How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
Opinion
- Details
- Written by: Rebecca Harpster
Living in a hotel and eating out for every meal can leave you feeling out of whack. One solution for this problem is renting a house or apartment.
Although renting a home for your next vacation is a great way to get your own space and feel more comfortable, it comes with additional risk.
In 2016, consumers nationwide filed more than 1,100 complaints with Better Business Bureau (BBB) about vacation rental companies. The most common issue was an inability to get a refund, but consumers also complained about poor service and deceptive sales.
The following tips from your BBB can help you avoid problems and find a relaxing place to call home during your next trip.
Check BBB
Whenever you’re interacting with a new business, it’s smart to check www.bbb.org. There you can see a business’ rating, complaint history, and reviews from past customers.
Make sure to do your research and keep an eye out for red flags, like unanswered complaints or major advertising issues.
Steer clear of rental scams
Nearly 350 rental scams were reported to BBB Scam Tracker by consumers nationwide in 2016.
Around 40 percent of reports involved a monetary loss, and the median loss was $350!
In a rental scam, you find a great place to rent while browsing the Web, usually on a classifieds site. Everything is handled online, and you prepay for your vacation rental. When you arrive, you find out that the property either isn’t available or doesn’t even exist.
Only rent from trustworthy companies and reputable home sharing websites (look them up on www.bbb.org ), and steer clear of properties advertised by individuals on classifieds sites.
It’s also best to use a credit card because they offer more protections than debit and prepaid cards.
For more tips on avoiding rental scams, visit www.bbb.org/rentalscam.
Be careful booking through a third-party site
It’s usually safer to book your rental directly through a rental company, but you may be tempted to use a third-party booking site that’s advertising the best deals.
It’s important to do your research – of the 7,000 complaints about travel agents and bureaus that BBB received in 2016, more than 2,300 were against online travel agencies.
Steer clear of unprofessional-looking sites, consider using a trustworthy BBB Accredited Business, and always read the contract and refund/exchange policies carefully.
Considering a timeshare?
In a timeshare, a business subdivides individual units into time interval ownership plans, which you can then buy.
It may feel good to “own” your own vacation home, but be careful. In 2016, nearly 2,400 complaints were filed on vacation timeshare companies. The majority of complaints (54%) were about sales. Many complaints involve false advertisements and overly-aggressive sales tactics.
Consumers frequently complain about attending an hours-long timeshare presentation in exchange for a “free” vacation, but in the end are charged a lot of money for the trip.
Check out the company on www.bbb.org , read the contract thoroughly, and don’t feel pressured when talking to a sales person.
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is
Sweepstakes/lottery/prize scams were the fourth most reported scam to BBB Scam Tracker in 2016.
According to the BBB Risk Index, they’re also the tenth riskiest scam overall and second most risky for consumers 65 and older.
If you receive an unsolicited email, letter, or phone call claiming that you won a free vacation, don’t believe it.
You’ll never have to pay upfront to receive a free prize, and never wire money to someone you don’t know.
More than 300 travel and vacation scams were also reported to BBB Scam Tracker in 2016, and they were the second most risky scam for service members and veterans. Many reports involve “free” trips and phony rentals. Learn more at bbb.org/prizescam and www.bbb.org/travelscam.
If you encounter a travel, rental or prize scam make sure to report it BBB Scam Tracker at www.bbb.org/scamtracker to help warn others.
After your trip, let BBB know about your rental experience by writing a Customer Review on www.bbb.org.
Rebecca Harpster is community outreach coordinator for the Better Business Bureau, serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.
- Details
- Written by: Rebecca Harpster
Summer is a great time for your kids to hone skills or learn something new.
Below are some ideas that can help them get the most out of their summer break while affording you some deserved peace and quiet.
Send them to summer camp
Summer camps are a great way to ensure that children are entertained and supervised while parents are otherwise occupied. Kids can attend day camps, overnight camps, or even camps that last all summer.
After deciding what type of camp is right for your family, make sure to do your research. Complaints BBB receives on camps range from issues with registration and problems receiving refunds to poor service. Look up the camp online, especially at www.bbb.org, and check that they’re licensed. Understand the fees and payments, and read the contract completely before signing it.
Sign up for volunteering
Foster your kids’ philanthropic spirit this summer by getting involved with an organization that needs help!
There’s a volunteering job for every child – from helping out at a food bank to cleaning up local parks.
Depending on your child’s age and the task at hand, they may or may not need parental supervision.
Having trouble choosing a nonprofit? Check out www.give.org , run by BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance, or WGA.
WGA accredits charities that meet 20 comprehensive standards. At www.give.org, you can look up nonprofits and find out what percent of fundraising goes to projects, how effective they are, and how much money goes to overhead and salaries.
Encourage entrepreneurship
It’s never too early to become an entrepreneur! Have your kids brainstorm ideas by thinking about their passions and interests and how they could be turned into a business.
Check out books on entrepreneurship and creating a business from the library. There are also a lot of great resources online.
Whatever they decide to do, make sure they’re incorporating good values. A great place to start is BBB’s Standards of Trust, which include advertising honestly, telling the truth, honoring promises, embodying integrity, and more. Print them out a copy and encourage them to keep it in mind.
Get creative or learn a new skill
Embarking on a creative project or trying to learn a new skill can take a lot of time, but it’s incredibly rewarding.
Encourage your kids to get creative and think of a big project they’d like to complete. This could be a collection of drawings, a new board game, or something entirely out of the box!
They can also pick something they’ve always wanted to try and learn how to do it, like learn to sew or crochet, learn a specific type of dance, or learn to cook.
Set goals
Some children respond best to goals – they love to check things off their lists!
Align their summer goals with things that they’ll be working on in the upcoming school year.
A good goal could be to read 100 books in three months or complete one page of math problems every day.
Rewarding them along the way can keep them motivated. Create goals using the SMART framework to maximize their effectiveness.
Rebecca Harpster is community outreach coordinator for the BBB serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.
- Details
- Written by: Rebecca Harpster
Are you currently looking for a job and using online job sites to aid your search? If so, watch out for employment scams.
- Details
- Written by: Rebecca Harpster
Weddings can be very expensive, so it’s understandable that couples want everything to go according to plan.
Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy. Weddings have many moving parts: planners, venues, officiants, caterers, cakes, DJs, dresses and tuxedos, limos, photographers and more. No wonder they’re so expensive.
Things can go wrong for a few reasons; honest mistakes are inevitable, but there are also dishonest individuals and businesses that will wreak havoc on your special day.
You can avoid the latter by always doing your research on www.bbb.org to find a business you can trust, and considering the following advice.
Exercise restraint at wedding expos
At a wedding expo, you might be presented with one-day deals or discounts for advance payment.
Watch out for high pressure sales tactics, read all contracts carefully, and make sure to get three estimates for anything before signing on the dotted line. Keep a level head and don’t act on emotion!
Find the perfect venue
The venue is usually the most expensive part of a wedding. Make sure to visit many locations and get multiple estimates so you can compare costs and amenities.
Ask questions. Can you bring your own alcohol or caterer? What’s the parking situation? Who is responsible for flowers and decorations?
Know if there are unexpected costs such as “plate-splitting”, “cake-cutting” or “corkage” fees. There may be fees beyond the cost-per-person, gratuities and room rental.
If you’re hiring your own caterer, do your research at www.bbb.org to find one you can trust. Read the contract very carefully before signing.
Get down with a great DJ
In 2016, more than 150 complaints were filed with BBB nationwide about musicians and DJs.
Complaints include being charged unexpected fees and late appearances. Ask for references from friends and family and do your research on www.bbb.org ; you shouldn’t just rely on a Web site, demo tape or phone conversation.
Ask who will actually perform at the reception and get a written commitment from the band or musician, including the amount of time they will play and costs to extend the time the night of the event.
Work with the DJ ahead of time on what songs you want them to play.
Do your research when buying an outfit
Look up bridal shops at www.bbb.org to see their rating, complaint history, and reviews from past customers.
In 2016, consumers nationwide filed nearly 500 complaints about bridal shops. The leading causes of complaints were issues with repairs and alterations, refunds and exchanges, and guarantees.
Make sure to give yourself enough time for the shop to order the gown and then alter it. Ask about any hidden fees. The same goes for grooms buying or renting a tuxedo.
Ride in style
Consumers nationwide filed more than 600 complaints with BBB on limousine service businesses in 2016.
The leading cause for complaints was poor service, and many consumers complained that limos showed up late or not at all.
You should have a written contract that includes the hours of service, required fees including gratuities, maximum capacity allowed and amenities of the vehicle.
The service should also be licensed and insured – you can check that they have the required TCP license at www.cpuc.ca.gov .
Be careful when choosing a photographer
Your wedding only happens once, and you want to make sure you’ll get the pictures so that you can preserve the memory.
Many couples have complained of photographers and videographers that never deliver photos or hold them hostage for extra money.
Consumers nationwide filed more than 850 complaints on photographers and videographers with BBB in 2016.
The most common cause for complaint was receiving the pictures months after the event – or sometimes never.
Consumers also complained about late photographers and poor quality photos. Get everything in writing: time, price, timetable for getting the pictures and whether they’ll be edited.
Read the fine print and make sure there aren’t any hidden fees.
Consider insurance
In case something goes wrong, wedding insurance can save you thousands of dollars. It’s also wise to pay with a credit card, as they offer more protections than debit cards and cash.
Before making any purchase, know the refund policy, ask about any extra fees, and read the contract carefully and keep a copy after signing.
A wedding planner can help simplify many of the above steps, but they come with their own cost.
Do your research on www.bbb.org and talk to multiple planners before making a decision.
Rebecca Harpster is community outreach coordinator for the BBB serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.