BBB Advice on Giving to Storm and Flood Relief Charities

Americans watching the mounting Mississippi floodwaters and the devastation wreaked by recent tornadoes are responding with generous gifts of time and money, as they’ve traditionally responded to disasters throughout the world. But even when needs are close to home, givers should take steps to assure themselves that their donations will go to legitimate and reputable charities and relief efforts that have the capability to help victims, cautions the Better Business Bureau.

The BBB offers the following five tips to help Americans decide where to direct donations:

Take time to check out the charity. The best way to avoid being disappointed in helping Flood Relief Charities is to find out more about the charity before making the donation. Unfortunately, most people don’t. Donors should review the charity’s website and go to third party sites such as the http://www.bbb.org/ to learn more about the charity.

Identify what stage of relief the charity intends to provide. There are three general stages to flood relief efforts. Find out which stage the charity is intending to address. The Emergency Response stage involves immediate rescue needs and takes place within the first week of the storm or flood. Next, Disaster Relief occurs in the first month and provides clothing and temporary shelter for displaced families. Finally, the Recovery Stage can last over a year and involves clean up, repair and/or rebuilding homes, and other long-term recovery needs.

Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups. Some charities may be raising money to pass along to relief organizations. If so, you may want to consider “avoiding the middleman” and giving directly to charities that have a presence in the region. Or, at a minimum, check out the ultimate recipients of these donations to ensure the organizations are equipped to effectively provide aid.

Be wary of claims that 100 percent of donations will assist relief victims. Despite what an organization might claim, charities have fund raising and administrative costs. Even a credit card donation will involve, at a minimum, a processing fee. If a charity claims that 100 percent of collected funds will be assisting flood victims, the truth is that the organization is still probably incurring fund raising and administrative expenses. They may use some of their other funds to pay this, but the expenses will still be incurred.

Verify if the charity is registered to solicit donations in your state. Most states require charities to register with a state agency (usually the Attorney General’s office or the Secretary of State’s office) in order to solicit charitable contributions. Contact your appropriate state agency to determine if the soliciting flood relief charity is properly registered. Watch out for newly created entities that do not have a track record and/or experience in providing disaster relief.

Preparing for a Disaster

Planning what to do in case of a disaster is an important part of being prepared. The BBB and the IRS offer the following tips to help consumers and businesses help safeguard their records:


• Take Advantage of Paperless Recordkeeping for Financial and Tax Records and backup your electronic files regularly. Store your records in a location in your home where you may be able to quickly retrieve your records.

• Document Valuables and Business Equipment. Taking photos or videotaping the contents of your home and/or business can be very beneficial.

• Check on Fiduciary Bonds. Employers who use payroll service providers should ask the provider if they have a fiduciary bond in place. The bond could protect the employer in the event of default by the payroll service provider.

• Continuity of Operations Planning for Businesses. How quickly your company can get back to business after a disaster often depends on emergency planning done today. Start planning now to improve the likelihood that your company will survive and recover. Review your emergency plans annually. Just as your business changes over time, so do your preparedness needs. When you hire new employees or when there are changes in how your company functions, you should update your plans and inform your people.

The following preparedness strategies are common to all disasters.

• Get informed about hazards and emergencies and learn what to do for specific hazards.

• Develop an emergency plan.

• Learn where to seek shelter from all types of hazards.

• Back up your computer data systems regularly.

• Decide how you will communicate with employees, customers and others.

• Use cell phones, walkie-talkies, or other devices that do not rely on electricity as a backup to your telecommunications system.

• Collect and assemble a disaster supplies kit. Include a portable generator.

• Identify the community warning systems and evacuation routes.

• Include required information from community and school plans.

• Practice and maintain your plan.

Your Package has Arrived

Have you ever received an email stating your package has arrived, yet you never ordered anything, and you weren’t expecting anything? Typically these types of emails find themselves into inboxes around the holidays, offering tracking information on packages; however the bottom line is the same: it’s a phishing email.

Phishing is a term used when someone is attempting to steal personal information such as credit card details, passwords, or social security numbers through an electronic communication.

Your BBB advises consumer to never click on any links or open any attachments to emails until you have confirmed that they are not malicious. Email addresses that don’t match up, typos and grammatical mistakes are common red flags of a malicious phishing email. Also beware of unsolicited emails from companies with which you have no association. Make sure you have current antivirus software and that all security patches have been installed on the computer.

For more tips on being a savvy consumer visit http://www.bbb.org/.

The Better Business Bureau Offers Tips for Recruiting New Employees

Even in today’s digital age, most customers have contact with business’s employees, even if only through emails or telephone conversations. Recruiting the right people to represent your company is a difficult but very important task that impacts your reputation and service. The Better Business Bureau offers tips on recruiting the right person to join your team:

• Devise a systematic interview process to make sure that you maximize your time and probability of hiring the right person.

• Keep personality and character traits in mind when determining whether candidates are a right fit for your business.

• Ask behavioral based questions; for example, describe a situation where you were under immense pressure, and how you dealt with this.

• Take a candidate out for coffee or lunch; this will ease the pressure of being in an interview setting giving you better insight into their personality.

• Ask questions about their future; for example, where would they like to be in five years. This gives the candidate the opportunity to articulate their professional and personal ambitions for the future.

• Ask them a question such as why they would be a good at your company; this should open the candidate up to explain how their qualifications and goals complement your company's vision and values.

• Ask open ended questions to learn about the candidate’s communication style.

National Moving Month

May is National Moving Month, the start of the busiest time of the year for changing residences. Simple rules when selecting a mover will go a long way toward protecting yourself from being victimized by scams this summer. Unfortunately, every year the BBB receives complaints from consumers who have fallen prey to dishonest and often unlicensed moving companies. However, there are steps you can take to prevent yourself from becoming a victim this summer.

The Better Business Bureau offers the following tips for hiring a trustworthy moving company:

Research the company thoroughly: Check the moving company’s ratings, or if it is an accredited business with your BBB at www.bbb.org

Get at least three written in-home estimates. No legitimate mover will offer to give you a firm price online or over the phone. Also keep in mind that the lowest estimate can sometimes be an unrealistic low-ball offer that can cost you more in the end.

Consider getting full value protection. It may cost a few dollars more up front, but it can provide some peace of mind and eliminate a headache after your move. Investing in full (replacement) value protection means any lost or damaged articles will be repaired or replaced, or a cash settlement will be made to repair the item or to replace it at its current market value, regardless of age.

For more advice on being a safe consumer, and to find a moving company you can trust, visit www.bbb.org

Osama Bin Laden Death Social Media Scams

The BBB alerts to be wary of links to photos and fake videos on Facebook and other social media sites claiming to depict the death of Osama Bin Laden. They prompt users to input malicious URL’s into their browsers, which may infect their computer with a virus. Kaspersky Labs, an Internet security firm, reports that other Facebook scams lure victims to malicious Facebook Pages with promises of free airplane tickets, and other “free” offers to “celebrate Osama’s death.”


Below are sample images of these links:

BBB Tips to Ensure Mom Gets Her Flowers for Mothers Day as Complaints Rise 60%

Ordering Mother’s Day flower arrangements leads to one of the busiest holidays for florists. It also is an occasion when consumers expect orders to be delivered exactly as promised. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) offers tips to those sending gifts this Mother’s Day to help keep both mothers and wallets happy.

“Whether ordering flowers in person, online or over the phone, consumers should make sure they understand what they are buying, and give the florist complete information to ensure proper delivery,” said Steve J. Bernas, president & CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois.

Complaints in northern Illinois have increased to 533 from 321 or a 60-percent increase in the last 12 months. Inquiries are also up to 6,313 from 2,463 or a 155-percent increase; as more people are shifting to the internet for floral orders they are also doing their due diligence and researching online florists with the BBB first.

Pay careful attention to the options offered such as size of arrangement, color of flowers, color of vase, delivery in a box or vase, and inclusion of an enclosure or gift card.

"Another important point is to make sure that your order is clear and detailed. Review the guarantee on the site or with the salesperson. This will help alleviate your concerns about quality or delivery," states Bernas. “While you think you're ordering from a local florist, you may actually be on the phone with someone hundreds or thousands of miles away.”
The BBB offers the following tips to having a successful flower delivery this Mother’s Day:

Do your homework. Before ordering flowers, chocolates or any other gifts for Mother’s Day check out the company's Business Review at www.bbb.org in order to help prevent disappointment with the product or customer service.

Allow time for shipping. Check with the retailer or check the Web site to make sure that you have allowed enough time for delivery by your specified date. Make sure that this date is specified clearly and guaranteed when you order. If you order ahead of time, delivery and other charges may be less than a last minute order.

Have a back-up plan. Make sure you understand the store's guarantee. Find out how customer complaints are handled and what recourse you will have if the arrangement is not satisfactory.

Make sure the florist has your information. There are times when delivery instructions need to be confirmed or a delivery driver needs additional directions. Making sure the florist has a call-back phone number or your cell phone to help them make sure your mom gets what you expect.

For more information on shopping with companies you can trust, visit www.bbb.org