Publisher`s Clearing House Lottery

       Looks like lately scams are hunting me. One year ago I saw this ad on TV for the only online national lottery, and decided to play. It is FREE, you can do it from home, and it`s easy. However, there are so many ads in the website that can be annoying and even confusing at times whether you play the real lottery or something else which turns out to be just an ad. When you put your information in the web site there are many scams that probably catch it and use it for frauds by sending you letters, calling you all the time for all kinds of stuff and so on.

       The other day I was going through my mail and there was a letter with huge red stamp on it that says "Second Notice." When I opened the letter there it was, long dreamed lottery winning letter... or at first sight looked like this. Apparently they are giving me some kind of Sweepstakes ID Number that I have to claim by calling 1-800-454-6247. I called the number, but no one pick up. The letter is written in a way that I assumes I already won, but actually this is just a number assigned to me that I have to activate in order to play some kind of drawing. Well, I don`t mind this, but why the letter has to be written in a way to confuse people and give them a heart attack by thinking OMG I won something, I just don`t understand? The letter however was not from Publisher`s Clearing House, but from National Magazine Exchange Largo, FL with web address www.nmemags.com. No idea if they are the same company or just work together, but PCH also is promoting magazine`s subscriptions. I already subscribed 3 magazines, but did not pay with credit card.

       
       NEVER GIVE YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION ONLINE when paying for magazines, just in case, there is an option to pay later, which means they will send you the amount by mail and you can send check. Sure they will have your information on the check, but this way is so much safer. Many people complain that they give their credit card information, and then there is no way to stop charges for these magazines. PCH has unbelievable and annoying tricks to get you buy whatever they offer you, magazines, credit cards, gift cards, some kind of discount cards, but DO NOT fall for that. Magazines is fine, but for the other things it is better just to say no. 

       Otherwise you can play the lottery if you are patient enough to go through all the ads and annoying phone calls. But always be careful, because there are many false companies that pretend they are PCH and ask you for money in order to send you the winning prize or sell something you will probably never get or is just crap. That is why never pay money to receive your winning prize, if you won something they should give it to you without make you pay anything.
       If you want more information about PCH click here.
       To see that actually PCH is legal and approved do it here.

       Hope that info helps.

MLMs (multi level marketing) - Ltd team, Quixtar, Amway - just another way to make money or scams

        So I am standing in a store isle trying to choose from wide variety of jewelry making supplies, a woman came and pretend she is trying to choose too. After couple of minutes she started talking with me beginning with a compliment, and then continue asking more personal questions, like what I do and so on. She mentioned couple of times that she and her husband have their own business, which turns to be very successful, but did not say what they do exactly. Then she said they are actually currently looking for people to work part time, who will earn not more than a $1000 a month, it is an job something to do with internet, and people can work whenever they want and for how long they choose.

         Of course, I did not like that she is not giving me more information, but I decided maybe this is not the place for that. I do not believe that things happen by chance in this life, so I guessed she approached me on purpose to offer me a job, but it was strange to me how someone will offer you a job, just like that. Of course I wanted to see what this is all about, so I agreed to accept more information from her.
The next day she told me their company partners with AMWAY and she sent me a video that was about 5 minutes long, but there was nothing that gives me an idea what did is all about, the only thing I understood is something to do with internet advertising and networking. The web site with the video was very very basic with nothing in it.
         I began researching the company name, but found NOTHING in the whole wide internet, so I though that this is weird. Then I looked at the EMAIL she sent me and because there is nothing that can lead me to some more information my eye cough the domain of her email - LTDTEAM.COM. When I goggled that there was so much information I did not have enough time to read it.
          Apparently LTDTEAM and AMWAY are either the same company (no one knows that for sure), or partners or just do the same thing. Their members  recruit people who have to attend some kind of a free sessions that teach you how to make money. I did not wanted to go to that session, because I did not wanted to lose my time in something I am not interested to do. Also after a detailed research I found out that on these sessions they ask you for $100-$200 to get in and start making money, but also you have to recruit more and more people. The people you recruit will pay the same amount you paid, and you will probably get a percent of that money, so the more people you find, the more money you get (this is just my guess). What is the actual work you do? I found article that states you help them sell some products they have, for example they have beauty products, cleaners and so on. The woman that approached me said they work for companies like Circuit city (which I think does not exist anymore), and other famous brands, but I did not understand what is the connection between these brands and their own products that have nothing to do with Bath and Body Works, for example.
        According to many websites  LTD, Amway and others are absolutely legal. These companies teach you how to make money from the things you already buy in the stores (no idea what actually this means). Sounds like these at home jobs that you pay some money for a package and they send you information what to do to make money. Of course there are so many different opinions out there that it is impossible to conclude whether this type of money making is scam or not, but if they are approved by the government as legal then they should be legal. It is maybe just the way they work, and once their reputation is damaged, no other way back. On the other side maybe the bad reputation is the reason they work this way, without giving information, and recruiting people on the street by a friendly conversation.
       However, this type of job is not for everyone. Different types of jobs are for different people. For example an artist may not want to work as a musician. So everyone have the right to choose what they do. Me personally, I choose not to get involved in this type of jobs, I would like to know details, the company to be more open, to make money out of something I love to do, not lose my time for something that will not give me the knowledge I want.
       The other thing I did not like is that I found even information that on their meetings they talk about religion. Well, I am very sensitive on that topic, I am a religious person, and I would not like someone to preach about religion, when the main topic suppose to be actually money, I am sorry but I just do not see the connection, and I don`t want to see it, especially through the eyes of someone else. One has nothing to do with the other, they are even in conflict. The most detailed article I found is http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1892112/the_truth_about_ltdamway_pg3.html?cat=31. It explains in more details what this is all about.
       All this is of course just an opinion and it is not a fact, everyone should make their own conclusions based on their own research. I will provide some of the websites I found information and you will conclude for yourself.
http://erichmusick.com/index.html?article=709 Provides plenty of information and comments on that topic. There are many comments connected with Christ and religion as a whole that I still do not get what is the connection with making money and business, while my religion do not really support that. The other blog I found is http://leadershipteamdevelopmentscam.blogspot.com/2009/03/leadership-team-development-scam.html. It has a lot of comments that supports these type of business and explain what are the benefits. Here you can find many comments which sound more negative http://www.city-data.com/forum/raleigh-durham-chapel-hill-cary/568450-leadership-team-development-ltd.html
Very interesting blog about MLMs: http://www.thetruthaboutamway.com/amway-is-not-a-scam-but-you-can-still-be-scammed/

Again, all this is just an opinion , I do not say that these companies are scam, I just want to provide various information for people who are wondering what this is all about. But still be careful...