Walgreens announced that it will acquire Drugstore.com, a popular online retailer for a reported $409 million, according to TechCrunch.
Walgreens will also obtain other websites operated by Drugstore.com, including Beauty.com and SkinStore.com. The drugstore said it will maintain separate branding for each website.
Drugstore.com, which was founded in 1998, operates out of Bellevue, Washington, with more than 1,000 employees. Walgreens has promised it will maintain the corporate office after the merger. Drugstore.com registered more than $456 million in sales in 2010.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
After an Auto Collision: Informed Towing and Repair Information
Car accidents usually bring a load of stress, leaving motorists in need of immediate help. Accident victims who may not make informed decisions on their towing and repair services could face high up-front fees, improper repairs and extended lengths of time in which their vehicles were out of service while waiting for repairs.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) serving Chicago and Northern Illinois has compiled the following tips to help drivers make informed decisions after an accident:
Towing:
• Call your insurance agent from the accident scene.
• Never give permission to a tow operator who arrives unsolicited to take your vehicle.
• Do not provide a tow truck operator with personal lien holder information.
• Ensure that the tow truck signage matches the name that you called and is identical to any documentation the tow truck operator provides.
• If the truck is not marked, ask for identification.
• If in doubt, call the company back to insure the operator is.
Repairs:
• Get recommendations. Talk to friends and family for recommendations. Ask your auto insurance agent, auto parts salesperson, or other business people you know.
• Check the repair shop's complaint records with the Consumer Protection Division and their Business Review your Better Business Bureau. The shop you select should have a good track record of resolving any complaints.
• Look for a mechanic with experience working on the same automobile model and make as yours. Seek out a mechanic with good credentials, updated knowledge and skill. Some shops display ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certification, which indicates the mechanic has met basic standards in a specific technical area. You can also check for shops that participate in the AAA auto service program. But be careful. An ASE test or other certification is not an indication of ethics and integrity.
• Interview mechanics. Are they willing to answer your questions? Do they convey a positive, professional image? Ask if the technician or shop has experience working on the same model vehicle as yours.
Ask the shop for the names of customer references. Then call those references.
• Look for a shop with a clean and well maintained repair area.
• Do not pay in full until the repairs are complete.
For more information on finding auto repair companies you can trust, visit www.bbb.org
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) serving Chicago and Northern Illinois has compiled the following tips to help drivers make informed decisions after an accident:
Towing:
• Call your insurance agent from the accident scene.
• Never give permission to a tow operator who arrives unsolicited to take your vehicle.
• Do not provide a tow truck operator with personal lien holder information.
• Ensure that the tow truck signage matches the name that you called and is identical to any documentation the tow truck operator provides.
• If the truck is not marked, ask for identification.
• If in doubt, call the company back to insure the operator is.
Repairs:
• Get recommendations. Talk to friends and family for recommendations. Ask your auto insurance agent, auto parts salesperson, or other business people you know.
• Check the repair shop's complaint records with the Consumer Protection Division and their Business Review your Better Business Bureau. The shop you select should have a good track record of resolving any complaints.
• Look for a mechanic with experience working on the same automobile model and make as yours. Seek out a mechanic with good credentials, updated knowledge and skill. Some shops display ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certification, which indicates the mechanic has met basic standards in a specific technical area. You can also check for shops that participate in the AAA auto service program. But be careful. An ASE test or other certification is not an indication of ethics and integrity.
• Interview mechanics. Are they willing to answer your questions? Do they convey a positive, professional image? Ask if the technician or shop has experience working on the same model vehicle as yours.
Ask the shop for the names of customer references. Then call those references.
• Look for a shop with a clean and well maintained repair area.
• Do not pay in full until the repairs are complete.
For more information on finding auto repair companies you can trust, visit www.bbb.org
Monday, March 7, 2011
Tax Preparation Advice
Most Americans will get assistance from a professional tax preparer or tax software when filing their taxes this year. The Better Business Bureau encourages taxpayers to use caution when selecting tax preparation help or they may get hit with headaches and mounting fines and fees if the return isn’t correct or filed late.
• Ask around. Get referrals from friends and family on who they use and check the BBB Reliability Report on tax preparation services at www.bbb.org
• Look for credentials. Ideally, your tax preparer should either be a certified public accountant, a tax attorney or an enrolled agent. All three can represent you before the IRS in all matters, including an audit. Also, find out if the preparer is affiliated with a professional organization that holds its members to a code of ethics.
• Don’t fall for the promise of a big refund. Be wary of any tax preparation service that promises larger refunds than the competition, and avoid any tax preparers who base their fee on a percentage of the refund.
• Think about accessibility. Many tax preparation services only set up shop for the months leading up to April 18. In case the IRS finds errors, or in case of an audit, you might need to be able to contact your tax preparer throughout the year.
• Read the contract carefully. Read tax preparation service contracts closely to ensure you understand issues such as how much it is going to cost for the service, how the cost will be affected if preparation is more complicated and time consuming than expected and whether the tax preparer will represent you in case of an audit.
For more advice on finding professionals you can trust, visit www.bbb.org
• Ask around. Get referrals from friends and family on who they use and check the BBB Reliability Report on tax preparation services at www.bbb.org
• Look for credentials. Ideally, your tax preparer should either be a certified public accountant, a tax attorney or an enrolled agent. All three can represent you before the IRS in all matters, including an audit. Also, find out if the preparer is affiliated with a professional organization that holds its members to a code of ethics.
• Don’t fall for the promise of a big refund. Be wary of any tax preparation service that promises larger refunds than the competition, and avoid any tax preparers who base their fee on a percentage of the refund.
• Think about accessibility. Many tax preparation services only set up shop for the months leading up to April 18. In case the IRS finds errors, or in case of an audit, you might need to be able to contact your tax preparer throughout the year.
• Read the contract carefully. Read tax preparation service contracts closely to ensure you understand issues such as how much it is going to cost for the service, how the cost will be affected if preparation is more complicated and time consuming than expected and whether the tax preparer will represent you in case of an audit.
For more advice on finding professionals you can trust, visit www.bbb.org
Monday, February 21, 2011
Keep your kids safe online by teaching them the seven stop signs
Knowing where your kids are can be a full time job. Knowing where they are online—which websites they’re visiting and who they’re talking to—is even harder, but is no less important. The Better Business Bureau Children’s Advertising Review Unit encourages parents to teach their kids and tweens about unsafe online situations and recommends looking out for seven stop signs.
Sit down with your kids and let them know that they should stop and come talk to you whenever they find themselves in these seven situations online:
1. You visit a website which asks for financial information like bank, credit or debit card numbers. Some websites may try to get at your wallet through your kids. Let your kids know that it is never acceptable to give out your bank, credit or debit card numbers to anyone.
2. You visit a website that asks for personal information like your home address, first and last name, e-mail address, phone or Social Security number. Your kids may not realize that information such as their full name, address, phone number or even their e-mail address or Social Security Number can be very valuable to companies that want to market products to them and also to identity thieves or predators online.
3. A person you don’t know sends you inappropriate pictures or inappropriate language, or wants to actually meet up. Talk to your kids about what would constitute as inappropriate photos and conversations online, as well as the immense dangers of meeting up or talking to strangers.
4. You want to post a picture of yourself online. Posting pictures online can seem harmless, but can often provide important clues to predators. Approve any photos before your kid posts them online until you feel they are old enough to make the right call.
5. You are being harassed or bullied through a social networking site, e-mails or instant messages. Online bullying isn’t just a harmless prank and your kids need to know that it’s important they tell you before it goes too far.
6. You get a friend request on a social networking site from someone you don’t know. Friending someone online that you don’t know in real life is opening the door to many possible threats such as hackers and predators.
7. You want to sign up for a “free” service online or get “free” ringtones or daily joke text messages. “Free” rarely comes without a price online and supposedly, free services can result in repeated charges to your credit card or phone bill.
For more information on staying safe online, visit www.bbb.org
Sit down with your kids and let them know that they should stop and come talk to you whenever they find themselves in these seven situations online:
1. You visit a website which asks for financial information like bank, credit or debit card numbers. Some websites may try to get at your wallet through your kids. Let your kids know that it is never acceptable to give out your bank, credit or debit card numbers to anyone.
2. You visit a website that asks for personal information like your home address, first and last name, e-mail address, phone or Social Security number. Your kids may not realize that information such as their full name, address, phone number or even their e-mail address or Social Security Number can be very valuable to companies that want to market products to them and also to identity thieves or predators online.
3. A person you don’t know sends you inappropriate pictures or inappropriate language, or wants to actually meet up. Talk to your kids about what would constitute as inappropriate photos and conversations online, as well as the immense dangers of meeting up or talking to strangers.
4. You want to post a picture of yourself online. Posting pictures online can seem harmless, but can often provide important clues to predators. Approve any photos before your kid posts them online until you feel they are old enough to make the right call.
5. You are being harassed or bullied through a social networking site, e-mails or instant messages. Online bullying isn’t just a harmless prank and your kids need to know that it’s important they tell you before it goes too far.
6. You get a friend request on a social networking site from someone you don’t know. Friending someone online that you don’t know in real life is opening the door to many possible threats such as hackers and predators.
7. You want to sign up for a “free” service online or get “free” ringtones or daily joke text messages. “Free” rarely comes without a price online and supposedly, free services can result in repeated charges to your credit card or phone bill.
For more information on staying safe online, visit www.bbb.org
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Don’t miss Dateline NBC on Sunday, Jan 30. BBB and Dateline’s Chris Hansen partner to expose a nationwide air duct cleaning scam.
This Sunday, January 30th at 7pm/6pm CT, Dateline presents a compelling new franchise, "The Hansen Files." With the help of the Better Business Bureau, Chris Hansen and "Dateline's" hidden cameras uncover secrets and scams-- taking a special look into a nationwide ring of air duct cleaning companies. This brazen scam-- one that has thrived for more than a decade-- cons thousands of consumers out of millions of dollars, and targets one of the most vulnerable segments of the population: the elderly. "Dateline" discovers that many air duct cleaning companies across the country are using advertising tricks, such as the infamous "bait and switch," promising a low price for the service, only to raise it once in the door. Using hidden cameras, viewers watch what happens as our volunteers call one of the rogue companies. What you'll see next will surprise and offend you, as these air duct cleaners take our volunteers to the cleaners! But the technician will be in for a surprise when Chris Hansen shows up to expose them.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Insurance Policies
With winter weather occurring, your Better Business Bureau and the Illinois Department of Insurance reminds the public to check insurance policies on the following:
Snow Plowing
• Before offering to help remove snow from a friend’s driveway with a plow on your truck, read through your policy or talk with your insurance company or agent to make sure you are covered. Your personal automobile policy may not cover your liability and any property damage you might cause.
• If you are using your plow to make a little extra cash this winter, your personal auto insurance policy may not provide coverage. Consider a commercial automobile policy – one that includes coverage for plowing – before committing your services.
Snow Removal at Home
• Generally, your homeowner or renter’s policy will cover liability for injuries should someone slip and fall on your property. However, your insurance company is going to expect that you are performing due diligence to make the walks around your home safe for visitors. If your city has a law requiring snow removal your insurance company may consider that in evaluating a claim, so be sure to check with your city to see what laws apply.
Travel Insurance
• If you are worried about not getting to your destination, or getting stuck, some travel sites and airlines offer travel insurance, which can cover everything from lost luggage to delays and cancellations. Make sure you closely read any policy you consider to be certain what it covers, and ask questions if you don't understand the limits or coverage.
Winter Illness
• Doctors' offices are crowded during cold and flu season. Your health insurance policy may offer alternatives to waiting at the doctor’s office. Ask your health insurer whether your plan includes a nurse answer line that can answer questions about your symptoms or check if your local pharmacy has a quick treatment center that accepts your health insurance.
Find insurance agencies you can trust at www.bbb.org
Snow Plowing
• Before offering to help remove snow from a friend’s driveway with a plow on your truck, read through your policy or talk with your insurance company or agent to make sure you are covered. Your personal automobile policy may not cover your liability and any property damage you might cause.
• If you are using your plow to make a little extra cash this winter, your personal auto insurance policy may not provide coverage. Consider a commercial automobile policy – one that includes coverage for plowing – before committing your services.
Snow Removal at Home
• Generally, your homeowner or renter’s policy will cover liability for injuries should someone slip and fall on your property. However, your insurance company is going to expect that you are performing due diligence to make the walks around your home safe for visitors. If your city has a law requiring snow removal your insurance company may consider that in evaluating a claim, so be sure to check with your city to see what laws apply.
Travel Insurance
• If you are worried about not getting to your destination, or getting stuck, some travel sites and airlines offer travel insurance, which can cover everything from lost luggage to delays and cancellations. Make sure you closely read any policy you consider to be certain what it covers, and ask questions if you don't understand the limits or coverage.
Winter Illness
• Doctors' offices are crowded during cold and flu season. Your health insurance policy may offer alternatives to waiting at the doctor’s office. Ask your health insurer whether your plan includes a nurse answer line that can answer questions about your symptoms or check if your local pharmacy has a quick treatment center that accepts your health insurance.
Find insurance agencies you can trust at www.bbb.org
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
J.B. Brocato's CruxRainmaking Blog
For business development advice, please visit http://www.cruxrainmaking.com/, a blog by author J.B. Brocato. His approach to business development proposes a single, simple, and effective way to exponentially grow business for three types of people: service providers, sales professionals (i.e., people who sell products to other people or procurement departments), and fundraisers for non-for-profit organizations. If you are responsible for generating, or would like to generate, more revenue for your firm, company, or not-for-profit organization, you may be interested in his blog.
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