Consumer notes

Look too good to be true? It is

By ANITA KUMAR, Times Staff Writer

Revised August 8, 2000

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 1, 2000

Editor's note: Today, the St. Petersburg Times introduces Consumer Notes, a column devoted to consumer issues in the Tampa Bay area. It will appear occasionally in Floridian.

FREE MONEY! (JUST KIDDING): As much as we all want to get our hands on extra cash, we know what to do when we see ads telling us how to make money fast.

Move on.

That's just common sense. No one really falls for those get rich quick schemes, right?

Well, Larry Morrison is sorry to say he did.

Morrison, 56, of St. Petersburg, was drawn to a Web site with the catchy come-on "Need Free Money?" The Philantro Society International encouraged customers to apply for grants which then could be used for anything.

Turns out the free money wasn't free at all.

Morrison had to send a $35 money order to the society in the West Indies. You can guess what happened next.

Months later, Morrison got a letter telling him he wasn't eligible for the group's grants -- which he planned to use to repay debts and start his own medical billing business. And they weren't going to refund his $35 application fee.

So Morrison ended up with nothing. But, hey, cut him some slack. He knows he goofed.

"I want to keep other people from being ripped off," he said. "A lot of things sound good, but you learn they aren't always what they seem."

PAYING TO WORK: You probably saw one this morning on your way to work: those pesky little signs on street corners and light poles touting lucrative jobs you can do from home.

The ads show up in magazines and newspapers, too. And like just about everything else these days, they've also made it onto the Internet.

The ads are so ubiquitous that consumer protection departments once again are warning people to watch out. And, they say, if it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is.

The work-at-home jobs are never glamorous. They usually involve stuffing envelopes or assembly work. But man, oh man, do they promise big money.

Here's a clue: If you have to buy a start-up kit before you begin working, stay away. The kits are known to be expensive -- and useless.

"People still fall for this," said Deborah Berry, an investigator with the Pinellas County Department of Consumer Protection. "People still think they can make money stuffing envelopes."

Need more information? Call your local consumer protection office.

ACT NOW . . . OR ELSE: Don't be fooled by the urgent fliers left at your front door.

They may use a lot of exclamation points. Make you think you need to buy something to be safe. Appear to be official notices from the city, county or neighborhood watch.

You should know better.

The fliers are really from businesses out to make a buck or two.

A bright yellow flier has been making the rounds these days signed by "Your Neighborhood Security Consultant" with the word "Urgent!" in bold, black letters at the top.

But it's just an ad from Centex Hometeam Security, which sells 24-hour protection from burglary, vandalism, you name it.

The folks at Centex urge you to call within 48 hours -- but apparently not if you're a reporter. A local Centex representative referred our call to the company's headquarters in Texas. Calls to Texas were not returned.

"We urge people to really take a good look at these fliers," said Liz Compton, of the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs. "They're just marketing tools."

That doesn't mean consumer protection experts are opposed to what is being sold. They just want you to know what you're getting into, and that's a good thing.

If you want the state to check out a company for you, call (800) 435-7352 or log onto the http://www.800helpfla.com Web site.

TAKING THE SCARE OUT OF REPAIR: If finding a decent place to get your car fixed ranks with cleaning the grout out of your bathtub or getting rid of the junk from the garage, listen up.

AAA just started a program for people like you.

It takes the work out of finding a repair shop by giving you a list of companies that the 98-year-old club considers reliable and qualified.

Only about a third of the businesses that apply make the cut. AAA looks at the services that are offered, staffing, community reputation and appearance.

So far, only 12 companies have been approved in the Tampa Bay area. But more are being considered.

The best part of the program is that you don't have to be a AAA member. But don't think AAA won't try to sign you up anyway.

Call AAA toll-free at (877) 409-4222 or log onto http://www.aaasouth.com for a list of facilities in the area.

DON'T CALL ME -- EVER: The phone rings when you're trying to sleep in on a Saturday morning. Chances are it's a long-lost friend or an annoying telemarketer.

If it's the telemarketer interrupting your slumber, you won't be surprised to learn that they topped the list of complaints made to the state for the second year in a row.

Last year, more than 6,000 complaints poured into the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs.

State officials have a partial solution, but it will cost you.

For a small fee, you can have your home phone number placed on a do-not-call list sent to telemarketers. The fee is $10, plus an annual $5 renewal fee. The non-profit businesses can still wake you up, of course.

Want to know more? Call (800) 435-7352 or log onto the http://www.800helpfla.com Web site.

Consumer Notes will run occasionally in Floridian. To contact Anita Kumar, call (727) 893-8472 or e-mail kumar@sptimes.com.

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