How to Check Out an Internet Company Offering a Service or Subscription
Every year, thousands of Americans fall prey to unscrupulous vendors and telemarketers offering services ranging from home and Internet security to theft and oversight protection against identity thieves. At the same time, other vendors and telemarketers hawk a variety of products, from magazine subscriptions to merchandise you can set up in an online store. Some are legitimate, but still use unscrupulous tactics or misinformation to convince you to take advantage of their offers. This is why it is always important to research the vendor or company before you decide to order a service or product.
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Instructions
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Before accepting an offer for a product or service offered by an Internet company--whether you receive the offer by mail, email, phone or through an online newsletter--research the company. Find the company's website by typing the full name of the firm into a search engine, including any titles or acronyms that follow the name. Once you pull up the company website, read all of the information, including perks, prizes, gifts and other items that are included in the offer--paying close attention to whether they have a return or cancellation policy.
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Once you have the company's web address and its complete title, visit the Better Business Bureau Online (see Resources). There, you can find out if the company is legitimate and get a full and comprehensive report on its status, including how many complaints (and of what sort) the BBB has received about the company from consumers like yourself.
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Use the Consumer Protection Agency website (see Resources) to find out how the company is ranked, what products or services it offers, how effective the services are, where the products are made and how the company is regarded by the public and the agency.
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You might want to check with the internet crimes unit online to see if the company has any past or current criminal or legal action pending or currently taking place against them.
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Tips & Warnings
If a vendor website does not include some contact information--like a phone number or "contact us" link--the company may not be reputable or use the best business practices.
The letters "https:" at the beginning of a company web address mean that it is a secure site--as does the Verisign symbol, which represents a company that provides SSL encryption. Make sure any site from which you are ordering or purchasing a service or product is secure and encrypted before you give out any debit- or credit-card information.
