BBB SOUTH PLAINS HOT TOPICS

News Media Release
BBB of the SOUTH PLAINS, INC.
Serving the South Plains of West Texas since 1954

3333 66^th St.
Lubbock TX 79413-5711

806.763.0459 · 1.800.687.7890 · 806.744.9748 fax

southplains.bbb.org

For Immediate Release

LATEST HOT TOPICS AT YOUR BBB

Lubbock, TX, May 8, 2008 – Spring is here and summer is coming! Things are already heating up at your Better Business Bureau. Here are some Hot Topics for businesses and consumers to be alerted to:

The only mystery when you shop these ads is where did your money go!?
Seems area residents are receiving checks in the mail to become secret shoppers. The victims are asked to deposit the check and send a portion of it back (sound familiar?) and many do just that! Of course the check is no good and they are out all the money they sent and any they spent. Many ads for secret shoppers or mystery shoppers appear in area newspapers and classified papers. BBB investigations have found the fraudulent companies located in Canada – with a drop box only.

Don’t let these companies pave their way into your pocketbook
Itinerant workers with “left over” paving materials are coming soon to a parking lot near you. These companies claim they are established in another part of the state, sometimes (falsely) claiming they are ‘affiliated’ with BBB. BBB works with local law enforcement to warn you these con artists will be hitting our area during the spring and summer poised and ready to rip you off. The targets? Local businesses and rural residents. The offer? A bargain price for “left over materials from a job just completed on a parking lot just up the street” OR “claims of being with the highway department and have left over materials with which we can pave your drive or road”. Check out any company that approaches you to do any repair work to your building or your residence with BBB first – Start With Trust®.

Extreme Fitness and Wellness left its members at their locked doors
Consumers that purchased a membership in this center have been abandoned with a contract and no place to exercise. Long story short – this company and its owner Shon Perez took monies for memberships then did not provide the promised equipment and the doors to the facility were locked by the landlord for not paying the rent. Had Mr. Perez and the company been licensed and bonded under the Texas Health Act, all the monies for memberships would’ve been escrowed. Any consumers that purchased a membership and have a complaint should file their complaint at www.bbb.org More information on Extreme Fitness is available at the link provided.

Selling products on the internet opens consumers & businesses up to the world of scams! Thinking about selling something on the internet via a “free” web site or using a service that sells for you on the internet? Be careful. Many consumers that have tried to sell products on the internet through free web sites have been subjected to scams that are nothing more than a money laundering scheme. BBB advises extreme caution. The scam works like this – consumer places their “classified” ad, receives an email of interest usually from someone that writes very poor English and uses bad grammar, after a couple of email contacts the seller receives an offer to buy and says they will have their check sent via their shipping company. The check arrives and is made out for thousands more than what the product is being sold for. Huge Red Flag! The check is bogus! On the other hand, if you hire someone like Sell it on Ebay to sell your product for you, make sure that you have a clear understanding of how the consignment contract works and how you are to be paid when your product sells. A BBB Reliability Report™ is available at www.bbb.org on Sell It On Ebay. Consumers that are considering starting an internet business such as on eBay might find the BBB Book, Starting an eBay Business helpful. Look for the link on our web site or look for it at your local book retailer.

Medicare Fraud Continues Despite Warnings
South Plains residents have been receiving numerous calls telling them Medicare will be issuing new cards and seeking to get personal bank information. BBB advises, JUST HANG UP! Medicare does not make these kinds of calls, and they already have your personal information. The scammer is on a phishing expedition and BBB ADVISES EXTREME CAUTION!

BBB can be reached 24/7 at 806.763.0459 or 1.800.687.7890 by phone; by email at: info@southplains.bbb.org; or visit us on the internet at www.southplains.bbb.org