BBB® warns small business owners of deceptive solicitations Pensacola, Fla. (May 23, 2011) – BBB|Northwest Florida thanks the Gulf Breeze Area Chamber of Commerce for alerting them to a business soliciting locally with a questionable sales pitch. Communities Unlimited LLC, located in Davenport, IA, caught the attention of the BBB Serving Greater Iowa, Quad Cities and Siouxland Region; they recently warned chambers of commerce and small business owners of a company selling advertising space on magnetized city guides. Communities Unlimited charges businesses for advertising space on “local city guides” that are purportedly distributed throughout the community. The business is using unsuspecting chambers of commerce or obtaining their member rosters to distribute price information to local businesses. When the promised advertising never materializes, is never distributed or is of poor quality, small business owners find themselves out anywhere from $300 to $1,300. Communities Unlimited’s legal name is Ossian Enterprises LLC. The business also operates as Ads Sports and American Publishing. They have been soliciting chambers of commerce and high school athletic departments throughout the country from Florida to Nevada peddling the same pitch. Complaints filed with BBB allege that the product is never received. Their “mockup ad” pictured below, as part of their sales pitch, has been attached to an email stating that 5,000 guides will be distributed to local families. Your BBB urges both chambers of commerce and small business owners to use caution when being solicited by individuals selling advertising space. Check past publications and contact local businesses who have already worked with the business in question. Find out exactly what kind of exposure your ad will receive and make sure it’s worth the price. Often times, businesses will shell out big bucks for a small advertisement on a no name online directory or a poorly circulated flyer. As always, check with your BBB for valuable information and advice. For additional information and advice you can trust, start with bbb.org.
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