Work At Home Pedia

In these challenging economic times there are infinite opportunities online to make money and there are equally enough opportunities to lose your money, your emotional health and enormous amount of time.  You should do your due diligence with any business opportunity that you’re considering, here’s how.

Listed in no particular order of significance are the best online websites to help you evaluate whether the online business you’re thinking about, is actually legitimate and worth your time and money.  These are reputable sites where others who have experience with the respective companies involve; tell their side of the story.  You decide for yourself, whether the testimonials, complaints, allegations are factual or embellishment.

RipOff Report

Here you can submit your complaints against individuals, groups or companies or you can read the complaints of others.

Better Business Bureau or the Better Business Bureau Online

Many of you may already be familiar with the Better Business Bureau of the United States and Canada.  The Better Business Bureau is a long-standing, pillar of the business community and a resource for a good many things business-related.

FTC (Federal Trade Commission)

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission exists to protect the consumer from deceptive and illegal practices by individuals, groups and businesses.  It has an online form to lodge any such a complaint.

ScamBusters

Got an urban legend you want to check out to see if it’s true or not?  Then Scam Busters is the site for you.  You can also check out work at home scams, identity theft and lists of scams.  Check out their site for the guide on avoiding scams.

Complaints

Complaints offer a place for those who feel they have been cheated to post their complaints in a public place for the world to see.  You not only get to post your personal experiences, but also get to read what others have posted and by doing so, maybe you can help someone else avoid the heartache of doing business with that company or group.  Businesses have the opportunity to respond to your complaints by leaving a reply.

IC3 (The Internet Crime Complaint Center)

The IC3 is a joint collaboration between the FBI, the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the National White Collar Crime Center.  IC3 is the catchall of sorts for all types of cybercrime.  If, you know of a crime that is going on involving the Internet, you can file your report online through the IC3 website.

Consumer Affairs

Consumer Affairs makes it easy to get the latest complaints against businesses, current product recalls, and class action lawsuits and you can visit the “most viewed” pages and there is an online complaint form for your convenience.

PlanetFeedBack

PlanetFeedBack has a rather extensive database of companies and when you submit a question, suggestion, compliment or a complaint, their letter writing template helps you ever step of the way.

TheSqueakyWheel

It is said that the “squeakiest” wheel gets the most grease, or at the very least, gets noticed!  Using the Search feature oftentimes generated few complaints, but when I browsed, “All Types of Complaints,” and sorted by the “Most Viewed Complaints,” I got a long list of random complaints.  The link to file a complaint is at the top and the very bottom of the site page.

Complaints Board

Complaints Board lists by categories the complaints that others have taken the time to post, and offers videos, news, recall information, questions, tips and tricks to avoid being scammed, as well as an online complaint form.

EConsumer

Do you feel that you’ve been deceived by a foreign-based website and need to report it, well, EConsumer makes it easy to lodge a complaint in 7 languages.

IveTriedThat

IveTriedThat is a new up and coming site that takes user experiences and puts them online for others to read.  You can browse by the reading the latest complaints or by categories.

Complaint Wire

Complaint Wire offers the consumer a place to voice their opinion or complaint and online filing.

My3Cents

A consumer site that gives you a sense of community while at the same time, showing you recent consumer reviews, “Most Talked About” and a blog to share your experiences.

Fraud

Is a project by the National Consumer’s League and they seek to keep consumers and those who work in the manufacturing and production of the products and services we consume, from being exploited.  If, you feel as if you have been taken advantage of, contact them online.  Concerned about Telemarketing Scams, Counterfeit Drugs or Scams against the elderly, this is the place you want to visit.

Scam

Here you can get the “411” on what’s happening online in as “real-time,” as soon as someone posts.  Scam is a forum-style, message board with membership and lots of categories.  Read, ask questions or post your complaints.

SiteJabber

SiteJabber is the go-to place if you want to know how a particular website or blog rates among its users and what sort of experience others have had using the site in question.

USPIS (United States Postal Inspection Services)

Well, at first glance, the United States Postal Inspection Services seems a bit out-of-place among other online fraud prevention and reporting sites, but they are an honorable mentionable because many online scams involve the sending of money, cashier checks, money orders, etc. through the postal system and that brings the U.S. Postal Service into the picture.

Nobody wants to feel that they’ve been taken advantage of and the shame that comes from publicly admitting that you’ve been had, keeps many people from voicing their complaint to others.  When that happens the scammers are allowed to thrive if everyone took that attitude.  Sometimes we have share our experiences with others, even though we may not get back what we personally lost.  If, you can help others avoid such scams or fraudulent companies, you can rest with some peace of mind knowing that maybe, just maybe, you’ve helped someone else avoid what you went through!