3SMP

This company advertises a business opportunity or home employment offer selling gift cards that are advertised as free. According to the offer participants receive one hundred $1000 gift cards which are advertised as free. To receive the cards respondents must purchase a licensing agreement for $99.98. The company's advertising features pictures and lists of numerous well known department stores such as Macy’s Target Sears Best Buy and Costco implying the gift cards associated with the offer are redeemable at these specific retailers. Careful reading of the licensing agreement discloses that the “featured gift cards are not included ” but rather the company promotes their “own pre-selected brand of gift cards to purchase from their our exclusive product line only.” The font size used to disclose this information is microscopic and probably would be missed altogether by the average reader. We believe it is deceptive and misleading to specifically name these retailers if they are not part of the offer. ~~We advise against sending money to companies making these kind of offers. Most advertise on the Internet via email or in the help wanted sections of newspapers and other publications. The companies placing the ads are not hiring anyone. Their actual business is deceptive advertising designed to entice the public to send fees to get started. Addresses given are usually mail drops advertised phone numbers reach recordings and calls are not returned and no local phone numbers are listed. Most work-at-home companies advertise in states other than where they are located so as to avoid prosecution. ~~Complaints about other companies engaging in similar types of businesses generally allege that once money is sent respondents fail to receive the promised cards or find they are unable to redeem the cards without additional purchases. In other cases customers receive nothing from the company. Most of these offers are made in conjunction with a money-back guarantee but our experience is that few customers are able to obtain refunds despite the guarantee.~