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04/15/11:  THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES AND BBB MILITARY LINE JOIN TO BRING FINANCIAL LITERACY TO MILITARY FAMILIES
  As part of First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden’s “Joining Forces" initiative, McGraw-Hill (NYSE: MHP) and Better Business Bureau are joining together to develop and deliver expanded financial literacy and consumer protection programs to mili...
   
06/11/09:  Telephone Scammers Claiming to Represent Deaf/Mute Consumers Targeting Area Businesses
  BBB Warns Auto Repair Shope to Beware
   
04/23/09:  BBB Receives More than 1,200 Complaints and Reports Against Extended Auto Warranty Company and NASCAR Sponsor US Fidelis
  Consumers across the United States are alleging that Wentzville, MO-based US Fidelis, a company touting itself as "America's leading provider of extended auto warranties," pressured them into buying expensive and unnecessary vehicle service contracts...
   
07/23/08:  Is Water For Gas the Answer to High Gas Prices?
  With gas and diesel prices at record highs and vehicle owners irate about not only those, but also prices of all sorts of goods and services ...
   
07/23/08:  In Retrospect, Prevention Might Have Been More Profitable
  On November 30, back in 2005, Christopher Civitello filed suit against First Credit of America, a collection agency that had originally ...
   
07/23/08:  Whatever its Mask, Here's a Plan that Guarantees to Gouge
  At a time when health care costs are soaring and so are the costs of health insurance...
   
07/23/08:  Kim's Catch of the Day: MedAesthetica Medical Group, Inc.
  Here's the catch: MedAesthetica performs LipoZap procedures on clients seeking to shed body bulges. At least some who undergo one...
   
06/30/08:  Tri Education Offers Triple Double
  If customer complaints are any indication, the offerings of a trio of tax education companies are absent the education...
   
06/30/08:  PONZI SCHEME DEFENDANT SENTENCED
  Some 1,600 people who altogether lost millions of dollars to a Ponzi scheme carried out by John Heath, his son Daniel, and two others...
   
06/30/08:  KIM'S CATCH OF THE DAY: ORCO FIRE PROTECTION
  Here's the catch: Orco's fire equipment inspectors show up at businesses and use whatever smokescreen will get them a nod...
   
03/25/08:  KIM'S CATCH OF THE DAY: HAPPY CAMPER
  Here's the catch: Families head for Happy Camper to rent the recreational vehicle that's going to take them along the highway to heavenly vacation points. But broken items, blowouts...
   
03/25/08:  THE TAXING PART OF TAX RELIEF
  No one really likes paying taxes, but if it's a choice between life's two certainties, most of us would choose taxes over death. Nevertheless, those who have relied on American Tax Relief (ATR)...
   
01/24/08:  ASSET PROTECTION ASSOCIATION: HOW ADVERTISING CAN ENSNARE THE UNSUSPECTING
  Often what makes an ad deceptive or misleading are statements that sound truthful but are later...
   
01/24/08:  HERE ARE THE LATEST SPECIAL REPORTS
  Foreclosure Frauds and Fixes, report no. 24, informs you of the scams homeowners face when they are in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure. The report also discusses tax liability and gives some tips for those at risk of foreclosure.
Hi...
   
01/24/08:  NEW LAWS
  Here are two of the laws that became effective this month...
   
01/24/08:  KIM'S CATCH OF THE DAY: FIRST GOV
  Here's the catch: For homeowners in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure, First Gov may seem like a white knight charging in to save them. Homeowners scrape together the money to pay...
   
12/05/07:  The John Beck Journey -- From Beckon to Reckon
  John Beck's Amazing Profits Real Estate System is an amazingly good example of the get-rich-quick trap we often warn you about.
   
12/05/07:  Kim's Catch of the Day: EDebitPay
  Here's the catch: Those who need money badly enough to seek out a payday loan get, instead of the expected loan proceeds, a promise of a debit card and unexpected debits...
   
12/05/07:  Mazda Joins Auto Line
  Mazda is the Better Business Bureau's newest addition to its Auto Line program. Mazda owners may now bring disputes with the automobile
   
12/05/07:  Holiday Wishes
  As we approach the holiday season and the end of another year, we at the Better Business Bureau remember with appreciation the continued support of our members. We wish our readers and members a joy-filled holiday season and all the best in the comi...
   
09/27/07:  Customer Service at What Cost?
  Business owners take note: you can become liable for millions of dollars in damages for attempting to better serve your customers. Learn from...
   
09/27/07:  Bureau's Website to Include Customer Reviews
  The Better Business Bureau's website (www.santabarbara.bbb.org) now includes the opportunity for customers of all companies in its database to write and post a review...
   
09/27/07:  Mortgage Refinancer Offers Lifetime Mortgage Guarantee
  "I'm still trying to figure out how to keep it," says 34-year-old Cory Cates, talking about his house in Yucaipa. Cates is one of 54 homeowners...
   
09/27/07:  Kim's Catch of the Day: Check Processing Bureau
  Here's the catch: Consumers are caught off guard when they're confronted by a collection agency...
   
07/26/07:  Bureau Member Receives Double Recognition
  Bureau Member Five Star Counseling and Educational Services and its president, Elsa Salguero, Ph.D., have recently been honored by different agencies...
   
07/26/07:  Agreements to Arbitrate Must be Initialed
  Contractors who use the Better Business Bureau arbitration clause in their contracts must be certain that their clients initial in the space provided to indicate their assent or nonassent to arbitrate any dispute...
   
07/26/07:  Kim's Catch of the Day: Auto Lease Traders; National Auto Specialist
  Here's the catch: Auto lease companies offer to sublease vehicles for consumers who want to free themselves from lease payments, at least for a while, and who can get along without their car, at least for a while. But sooner or later...
   
07/26/07:  Owner's Vehicles Get Towed Away as Tow Truck Operators Get Carried Away
  It might be easier to accept the multitude of costs and inconveniences associated with having your car towed if you park alongside a red curb, in a loading zone, in front of a driveway, or in some other place where you know...
   
05/22/07:  UNLICENSED CONTRACTORS CONTINUE TO PLAGUE CONSUMERS
  We've written before about the damage unlicensed contractors can do not only to their customers but to other, licensed contractors. In some specialties, such as flooring and floor covering contractors
   
05/22/07:  DO YOU NEED THIS GOOD DEED DOER?
  Property owners in San Bernardino county may receive, at one time or another, as did Bureau President Bill Mitchell recently, a letter from California Record Retrieval, Inc., offering to provide them with a certified copy of the deed to...
   
05/22/07:  KIM'S CATCH OF THE DAY: LAWCROSSING.COM
  Here's the catch: LawCrossing.com, of Pasadena, posts job listings for the legal profession on its website. At least some of those who sign up and pay monthly to access the listings find no jobs, no accurate...
   
03/27/07:  Military Service to Get Defense Against Payday Lenders, But It's Slow in Coming
  The John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 became law this last October. One small section of this Act, Section 670 under "Subtitle F--Other Matters,"
   
03/27/07:  Kim's Catch of the Day: USN Television Group, Inc.
  Here's the catch: Attractive, affordable gemstone jewelry entices shoppers to buy through USN's TV auction or from its website. But some buyers learn that the gemstones they receive--if, indeed, they receive...
   
03/27/07:  Internet Sales Top 2006 Types of Businesses Complaints
  Retail sales of general merchandise over the Internet was the category that generated the highest number of complaints received by the Better Business Bureau in 2006.
   
01/23/07:  Cell Phone Use While Driving to be Restricted
  Legislation was enacted this last fall to prohibit the use of cell phones while driving unless some means of hands-free use, such as a...
   
01/23/07:  Kim's Catch of the Day: U.S. Postage Meter Center, Inc.
  Here's the catch: You know about yellow-page ad solicitors, toner phoners, and medical and chemical supplies outfits that fake or finagle orders for merchandise you don't want and hit you with mega charges...
   
11/21/06:  Good, Wholesome, G-Rated, But Risky
  Avalon Family Films, which produces G-rated films, is D-rated by the Better Business Bureau. It's not that we're against family or G-rated movies or that we disagree with Avalon's mission statement...
   
11/21/06:  Kim's Catch of the Day: DreamKicks.net
  Here's the catch: DreamKicks.net sells clothing--mostly shoes, or "kicks"--from their website. With brand names such as Nike, Adidas, Coach and Louis Vuitton advertised at prices of less than $100 per item, with free shipping worldwide and no other...
   
11/21/06:  Deceptive Checks Net Appellate Court Nays
  A U.S. Appeals Court has upheld a district court's grant of an injunction to the Federal Trade Commission and its determination of the proper amount of consumer redress.
   
09/21/06:  Is Cars 4 Causes Cause For Concern?
  In June 2003, the People of the State of California and the California Department of Motor Vehicles filed a lawsuit against Cars 4 Causes, which describes itself on its website as "The Charity That Gives...
   
09/21/06:  Dr. Phil's Advertising Episode
  Though he's expert at helping people resolve relationship problems, Dr. Phil clearly has something to learn about advertising issues.

The allegations of false advertising against the celebrity TV psychologist...

   
09/21/06:  Kim's Catch of the Day: Fine Art Treasures Gallery
  Here's the catch: Art fanciers are drawn to Fine Art Treasures Gallery's TV auction, where they can bid on artwork from easy chairs. Auctioneers pitch their products, but winning leaves bidders bitter...
   
07/31/06:  RETURNS AND EXCHANGES REVISITED
  In previous issues of the Business Link...
   
07/31/06:  COKE AND PEPSI SQUARE OFF OVER ADS -- AGAIN
  The cola kings, Coca-Cola and Pepsico, recently submitted another advertising claims...
   
07/31/06:  USED CAR BUYER'S BILL OF RIGHTS TAKES EFFECT
  With enactment of the Car Buyer's Bill of Rights, effect July 1, consumers have a few more legal rights...
   
05/26/06:  Where's Your Support For Policemen Support Fund?
  Policemen Support Fund is a good example of a charitable or soliciting organization that gets an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau despite our having no complaints on record for it.
   
05/23/06:  What's in a Name
  Do you find the name ACredit Protection Association@ (CPA) threatening? Whether or not you do can depend upon your perspective.
   
05/23/06:  How Safe is Buying Through Ebay?
  According to newspaper reports, that venerated jewelry seller Tiffany & Co. is suing eBay for "facilitating the trade of counterfeit Tiffany items" on eBay's web auction site.
   
05/23/06:  Kim's Catch of the Day: Ehostpro
  Here's the catch: Customers respond to EHostPros' invitations to affordable web hosting with no setup fee.
   
03/17/06:  Onix Electronics Delivers Barrages of Mirages
  If the alchemists of yore sought, though unsuccessfully, to transform base metals into gold, Onix Electronics seems to have struck a vein performing somewhat the reverse: it makes e-gold payments from customers disappear altogether.
   
03/17/06:  What's the Good Word?
  Consumers whose complaints were resolved through the Better Business Bureau write:
   
03/17/06:  Bureau Announces 2005 Pluto Awards Recipients
  The Better Business Bureau of the Southland has announced the 10 southland businesses chosen to receive its not-so-coveted annual Pluto Awards.
   
01/11/06:  2006 Legislative Highlights
  Here are highlights of some of the legislative changes effective in January 2006
   
01/11/06:  Kim's Catch of the Day: myfreemedicine.com
  Here's the catch: Almost anyone can qualify for free medicine
   
01/11/06:  Workers' Comp Covers Both Legally and Illegally Employed
  Employers: if you employ illegal aliens--even if you think their employment with you is legal--be aware...
   
01/11/06:  Survey Says Bureau Membership Valuable to Businesses
  A 2004 survey by Princeton Survey Research Associates reveals that 89 percent of business leaders...
   
11/17/05:  OCEANCITY WORLDWIDE'S GAS SAVERS FUEL BUYERS' IRE
  If there's any one topic that's close to the top of everyone's list of attention-getters, it's probably the price of gasoline. That topic has probably retained its position on the list for some months now, as we've seen the price per gallon soar. And...
   
11/17/05:  KIM'S CATCH OF THE DAY: XKR ESSEX, INC.
  Here's the catch: Online clients pay XKR to file paperwork for fictitious business names and to obtain licenses and other business start-up requirements for them. But after they've paid, clients wait, may eventually do the work themselves, and fina...
   
11/17/05:  IF IT'S A NEW SIN TAX, THERE'S A LOOPHOLE
  A restaurant patron recently emailed the Bureau asking if we could explain the "liquor tax" on her dinner check. She hadn't been charged tax on liquor purchased at the restaurant's bar and wondered just what the rules for charging the tax are.
   
10/12/05:  BBB Launches New Reporting System
  The Better Business Bureau of the Tri-Counties is the third BBB in the nation selected to test a substantially revised reporting system. Our new reporting system responds to national surveys of consumers and businesses that found users of BBB report...
   
09/25/05:  RAINDROPS ARE FALLING ON MY HEAD
  If raindrops are falling on your head because of this year?s monsoon rains, you?re not alone. Recent rains have prompted many residents to call the BBB in search of a reputable roofing contractor.
   
09/25/05:  Click-to-Check Icon Gets New Look
  Members whose website gives visitors the opportunity to click to check their reliability report with the Better Business Bureau...
   
07/01/05:  Resolving The Arbitration Dispute
  When was the last time you read the fine print in your agreement with your credit card issuer?
   
07/01/05:  Kim's Catch of the Day: NSBA
  Small businesses welcome the services National Small Business Alliance offers them. They agree to bank account debits so they can get loans, lines of credit, and more.
   
07/01/05:  Ad Review: Your Travel Biz
  One of the BBB's most recent reviews was of the advertising of Your Travel Biz, also known as yourtravelbiznet.com and YTB Net.com, as well as various other names of individuals who are representatives of the company.
   
05/01/05:  Bureau to Arbitrate Ford Disputes
  Ford Motor Company has contracted with Better Business Bureaus to arbitrate disputes arising from
   
05/01/05:  Spring Wise Giving Guide Now Available
  The latest quarterly issue of the Wise Giving Guide is available. This issue contains in-depth information about charity auctions, in which you can participate in person, online, or both.
   
05/01/05:  Fox Rent A Car Deals
  What the quick brown fox jumps over is not necessarily a dog and not necessarily lazy.
   
05/01/05:  Kim's Catch of the Day: EZ Quit
  EZ Quit advertises a stop-smoking aid free and guaranteed. What is free are the dollars you'll be free of
   
03/01/05:  Music Promoter Strikes Sour Notes
  Ronald Turner thought he had what it took to go somewhere in the music world. The 59-year-old FAA computer technician worked nights and weekends for two-and-a-half years writing and recording...
   
03/01/05:  Kim's Catch of the Day: Together
  Clients pay no small fee to Together's matchmakers to meet someone that matches their criteria for a partner. But the clients find they're as incompatible...
   
03/01/05:  Checks for Charities
  What's the easiest way to contribute to a charitable cause? Hand over cash and get a receipt for it? Use a credit card? Write a check?
   
01/01/05:  Annual Free Credit Report
  Residents of western states may now request a free copy of their credit report. The recently revised Fair Credit Reporting Act provides for free annual reports,...
   
01/01/05:  Retailers' New Policies Strong-arm Refund
  Merchants are shaking their fists and putting their collective foot down to return and exchangeaholics, but by their efforts to stamp them out,...
   
01/01/05:  Corporate Compliance Recorder
  Corporate Compliance Recorder has been the subject of 14 complaints in 2004. None of the complainants lost any money, and CCR has responded to 75 percent of the complaints, so why do we give it failing marks...
   
01/01/05:  President's Message 2005
  As you read this, all of the year-end and New Year's holidays will have passed. Until we near the end of 2005...
   
01/01/05:  Kim's Catch of the Day: Buyer's Union
  Customers pay Buyer's Union a pittance for gas and other coupons. Then they learn that the price is not so puny and that they've been trapped by the telemarketer.
   
11/01/04:  Kim's Catch of the Day: Teleten Marketing
  Mortgage lenders pay for leads, but the leads they receive lead to dead ends and their recovery attempts lead nowhere. The only real lead Teleten provides, it seems, is to lead them on.
   
11/01/04:  Yellow Pages' New Bait Hooks Unwary
  Yellow Pages companies have long enriched themselves by mailing statements that appear to be invoices but are really only solicitations for yellow-page ads.
   
11/01/04:  Holiday Greetings
  As we near the end of 2004, we at the Better Business Bureau of the Southland wish you the very best for the holiday season and the coming new year.
   
11/01/04:  FTC Enlists Bureau Assistance To Halt Ripoffs of Hispanics
  The Federal Trade Commission has obtained a preliminary injunction against Estaban Barrios Vega and the various names under which he has offered work-at-home schemes that victimized Hispanic people.
   
09/01/04:  Recent Court Decisions
  Here are some recent court decisions that may be of interest to you.
   
09/01/04:  The Immigrant Education Extortion Racket
  Maybe it seems like a warm welcome to Hispanic immigrants when FGH International calls to tell them that the U.S. government wants to foot most of the bill for them to learn English or how to do automotive repairs.
   
09/01/04:  Kim's Catch of the Day: Utilities Systems/Rates Auditing
  With utilities costs more energetic than a live wire, small businesses look for ways to rein them in.
   
09/01/04:  'Girls Gone Wild' Purchasers To Get Refund
  Customers who ordered "Girls Gone Wild" videos [Business Link May 2003, July 2003] and later discovered that they had unwittingly enrolled in a negative option program.
   
07/01/04:  Here Are The Latest Special Topics
  Three new Topics of Interest.
   
07/01/04:  What About That Great Buy In The Sky?
  Would you like to swing on a star? Carry moonbeams home in a jar? Maybe you can't quite do either, but entrepreneurs are making it easier to come closer or perhaps to reach something better.
   
07/01/04:  National Consumer Council Shows Its Dark Side
  A negative Better Business Bureau reliability report can inspire outrage when it strikes a nerve as it hits the bulls-eye in our aim for truth and accuracy.
   
05/01/04:  Requests For Personal Information: Don't Take The Bait
  The Wall Street Journal reports that identity thieves are using email to trick you into divulging personal and financial information.
   
05/01/04:  A Solution To The Affordable Health Care Problem
  At a glance it would seem that success in what Congress, presidents, AARP, and others have failed dismally to accomplish so far is summed up in about 16 words that precede a toll-free number.
   
05/01/04:  Kim's Catch of the Day: eSubmitFactory.com
  eSubmitFactory.com's website offers work at home, supposedly for enviable paychecks.
   
04/01/04:  Spring Wise Giving Guide Now Available
  The latest quarterly issue of the Wise Giving Guide is available.
   
03/01/04:  Regulators to Tame 'Girls Gone Wild'
  U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission, filed a complaint against Mantra Films, Inc.
   
03/01/04:  Gas Shutoff Knowhow Is Critical But Easy To Learn
  Better Business Bureau member Les Saffil asks us to refer our readers to the Los Angeles Fire Department's web page.
   
03/01/04:  Kim's Catch of the Day: Millennium Signing & Express Services
  Millennium Signing & Express Services solicits notaries public to perform services for them as independent contractors. Once the work is done, the payment never arrives-at least, so it seems-in this millennium.
   
03/01/04:  New Business Arbitration Clause
  The Better Business Bureau's Uniform Rules for Binding Arbitration have recently been revised, and businesses that participate in the Bureau's Business Arbitration program should revise the arbitration clause they presently use.
   
01/01/04:  Hira Collection Makes 'Nothing to Wear' A Reality
  Hira Collection, Inc., seems more interested in filling its coffers than in filling its orders.
   
01/01/04:  Kudos From Complainants
  Here's what some of the consumers who have complained to the Better Business Bureau have to say about the service they received.
   
01/01/04:  BBB Aids In Mail Fraud Convictions
  The Better Business Bureau receives complaint after complaint from people who accept an offer for a credit card and pay a substantial fee for it.
   
01/01/04:  Kim's Catch of the Day: Data Vault
  Online buyers bid on and pay for computers but never receive them.
   
11/01/03:  A Model Of Acting Talent: John Robert Powers
  It would be hard not to be impressed by John Robert Powers--if you can believe everything they give you to read.
   
11/01/03:  A Word Of Appreciation To Our Members
  As we enter the season of holidays, our thanks to our members and our wishes for good cheer and a bright coming year carry elements of both bitter and sweet.
   
11/01/03:  Kim's Catch of the Day: California - Motor Vehicle Dealers Bureau
  Reputable auto dealers may hasten to pay the balance due on a "final collection notice," but may learn later that this variation of an old trick hasn't been scrapped yet.
   
09/01/03:  Moving Business Still Making Some Bad Moves
  If you read a recent issue of the Business Link, you may have learned a lot about moving companies and some of the many, many complaints they've generated.
   
09/01/03:  Swiss Directory Snares Malibu Business
  When Michelle Lee sent information off to Tourist Directory about her restaurant, Neptune's Net Seafood, in Malibu, she didn't realize she was committing herself to a payment of over a thousand dollars.
   
09/01/03:  Fast White Teeth Whitener
  Telemarketers charge consumers for a free sample of teeth whitener, then make ongoing charges to their credit card. Victims, who see red, think Fast White turns off-white in a hurry.
   
07/01/03:  Arbitration Fee Award Law Aims At Consumer Protection, Hits Business Participants
  In their efforts to protect the consumer from the "potentially staggering cost of the company's lawyers and other costs . . ." lawmakers have dealt a blow to businesses, consumers, and to arbitration itself.
   
07/01/03:  The Parable Of Prehistoric's Pets, Or The Moral Of The Mice
  It's a tale of mice and men and more, including a woman and a number of cousins, and its protagonist is the catalyst kid - the ten-year-old who made it all happen.
   
07/01/03:  Dogg Digital Audio
  Buyers bite into a huge markdown on speakers but learn later that the Dogg bites back.
   
07/01/03:  Kim's Catch Of Yesterday: A Sequel
  Using the same catch as Girls Gone Wild another website throws customers off track by offering a "totally uncensored and uncut video review of the hottest and sexiest celebrity video clips in the history of film."
   
07/01/03:  Merchants: Beware Running Afoul Of Credit Card Law
  Merchants who accept credit cards would do well to use extra caution in completing such transactions, a practice to which Linens 'N Things will probably subscribe from now on.
   
05/01/03:  Debt Collectors Haunt Survivors
  How do you collect a debt from a deceased person? Exodus Collection Services, who seems to have some skill in collecting debts they attribute to those who have emigrated to the other side, may have an answer for you.
   
05/01/03:  Girls Gone Wild
  Internet video buyers order a cheap video, but when more videos pour in to their mailbox and charges rack up, they begin to go a little wild themselves.
   
05/01/03:  Magical Stone From The Amazon
  Maybe the most fortunate of us have a so-called guardian angel who holds all the cards, and is willing to deal some out to us.
   
05/01/03:  Taking The Fun Out Of Funding
  What Michael Butler didn't know, hurt him. It hurt him, in fact, to the extent of more than $4,000. That was the amount of the penalty the 33-year-old Indiana resident incurred for paying off his mortgage early.
   
03/01/03:  Raising Funds For Telemarketers
  Are you the kind of person who steps forward to contribute to charities that purpose to help victims of disease, famine, war, or other scourges? Would you be so willing to pull out your wallet to help pay the rent and buy food, gas, insurance, enter.
   
03/01/03:  CTS Marketing
  You're probably not any happier than anyone else about the price of gasoline. If you take CTS Marketing up on their offer, you should pay only 50 cents per gallon at any pump in the country.
   
03/01/03:  Sales Job Or Snow Job?
  It sounds like an offer few people could resist, whether they've been laid off or whether they're holding down a pretty good job: become an independent contractor selling credit card processing equipment for DiamondCard Credit Card Processing Corpor.
   
03/01/03:  The Word On VietNow
  If VietNow fundraisers had solicited your contribution and you'd checked out the BBB Wise Giving Alliance's website, here are some of the things you would have learned about the organization itself:
   
01/01/03:  Topping The Tip
  If you've ever been rankled by the presence of a service charge of some 17 or 18 percent on top of banquet or hotel room charges and various room and sales taxes and still other fees, you may sympathize with the woman who sued over just such a servic...
   
01/01/03:  Kim's Catch Of The Day: The Swim Exchange
  Swim teams buy uniforms and pay up front, then find themselves out of uniform and in deep water.
   
01/01/03:  What's The Good Word?
  Here are comments of a couple of consumers who took the time to let us know the good news about their use of our services:
   
01/01/03:  A Tip In Time: Don't Give Up The Dispute Too Quickly
  Most of us realize that when we discover a charge on our credit card that doesn't belong there, we have a certain time period within which to dispute the charge with our card issuer.
   
01/01/03:  The Dismal Side Of Disneyland
  Disneyland has lost sight of the service that brought it to the reputation it enjoys today. For one visitor, the Magic Kingdom is never-never land.
   
11/01/02:  I Do Honeymoons
  Couples who book travel with I Do Honeymoons in anticipation of saying "I do" to each other are left standing at the altar when I Do says "I don't."
   
11/01/02:  Should You Forget About Senior Moment?
  If you're a senior with any concerns at all about the direction your memory is taking, you've probably snapped to attention when you've seen, heard or read about Senior Moment, the "advanced memory enhancing dietary supplement."
   
11/01/02:  The Week Before The Night Before Christmas
  Twas the night before Christmas and all through the town Everyone was promising "The best deal around!" The Yuletide merriment was marred by the sight Of fast-dealing swindlersyyya perennial blight.
   
11/01/02:  Winning The Costly Prize Game
  Lucky Lupe Robledo! First, the National Diabetes Fund wants to send him $2,500. But, they say, their records concerning him are incomplete.
   
09/01/02:  Nigerian Money-Laundering Still Making Suds
  Despite articles in major advertising, these scams have been going on for years and bilking citizens of their life savings.
   
09/01/02:  Red Zone Marketing - A Game of Telemarketing
  Credit cards and chances to win prizes are offered by this telemarketing firm.Unauthorized fees and other charges were assessed against customer accounts.
   
09/01/02:  These Collectibles Make Money A Memory
  Why do people buy collectibles? As an investment...for resale...or to complete a set? in every case the customers were promised a large profit in a short period of time.
   
09/01/02:  How Reliable Are God And Country?
  If we are drawn to a business that displays the American Flag or sprinkles their advertising with Bible verses, don't feel guilty requesting a BBB Reliability Report.
   
09/01/02:  Council Of Better Business Bureaus' Wise Giving Guide Available To Members
  Despite articles in major advertising, these scams have been going on for years and bilking citizens of their life savings.
   
07/01/02:  The Skyrocketing Stakes Of Hiring An Unlicensed Contractor
  A recent court decision makes it more important than ever to verify the licensing of any contractor you hire. Here's what happened to one California homeowner.
   
07/01/02:  A Tale Of A Cake And Ail
  When it came to planning her wedding, Maggie Yanez was a smart cookie. With her wedding cake, for example, she took no chances. Before she ordered it, she priced and tasted cakes at 15 to 20 different bakeries.
   
07/01/02:  Salesco To Make Consumer Redress, Pay Fine
  Salesco, a San Dimas-based seller of automobile accessories through the mail, telephone and Internet, recently entered a consent agreement with the Federal Trade Commission.
   
05/01/02:  Kim's Catch Of The Day: Travel Club International
  With air travel down, passenger bargains are scarce. Now, with travel agents' commissions cut further by major airlines, travelers can expect to have to raise the ante for their services.
   
05/01/02:  The Other Side Of The Credit Coin
  There's no dispute that the total amount of credit card debt is staggering. The Wall Street Journal reports $1.23 trillion in credit card transactions a year, the figure obtained from a recent Federal Reserve System survey.
   
05/01/02:  A Fate Worse Than Debt...More Debt!
  If you've ever been swimming in debt, you may be easily tempted to contact a debt reduction company.
   
03/01/02:  Courts Allow Handouts and Hands Out; Disallow Handwriting
  California courts have handed down decisions in cases dealing with whether you are going to be pestered by someone with a cause when all you want to do is catch a plane or buy groceries.
   
03/01/02:  Kim's Catch Of The Day: DEC Performance
  Here's the catch: Consumers who buy discounted computers find no bargain and their power down.
   
03/01/02:  New Legislation
  A number of new laws went into effect in California at the beginning of 2002. A summary of some of those that affect employers is as follows:
   
03/01/02:  Tax Debt Negotiators' Clients Want Relief
  Some present-day tax debtors are shaking their fists against what they might see as present-day taxation without representation.
   
01/01/02:  The Job Mirages
  The economy is in a down turn. Unemployment is rising. Job opportunities are shrinking. How do you making a living when times are tough?
   
01/01/02:  Advertising Your Bureau Membership
  Better Business Bureau members who have been in business at least a year may now include the Bureau's torch logo and the statement that they are a Bureau member in their advertising.
   
01/01/02:  Broadcasting Training Company Generates Static
  It's not easy to tell just what American Radio Network's game is. The Hollywood company advertises in the New Times Los Angeles, a free paper, for radio announcers and talk show hosts, no experience necessary.
   
01/01/02:  Kim's Catch Of The Day: Cardservice International
  Here's the catch: Merchants who accept credit cards can lose money and some patience if they're not careful in choosing their credit card processor.
   
09/01/01:  Our Readers Write
  "It was absolutely amazing to note the misinformation that was provided in this article. . . . [m]overs cannot and do not ever sell a product called ?insurance.' .
   
09/01/01:  Watch For Phony Phone Bill Charges
  A Bureau member looked over his company's last phone bill and noticed, for the second time in a couple of months, a $6.00 charge for a collect call.
   
09/01/01:  Orly The Matchmaker
  Orly Hadeda, who calls herself "the One and Only Matchmaker," charges thousands of dollars to arrange all the introductions you need over a one- or two-year period in your quest for the "perfect match."
   
09/01/01:  The Problems With Debt Solutions
  Suppose there was a way for you to pay off a mortgage in much less time, pay off credit cards, pay rents and leases, phone and utility bills, student and business loans, child support, IRS and other liens, property taxes--all without filing bankruptc...
   
07/01/01:  Bureau Assists First Senior Citizen In Court
  Wallace Kimmet didn't expect his investment in corn to make some alchemical transmutation to gold, nor did he expect it to end up as peanuts. Nevertheless, it did both.
   
07/01/01:  Discounted Insurance Services Now Available To Members
  Business members in the Better Business Bureau of the Southland's four-county service area may now meet their insurance needs at a 5% discount.
   
07/01/01:  Magnetic Therapy Mattress Pad Promotion
  Companies use a free meal to attract customers to seminars promoting magnetic mattress covers as a cure for a variety of ailments. Some are finding there's no free lunch.
   
07/01/01:  Memberworks and Sears Agree To Judgment In District Attorney Lawsuit
  The complaint arose because of some of MemberWorks' practices in marketing consumer membership programs for goods and services such as, for example, discount dental services, voice mail services, travel discounts.
   
07/01/01:  No Safe Harbor Through These Doors
  Harbor Sound's relationship with at least some of its customers might best be described as sound and fury.
   
05/01/01:  All The Wrong Moves!
  Making a move, either locally or long-distance, often has some of the features of making a movie: anticipation, innuendo, suspense, surprise, threats, villains, hostages, ransom, victims, and an ending that may or may not be happy.
   
05/01/01:  Consumerinfo.com
  Here's the catch: Consumers are signing on for a free credit report but ending up paying--sometimes for nothing.
   
05/01/01:  How To Make A Smooth Move
  How does it happen that you find your personal possessions held hostage until and unless you pay much more than you were originally told to get them back?
   
05/01/01:  State Program Pays Car Owners To Ditch Air Polluters
  Got a vehicle that failed its smog check? Can't drive it? Can't sell it? Can't afford to give it to charity for only the tax deduction?
   
03/01/01:  Bureau Sues Carpet Cleaner
  The complaints, many from seniors, alleged bait-and-switch tactics in advertising carpet and upholstery cleaning at a cost of less than $20 (and sometimes less than $10) but charging as much as several hundred dollars more when the work was done.
   
03/01/01:  Computers For Sale...Bit By Bit
  Very soon you'll realize that, besides targeting Hispanic people, Sabina has put a new twist on buying on the installment plan that also includes selling in installments.
   
03/01/01:  New BBB Seniors' Program
  Consumers who are 65 years and older have a little more marketplace protection with the Better Business Bureau's new Senior Consumer Services program.
   
03/01/01:  Kim's Catch Of The Day: Lasik Vision
  Lasik eye surgery as a relatively low-cost means of improving some vision problems has left some patients seeing red.
   
03/01/01:  Southwest Leaves The Door Open To Identity Thieves
  Just past the gates and ringing slot machines was a temporary counter where free Southwest T-shirts were offered to anyone who signed up for Southwest's Rapid Rewards frequent-flyer program.
   
01/01/01:  Subleasing Vehicles Yields Super Losses
  As an auto equity promoter, what Global Auto Escrow offers is to find lessees or sublessees for car buyers or lessees who can't or don't want to make any more payments.
   
01/01/01:  Towing Company Leaves Customers On The Hook
  In the past year, Ace Towing, of Fullerton, has pulled in 15 customer complaints. All are about cost; none have been answered by the company.
   
01/01/01:  Don't Let Emotion Rule Your Charitable Giving
  Many and varied are the ways charitable causes arouse charitable emotions in us and encourage us to write out a check or hand over a bill.
   
01/01/01:  Kim's Catch Of The Day: Order of the Holy Spirit
  Companies selling bogus merchandise or services relating to religion have an edge in victimizing customers because of the trust we automatically attribute to sellers of these items.
   
01/01/01:  PMB Deadline Looms...Again
  Even before the U.S. Postal Service's PMB deadline last April, the USPS was in the process of changing its mind.
   
01/01/01:  Prescriptions By Internet?
  You may have half a dozen reasons for wanting to get your prescriptions filled through an Internet pharmacy. Your biggest question, though, is probably whether it's safe to do that. Sometimes it's not.
   
01/01/01:  Members: Use the Correct Arbitration Clause
  Members who participate in Business Arbitration risk an arbitrator's decisions' being overturned unless they use the correct arbitration clause in their contracts.
   
01/01/99:  Matchmaker Strikes Out With Clients
  Why would anyone complain at all about a company that uses some 12-or-so pages of information about you in their efforts to find you a match?
   
11/01/98:  Job Consultant Gets Clients Fired Up, Then Worked Up
  Bernard Haldane Associates Employs Bait and Switch to Keep Clients Signing.