Ask-America Dot Org Consumer Warning Free-Style Discourse Analysis.
Dear Shurik* ,
I recently viewed your resume online and feel you may be a good candidate for the Survey Taker position that we have available. We are Ask-America, a company that conducts market research and does marketing for other companies.
We are looking for individuals that would respond to online surveys. You would receive surveys by e-mail and simply answer the questions giving your honest impressions and opinions. We understand that there are some companies that are toting survey takers with an upfront fee. While we at Ask America make no judgments about other companies, we just want to clarify a couple of points.
Ask America will never under any circumstances ask a Survey Taker for any payment whatsoever. In addition Ask America will never ask a survey taker to provide a social security number or any type of financial information that can be used for phishing or identity theft.
Surveys pay anywhere from $30 - $50 per hour depending on the client and your speed. You will be informed how much each survey pays prior to taking a survey. You can accept or reject any survey.
We have a wide variety of clients and affiliates including the following: Better Homes and Gardens, The Discovery Channel Store, Fandango, Forbes, Petco, The Sharper Image, The Wall Street Journal, and dozens of others.
As mentioned earlier there is absolutely no fee to become a Survey Taker and you can work as much or as little as you want. The only thing you must do is complete an initial Sample Survey so we can gauge which future surveys you would be qualified to take. The number of surveys you will receive will be based on the answers to your initial Sample Survey. For example, if you are a homeowner, you will receive surveys from companies marketing to homeowners. If you have children, you will receive surveys from companies looking for opinions of parents, etc.
If you are interested in becoming a Survey Taker click the link below (or copy and paste the address in your browser)
www.ask-america.net/Surveys.cfm?J=3166711
Once there, you can read additional information about Ask-America and the Survey Taker position.
Sincerely,
Kennedy Phillips
Now, being the curious and cautious cat that I am, I do not click on links and go fill out God-knows-what-kind-of forms without doing some research first. So a Google search for "ask-america" yielded 48,700 results. The sixth result--a perfect number, if you ask me--took me to forums.gottadeal.com/archive/index.php/t-39843.html.
That forum taught (reminded?) me that it's easy to do a search for a company on the Better Business Beaureau's website. One fellow at the forum, did the research and gave the name and address company information for Ask-America:
Ask America Organization
20700 Civic Center
Southfield, MI 48076
I ran a search on the BBB website. Myself, and here are the results of that search:
BBB of Detroit and Eastern Michigan, Inc.
30555 Southfield Rd.
Suite 200
Southfield, MI 48076-7751
(248) 644-9100
ASK AMERICA ORGANIZATION
20700 Civic Center Suite 170
Southfield, MI 48076
View Location Map
Membership Status: This company is not a member.
TOB Classification: Work-At-Home Cos.
The information in this report has either been provided by the company, or has been compiled by the Bureau from other sources.
Customer Experience
Based on BBB files, this company has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau due to a failure to respond to a complaint. alleging deceptive advertising practices.
When evaluating complaint information, please consider the company's size and volume of business. The number of complaints filed against the company may not be as important as the type of complaints and how the company handled them.
The Bureau processed one complaint about this company since the firm's BBB file was opened in June of 2006. It was closed in the last year.
Complaints Concerned
Advertising Issues: 1
Outcome of the complaint -
No Response: 1
Educational/General Comments
Every day, ads for work-at-home jobs appear in newspapers across
the country as well as in national magazines and on the
Internet. Some of the offers include stuffing envelopes,
assembling products, reading books, reviewing movies, medical
billing, or selling advertising on the Internet.
The Better Business Bureau suggests using extreme caution when
responding to any such offer. While ads claim high earnings and
short hours with little or no experience, bureau files
nationwide indicate no evidence of anyone making the promised
money. Rarely, if ever, are these ads an offer of legitimate
employment. Generally, these jobs require up-front fees for
information or supplies, and only the person who ran the ad
makes any money.
You should be aware that the United States Postal Inspectors
regularly investigate these fraudulent schemes, and that you
risk investigation and possible prosecution by postal or other
law enforcement agencies if you become involved in one of these
schemes.
The information in this report has either been provided by the company, or has been compiled by the Bureau from other sources.
BBB reports may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.
Report as of: 10/17/2006
Copyright: 2006 BBB of Detroit and Eastern Michigan, Inc.
As a matter of policy, the Better Business Bureau does not endorse any product, service, or company. BBB reports generally cover a three-year reporting period, and are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. Information contained in this report is believed reliable but not guaranteed as to accuracy. Reports are subject to change at any time.
The Better Business Bureau reports on members and non-members. Membership in the BBB is voluntary, and members must meet and maintain BBB standards. If a company is a member of the BBB, it is stated in this report.
My only question is...why is Ask-America still sending me fluff, if the BBB knows that the company is not legit? What agencies besides the BBB are looking out for my welfare? Are these organizations and people aiming to shut these fishy businesses, or just to "spread the gospel" and take no legal action. How much cooperation and understanding is there between the well-wishing citizens of the US and the local, state and federal agencies that have the power to create and destroy business. How much power is there? It's one thing for the United States to be at war with another country, it's nother thing to take care of business domestically. It's like in martial arts: take some time to do basic power training (standing chi gung, with your arms up in the air) and with time you will develop the power to move gracefully and powerfully.
The death toll in Iraq is 12,000, according to Antiwar.com. Don't get me wrong, I am not exactly against war. Look at Sparta. Look at Arjuna the Indian warrior of yore, who was paid a visit by Krsna (God). Arjuna was a man like me, and he questioned the use of violence against his brothers and sisters (isn't the whole of humanity one giant melting pot?). Before the battle at Kuruksetta, even though he had an awesome army, he was low-spirited, because I guess the reality of war was a little potent for him. But Krsna came down and cheered him back up, reminding him that he's a goddamn warrior, and that he needs to shape up and do his duty. Well, I'm sure Krsna-God was a little more tactful than I'm choosing to be. :) Furthermore, I love the martial arts almost as much as I love technology and mathematics and knowledge of all kinds. I do not want to live in a society of weaklings who eat the typical American Diet: pig, cow, chicken, sugar in colored H20 (hey, anyone know, How do I do subscripts in HTML?). I want to live in a society where people take care of their health religiously. This Saturday skip the mosque, this Sunday skip church; instead, America, stay at home and ask yourself...Who Am I?
The End.
--Shurik
--Tuesday, October 17, 2006
* Shurik is not my legal name. Go figure. Hey, is Prince Prince's real name? Actually, it is: Prince Roger Nelson. How about the Canadian Prince of Pot (Marc Emery)? Xzibit (Alvin Nathaniel Joiner)? Method Man (Clifford Smith)? Redman (Reggie Noble)? Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)? You get the point.
posted by Shurik at 6:39 AM
0 comments
