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  Geebo 6:44 am on May 20, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: craig newmark ( 7 ), New York City ( 3 ), real estate ( 139 )   

  Off Topic Friday: Craig’s new modest $6M NYC digs 

  

  Not an accurate depiction. Or is it?

  Craig Newmark, founder of the list that bears his name, likes to portray himself as a man of the people. Mr. Newmark likes to say that he’s not about the money. If you were to see craigslist’s home office you may think that was true. The building in San Francisco is so unassuming that if you were passing by you might miss it if you blink. Craig has often bemoaned that craigslist’s profit margins are so razor-thin that they can not hire additional staff such as moderators or customer service reps.

  Now it seems that craigslist’s profits may be more lucrative than Mr. Newmark was possibly leading us to believe. Recently Craig bought a $6 Million home in New York City. According to the New York Post the modest home takes up two floors of a four-story building and has three bedrooms and 3 and a half baths in the West Village. This won’t be Mr. Newmark’s primary residence either. This will be his New York crash pad for when he’s conducting business in New York. His primary residence will remain in the Bay Area where real estate prices are some of the most expensive in the country.

  Now we would never begrudge someone for their success, except when it comes at the cost of their honesty, ethics and the safety of their customers.

  Craigslist is a billion dollar company, but should they be? | Greg's Corner is discussing. Toggle Comments

   

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  Geebo 7:44 am on May 19, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: craigslist ( 129 ), SafeTrade ( 5 ), Safety ( 46 )   

  The craigslist safety app is too little too late 

  

  Recently craigslist announced that they have sanctioned a smartphone app that shows users where they can supposedly make transactions safely. The app is said to show the locations of coffee shops and police stations. While we commend craigslist for finally starting to think about the safety of their users we here at Geebo have to ask, what took them so long?

  We’re not even talking about the fact that Geebo is an industry leader when it comes to assisting in our customers’ safety. For example back in March of last year Geebo CEO Greg Collier partnered with the SafeTrade Stations initiative that was started by industry watchdog, The AIM Group. The SafeTrade Stations program was started in response to the fact that at the time 84 people had been violently murdered after using craigslist. That number has since risen to 103. While these deaths may only be a minute fraction of the number of transactions that take place on craigslist it should be a large enough number to cause craigslist concern. However this is the first step, as far as we can recall, that craigslist has taken in years to aid in the safety of their users, except they didn’t even take this step. Another company developed the app and craigslist just gave it their seal of approval. So in reality craigslist barely lifted a finger.

  This is not surprising considering craigslist’s lax history when it comes to safety. They say that their site is too large to moderate their ads yet they have no problem in pulling all sorts of ads that aren’t even flagged by their so-called ‘community police’. In the past they’ve pulled ads for such things as unlocked iPhones to recalled baby strollers yet they don’t pull ads for such things as illegal drugs, firearms, human trafficking and the multitude of scams that craigslist is awash with. Speaking of their community police, it seems the term police is used rather loosely. For lack of a better term it seems that the craigslist community police are a case of the inmates running the asylum. Too often craigslist ads are flagged for personal reasons like the ad is flagged by a competitor of the ad’s poster. While on the other hand they tend not to flag any ads for obvious illegal activity. In contrast Geebo has its ads moderated by staff members who have a keen eye when it comes to scams and illegal content.

  In the past craigslist was infamous for its adult ads where human trafficking thrived. Although it did remove those ads after consumer and media pressure, craigslist still has sections that could be considered dark alleys of the internet. An inordinate amount of arrests have been generated from their personals and the ‘casual encounter’ section of craigslist along with an inordinate number of victims of online predators. Years ago Greg Collier, against common practice, removed personal ads from Geebo  in order to better provide a safer experience to Geebo’s users. At no point did Geebo ever accept ads that had their roots in human trafficking.

  Geebo even takes the safety and welfare of those unable to defend themselves seriously. Another Geebo policy is that we do not accept ads that deal  in animals. This is because of the number of puppy mills that deal in unhealthy animals but also because of the number of scams that involve animals. However on craigslist you can find a number of either wild, dangerous, illegal or unhealthy animals.

  For a company that professes to be such a pillar of not only the online community but the real world community as well craigslist doesn’t appear to be acting in any community’s self-interest except its own.

  Off Topic Friday: Craig’s new modest $6M NYC digs | Greg's Corner is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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  Geebo 9:48 am on May 18, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: employment ( 43 ), Scams ( 1,613 ), work at home ( 14 )   

  Is work at home just fly by night? 

  

  The off ramp to bankruptcy

  The work at home con has been around longer than the internet. Back in pre-internet days one of those cons was known as envelope stuffing. In it a prospective ’employee’ would pay a fee to receive materials in order to stuff mailers recruiting even more people into the scheme. With the proliferation of the internet these schemes have only become more prevalent.

  In more modern times instead of stuffing envelopes the victim, or mark, is asked to send of number of e-mails instead of envelopes, after paying money for ‘exclusive’ e-mailing software. Another work at home scheme that’s been around forever is that the ‘company’ will ask you to assemble small items such as jewelry. Again they will ask you for up front payment for materials then claim they only accept quality assembled items and your items will never meet their standards. One more work at home scam that’s been updated for the internet is the medical billing scam. While medical billing is a legitimate profession what the con artists will do is again, ask for money up front for either software or training. What they don’t tell the victim is that most medical offices usually have an in-house billing staff and rarely do they give out work to at home freelancers.

  While there are legitimate work at home positions the majority of them on the internet are designed to separate you from your money, your personal information or both. You should never have to pay money to get a job. So if you see an ad, either online or off, that promises big paydays for minimal effort stay away from it at all costs.

   
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  Geebo 8:24 am on May 17, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: drugs ( 6 ), healthcare ( 44 ), pharmacies ( 8 ), Safety ( 46 )   

  Online pharmacies could potentially kill you 

  

  It’s not news that prescription drugs can be priced out of reach from the people who desperately need them. They may even be desperate enough to respond to a random ad for pharmaceuticals or an online pharmacy. While these ads may appear legitimate, too many of these ads could have dangerous or even lethal consequences.

  Many of these so-called pharmacies are actually pill mills from overseas. They may promise you a brand name medication that you need for cut-rate prices but the odds are that the medication you receive will not be the medication you need. They could potentially be just a mixture of ingredients that have nothing to do at all with the medication that you need and those ingredients could not only lead to your condition being exacerbated but could induce dangerous negative reactions and side effects as well.

  There are other avenues you can pursue to try to get some help when it comes to affording your prescriptions. The obvious one is asking your healthcare professional for samples. Many brand name pharmacies have discount programs that could potentially make your prescriptions more affordable. Lastly, many drug companies offer financial assistance for certain prescriptions.

  Your health is not worth taking dangerous risks over no matter how good the savings may be.

  Sandra and Online Epipen sales could be dangerous | Greg's Corner are discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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    Sandra 7:54 pm on January 6, 2017 Permalink

    This may be true sometimes, but what’s the other option…not taking any meds because you do not have enough money to afford them?

    Samples used to be an option. I know because I was a drug Rep, and I left more samples with the physicians who had lower income patients to help in this disparity. But, it wasn’t my job requirement, and I’m not sure it would be considered sound business by the company I worked for.

    Nowadays, you can’t get samples like you used to. In offices known for heavy sampling, are no longer. To apply for the free RX programs through the manufactures can be daunting and leave one feeling hopeless.

    The best way to keep drug prices down is by paying the best prices…shop around, and don’t go just anywhere because you just pay a copay. Pay attention to total cost. If you have insurance, someone is still paying for your prescription cost, and the higher the cost only keeps prices higher. Insurance companies, employers, etc all are affected by how we pay and what we pay for.

    The desperate many out there going to overseas online pharmacies? It’s a risk, but there are so many factors that I see as risky to each individual.

    It’s estimated that 10% of all RX drugs, branded and generic, are counterfeit or adulterated somehow, and this isn’t on the black market, it’s within the legitimate pharmaceutical chain. So it goes.

    Another great resource for great drug prices is through GoodRx. They offer discounts on meds, and there are no strings or scams involved. For example, to pay out of pocket for a RX that’s generic and very cheap to manufacture costs about $40. With GoodRx, it’s found at same pharmacies from $7-18!

    Get the app and see for yourself. It’s the real deal, especially if you’re paying out of pocket, this could help you manage your RX and still afford to live!

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  Geebo 7:04 am on May 16, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: real estate ( 139 ), Rentals ( 14 ), Scams ( 1,613 )   

  Don’t be left broke and homeless when looking for a place to rent 

  

  One of the oldest online commerce scams is the rental property scam. How it works is the scam artist will usually copy a legitimate ad for a house for sale but will make it appear in their ad that the property is for rent, usually at a rate that is almost too good to be true. Some red flags when it comes these ads is that the ‘seller’ will claim that their getting ready to go overseas, or for some reason they won’t be able to meet you face to face. They’ll also try to pressure you into paying a deposit without inspecting the property. In most cases they’ll try to do that through poorly spelled emails or emails where it’s apparent that they may not be native English speakers.

  However there’s an easier way to avoid having the scam go this far. Most legitimate rental properties should be listed with the county or municipality their being rented in. The owner’s contact information should be a matter of public record and if it doesn’t match with what you’re being told or if the property is not listed at all then it’s more than likely a scam.

  Too many families have been left without a home or money falling for these types of scams. With just a little bit of knowledge you can avoid being taken online.

   
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  Geebo 9:34 am on May 13, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Facebook ( 182 ), politics ( 16 )   

  Off topic Friday: Is Facebook censoring conservative news stories? 

  

  DISCLAIMER: This blog post is not endorsing one political party or candidate over another. It is merely discussing a topic where politics is involved.

  Earlier this week an anonymous former Facebook employee claimed to the media that Facebook purposely tries to keep conservative news topics out if its trending news subjects. It’s gotten so much attention in some conservative circles that US Senator John Thune from South Dakota has called upon Facebook to provide information to Congress about the allegations. Some have said that Congress should not be getting involved in how Facebook conducts their business however studies have shown that 30 percent of Americans get their news from Facebook.

  Then there’s the argument that if Facebook is secretly promoting progressive news stories is that really censorship? The concept of censorship can only be really carried out by an agent of the state, i.e. the government. Facebook is a private tech entity and legally could exercise any kind of political leaning it wished. However one would think it would be a bad business decision to alienate possibly half of their userbase.

  What do you think? Is Facebook purposely squelching conservative leaning stories or is it just paranoia among some politicos?
   
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  Geebo 10:10 am on May 12, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: animal abuse ( 8 ), dog flipping ( 2 ), pets ( 17 ), Puppy Mills ( 15 )   

  Is getting a pet online animal cruelty? 

  

  In the past Geebo founder and CEO Greg Collier had discussed why Geebo does not accept ads for pets. In his initial post Greg discussed the puppy mills and how the animals that come from puppy mills and how the animals receive inadequate medical treatment. For example a Florida man recently purchased a puppy online and the puppy already had the lethal parvovirus.

  Another reason Geebo does not accept pet ads is the number of animal abusers that seem to troll ads looking for victims.

  Even another reason not to deal with pets online is a phenomenon known as ‘dog flipping’. In the real estate business you may have heard the term house flipping. That’s when someone buys a house at low market value for the sole purpose of selling it for a profit. Dog flippers have the same intent except they’re not paying anything for the dogs in the first place. They look for ‘free to good home’ ads, going as so far to pretend to have kids and a family in order to persuade sellers, then try to sell the animals for profit to the highest bidder.

  Please deal instead with your local shelters. Not only do they have a number of animals that are in need of adoption, more no-kill shelters are opening all the time that can help find a pet a legitimate new home.
   
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  Geebo 8:41 am on May 11, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: employment ( 43 ), Resume ( 6 )   

  Tips you need for a first time resume 

  

  Previously we’ve discussed why you need a good resume but what if you’re making your resume for the first time? We’ve got you covered there as well.

  Too many times we see employment request being submitted by young people either just out of school or still in school who just give their name and phone number in their search for a job. Unfortunately most employers will overlook such requests with no other information than that.

  The regular rules for resumes still apply but since you probably do not have any employment experience as of yet you want to list whatever experience and skills you may have. List any extracurricular activities you belonged to such as athletics or student government. Don’t limit yourself to just school either. If you’ve done any volunteering in your community or through your church add that as well. Most importantly is to list any skills you may have, especially computer skills. A great deal of employers are always looking for people with skills in Microsoft Word and Excel (spreadsheets). If you don’t have that see our previous post on ow to get free alternatives to that software so you can practice.

  Lastly you want a good set of references. A list of at least three people who can vouch for your work ethic and skills. You want these people to be people in authority positions who are not related to you such as a pastor, teacher or coach. Always get their permission before listing them as a reference.

  Hopefully with these tips you and your resume can help put you in front of the competition. Best of luck.

   
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  Geebo 9:24 am on May 10, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: phone numbers ( 2 ), Scams ( 1,613 )   

  Use this subtle trick to spot the most clever of scam artists 

  

  So you finally found the hot ticket item that you’ve been searching for. Everything appears to be on the level so you get ready to call the seller then you notice something peculiar. Before their phone number they’ve typed a + symbol. Probably just a typo right? Don’t be so sure.

  In areas outside of the US the + symbol before a phone number usually indicates that you’ll be dialing what’s known as a country code. For example the US country code is +1 while the UK is +44. Since a great number of online scammers come from overseas they sometimes have a habit of putting the + symbol before US phone numbers even though we don’t use them here.

  Another less subtle way to notice an overseas scammer is if they ask you to contact them a messaging app. For example you may see an ad where the seller asks you to contact them through WhatsApp. Whatsapp is very popular overseas since a lot of countries don’t have cell phone plans that include unlimited texting so they use these apps instead.

  And as always one of the best tips in dealing with online transactions is to only deal locally and with cash.
   
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  Geebo 8:46 am on May 9, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: lenders ( 2 ), loan ( 5 ), Scams ( 1,613 )   

  Think that loan offer is a lifesaver? Think again. 

  

  So you find yourself desperately short on cash and some bills need to be paid or else. While perusing the internet you find an online ad promising a loan with a low fixed rate and implied promises that you’ll be approved for thousands of dollars. This has to be too good to be true right? You bet it is.

  Once again this is another overseas scam designed to separate you from what little money you may have and possibly more. What happens when you respond to one of these ads is that you’ll receive an email form to fill out asking for all sorts of personal information. Once you fill that out and send it back you’ll be told that there is a processing fee in order to expedite the loan. It’s usually an exorbitant amount and once you pay it you’ll never hear from them again. Now they have what little money you had left and possibly your personal information as well for identity theft purposes.

  Unfortunately if you are in debt there are no overnight solutions to your problem. Most debt counselors will tell you to make a budget and stick to it while not making any frivolous purchases. That may be of little comfort right now but in the long run with a little discipline you can come out on top.