Anchorage Daily News

The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to watch their wallets for potentially misleading or high-pressure sales pitches at a seminar scheduled for this weekend.

National Grants Conferences is planning seminars at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel on Saturday, at Anchorage's Coast International Inn on Monday and at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel on Sunday, the bureau said. The seminars are intended to tell people how to obtain government money to buy or improve a home, start or expand a business, and invest in real estate.

The company, which also goes by Proven Methods Seminars LLC, holds the Better Business Bureau's lowest rating because "we strongly question the company's reliability," the bureau said.

There is a pattern of complaints about the company from consumers who say they thought they were entering the program for $1,000 but were then misled into spending up to another $5,000 on software they "needed" to continue, the bureau said.

K.M. Dowd, a director of National Grants Conferences, disagrees with the BBB's conclusions about its seminars "and has been in direct dialogue with them regarding this matter for several months. We appreciate the suggestions and recommendations made by the BBB during that time and, noting a decline in complaints, were pleased to learn recently that the BBB is currently re-evaluating our file," Dowd said.

"Many businesses receive complaints from time to time, but NGC has resolved every complaint that has ever been brought to its attention to the customer's full satisfaction, and stands ready to continue to honor this commitment," Dowd said.

The Better Business Bureau urges consumers to be aware that those holding free seminars and workshops are often trying to sell a product or service, sometimes using high-pressure sales tactics.

ADVERTISEMENT