Comments on: Websites You Need to Follow

By: Paul Schlegel

Paul Schlegel — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:35:09 +0000

Thanks for the comments, Steve.

The most insidious thing going right now is a product called “Google Money Tree” which uses “hidden negative option marketing”.
I have an army of consumers complaining about it on the WorkAtHomeTruth blog and fortunately filing complaints with the their state and local AGs, IC3, the FTC, etc.

Sadly, the site is ranked around 11,000 on Quantcast right now.

Regarding JJs comments – there’s a great squidoo lens I ran across a while back about getting your name off various direct mailing lists:

http://www.squidoo.com/do-not-mail

By: JJ

JJ — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:29:20 +0000

Has anyone heard of Direct Marketing Association? I had filed a complaint with the BBB on a magazine company that sent a SECOND NOTICE SWEEPSTAKES PRIZE offer that you had to call to activate. First they responded with I purchased something recently and that’s how they got my info , after telling the company and BBB I don’t own a CC or purchase anything recently only at the local market/stores ,gas station, restaurants all paid by cash how would they then get my info? They now claim my info was now found on a commercially available mailing list related to gaming systems (which I never play any games online or barely play my sons playstation at home) and that I should go to a website DMAchoice Direct Marketung Association to get emails/mailings/calls from unwanted telemarketer, misleading/scam companies stopped or at least slowed down by siging up with them. If I never signed up for anything or subscribed with anything online how would my info be put on a broker list/commercially available mailing list related to gaming systems? Why/How does this company help people stop these type of emails/mailings/calls by signing up with them suppossedly for FREE? I’ve never seen/heard the FTC, Consumer Affairs or any other consumer agency advertise this company Direct Marketing Association to consumers for stopping/slowing down telemarketers/scam/misleading companies emails/mailings/calls so this is why I am asking if anyone has tried this Direct Marketing Assoc. and how/if it worked for them? I saw their website but want to see/hear from others who have used it or know someone who used it before trying it because I have found little consumer responses/comments that this does work or found it on any consumer agencies websites.

By: elle

elle — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 21:41:34 +0000

I hadn’t heard of some of these before, so this is great. I’ve used Ripoff Report many times, particularly recently during the mortgage crisis when I had to look up my mortgage provider. Wow. Pretty shocking stories (LOTS of them), and while some of them are just flaming, most of them are heartfelt, honest and really sad. I was one of the lucky ones. So thanks for the heads-up on the other sites, too. I would also recommend your readers look at the common scams to watch out for at ripoff report (http://ripoffreport.com/consumer_resources.asp), since many of the latest schemes are variations on older ones, and amazingly, people still get taken by them every day.

By: WorkAtHomeNoScams.com

WorkAtHomeNoScams.com — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:47:51 +0000

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the kind words about our little hole in the wall.
We feel honored to share company with some of the great scam fighting websites you’ve listed including your own! As always keep up the good work!

The more we all can work together to expose these scammers, the better for everyone.

Eddy