experienced disconnected calls when trying to find out why they never received their vacation
packages.
(continued on page 2)
INSIDE:
B2B Discounts for BBB Accredited Businesses
Local Woman Loses $6500 in Puppy Scam
Businesses Lose Accreditation
◊
New Directors
The guy who fell
onto an upholstery
machine is now fully
recovered.
No matter how
much you push the
envelope, it’ll still be
stationery.
To write with a broken
pencil is pointless.
June 2014
B2B Discounts for
BBB Accredited
Businesses
NEW! FedEx Shipping
Earn discounts up to
26% with FedEx on
shipping and office
services through
through the FedEx
Advantage discount
program. It’s free to
enroll. Simply go to:
advantagemember.
visionary.com/6920/
to sign up and enter
the passcode 39HF6R
(case sensitive).
Pre-Employment
Background Reports
Instant online criminal
checks for under $10
each. Other reports also
discounted. Monthly
fee waived (save $120 a
year!), $100 enrollment fee
waived. Call IntelliCorp at
(800) 539-3717.
6 Days/5 Nights - Continued From Front
An Arizona woman complained: “...when I did not receive my package within the 5-7 business
days I called over 18 times and was hung up on over and over.” And yet another from Cody
in California who paid $398 for his vacation: “Then I asked what time and days they would be
open (to book the trip) he said I was asking too many questions and started cursing at me saying
F*** Y** B**** and many other profanities. He then hung up on me and when I tried to call back
someone would pick up the phone then hang up. I called back a few more times and the same
thing happened. I figured I probably won’t get my money back as I can’t even reach customer
service since the number no longer works, it just rings and rings then an automated voice says
‘Now exiting system’ and hangs up. The only number that does work is the main line 855-8831867 and that will just get someone who will scream obscenities at you and hang up if you ask any
questions.”
Express Vacations Centers’ website, expressvacationscenter.com, was registered from Australia
in February, 2014. The BBB in Orlando issues a “D+” rating on the business and has received 7
complaints. At this time, BBB does not have a valid address for Express and, consequently, is unable
to pursue the complaints.
Well, so much for our dirt cheap vacation. If you get faxes at your office touting unbelievably low
prices for fabulous vacations, check it out with us. We will make sure you don’t get taken for a
ride.
BBB also offers these tips:
• Don’t be fooled by low cost or no cost vacation
offers. They typically fail to disclose all related
fees and have many restrictions.
Document Shredding - All
Ohio Secure Shred will shred
documents on site for $25/
month for one container. Also,
one-time bulk purge for 10 cents/
lb. $50 minimum. Call (330)
659-0840 or (888) 747-3394.
• Obtain all company information. Avoid travel
offers received in the mail, over the phone, fax,
email, or at a presentation that do not disclose
the company’s name, location, and contacts.
• Get everything in writing before providing
any payment. If you attend a presentation
for a timeshare or travel club, make
sure all verbal promises are provided in
writing. Review all terms and conditions
carefully before making a decision.
Phone Service - Easton Telecom
- Rates ranging from 2.5¢ - 3.5¢/
minute for long distance calls, tollfree lines as low as 1.79¢/minute.
5% discount off most retail services.
Contact Jim Butler at (800) 222-8122.
Payroll Service - Heartland Payroll Co.
- Savings of as much as 50% on payroll
fees. Call Brian Nelson at (440) 3715245.
Some member discount programs
generate revenue which BBB reinvests
into the organization’s operations.
• Go to bbb.org to check out the
business.
• Read the fine print. Make sure you
understand all terms and conditions
of a travel offer as well as any
cancellation and refund policies.
The travel fax that was sent to the BBB office.
Are You Reading This?
So are the nearly 3,000 other BBB Accredited
Businesses that receive the Market Monitor delivered
directly to their mailboxes every other month. Your
BBB is offering you an opportunity to advertise to
your peers through a full color insert in the well-read
Market Monitor. You can choose a half page ($200), a
full page ($350), or both sides of a full page ($600).
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to reach your fellow
BBB Accredited Businesses and their employees. Space is limited. Reserve today!
Follow Us On:
Local Woman Loses $6500 to Puppy Scam
Jessica was planning to surprise her husband with an English Bulldog puppy, but
the surprise was on her. Jessica responded to a Facebook offer from a woman
who was moving and was willing to give the puppy to someone - free of cost.
English Bulldog puppies can sell for several thousand dollars which makes the
offer of a free puppy even more tempting.
All Jessica needed to do to get her puppy was pay for the shipping. That’s
where the scam began. The shipping service required payment in advance
and kept adding on charges. Before she realized she had been conned, Jessica
gave the shipping service nearly $6,500.
Puppy scams abound online where scammers can easily post pictures of
adorable doggies available at little or no cost. As in Jessica’s case, the
“breeder” or owner of the dog only communicates by email, text or electronic
messaging - seldom by phone. Payment must be made by wire transfer,
Green Dot MoneyPak card, or other form of electronic payment that is virtually
untraceable. Buyers are hit up for shipping fees, crate fees, vet bills and assorted
expenses which must be paid before the pet is delivered.
BBB offers the following tips to avoid scams when you’re looking to buy a pet:
• Beware of ads with multiple misspellings and grammatical errors;
many pet scams come from overseas and scammers often do not
have a firm grasp on the English language.
• Do not send or wire money to people you do not know.
•
If purchasing a pedigreed pet, be sure the breeder provides
documentation of the parents’ registration with the appropriate
kennel club. This ensures that the pet is in fact a legitimate purebred animal. It is then your responsibility to register your pet with
the appropriate kennel club.
As for Jessica, she never received her puppy and has not recovered her money.
Local Businesses Lose Accreditation
BBB Welcomes
New Directors!
Kristopher Toth
is President and
Founder of Toth
Painting Solutions,
a professional painting
service company. Kris
is currently President
Elect of NARI and
on the Board of
Directors at the
Brecksville Chamber
of Commerce. He
was the 2012 NARI Member of the year
and 2013 NARI Board Member Rookie of
the year. He enjoys gardening, music,
and golfing.
Ella Hochstetler
is a Manager of
Customer Service
Operations at
Dominion East
Ohio Gas. She
is a member
of the
National
Association
of Credit Management. Ella is
a treasurer for Cub Scout Pack
3401 and a Fundraising chair
for Grizzly Fast Pitch. In her
free time, she enjoys boating
and reading.
At its February 14th meeting, the Accreditation Committee of the BBB Board of
Directors voted to revoke the BBB accreditation of the following businesses:
Billy Bomb Squad Pest Control of Cleveland lost its BBB accreditation
for failure to maintain a required Pest Control License with the Ohio State
Department of Agriculture.
Hogg Heating and Cooling, Inc., a Parma business, was revoked for failure to resolve two
customer complaints. The business also failed to obtain a required HVAC license with the Ohio
Construction Industry Licensing Board.
Titan Cement Co., Inc., located in Cleveland, neglected to satisfy a judgment awarded to a
customer in Small Claims Court. BBB Accreditation Standards contain an “integrity’ standard
that obligates accredited businesses to pay court ordered judgments.
Lifeline Home Health Services had its accreditation revoked after BBB received complaints
from employees who had not been paid and had not received W-2 forms, thereby violating the
integrity standard. This Cleveland business did not respond to repeated BBB inquiries.
Municipal Services of America Corporation did not resolve two complaints brought to its
attention. This Willoughby Hills business also failed to arbitrate one of the complaints when
BBB determined this step was necessary to resolve the dispute.
Sign Up For Free
BBB Scam Alerts!
Text SCAM
to 24587
There is
no fee to
sign up for
BBB Scam
Alerts,
but your
carrier’s text
messaging
rates do apply.
®
The Market Monitor
Periodicals Postage Paid
Better Business Bureau
2800 Euclid Ave., 4th Fl.
Cleveland, OH 44115-2408
The Market Monitor (ISSN 1085-5122). June 2014. Volume 9 No. 3. Published bimonthly in February, April, June, August, October and December by the Better Business Bureau, Inc. 2800 Euclid Ave., 4th Floor, Cleveland, OH
44115-2408, Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Market Monitor, 2800 Euclid Ave., 4th Fl, Cleveland, OH 44115-2408.
June 2014
Are You Making The Most of Your BBB Accreditation?
These two members-only programs will help grow your business for FREE!
Enhance Your Business
With This Free App!
This BBB branded program
delivers motivated customers
right into your hands, literally!
Using a geolocating app loaded
on your smart phone, you can
receive a request for service from
nearby consumers in need.
If you haven’t registered for BBBASAP yet – the
process is easy. Simply log into your AB login
page and select BBBASAP from the list on the
left, or visit the BBBASAP page on our website,
BBBASAP.com. Have questions? Call Brigid at
216-623-8964 x206.
Improve your business in just 30 minutes
with BBB Flash Webinars!
You and your employees are invited to tune in to these FREE, 25-30
minute webinars that get straight to the point and cover important details
about topics that concern all of our Accredited Businesses. So grab your
computer and let your BBB advance your business while you enjoy your
morning coffee!
Interested in presenting a BBB Flash Webinar? Have questions? Contact
Brigid at 216-623-8964 x206 or brigid@cleveland.bbb.org.
“I wanted to thank you for putting on the seminar, it was entertaining and
educational. I enjoyed it and look forward to the next one.”
- Spencer Weeks, Owner - MetroPet Veterinary Clinic
Upcoming BBB Flash Webinars
June 26th - “The Pros & Cons of Social Media” - What to share on the scoreboard and what to keep under your hat.
Jim Drozdowski, Vice President and General Counsel for North Coast Container Corporation will discuss the do’s and
dont’s regarding Social Media
July 17th - “Marketing 101: Who Are You?” presented by Greg Rosenberg, Business Communications Solutions