The mailer includes two tickets for the recipient and a guest to “learn how money is made using the Internet.”
It does not employ some of the tactics that have previously gotten the company in legal trouble, such as promises that those who buy StoresOnline website creation and hosting products will get rich quick or testimonials from paid customers.
In California, a lawsuit alleged the companies falsely promised consumers that they could get rich by selling merchandise over the Internet. The companies have agreed to pay as much as $200,000 per customer in restitution, according to the Better Business Bureau.
Other states have reached similar restitution agreements, but a North Carolina judge issued a contempt order in 2009 after the companies failed to comply with a 2008 judgment and provide refunds to 221 North Carolina consumers.
Under a Florida settlement, StoresOnline and iMergent are prohibited from claiming that their products are easy to use. The invitation sent to local customers implies that entrepreneurs with “little marketing experience” can earn full-time incomes working from home.
According to an online report from the Better Business Bureau in Utah, the BBB has received 803 complaints about StoresOnline in the last 36 months. That pattern of complaints, along with government actions against the company, are cited as reasons why the BBB has issued StoresOnline an F rating.
A StoresOnline media representative could not be reached for information about what is being sold or pitched at the four Dayton seminars which are being held Friday, March 25, and Saturday, March 26, at the Doubletree Hotel in Dayton.
John North, president and CEO of the Dayton Better Business Bureau, said customers need to use caution and do their research when evaluating a business offer like the one from StoresOnline.
“If they are saying you can make up to $1,000 a week and work from home, those are some big red flags,” he said.
North said other indications that something is a scam could be that they require up-front fees to participate in seminar, or if the company requires the purchase of supplies to participate.
“A lot of the initial seminars are free, but a lot of times they are just scams to get you to come in and spend your money,” North said.
He recommends determining if there is a refund or cancellation policy, and said customers should not rely on the personal testimonies that the company provides, as those people are often paid.
Consumers can search for background information and previous complaints about businesses and charities at www.bbb.org/us/Find-Business-Reviews/ .
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2124 or kwedell@coxohio.com.
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