Top Ten Internet Complaints  Top Ten Complaints About the Internet (According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission)   Internet Auctions According to FBI statistics, Internet Auction Fraud is the most widely reported online offense.  Complaints range from non-delivery of merchandise, merchandise which is not the value stated, to non-payment for delivery.  Here are some tips to help protect yourself. Make sure you know as much as possible about how the auction works.  Before you bid, know what your obligations are as a buyer and what the seller's obligations to you are. Find out how the web site or company deals with problems.  Consider taking insurance out on the transaction and shipment. Get as much information on the seller as you can.  If it is a business, check them out with the Better Business Bureau where the company is located. If there's any feedback on the seller, check it out. Getting problems resolved with a seller could be much more difficult if the seller resides outside of the country that you live in. Make sure you know when your item should be delivered and if shipping and delivery costs are extra.  Ask the seller if there is any warranty on the merchandise.  Find out if it is exchangable. There is no reason for a seller to ask for your social insuranc number (social security, if you are in the U.S.), or driver's licence number, or any other personal information about you that has nothing to do with the purchase. Internet Access Services People get hooked into this scam by the lure of free money.  People receive these cheques often fail to read the fine print on the back of the check, or on the inside of the envelope.  By cashing the cheque, they find themselves locked into costly long term contracts for internet access, or web services.  The penalties for cancellation or early termination are enormous. Credit Card Fraud Online shopping sites are not the only places where people get stung by credit card fraud.  People are also lured into giving out credit card information by being promised access to adult images.  The catch is they must provide their credit card number to prove that they are over 18.  Here's how you can protect yourself: Don't give out credit card numbers online unless you know for sure that the site is secure and reputable. Just because a site claims to be secure doesn't mean that it is.   International Modem Dialing It used to be that people who were trying to find free porn on the Internet got stung by this dial-up scam.  Now it's coming to everyone via their email.  How it works is this:  People are asked to click a link to download a dialing program so that they can view adult images or access certain other sites.  The program they download disconnects them from their service provider and they are reconnected to the internet through and international long-distance number at rates that can range between $2 - $7 per minute.  Eventually their telephone bill arrives in the mail with exhorbitant long-distance charges on it.   Web Cramming You fill out a contest entry form - guess what you win!  No, it's not an all expense paid trip to the Bahamas, or a car, or whatever your fantasy desires.  In fact you've just been had by an unscrupulous promoter.  They've used the contest to get your phone number, enrol you for a calling card (or some similar service), and bill you on your phone bill.  The disclosure on the entry form is in very fine print and in language that is dificult to comprehend.  It states that by completing the form you authorized the service. Multilevel Marketing Plans/Pyramids We've all seen the ads.  They say you can make money by selling products and services and recruiting other members into the program.  Customers say that they've bought into the program only to find that their customers are other distributers - not the general public.  Many of these Multilevel Marketing schemes are actually illegal pyramids. Remember the old adage:  If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is. A  plan that asks new distributers to purchase expensive products and marketing materials might be a pyramid in disguise. Watch out for plans that claim to sell 'miracle' products or plans that promise huge earnings.  Get proof from the marketer before investing. Be wary of plans that claim you will make money by recruiting distributers who in turn must recruit more distributers.  Avoid plans that offer you commissions for recruiting more distributers. Watch out for 'shills' - those are decoy references who are paid by a plan's promoter to lie about how much money they made through the plan. Don't sign any contracts under pressure.  Insist that you be allowed to take your time to think over your decision.  Talk over your plans with family members, friends, an accountant or lawyer. Research the company or plan first.  Talk to the Better Business Bureau or R.C.M.P. fraud squad (in the U.S. your state Attorney General's office) about any plan you are considering - especially if the claims made by the promoter seem a little too good to be true. Remember that if you are going to make money you are going to have to work for it.  It doesn't matter how good a product is or how solid the plan is - it won't work if you don't put the time and effort into it. Travel and Vacation Congratulations!  You've just won a fabulous vacation for two on some tropical, sun-drenched beach - or have you?  Make sure you read the fine print, and check with your local Better Business Bureau.  Often there are large hidden charges that rapidly add up.  Services and accomodations are nowhere near as luxurious as advertised.  Sometimes after paying an initial up-front fee, consumers find out there is actually no trip at all. Protect your self by getting references on any travel company you are planning to deal with.  Make sure you get all details of your trip in writing.  And be sure to check the cancellation policy before signing on the dotted line. Business Opportunities Investments Health Care Products/Services ©2003 zanshina All Rights Reserved