No Free Lunch Warning From BBB

WALLINGFORD — The invitation for a free meal seemed enticing enough, but is a meal really free when you can’t pick up a fork until after being subjected to a 90-minute sales presentation pressuring you to pay for and attend a future workshop about setting up a website and other e-services?

The state’s Better Business Bureau (BBB), along with other Connecticut-based companies, received two tickets to attend a free premier conference at any one of the following locations: Four Points Sheraton, Meriden; Ramada Inn, Stratford; Amarante’s Sea Cliff, New Haven; and Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale.

After doing a national BBB data search, CT BBB discovered that the company is Storesonline, Inc aka Internet Marketing Conference, 754 East Technology Avenue, Orem UT 84097; telephone, 801-434-8582; fax, 801-226- 8848; www.storesonline.com.

The company has a complete BBB report showing more than 228 complaints last year, which can be viewed at www.utah.bbb.org. In addition, Storesonline is the subject of numerous state government actions from around the country. In some cases the company has used additional DBA names such as: Galaxy Mall Inc, Internet Marketing Conference, and Imergent Inc.

Business owners who receive these free tickets should carefully research the offer by procuring a copy of the BBB report and by doing a Google or Yahoo search on the company and its owners.

BBBs around the country are finding that many offers of high profits online are actually not as legitimate or ethical as they first appear. There are many legitimate ways to make money online as long as you protect yourself from being scammed. BBB recommends doing your homework before investing your time and/or money with unknown companies.

For more advice on finding companies and businesses, start your search with trust at www.bbb.org.