How to Check Out a Business to Avoid Getting Ripped Off

7. Check With the BBB.

Don’t even get me started on the BBB. While there have been some valid criticisms of the BBB, they still remain a well recognized repository of complaints and company information. You can search a company here. A BBB rating is not in and of itself the singular clue you should check. I think the companies response to previous complaints is more important. Check to see if previous complaints resolved satisfactorily? Does the company have complaints they’ve never responded to? For me, that’s more disturbing.

Also look for how many recent complaints the company may have and the type of complaints. If they are complaints about the product or service that should be a big red flag for you.

8. Search GetOutOfDebt.org.

If the company is going to sell you debt relief assistance and people have had a problem with them in the past, they may have already appeared on the GetOutOfDebt.org website in either an article, reader question or a consumer complaint. The search box for the site should be somewhere up near the top right.

9. Is a Lawyer Selling You Financial Help Services?

If you are being asked to pay a large amount of money for financial help services like mortgage modification or debt help by a lawyer, it is only prudent to find another attorney licensed in your state and pay for a second opinion, first.A second opinion will allow you to get a better idea if the claims being made to you are realistic and reasonable. There should be no problem in any attorney being comfortable with their claims when reviewed by another attorney licensed in their state. Think about it like this, do doctors complain when you as for a second opinion about a medical condition? No.You can also check to see if the attorney is licensed to provide legal service by going to the website for the Bar association in the state.

10. You MUST Read and Understand the Contract Before You Sign It.

Long legal agreements are boring to read. That’s a fact. The average person easily gets lost in all the tiny print and legalese. That’s normal. But you need to understand that the contract you are signing is what you are agreeing to, not what the representative told you on the phone.I’ve seen plenty of contracts that say No Refund even though the representative told them there was. I’ve also seen plenty of contracts that make you agree that there are no guarantees or ask you to waive some of your rights away. And then there are the contracts that even say that everything you were told on the phone is not valid.If you are being asked to agree to pages and pages of text, you must understand the agreement is written to protect the person selling you the services, not you. You absolutely must understand what you are agreeing to before you sign the document. If you don’t understand, ask for clarification in writing or take the contract to a lawyer licensed in your state and ask for a second opinion. Consumer advocacy lawyers can be located through NACA.net.

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11. Print Out The Company Web Pages.

If you feel you are going to use the services of a particular company and you have relied on statements on their website or their website as a whole, print out those pages and keep them in a safe place. They will come in handy if you have a problem with them in the future. Also, save every email the company sends you and print all documents they send you and keep all that information is a safe place you can get to it if a problem arises.

12. Do a Web Search.

Before you do anything, do a search of the web for consumer complaints. You can search by company name and also search for their phone number.Individual consumer complaints may not be real, valid or accurate but it won’t take long for you to recognize a pattern of complaints. It’s the overall pattern that creates a red flag for me.For example, not every customer is going to be happy. That’s a fact. But it’s how the company handles those customers that’s more important for me. I even wrote a guide on companies can handle upset customers and it’s a good guide on what you should look for and expect from a good company. Read How to Handle a Consumer Complaint Like a Pro And Come Out Smelling Like a Rose.What I have observed is online consumer complaints that are then followed by glowing comments. People that are unhappy, complain and shout. People that are happy may post some comments on review sites but they don’t typically run around responding to every unhappy complaint. That’s the mark of someone trying to neutralize complaints, not respond to them.In my opinion, ideally what you want is a company that will work hard to resolve any issue that might arise, not get upset over it and attack.Use the complaints you may find online and the responses as an example of the integrity and professionalism of the company.That should be an excellent start for you to check out a company or business before hiring them. If you follow my advice above you will have done more than 98% of people do before hiring a company.The information you learn will help you to make a well informed decision if the company is right for you.

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@GetOutOfDebtGuy

Author: This article was contributed by GetOutOfDebt.org, a site that provides free help for people looking for advice on how to get out of debt or getting out of debt.

Source: How to Check Out a Business or Company to Avoid Getting Scammed or Ripped Off

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