|
'Imagine owning your own business, being your
own boss, working only a few hours per week,
never having to set an alarm clock again…a
business that's fun, easy, even exciting work.
No staff, no overheads, no bookwork, no selling,
working from the comfort of your home.'
Advertisements
promoting business and employment opportunities
in your home may be deceptive. They may sound
good but they don't always tell the full story.
Be suspicious if you have to pay a fee to receive
more information. Beware of advertisements that
make unbelievable claims about job opportunities
or potential earnings.
These types of job ads
appear to offer paid work for 'stuffing envelopes'
but are often a front for phony get rich-quick
schemes. You reply to the ad, and usually receive
a request for money, after which you're sent
a 'plan'. It informs you to place a similar
advertisement, photocopy the 'plan' and mail
it out to other unsuspecting victims. The only
person who makes any money is the promoter who
placed the original ad and he or she then moves
on.
The targets for phony
work home working schemes are usually people
who need extra money but who are not able to
work outside their home. These ads typically
promise 'a large income' for working on projects
'in great demand'. Some promotions stress that
'no experience is necessary', while others indicate
that 'no investment is required'.
The one characteristic
common to all of these schemes is that you are
required to send money before you are able to
start work. Some require you to buy materials
to produce items, such as sewing baby booties
or aprons, making Christmas wreaths or toys,
or fabricating other specialty products. You're
not told that you have to sell these items yourself
and there is usually little or no market for
them.
Those behind these schemes
are only interested in selling you their scheme.
Some promoters say 'no selling required'. They
promise to buy back any items you make, as long
as your workmanship is 'acceptable'. Of course,
these promoters will reject everything you send
them by telling you that your finished products
do not meet their 'high standards'. You are
left to sell the items on your own, if you can.
If you are looking for
work to do at home you should consider writing
to or approaching local companies who may be
able to offer this type of work. Genuine employers
will not ask for money in advance before providing
you with work.
There are usually about
300 bogus homeworking schemes known to be in
operation at any one time. Typically the initial
outlay is between is between £10 - £60.
There is no specific legislation
to control how outworking or homeworking schemes
operate. But local Trading Standards Departments
can pursue complaints by reference to existing
legislation such as the Trade Descriptions Act,
Control of Misleading Advertising Regulations,
Stop Now Orders where adopted by the Local Authority,
and the Theft Act.
The ASA can also investigate
complaints about advertising for these schemes.
There may also be some protection for home workers
under employment legislation or under the common
law. Where there is a dispute about the non
payment of wages, they may, depending on their
circumstances, be able to take a case to an
employment tribunal under the Employment Rights
Act 1996. Alternatively, they may be able to
make a breach of contract claim through the
tribunals or the ordinary courts.
If you are a victim of
one of these schemes, notify the ASA, your local
Trading Standards Department or the Office of
Fair Trading, with a copy of the advertisement,
any follow up literature and the nature of you
complaint. The sooner enforcement authorities
are informed about such scams, the sooner they
can take action to prevent others being defrauded.
For more information regarding
homeworking contact the National
Homeworking Group
Remember, genuine
homeworking opportunities typically do not ask
for payment in advance.
|
