I also saw this ad in my local newspaper and was inquiring about this company because I wanted to find a legitimate work at home company where I could get paid to assemble products. I glad I saw this post so I didn't throw away my money to a scam.
I was also asked to get dept no., I googled and saw all this. I somehow believe that the person answering the phone knows it is not legit but cannot say due to jeopardizing her own job, so she tells callers that she needs the dept. no. (thinking they will google the no.) I myself am grateful to her and to all of you that gave comments.
Thanks guys for posting this.
It was in our paper(The Tennessean) this past Sunday (06/20/2010).
I was hesitant to call. Thanks to you all for a heads -up on the scam.
BBB issues Reliability Reports on all businesses, whether or not they are BBB accredited. If a business is a BBB Accredited Business, it is stated in this report.
Find out more about this business:
* BBB Accreditation
* BBB Rating
* Business Contact & Profile
* Business Management
* Customer Complaint History
* Government Action(s)
* Advertising Review
* Industry Tips
* BBB Copyright and Reporting Policy
BBB Accreditation
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This business is not a BBB Accredited Business.
BBB Rating
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Based on BBB files, this business has a BBB Rating of F on a scale from A+ to F. Reasons for this F rating include:
* BBB concerns with the industry in which this business operates
* 41 complaints filed against business
* Failure to respond to 35 complaints filed against business
* 5 complaints filed against business that were not resolved
* Overall complaint history with BBB
* Government action(s) against business
Our file shows People's Lifestyle, Inc. opened in July of 1986. According to information provided by the company, they started business in April of 1986. At that time they listed their type of business as "Work at Home Directory."
This company has an unsatisfactory record with the BBB due to unanswered and unresolved complaints. Our file shows the company has received an unusually large number of complaints in our three year reporting period which involved customer difficulty in obtaining a refund.
We have learned that the firm is offering a list of companies, and the consumer must contact these firms to see if there is any employment available. This firm is not an employment agency. We strongly suggest that you find out in advance the company's limited refund policy.
For further information, you may want to check with your local Postal Authority regarding work at home companies.
As a matter of policy, the BBB does not endorse any product, service or company. BBB reports are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgement and are subject to change at any time.
Click here for an explanation of BBB Ratings.
Business Contact & Profile
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Business Name:
People's Life Styles Inc
People's Life Styles
Peoples Life Styles
Peoples Lifestyles
Business Address: 1503 Gause Blvd
Suite 102
Slidell, LA 70461
See the location on a Mapquest Map
See the location on a Google Map
Original Business Start Date: 4/1/1986
Principal:
Myra Kaye Carpenter, General Manager
Phone Number:
(985) 646-1700
BBB Accreditation: This business is not a BBB Accredited Business
Type of Business:
WORK-AT-HOME COS.
Business Management
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BBB has no information regarding Business Management at this time.
Customer Complaint History
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When considering complaint information, please take into account the business's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.
BBB processed a total of 41 complaint(s) about this business in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total 41 complaint(s) closed in the last 36 months, 17 were closed in the last 12 months.
These complaints concerned:
3 regarding Advertising Issues
3 regarding Advertising Issues
1 regarding Billing or Collection Issues
1 regarding Billing or Collection Issues
1 regarding Customer Services Issues
1 regarding Inappropriate behavior by customer service personnel
4 regarding Product Issues
4 regarding Product Issues
23 regarding Refund Or Exchange Issues
3 regarding Failure to honor refund, exchange or credit policies
20 regarding Refund Or Exchange Issues
7 regarding Selling Practices
1 regarding Sales presentation misrepresented the service
6 regarding Selling Practices
2 regarding Service Issues
1 regarding Improper or inferior service
1 regarding Service Issues
These complaints were closed as:
35 No Response
15 Company failed to respond to the BBB or to the consumer to resolve the issues.
10 Company failed to respond to the BBB to resolve or address the complaint issues.
10 No Response
1 Resolved
1 Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to the BBB.
5 Unresolved
5 Company failed to resolve the complaint issues through the BBB voluntary and self-regulatory process.
Government Action(s)
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Cease and Desist Order No. CD-4882 On January 7, 2009, a Cease and Desist order was issued against People's Lifestyles by the U.S. Postal Service (Cease and Desist Order No. CD-4882, P.S. Docket No. FR 08-61).
This order prohibits the following:
"...cease and desist immediately from falsely representing directly or indirectly, expressly or impliedly, in substance and effect, whether by affirmativestatements, implications or omissions, that:
(a) Respondents are offering consumers direct employment;
(b) a person who responds to Respondents' solicitation will be employed by Respondents assembling products;
(c) a person who responds to respondents' solicitation can reasonably expect to earn a significant sum of money, e.g. $500 per week, unless Respondents' claim is based on contemporary and credible evidence.
(d) the only cost to persons who respond to respondent' solicitation is the initial fee, unless respondents' promotional materials specifiy that additional fees may be required."
Advertising Review
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BBB has no information regarding advertising review at this time.
Industry Tips
When responding to an advertisement for working at home, for example, stuffing envelopes, you will generally receive - for a fee - instructions as to how to place similar ads in other publications, also offering work at home opportunities. Allegedly, you will get paid for each response you receive and send back to the original company.
Many such work at home schemes have been put out of business by postal authorities. (Work at home offers are also illegal in some states.) The Postal Service additionally advises that envelope stuffing is a highly mechanized process, eliminating the possibility of the need for home-workers.
Other such work at home promotions may involve assembling crafts or pillows. You should be aware, however, that advance fees for necessary materials are often required, that the crafts may take longer to assemble than represented, and that the company will only pay for finished products it deems acceptable.
BBB Copyright and Reporting Policy
As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business.
BBB Reliability Reports are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. Information in this BBB Reliability Report is believed reliable, but not guaranteed as to accuracy.
BBB Reliability Reports generally cover a three-year reporting period. BBB Reliability Reports are subject to change at any time.
If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted the BBB for a BBB Reliability Report.