'Free' and 'Low Cost' PC Offers – The Catch

Written by Richard A. Chapo


Continued from page 1

If you decide to cancel your Internet service for any reason, chances are you'll have to pay back some or all ofrepparttar rebate you received; you also may have to pay a cancellation fee of $50 or more.

If you don't live in a major metropolitan area, you may have to pay long distance telephone charges to accessrepparttar 146607 Internet. Or you also may be able to use a "toll-free" (800, 888 or 877) number supplied byrepparttar 146608 Internet Service Provider (ISP), but you may be charged five or six dollars an hour to use their "toll-free" number. Whether you choose to userepparttar 146609 ISP's telephone number or pay long-distance charges, your phone calls to accessrepparttar 146610 Internet could add up to more than you'll save throughrepparttar 146611 rebate.

Ifrepparttar 146612 PC offer requires you to sign-up for Internet service, askrepparttar 146613 retailer andrepparttar 146614 ISP forrepparttar 146615 Internet access phone numbers closest to you. Then check with your local phone company to determine whether you have to pay long distance rates to use those phone numbers. You may want to consider another offer ifrepparttar 146616 "deal" you're considering requires you to call long distance or pay a fee to accessrepparttar 146617 Internet.

Other Costs

It's possible thatrepparttar 146618 cost of a monitor or other crucial system components may not be included inrepparttar 146619 PC offer you're considering. The advertisements forrepparttar 146620 offer may not be clear about what's included. If you have to buy a monitor, for example, plan on spending at least an additional $150.

When considering a "free" or "low cost" PC offer, askrepparttar 146621 retailer about up-front costs, rebates, essential components, Internet access costs, long-term commitments, cancellation policies, local or long distance phone access and any other important issues. Details will help you determine if you can affordrepparttar 146622 “free” PC.

Richard A. Chapo is a business lawyer with SanDiegoBusinessLawFirm.com - This article is for information purposes only. Read more business law articles to help your business.


FTC Names Its Dirty Dozen: 12 Most Likely Email Scams

Written by Richard A. Chapo


Continued from page 1

The scam: If these systems worked, wouldn't everyone be using them? The thought of easy money may be appealing, but success generally requires hard work.

7. Free goods

Some email messages offer valuable goods-for example, computers, other electronic items, and long-distance phone cards-for free. You're asked to pay a fee to join a club, then told that to earnrepparttar offered goods, you have to bring in a certain number of participants. You're paying forrepparttar 146606 right to earn income by recruiting other participants, but your payoff is in goods, not money.

The scam: Most of these messages are covering up pyramid schemes, operations that inevitably collapse. The payoff goes torepparttar 146607 promoters and little or none to you.

8. Investment opportunities

Investment schemes promise outrageously high rates of return with no risk. Many are Ponzi schemes, in which early investors are paid off with money contributed by later investors. This makesrepparttar 146608 early investors believe thatrepparttar 146609 system actually works, and encourages them to invest even more.

The scam: Ponzi schemes eventually collapse because there isn't enough money coming in to continue simulating earnings. Other schemes are a good investment forrepparttar 146610 promoters, but no for participants.

9. Cable descrambler kits

For a small sum of money, you can buy a kit to assemble a cable descrambler that supposedly allows you to receive cable television transmissions without paying any subscription fee.

The scam: The device that you build probably won't work. Most ofrepparttar 146611 cable TV systems inrepparttar 146612 U.S. use technology that these devices can't crack. What's more, even if it worked, stealing service from a cable television company is illegal.

10. Guaranteed loans or credit, on easy terms

Some email messages offer home-equity loans that don't require equity in your home. Usually, these are said to be offered by offshore banks. Sometimes they are combined with pyramid schemes, which offer you an opportunity to make money by attracting new participants torepparttar 146613 scheme.

The scams: The home equity loans turn out to be useless lists of lenders who will turn you down. The promised credit cards never come through, andrepparttar 146614 pyramid schemes always collapse.

11. Credit repair

Credit repair scams offer to erase accurate negative information from your credit file so you can qualify for a credit card, auto loan, home mortgage, or a job.

The scam: The scam artists who promote these services can't deliver. Only time, a deliberate effort, and a personal debt repayment plan will improve your credit. The companies that advertise credit repair services appeal to consumers with poor credit histories. Not only can't they provide you with a clean credit record, but they also may be encouraging you to violate federal law. If you follow their advice by lying on a loan or credit application, misrepresenting your Social Security number, or getting an Employer Identification Number under false pretenses, you will be committing fraud.

12. Vacation prize promotions

Electronic certificates congratulating you on "winning" a fabulous vacation for a very attractive price are amongrepparttar 146615 scams arriving in your email. Some say you have been "specially selected" for this opportunity.

The scam: Most unsolicited commercial email goes to thousands or millions of recipients at a time. Often,repparttar 146616 cruise ship you're booked on may look more like a tug boat. The hotel accommodations likely are shabby, and you may be required to pay more for an upgrade. Schedulingrepparttar 146617 vacation atrepparttar 146618 time you want it also may require an additional fee.

In Closing

Don’t check your common sense atrepparttar 146619 door simply because you are surfingrepparttar 146620 web. If it seems to good to be true, it is. Don’t fall victim to these scams.

Richard A. Chapo is a business lawyer with SanDiegoBusinessLawFirm.com - This article is for information purposes only. Read more business law articles to help your business.


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