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I consider myself pretty Internet savvy. I spend at least 6-8 hours online everyday managing my association Women in Packaging virtually.  I get hundreds of solicitations a week and some of the look pretty good.  Recently however, some that I considered legitimate turned out to be not.

Thanks to  Deb Nyberg @ fodreams.com we were able to uncover one spammer whose product I really wanted to order. So I thought that I would pass on some pointers for products that have come to me via email.

1.   Check out the offer thoroughly before you order anything online.

Look specifically for contact details, persons name, address and phone number (not just toll free). I have left messages on toll free numbers checking out products and never get a response.

2.   Pick up the phone and call and ask about the product. If they won't take your order over the phone its time to get suspicious.

3.   Email the contact person (not the webmaster) with questions about the offering. If you get no response, forget it.

4.  Be wary of any offer that sounds too good or priced too low.  I almost got suckered in by the reduced price as a new subscriber.

5.   Use your networks to find out if anyone has heard of the individual or company. Deb had several reports in addition to mine about a particular company that I was considering ordering from.

6.   Be suspicious of offerings that come out of nowhere to your attention.  Notice whether or not there is a referral to something you are familiar with.

7.   Do some text based meta searching to see if the company has been reported of has been written about if you are serious about ordering. I use metaeureka.com

8.   Listen to your gut feeling or instinct. 
 

Contact: JoAnn R. Hines
Founding Executive Director
Women in Packaging, Inc.
4290 Bells Ferry Road
STE 106-17
Kennesaw, GA 30144
Phone: 1-770-924-3563
Fax: 1-770-928-2338
Email: jrhines@womeninpackaging.org

Websites:
http://www.womeninpackaging.org
http://www.packagingcareerhotline.com
http://www.packaginghorizonsmag.com
"We package the people not the products"