ProcessAtHome.com Doesn't Make the Grade
As promised, here’s part two of a response to the following e-mail from a reader.
I was wondering if you know whether or not the following online work at home programs are legitimate: Michael Andrews' Profit Lance, or The Process at Home System. Do you know where I can find whether or not a program is legitimate?
Earl
We've already looked at Profitlance.com, so this week, we’ll turn our attention to ProcessAtHome.com, which calls itself the “#1 Work at Home Program.”
Like another site we recently examined, ProcessAtHome.com greets you with a video pop-up, this one by Angel Stevens, who looks and sounds somewhat like Amy Poehler as she welcomes users to her site:
“Hi there, I’m Angel Stevens, and let me tell you, if you’re looking to work at home, and make serious money, you’re exactly in the right place. Let me tell you why. Many people know me as the #1 work-at-home consultant in America.”
From what we discovered, some people know Angel by a few other terms as well, but more on that in a minute. First, like many "work-at-home" sites, ProcessAtHome.com fails to meet WebWatch’s guidelines for Web credibility by failing to disclose any contact information beyond an e-mail address. A WHOIS search of the site's ownership revealed a registration by proxy. So Angel seems keen to hide her identity and location, which doesn't inspire confidence.
ProccessAtHome.com’s homepage is spartan compared to many other work-at-home sites -- no scrolling page of graphics, testimonials and exhortations -- and invites users to enter their zip code, first name and e-mail. So we decided to try three different entries for three recently out-of-work people to see what Angel had to offer them:
-Bernie 10028 bernie@madoff.com
-Dick 82601 dick@cheney.com
-George 76638 george@bush.com
Here’s what we got:
Congratulations Bernie!
We have 2 positions available in New York, NY
Read the report below immediately to check if you can be approved. Your position is secured for the next 15 minutes.
Congratulations Dick!
We have 2 positions available in Casper, WY
Read the report below immediately to check if you can be approved. Your position is secured for the next 15 minutes.
Congratulations George!
We have 2 positions available in Crawford, TX
Read the report below immediately to check if you can be approved. Your position is secured for the next 15 minutes.
Seems like a pattern here. And these pages display more of what we’ve come to expect from similar sites, i.e. endlessly scrolling pages (34 screens, no less), “testimonials” and pictures of Lamborghinis, Lear Jets and cabin cruisers that can be yours if you send Angel $197 so she can teach you the secrets to becoming a “qualified and effective affiliate rebate processor.”
Like other such sites we've examined, ProccessAtHome.com pastes unlinked logos of major media outlets alongside claims of “as seen on.” We searched all the sites mentioned and found: The New York Times (nothing) , CNN Interactive (sponsored links) USA today (sponsored links), Forbes .com (nothing), MSN (sponsored links), Yahoo (sponsored links), AOL (sponsored links) and Esquire (nothing). So, we'd like to make sure it's clear to would-be entrepreneurs out there: Just because you buy an ad in the New York Times, that doesn't mean you have the leeway to labe your product Web site "as seen in the New York Times."
We looked up ProcessAtHome.com on ripoffreport.com and found 90 complaints, with headlines such as:
-“Angel Stevens Process At Home Deceptive Advertising/No Support/ Another Scam”
-“Angel Stevens And Process At Home Process At Home-Info is all useless fluff and promised refunds IMPOSSIBLE to obtain”
-“Process At Home - Angel Stevens rip me off”
-“Angel Stevens Process At Home Don't Get Fooled By This One”
-“Process At Home, Angel Stevens This company sent no information after payment, does no reply to emails! Rip-off”
-“Process At Home By Angel Stevens This company or person took my money and wont give it back”
But we'll let the Better Business Bureau have the last word here. According to BBB records, Angel (whose real name is apparently Angela), is based in Santa Monica, California, and in the two years since she’s been in business, the BBB has registered 398 complaints against her while giving her “#1 Work at Home Program” an F, meaning, in the BBB's words: "We strongly question the company’s reliability for reasons such as that they have failed to respond to complaints, their advertising is grossly misleading, they are not in compliance with the law’s licensing or registration requirements, their complaints contain especially serious allegations, or the company’s industry is known for its fraudulent business practices."
Any questions?
Comments
Angel Stevens is a rip of !
I do ask since one year for pay back, nothing happend, faky mails.
BBB could not help.
Any other way ????
Australia, Harold
Posted by: Harold | May 26, 2009 04:50 AM