How Giving Your Contact Info To “Yellow Page USA” Turns Into Legal Threats And An Invoice For $1,200

What do you do when your company receives a free solicitation for a business listing and Facebook page? You might be tempted to snatch up a good deal, but there’s a good chance that deal will land you in the middle of a widespread scam. That seems to be the case for a New Jersey business owner as he faces threats of lawsuits and other action that could damage his credit.

What started as a fax solicitation in June 2013 has morphed into an apparent scam by a company with addresses in Dubai, Germany, Boston and Moscow.

The business owner tells the Newark Star-Ledger’s Bamboozled column (penned by Consumerist’s own Karin Price Mueller) that shortly after providing his contact information on the “Yellow Pages New Jersey” form for a free Facebook page to go along with his company’s directory listing, he received an invoice of $1,188 for a 12-month business directory listing.

The invoice contained a “service agent” address in Boston, a legal office in Dubai, and a postmark from Germany. A listing on the company’s website also featured a Moscow address, Bamboozled reports.

After receiving a second invoice the man looked at the original document only to see in fine print that he registered with the “business directory Yellow-Page-USA.com managed by Open Business Directory Ltd. … for a term of two years, at a price of US$99 per month, payable one year in advance…”

In July a third invoice came with a $25 reminder charge bringing his total bill to $1,213.

“All along, I treated this as a scam,” he tells the column. “They never explained where such a listing would appear — internet directory, hard copy, in which countries — or the two-year minimum term at the outlandish rate of $99 per month. However, these folks are persistent.”

Following several additional invoices, which totaled as much as $1,238, the man received notice that the company would be taking actions for the nonpayment that could result in levies against his property or other asset judgments.

The man called and sent a letter asking the company to cease and desist. Instead, he received another letter stating that not paying would be “…detrimental to your business.”

Soon after filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, the man received another email from the company offering a “gesture of goodwill” – two years of listing service for the price of one if he would immediately pay the first invoice price of $1,188.

After several months of no contact with the company the man thought his ordeal was over. But it wasn’t.

In February, he received another letter threatening to file suit if he didn’t pay $1,238 in just seven days.

That’s when Bamboozled began looking into Yellow-Page-USA.com on the man’s behalf.

Bamboozled found the company has quite a history involving complaints and accusations of being a scam.

In the past three years the BBB has received 1,544 complaints against Yellow-Page-USA.com, giving the company an “F” rating. Many of the complaints follow the same pattern.

The BBB website notes that the company uses a name and logo so close to the actual Yellow Pages Group that consumers believe they are dealing with their current advertiser.

The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs reports it received five complaints in the past two years against the company.

Since 2008, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office has received 131 complaints.

It also appears that, at least in New Jersey, the company has not actually any of the lawsuits it has threatened people with. This would seem to indicate that its intention may be to hassle people into paying with the mere threat of legal action.

When contacted by Bamboozled, the Yellow-Page-USA.com says it “undertakes it’s business in a correct and proper manner and complies with all relevant laws and regulations within the online business directory sector in which it operates.”

It declined to comment on the man’s case saying it was “of a confidential nature”.

The company said the majority of complaints filed are because customers have failed to read the contract before signing.

Consumers who received any fax solicitations should steer clear, Bamboozled suggests.

“This initially came to me as an unsolicited invitation for free listing … and with the mail/faxes coming out of Boston, with legal office in Dubai and the postage paid by the German Bundespost, I was/am very, very suspicious of the veracity of this whole thing,” the man says.

Consumerist has reported on similar “Yellow Pages Online” scam in the past. In those instances, a similar company will talk with employees asking yes or no questions and later allegedly doctor the tapes to make it appear the employee agreed to ads.

Bamboozled: NJ man hounded by alleged ‘Yellow Pages’ scam from Dubai, Moscow, Germany [Newark Star-Ledger]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

54 Years Later, “Harvest Of Shame” More Like “Warehouse Of Shame”

Corey Templeton

Most of our readers are probably too young to have even heard of “Harvest of Shame,” a 1960 hourlong CBS documentary special hosted by news legend Edward R. Murrow. It exposed the terrible physical and employment conditions of migrant workers on American farms. Today, there’s a different kind of mistreated invisible workforce all around us: the armies of temporary workers who power our warehouses and factories. Turns out that picking strawberries in 1960 has a lot in common with unpacking stuffed animals in 2013.

ProPublica has been running a variety of stories on our temp-based economy for some time now. It’s not a bad thing to run warehouses and factories on temporary labor, though, is it? Not on its face, but remember that warehouse and factory jobs can be very dangerous, and are even more dangerous when a worker gets only rudimentary training. Even if you don’t care about your fellow human beings, that doesn’t mean that under-trained temps can’t affect you personally. After all, these are the factories that package your booze and make your frozen pizzas.

You might remember the contaminated over-the-counter drugs recalled in 2010: an investigation showed that many of the defective drugs came from a factory staffed by under-trained temps.

Here’s the original “Harvest of Shame” documentary, if historic TV interests you.

A Modern Day ‘Harvest of Shame’ [ProPublica]

Temp Land [ProPublica Investigations]

Permanently Temporary: The Truth About Temp Labor (Part 1 of 5) [Vice]

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

Los tipos de interés (2014) según las Redes Sociales #infografia #infographic #socialmedia

Hola:

Una infografía sobre los tipos de interés (2014) según las Redes Sociales. Vía

Un saludo

Los tipos de interés (2014) según las Redes Sociales

Archivado en: Economía, Infografía, Redes Sociales, Sociedad de la información Tagged: Economía, Infografía, internet, redes sociales, tic, Web 2.0.



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Nuevas formas de trabajo en la Economía Colaborativa: Crowdsourcing #internet #entrepreneurship

Hola:

una presentación con nuevas formas de trabajo en la Economía Colaborativa: Crowdsourcing.

Un saludo

Archivado en: Emprendedores, Sociedad de la información Tagged: Emprendedores, internet, tic



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Verizon CFO: Getting Rid Of Phone Subsidies Is A Mistake

(Cecee)

While T-Mobile and AT&T have, to different degrees, begun to acknowledge that a growing number of consumers want pricing transparency and affordable ways to buy phones that could be taken from one carrier’s network to another, Verizon remains set in its old-school ways.

Since the dawn of the affordable cellphone market, the business model was the same: Service providers would make phones affordable if you were willing to agree to a 2-year contract. Part of the reason wireless bills were so high, argued providers, was that they had to recoup some of the money lost they paid to manufacturers for customers’ phones.

Then T-Mobile ditched subsidies altogether in 2013 and dropped its rates to reflect the fact that it was no longer footing the bill for subsidized devices. The change made a lot of consumers who own their phone outright — either because they paid full price or because they were no longer in-contract — wonder why they were still paying high wireless rates if their provider was no longer having to make up for the cost of that phone.

Following the T-Mobile change, the three other national wireless companies have each dipped their toes into the unsubsidized water. They all launched so-called early upgrade programs that required members to pay full manufacturers’ prices for devices.

Initially, neither AT&T nor Verizon offered any rate discount for members of their respective programs, which only served to highlight the fact that customers were paying full price for their phones and still helping to pay for all those subscribers with subsidized devices.

Then AT&T finally admitted that people who owned their phones should not be supporting those who don’t, and announced a $15/month discount for customers who were using unsubsidized phones or those who were part of the early upgrade plan.

It wasn’t until last Month that Verizon came to a similar realization, though its $10/month discount only applies to members of the Verizon Edge early upgrade program. Verizon customers who own their phones are still paying the same amount as those who got their phones at the subsidized rate.

Don’t hold your breath that this is going to change anytime soon.

Speaking at a Deutsche Bank-sponsored conference on Media, Internet & Telecom, Conference, Verizon CFO Fran “Don’t Call Me ShamWow” Shammo explained that “We believe that the subsidy model is an extremely good one… It’s done wonders for us in this industry. I think that to abandon it is a mistake.”

Among the reasons for keeping the subsidy/contract model in place, says Shammo, is that customers who pay for their phones on installment plans could be left having to fork over a lot of money to close out their account and move to another carrier.

Of course, it could cost Verizon Wireless customers up to $350 in early termination fees if they want to leave their contract early; plus the customer won’t get back whatever they paid for their subsidized phone.

Shammo also claims that it’s more of a credit risk for the company to get involved in selling phones via installment plans. Perhaps, but there is nothing that says a wireless company needs to get into the phone-selling business. And given that the monthly cost of a service plan and installment payments on a phone is just about the same as the monthly rate most consumers pay (depending on how fancy you go with your device), there shouldn’t be any increased risk that a customer is unable to pay.

The final point, according to Fierce Wireless, is one that makes no sense to us — that Verizon would not want to lose expensive handsets since customers are not signing service contracts to get them.

Perhaps the Fierce Wireless report is misstating what Shammo said, but if that is what he meant, then it’s pure nonsense.

If a customer selects a $480 phone and enters into a 24-month installment plan with the provider, that customer is committed to paying that full $480. If he takes the full 24 months to do so, then it’s just as good to the provider as a 2-year contract and he’s paid the sticker price for his phone. If he leaves early, he still has to pay the balance for the phone. The provider is not losing anything.

Unsubsidized phones are common throughout the rest of the world, and, for better or worse, the U.S. market is destined to go that way in the years to come. It seems like Shammo and Verizon are just denying the inevitable.

Verizon’s Shammo: LTE Multicast opens up new revenue streams [Fierce Wireless]

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

5 Foods To Stash In Your Desk For Lunch Emergencies

(bluwmongoose)

If you work outside of the home, one of the best ways to save money is to bring your lunch instead of having fast food or cafeteria fare. Depending on what’s available in the neighborhood where you work, it might be a healthier option, too. Even days when you forget to pack your lunch or are out of leftovers don’t necessarily mean that you have to go out in search of sandwiches. Just plan ahead.

Over at The Kitchn, they’ve very pro-bringing-lunch-from-home, generally for the same reasons that we are. They offer some suggestions for things to keep in the break room or your desk drawer…depending on the scavenging tendencies of your co-workers.

Nice-quality packaged soup: Cans and dehydrated soup cups keep well, and you can find healthy and even lower-sodium choices. Even the hipster-oriented Campbell’s soup pouches could be a good choice here.

Peanut butter and crackers: If you or a colleague is allergic, you could also keep sunflower seed or soynut butter around. They’re still good for a snack or the base of a meal.

Canned beans: I’ve never tried this, but the site suggests taking advantage of your work kitchenette to prepare simple meals. You can do wonders with black beans and an avocado, assuming that you remembered to bring an avocado, a lime, and a shallot to work.

Fruit: Apples, bananas, or oranges will keep for most of the week on your desk. They make a fine dessert or snack any time. We’d also suggest packaged fruit or applesauce: as long as there’s no added sugar, they’re a healthy option that you don’t have to worry about going bad.

In Case of Emergency: 5 Foods to Keep in Your Desk for Last-Minute Lunches [The Kitchn]

Learning to Actually Pack (and Eat) Lunch: 3 Tips from a Recovering Lunch Buyer [The Kitchn]

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

La electrónica domina nuestra vida #infografia #infographic #tech

Hola:

Una infografía que dice que la electrónica domina nuestra vida.

Un saludo

You will find more statistics at Statista

Archivado en: Infografía, Sociedad de la información, Tecnología Tagged: Infografía, internet, Tecnología, tic



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The USPS Spent $180,000 On An Empty Post Office Over Six Years

(stuartpilbrow)

In case you haven’t heard, the United States Postal Service has been in some troubled financial waters in the last few years, to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars it owes the government in payments to its employee pension system. And so the fact that it spent $180,000 on a closed post office for five years must, well, sting the agency a little bit.

Since June 1, 2008, the USPS has shelled out approximately $180,000 to lease space for a 1,500 square foot property in a Pennsylvania town, reports the The Scranton Times-Tribune.

There’s supposed to be a post office in the building, but that hasn’t happened. It’s expected to open June 8, according to the USPS. The lease lasts through 2023.

So why is this post office stuck in a useless limbo, in what would seem like a waste of money at a time when the USPS really doesn’t need to be leaking any more cash?

It sounds like it can all be chalked up to a combination of factors that have all come together to royally mess with the opening: The place was supposed to open sooner than it did (well, of course it was), but financial and safety issues, along with other problems, got in the way.

“The lease started on the building in June 2008 with the expectation to complete the construction to occupy the building for postal operations soon thereafter,” said a spokeswoman for the Postal Service’s Central Pennsylvania and Western New York districts.

But then came a snafu when the township and state Department of Transportation got together to review the design of the building — apparently the site chosen would’ve caused traffic problems and didn’t drain properly. The USPS wasn’t expecting that, she said.

After a bunch of delays in the construction, contractors had a bit of a drainage issue on their hands, as they’d built a berm to carry water along the side of the building was in the place where officials had approved a driveway.

Town officials felt the driveway would cause safety issues as drivers would have to cross two lanes of traffic on the road to get to the post office. That road is often backed up, which would create a nasty situation, officials said.

“People are going to be stopping, and it’s going to back up traffic out onto Northern Boulevard,” the township manager said. “At some point we just said, ‘Hey, somebody is going to get rear-ended or killed.’ €‰”

The USPS and the town later agreed to a deal that would let the post office use an access road owned by the town, if the Postal Service would pay to widen the road and pay some future maintenance costs.

As soon as the building’s owner agrees, it’s on, said the USPS spokeswoman. The agency will finally continue construction and then open the new post office.

While $180,000 is just a drop in the bucket when compared to the $5 billion the USPS lost in fiscal 2013, money is money. Especially considering the USPS was mulling closing and/or combining some locations to save money.

You can follow MBQ on Twitter if you want to talk about snailmail on the Internet: @marybethquirk

U.S. Postal Service pays $180,000 for unopened post office [The Scranton Times-Tribune]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Americans Took A Record 10.7 Billion Public Transit Rides Last Year

(afagen)

Does that headline make the hours you’ve spent taking public transit flash in front of your eyes? Because the fact that we took 10.7 billion public transit rides in 2013, the most since 1957, well that translates to billions of minutes. We did this together, everyone.

Commuting is never fun — whether by car or by rail/bus — but it does save money on gas, and many experts see it as a great way to shrink our carbon footprint. So we’ll take this new report from the American Public Transportation Association (via Business Insider) as a plus.

The overall public transit use got a 1.1% bump between 2012 and 2013, although miles driven also went up 0.3%. Cities like Austin, Philadelphia, Anchorage, Minneapolis, and Portland, Oregon all reported double-digit increases in commute rail services, which had some of the biggest growth.

The APTA sees this as a good sign of economic recovery — the more jobs there are, the more people there are commuting to work. Federal investment also plays a part, APTA President and CEO Michael Melaniphy said.

“The federal investment in public transit is paying off and that is why Congress needs to act this year to pass a new transportation bill,” he said in the press release.

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Volvo Uses Malaysia Airlines Tragedy To Brag About Car Safety, Angers Everyone

(Mike Matney Photography)

It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re located. Whether you’re a company marketing canned pasta rings or a Swedish carmaker selling cars in China, the lesson holds true. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever use a tragedy to promote your product. Automaker Volvo learned that the hard way when a post to microblogging service Sina Weibo angered readers, who accused the company of taking advantage of an airline tragedy.

Weibo is immensely popular; for lack of a better comparison, it’s China’s version of Twitter. That means brands post marketing messages there, just like on social media everywhere else. In our opinion, many brands should just not bother to make social media posts at all, unless it’s to provide customer support.

Brands don’t listen to us, though. You’ve probably heard of MH370, the Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared entirely over the weekend. Volvo’s social media representatives, who the company says are from an outside agency, apparently wanted to make a nice post about the airline disaster. If you still think of Volvo as a Swedish company or a division of Ford and are confused about why they’re even posting on Weibo, well, it makes more sense than you might think. The Volvo brand is now owned by a Chinese company, and many of the passengers on the Beijing-bound plane were Chinese.

We don’t read Chinese, but the Wall Street Journal tells us that the original message read as follows:

The rescue operation for the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 plane is in full swing. Passenger safety is also a top priority at Volvo Cars, let’s pray together for the 239 lives that were on board of the plane. Bless them, and may a miracle occur.

The message also featured some candles. Isn’t that nice?

(Screengrab by WSJ)

No. No, it isn’t. If you’re going to express condolences as a brand, do that; if you’re going to promote your product, do that, but for gosh sakes, don’t do it in the same message. No one really cares what a car company has to say about an airline disaster, though.

‘Inappropriate and Wrong’: Volvo’s Chinese Social Media Faux Pas [Wall Street Journal]

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist