ACCE News
ACCE reminds members to be cautious when dealing with unfamiliar companies
Alexandria, VA -
As chambers enter the new year, ACCE reminds members to urge their members to be very cautious when considering purchasing or using the services of a company with which they are not familiar. Sometimes the offers can be quite deceptive, creating major headaches.
For instance, there have been cases of companies soliciting their services as business network and marketing providers. These companies claim to connect local businesses to one another and to provide advertisement opportunities for businesses who sign on to join their online network. They often start by reaching out to local chambers to solicit the contact information of their members. They then solicit these member businesses for advertising and other services. In most instances, there is no apparent benefit for the chamber. For chamber members, the service basically works as a kind of yellow pages.
Here are some tips from the Better Business Bureau:
- First and foremost, if you ever receive a cold call from anyone stating that they "represent" an affiliate or vendor or program or organization you may be familiar with, and it involves PAYMENT, that you check first on the company that is calling PRIOR to divulging any payment or personal/business information.
- Businesses should ask that all advertising propositions be made in writing. Ask for a list of satisfied clients, contact them for feedback, and ask to review copies of their advertisements. See if the business selling the advertisements has a report with the BBB. For national companies, go to: www.bbb.org
- Finally, if you feel you have been deceived or misled by an offer, be pro-active and file formal complaints with the BBB as well as your state Attorney General's Office for resolve.
Source: ACCE
Publication Date: January 3, 2008