The internet is a wonderful place that allows small businesses to grow. There are many tools that are available to help the small business to create its online presence. However, free design and website hosting services are not very good tools. There are many web design companies that claim to offer free services that are not at all free in reality. Scams like these are called ?cramming?.
Corrupt companies initially gain a customer?s trust by offering services of free website design and website hosting for a trial period while being told the free service can be cancelled with no obligation at any time if they wish to. There are some companies that offer to cancel the free service automatically when the trial period ends unless the customer advices them to continue services for a low monthly fee. There are still others who require cancellation to avoid the monthly charges that will start after the trial period. The cost appears too tempting to let go.
These corrupt web design and hosting companies continue with the charade by promising a sign-up package, containing all the instructions for accessing, cancelling and changing services, which never arrive. Victims of this cramming scam the find out they have been duped the moment they discover there are unexpected service charges on their telephone bills. Many times, the unexpected charges are not found until the bills have been paid. By then, there is no way of tracing where the company has disappeared to.
To make matters worse, the nefarious web design services involved in the scam, piece together sloppy websites full of spelling errors. The websites they design appear horrible with the vital information and the customer?s business is misrepresented which makes the site useless. No one will even be able to find the site that has been created by the free service because the sites are never promoted on any search engine. But then there is no point in having such a sloppy site found in the first place.
To avoid becoming a victim of this cramming scam, hire the reputable and known web design companies. Never accept any offers from companies you have never heard of no matter how tempting their offers may be. Choose web design companies that have been used by friends or colleagues. Or find those that have verifiable addresses and are willing to give you references of actual clients that you can call and speak with. Choose those that can show you their portfolio and try your best to do a background check by calling the phone numbers on their site to know if they are actual working phone numbers or are just fronts. When you call, listen well. If you hear dogs barking or children playing, then it means it is all a backyard operation that may not be trustworthy.
If you are unfortunate enough to become a victim of cramming, do not pay for any service that you did not authorize or sign-up for. You may try to file charges as according to the law in your area.
Shane Stafford contributes to the website Who Is Hosting This, a company that has reviews and coupons for many different hosting companies.
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