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S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N

BBB Reinvigorates BrandIncreases Focus to Help Consumers Make Better Pre-Purchase DecisionsPage 5

BBB Business ReportsHelp Protect ConsumersPage 7

What Happens When you File

A Complaint with the BBB1

You’re a WinnerLottery and Check ScamsPage 12

Complete List of

BBB Accredited BusinessesPage 17

ConsumerResource Guide

Last year more than 3.1 million people asked the BBB about the reputation

of companies in Northern Illinois or asked us to assist them with a complaint.

www.chicago.bbb.org 312.832.0500

THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU® OF CHICAGO AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS

2 | BBB Consumer Resource Guide S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N

BBB Consumer Resource Guide | 3S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N

To Ask About A Company OrFile A Complaint The BetterBusiness Bureau makes it easy toobtain information about a com-pany or charity, or to file a com-plaint. Here’s how:BBB Websitewww.chicago.bbb.org Available24-hours everyday. U.S. Mail/Fax Write or fax theBBB office nearest you:

Chicago330 N. Wabash Avenue, Suite2006 Chicago, IL 60611Fax: 312.832.9985

Rockford810 E. State Street, 3rd FloorRockford, IL 61104Fax: 815.963.0329

Telephone Automated Servicesare available 24 hours a day, 7days a week…312.832.0500 to filea complaint or obtain a report.Personal Service 312.832.0500Consumer consultants are avail-able from 8:00 am to 6:00 pmMonday through Friday. BBB AUTOLINE 800.955.5100This service only deals with com-plaints related to problems withvehicles made by certain manu-facturers.Bienvenidos al BBB en españolinformación importante parael consumidor en español.Proporcionado por el BetterBusiness Bureau, sirviendo alárea de Chicago y el Norte deIllinois

The BBB Remains on the front lines for businesses and consumers with newresources and a new look. This Consumer Resource Guide is included in the ChicagoTribune on Oct. 30, 2007 and includes an Accredited Business Roster as of Sept. 20.

Better Business Bureau has changed the way businesses affiliated with theorganization are designated, from “BBB Member” to “BBB Accredited Business.”This change is part of a larger campaign highlighting the valuable resources andservices the BBB offers to help make informed pre-purchase decisions.

The new “Accredited” designation highlights that businesses affiliated with BBBcontractually agree to meet and uphold BBB’s high standards for integrity and reli-ability. BBB reviews each accredited business and strictly enforces its standards.

Other visible changes at BBB include a new logo, a redesigned Web site and anew tagline: “Start With TrustSM”. This new tagline describes the vision and spirit ofBBB to work to create a fair marketplace.

BBB’s goal remain to cultivate and encourage trust between businesses and con-sumers, and we have introduced a series of how-to books “BBB Insiders’ Guides”.

Sincerely,

Charles A. Gavzer Steve J. BernasChair President & CEO

BBB CHANGES BUSINESS “MEMBER” STATUS TO “ACCREDITED BUSINESS”how to reach your BBB

officers & members of the executive committee

Complaints taken over the internet are processed immediatly providedthe BBB has contact information.

Complaints taken over the telephone are processed within 24 hours.

President & CEOSteve J. Bernas

Immediate Past ChairDoris K. ChristopherThe Pampered Chef, Ltd.

Vice ChairRoy SpencerPerma-Seal BasementSystems, Inc.

Vice ChairDan B. StoneAlberto-CulverCompany

TreasurerCarl JacobsonGE CommercialFinance Real Estate

ChairCharles A. GavzerCataldo Enterprises

SecretaryMichael E. StanczakHanson Material Service Corp.

Vice ChairGerald M. ColeCole & Associates


Irv AbramsWalgreen CompanyBilly AbtABT ElectronicsRonald G. AgyptCombined Insurance Co. of AmericaJames W. AldrichDelaware Place BankJack ArslanianMiniMoves, Inc.Ed BachlerNombach Home ExteriorsBrian K. BarkleyAccess One, Inc.John BelliTru-Link FenceSteve J. BernasBetter Business Bureau/ChicagoShirley BicknellSears Holding CorporationJerry N. BoudreauTransUnion LLCPatricia Davis BrooksApple VacationsCathy BushmanTiffany & CompanyLawrence J. CarneyAmerican Home Heating Co.Eli CarrilloProtecta Home Loans, Inc.Charles S. Childs, Jr.A. A. Rayner & SonsDoris K. ChristopherThe Pampered Chef, Ltd.

Jerry H. Cizek IIIChicago Automobile Trade Assoc.Gerald M. ColeWaste Gasification Systems, Inc. Ilene CollinsThe Apartment People Douglas Cook FeldcoNicholas DacanayDiscover Financial ServicesRichard Dent First CommunicationsKenneth DePaolaChicago TribuneSteve DezaraLuna Carpet & Blinds, Inc.Bernie DiMeoDiMeo CompanyRick DowMidas International CorporationMark T. DoyleAll My Sons Moving & Storage, Inc.Paul FisherDanley Garage WorldRussell T. Wicker FreemanCoyne American InstituteA. F. Duffy GaynorIBM CorporationEd GarciaWireless Central LLCCharles GavzerFulton Catering Cataldo EnterprisesDayle GillettThe Inland Real Estate Group, Inc.

James GnoffoAAA ChicagoPatricia GoldenNBC5 ChicagoEdward E. GordonImperial Consulting CorporationPeter GrandeState Farm InsuranceDavid P. GutmanMomentum Advantage Partners LLCRichard HynesHynes Assoc. Architects & InteriorsJohn H. IdlerABC 7 ChicagoHerbert F. Corky Imhoff, Jr.General Employment Enterprises, Inc.Joann JacksonIntegrated Project Mgmnt Co., Inc.Victor JacobellisRose ProductionsCarl G. Jacobson GE Commercial FinanceRobert F. KastenholzLaSalle National BankDavid KellyR.H. DonnelleyChristopher E. KentraMeckler Bulger & TilsonJoan KoebernickDakota-K Auto Repair & Tire CenterAlex KolosiwskyBFS Retail & Comm. OperationsJohn J. KozakisAmerican Airlines, Inc.

John KroenDeVry, Inc.Israel KushnirGeorge S. May International Co.Gary LangGary Lang Auto GroupEdith LeonianConcession Services, Inc.Marvin LiebermanArchway Construction CompanyMark A. Lies II, Esq.Seyfarth Shaw LLPDavid W. MaherPublic Interest RegistryRobert MarcocchioAssurance Agency Ltd.John MartinChicago Sun-TimesHoward MedleyMedley’s Moving & Self StorageHarold Sandy MengerPave Man, Inc.Matthew MessingerBally Total Fitness CorporationRaymond D. MinkusMinkus & Pearlman Public RelationsKevin MizeO’Hare Honda, Pontiac, HyundaiJohn MoranKPMG LLPRobert MuddMudd AdvertisingDale MuellerAamco Transmission Dealers Assoc.

Michael T. NelliganThe Staubach CompanySusan OleariHarris Trust and Savings BankGeorge OlsenGrant’s Appliance TV & AudioLisa OlmsteadComEd – An Exelon CompanyBruce O’NealMatthews Roofing CompanySeymour PerskyParliament Enterprises, Ltd.John R. PlunkettPlunkett Home FurnishingsTaras R. ProczkoHartmarx CorporationDesmond RobertsAdvantage ChevroletAllen RodriguezCharter One BankRobert RyanPlumbing Council of ChicagolandLauri M. SandersJewel-OscoMark ScarpelliRaymond Chevrolet/Olds, Inc.David J. SchroerHallberg Commercial Insurors, Inc.Thomas J. SeebergMarsh USA Inc.John SmithTower Travel Management Corp.David SparksSparks Consulting, LLC

Roy SpencerPerma-Seal Basement Systems, Inc.Michael E. StanczakHanson Material ServiceJerry S. StockU.S. WaterproofingDan B. StoneAlberto-Culver CompanyKimberly A. SvobodaCDW, Inc.Cecil TreadwayTreadway EnterprisesD. Richard WaltersAutomatic Data Processing ADPJohn WellsHilton ChicagoJames W. WicklanderLake County Press, Inc.Jerry ZientyJerome A. Zienty & Associates, P.C.

GENERAL COUNSEL:John A. Janicik, PartnerMayer, Brown, LLP

Board of Directors 2007-2008 The Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois, Inc.

call orclick!

312.832.0500www.chicago.bbb.org

Start With Trust.

The Better Business Bureausis telling consumers to dojust that through a newbrand and public outreachcampaign. Launching nation-ally today, the effort will promote how BBB can helpconsumers make betterchoices and more informedpre-purchase decisions.

In 2006, BBB of Chicagoand Northern Illinois handleda record-breaking 47,000complaints from consumers,marking the fifth consecutiveyear complaints have risen.And, according to a nationalsurvey by Princeton Re-search Associates Interna-tional, about one in five adultconsumers in the U.S. (22percent) have contactedBBB in the past three years

to get information about abusiness or charity.

“While our current busi-ness and consumer usage ismost impressive, we aren’treaching as far and deep aswe want to and don’t wantcustomers to lose out onwhat we have to offer,” saidSteve J. Bernas, president &CEO of the Better BusinessBureau of Chicago andNorthern Illinois. “The pur-pose of this campaign bothin northern Illinois andnationally is to let more peo-ple know that they can findbusinesses they can trust andavoid ones that have a badtrack record by checkingthem out with BBB.”

The 81-year-old non-profitorganization provides awealth of free information,

consumer advice and com-pany reports that measurethe trustworthiness of allsorts of businesses. BBBReliability ReportsTM are akey resource for consumersto research businessesbefore they choose to workwith one. Reports are basedsolely on factual informationgathered by BBB, such as if abusiness is licensed or not,the number of consumercomplaints filed, dispute resolution outcomes andwhether a governmentagency has taken actionagainst a business.

Added Bernas, “There aremany sources, includingonline review sites and blogs,that offer opinions onwhether a business is trust-worthy or not. Consumers

should start their research onbusinesses at BBB wherethey can continue to get reli-able, objective information.”

BBB also provides con-sumers an easy way to iden-tify trustworthy businessesthrough its Seal program.Businesses accredited byBBB earn and display theBBB Seal and contractuallyagree to meet and upholdthe organization’s high stan-dards for integrity and relia-bility. BBB reviews each busi-ness that applies for the BBBSeal and strictly enforces itsstandards, accrediting onlythose meeting and uphold-ing BBB Standards For Trust,and revoking Seals fromthose businesses that don’t.

“Though nearly 60 per-cent of consumers, accord-

ing to our survey data, cur-rently understand that BBBaffiliation is only available tocompanies that meet highstandards of trustworthiness,reliability and responsive-ness, we want and are seeingthat number to grow signifi-cantly,” said Bernas. “Ourpublic outreach campaignwill make consumers moreaware that businesses earn-ing the BBB Seal pledge to


BBB Reinvigorates Brand, Increases Focus to Help Consumers Make Better Pre-Purchase Decisions

81 year old institution updates image and kicks off “Start With Trust” public outreach campaign

Continued on page 6

follow through on their com-mitments, deliver on theirpromises and right anywrongs if an honest mistakehas been made.”

BBB’s reinvigorated brandincludes a redesigned logoand Web site and newtagline (Start With Trustsm) tobetter emphasize the varietyof services that consumerscan access through theorganization. To help get theword out, BBB has launcheda national sponsorship cam-paign on National Public

Radio and produced newprint, outdoor, television andradio advertisements for usein local markets. The cam-paign will be rolled out on anongoing basis over the nextseveral months.

BBB has also introduced aseries of how-to books onbuying a home, buying afranchise business and start-ing a business on eBay. “BBBInsiders’ Guides” includeinformation on how to navi-gate each process success-fully while avoiding common

pitfalls and mistakes. Thebooks are available now atmajor retailers such asBarnes & Noble, Borders andBooks-A-Million and are alsoavailable for purchase on theBBB Web site at, www.chica-go.bbb.org.

In addition, BBB continuesto offer the same servicesconsumers have alwaysrelied upon to help in everystage of the buying process,including:

BBB advice and alerts –BBB provides pre-purchaseadvice for consumers on awide range of issues, andposts alerts on the latestconsumer fraud incidences

and tips on how to avoidthem.

BBB reports on charities –BBB Wise Giving ReportsTM

on charities help consumersmake informed donationdecisions and find trustwor-thy charities with objectiveinformation gathered byBBB.

Complaint and disputeresolution services – Con-sumers can contact BBB tohelp them resolve disputeswith any type of business,and for specific automobilemanufacturer issues, theycan get help from BBB AUTOLINE®.


BBB Reinvigorates Brand Continued from page 5

New BBB How-To Books

Continued on page 11

Over 3.1 million reports provided in 2006

Checking a company’sBBB Reliability Report isone way you can protectyourself against businesseswith poor reputations. BBBReports tell you the compa-ny’s track record basedupon what other con-sumers have experiencedand relevant informationabout its marketplaceactivities. As a result ofhandling more than twomillion inquiries a year andthousands of complaints,the BBB frequently willhave unique insight into acompany’s business reputa-tion and practices.

What Does a BBBBusiness ReliabilityReport Contain?

BBB reports presentfacts including the date theBBB began recording infor-mation about the company,the nature of the compa-ny’s business, and the nameof the owner or a principalofficer. The file will tell youif a company is a memberof the BBB, as well as theyear it joined.

The main portion of areport is the business per-formance record based oncomplaints, BBB advertis-ing challenges, and/orother important informa-tion including definitivegovernment actions againstthe company regarding itsmarketplace activity. Mostreports include an evalua-

tion that has determinedwhether the companymeets or does not meet theBBB standards of businesspractice. A company, inorder to be a BBB member,must meet and maintainstrict membership stan-dards.

Does BBB Have Infor-mation On Non-mem-ber Businesses?

Yes. Reports and/or fileinformation is available onmore than 80,000 compa-nies and charities.

You can check out acompany or charity by call-ing us at 312.832.0500 andrequesting a report or you can write or visit our web-site www.chicago.bbb.organd obtain the company’srecord, all at no charge.

Responsible companiesprovide the BBB with ade-quate information soprospective customers canbe properly informed.

business reliability reports help

against shoddy businessesprotect you


www.chicago.bbb.org

The BBB would like toalert consumers and thebusiness community of anincrease of unsolicited andfraudulent letters being sentvia regular mail, email, andfax. The solicitations general-ly come in the form of lettersthat may look formal, soundserious in tone, and appearlucrative in what they offer.

Two of such fraudulent let-ters come in the form ofrequests for a “ConfidentialBusiness Relationship” andwhat is dubbed the “next ofkin” scenario. The letters startout with the alleged writerintroducing him or herself aseither a professional, a med-ical doctor, somebody servingin the military, or a foreign del-egate, high official, or politi-

cian. After a formal introduc-tion, the writer will claim thathe or she is in possession of avery large sum of money, butfor whatever reason musttransfer it to a differentaccount – preferably to one inthe United States. Some of thereasons being provided forthis offer include high interna-tional taxes, civil or bankingdisputes, or unstable politicalsituations which allegedlymake it problematic for thesender to access his accounts.

The confidential businessrelationship is then pro-posed, with the aim of thesender to persuade therecipient to open up a bankaccount, become a “silentpartner”, and accept thefunds as the sole benefactorof the funds. After receivingthe alleged funds, via checks,money order, etc, the senderclaims that the recipient willget a certain cut of thefunds, usually anywhere from8-15%, and after keeping his

share he or she must forwardthe rest of the funds to anundisclosed third party.

On occasion the requestwill also ask that the recipi-ent confidentially assumethe role of “the next of kin”or of some specific identity,allegedly in order to securethe access and transfer ofmoney. Some versions of thisscenario include being askedto identify yourself as thenext of kin of somebody whoallegedly died in a foreigncountry and left behind a lotof money, or to obtain thefunds from a stranger whowas either widowed or is ter-minally ill and wants to passon his or her funds to a trust-ed individual.

What’s the story withthese offers and the lettersbehind them? They’re fraud-ulent. The originators of theletters are most likely fromforeign countries, where they


Request for a confidential business relationship?Obtaining money from your new-but-deceased next of kin? The BBB says beware- it’s a scam.

Continued on page 9

send out fake letters enmasse, hoping that some-body will pick one up fromtheir fax machine and con-sider the “confidential busi-ness relationship” the realdeal. What the offers are,however, are scam opera-tions designed to dupe therecipients into opening upaccounts, accepting pay-ment and depositing it undertheir name, and withoutknowing that the paymentswere fake – be it fraudulentchecks with no moneybehind them – forward “therest of the money” to a thirdparty. “The rest of themoney” is the actual moneythat the victim has in his orher account, and in realitywinds up sending it andbeing robbed of whatever isin his or her account to startwith. To make matters worse,the victim’s financial institu-tion will find out within daysthat the deposited check isfake and will hold the victimof the scam responsible forcheck fraud.

The BBB advises that con-sumers and businesses do

not take these letters seri-ously and destroy them uponreceipt, regardless who theyare addressed to and howwell-intentioned they sound.Scam artists can easily pur-chase information with peo-ples’ names and addresses,so it doesn’t mean much ifthey happen to get therecipient’s name and addresscorrectly. To notify the BBB about the scam, pleasesend a copy of it [email protected], &then Shred It and Forget It.


Continued from page 8

A large majority of Amer-ican households now havedebit cards, also known ascheck cards, but not every-one understands all the“bells and whistles.” TheBetter Business Bureauencourages consumers toknow how debit cards differfrom credit cards and to usethem responsibly.

Debit cards may resemblecredit cards, but they oper-ate like cash. When you usea debit card, your money isquickly deducted from yourbank account, assuming youhave sufficient funds. Thereis no grace period. In addi-tion, you may be charged afee per use of the card, andthe amount of money youcan debit per day or monthmay be capped.

Like credit cards, debitcards offer a convenientalternative to carrying cashor checks, and are widelyaccepted by merchants. Thesimilarities end, however, ifyour debit card ends up lostor stolen. If your credit cardis stolen, your liability is lim-ited to $50. If someone usesyour debit card withoutyour permission, you couldlose much more.

Your losses will dependupon how quickly youreport the loss and whether

your financial institutionoffers protection above thatrequired by law. If youreport the loss within twobusiness days, governmentregulation restricts your lia-bility to $50 of unautho-rized use. If two businessdays pass, but you reportthe missing card within 60days after your statement ismailed, your liability is limit-ed to $500. If you report anunauthorized transfer fol-lowing that 60-day period,you could lose all the moneyin your account and over-draft line of credit.

To use your debit cardresponsibly:

Know where your card isat all times. If you misplaceit, contact your financialinstitution or card issuerimmediately.

Choose a PersonalIdentification Number(PIN) that is different fromyour address, telephonenumber, Social Securitynumber or birthday. Do notwrite the PIN on the cardsleeve or on papers that youcarry in your purse or wallet.

Keep all transactionreceipts and comparethem to your bank state-ments. Immediately reportany errors or unauthorizedtransfers.

Most importantly —remember a debit card isdifferent from a credit card,as there is very little protec-tion if the card is lost orstolen. Learn about yourrights and responsibilitieswith a debit card!

Check out northern Illinoisbusinesses with the BBB atwww.chicago.bbb.org or312.832.0500.


TIPS ON Debit and Credit Cards

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