Nowadays life moves at lightning speed, goods, and services as close as our fingertips, answers almost as quickly as we can type. Before you commit or donate any money you can find out a plethora of information about a business with a few keystrokes. It pays to slow down and do a little homework before any contract is signed or check written. Follow these helpful tips to protect yourself and family.
- Check with friends and family first. Odds are that one of your friends or family have needed a similar service provider or heard about the charity you’re looking into. Once you’ve compiled a list, move onto step 2.
- Founded in 1912, The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a non-profit organization that collects and provides free business reviews on more than 4 million businesses. In 2013, consumers made over 123 million requests for information from the BBB, making the BBB’s website rank among the top 1,000 most-visited websites in the United States. Their review criteria are quite extensive, you can find out more here- https://www.bbb.org/council/overview-of-bbb-grade/Therefore, contacting the BBB is a great first step in order to look into a business or charity. You can reach them via their website or phone.Via their Metro Atlanta website- http://www.bbb.org/atlanta/ The BBB website is very user-friendly. You can check on a company or charity, file a complaint, and more.Via telephone – (404-766-0875) through their automated system you can input a phone number and receive a report, or speak with a representative. BBB representatives are available from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Friday.The website and phone number noted above serves Metro Atlanta, Athens & Northeast Georgia including the following counties: Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, Dekalb, Douglas, Elbert, Fayette, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Hart, Henry, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Rabun, Rockdale, Spalding, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walton and White Counties.
Though not foolproof, the BBB is a great place to start. Some companies may have changed their names in order to lose a bad reputation, just be aware.
- Now that you’ve checked out the names on your list, it’s time to ask for references. Any reputable company will have no problem sharing their successes with you.
You really have to be a savvy shopper these days. While checking on companies can take time, you’ll soon see that it is well worth the effort.
The information found on the Gerstenberger Law site is for educational purposes only. Your situation and the situation of others is unique and more complex. This is neither legal advice nor to be considered legal advice. Contact us for advice about your specific situation.
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