For free or not for free? That is the question!

“Want to be your own boss and work from home?”

“We'll show you how to multiply your money in 6 months or less!”

Why is it that we are so tempted by these words when we see ads for an upcoming business opportunity seminar at one of the local hotels? I have, on many occasions, received these solicitations in the mail and have thought about going, but after further thought … I just threw it in the trash. I had a friend who went to one recently on how to make tons of money working at home and using the Internet for auctions. After hours of sitting and listening to the company’s presentation, all he got was general information that he already knew. It would cost him $20 and another day to learn more detail, and I bet more money. He did receive a voucher for a “free” digital camera, but he had to follow the voucher’s instructions to receive it and pay $7.95 for the shipping and handling.

Sure, you get a free lunch or dinner for you and a guest, and in some cases even free gifts. The gift might be a day planner claiming to be valued at $100, but a walk through your local shopping center reveals that the same planner costs only $5. Or worse! You may just get a voucher for a free gift, such as the one that my friend received.

These ads make promises about earnings that sound great. NOT! The presenters like to use high-pressure sales pitches to get you to pay upfront for expensive materials and “secret” knowledge that can turn out to be generalized information. Why do we invest in these "opportunities" only to find that the pay-off isn't as promised?

Think about it. You have worked to finally get some sort of nest egg only to have some smooth-talking gentleman promise you more money by investing your hard-earned savings, only to see no return. The worst part of all is that the presentations are so good that we are signing on the dotted line only to find out (after reading the fine print) that the fees range from $5 on the low side to more than $30,000 on the high side. Now you ask, how can these businesses continue to operate? Many of these companies have been investigated and cited only for “misrepresentation.” You can easily access these and other cases that the Federal Trade Commission has investigated by visiting http://ftc.gov/os/caselist/index.shtm.

I don’t know about you, but after hearing the experience of my friend, if I am ever to consider any business opportunity I will ask myself asking the following questions before moving forward:

1. Does this offer sound too good to be true?

2. Am I being pressured to buy today? Can I afford to lose my investment?

3. Is this individual or company trustworthy?

4. Is this something I can truly do without a lot of help?

If I find myself answering “yes” to any of the questions above, then I am not ready for this adventure in life. Are you?

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Past Post

High-Pressure Tactics and Car Warranty Scams — Seniors, You’re It! (Jan. 7, 2008)

Shawne Buckner

Consumer Affairs Outreach Specialist

County of Summit, Office of Consumer Affairs

As an outreach specialist, I am responsible for developing a consumer education program, giving public presentations and mediating consumer complaints against businesses regarding the purchase of goods or services. Many of these complaints involve foreign lottery scams, predatory mortgage lending, unauthorized charges on credit cards, mail order and telephone sales, motor vehicle repairs, Internet scams and prize offers. I am member of the Summit County Foreclosure Prevention Partnership Program and Tuff Stuff Committee and a board member of Westside Neighborhood Development Corporation of Akron, where I help to provide leadership in the area of housing and commercial revitalization.

I began my career in consumer protection and education in November 2006; prior to that I worked in the banking/mortgage industry for over 10 years. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, I graduated from Ellet High School and went on to pursue an education in criminal justice at The University of Akron.

If I had to pick one thing that I love about my job, I would choose the public speaking events that I give to senior citizens. My goal is to educate as many senior citizens as possible about ways to protect themselves from becoming a victim of crime. My speeches to senior groups range from medical health claim scams, free credit reports, work-at-home schemes and home improvement scams, to protecting themselves from purse snatchings, robberies and burglaries.