Holiday Shopping Safety Tips

Hey! Holidays are coming! To spend nice and not being upset you should read some tips below! Enjoy!

Here are some ideas suggested by crime prevention specialists to help boost your holiday shopping safety and security, and help conquer these holiday evildoers:

1. Carry only the credit cards, cash and checks you will need for your shopping. In general, it is best to avoid carrying large amounts of cash — use credit cards or checks, if possible, to make your purchases.

2. If your credit card is stolen, misused or lost, be sure to notify your credit card issuer at once. In fact, it’s a good idea to keep a complete inventory of your credit cards at home, along with their 800 numbers, just in case of these types of mishaps.

3. If you need to use an ATM while shopping, remember to use one located inside a busy, well-lit location and to withdraw only the amount of cash you actually need. Also, protect your PIN (personal identification number) by shielding the ATM keypad from any person who may be standing near you (and do not give out your PIN to anyone), and don’t throw way your ATM receipt at the ATM location. And remember, don’t “flash your cash.”

4. Don’t carry a purse or wallet, if possible, as they are the prime targets of thugs, even in crowded shopping areas.

5. Avoid wearing flashy or expensive jewelry.

6. Pickpockets and other petty bandits are looking for easy scores, so it might be a smart idea to carry cash, your identification and credit cards in your front pocket. If you do carry a shoulder bag, it’s best to carry it in front of you.

7. Stay alert at all times — even though there are a million things on your mind and you have a dozen things to do, be aware of your surroundings. Law enforcement calls this concept “situational awareness.” Remember, crooks will be more likely to confront you if they think you are distracted.

8. If you have a mobile phone, be sure to carry it on your person while shopping for added security. If you don’t have a mobile phone, you might consider getting one as a holiday gift — for yourself.

9. Try to avoid driving alone or at night, and travel on busy, well-lit roads. Keep your doors and windows closed while in or out of your vehicle. Park was close as you can to your shopping and remember where you have parked.

Hosted 800 Service: my1voice offers Click-to-Dial

Read carefully and enjoy!

Several weeks ago I wrote my1voice: Virtualization Made Easy, and I ended with a notation that I’d be giving the my1voice a “free” trial run. I’m not ready to give up our IP-PBX just yet because it’s too well embedded in our infrastructure and it works great. Instead I’m suggesting some value and what I’m referring to just may resonate among some customers.

We’ve been paying an account fee on our 800-service for several years. While our bill isn’t killing us in any sense, it has been on the table for discussion mainly because of the account charges to just maintain 800 services with Verizon. We canned the idea of going SIP because our carrier hasn’t perfected keeping that alarm button on my phone turned off –meaning no downtime. When the folks at Protus discussed their many hosted PBX telephony features in the previous interview, I focused on one feature that they didn’t make a big deal about–”Click-to-dial.” For us it meant goodbye carrier and hello hosted provider.

Click-to-dial with my1voice made my day when our trial account was activated. Of course I received a new 800 number and within a couple of minutes I logged into their console to customize my account. In a few more minutes I activated the feature “click-to-dial” and copied HTML snippets over to our web pages. Testing the service and confirming that customer/prospect Click-to-dial calls from our web pages did in fact ring in–that was easy too. my1voice made it easy to do business.

Secondly, when potential customers hit your website, giving them the option to connect moves prospects onto the magical red carpet closer to sales or in establishing a relationship.

The third thing I like about Click-to-dial is that customers that hit our secure area to download software updates or obtain technical or user information and documentation can also use the feature if they have a question or are feeling stuck. When David Bryan wrote in Are We Falling Victim to Our Own Success? That,”the voice community needs to remember that what is important is connecting people, not how we do it,” I took David to heart because I think that his point is what the voice community does need to hear, understand and moreover act upon. I’d only add to David’s advice that once you connect people, then the real challenges begin.

No more monthly 800-account fees, slightly better rates, and some communications glue that facilitates Web calls–that’s value. The process with my1voice was painless as was porting over our 800 numbers. We can also login anytime to review our calls and history or to make changes. Thinking back over the course of our company history, I’ve never had more of a hybrid telecommunications solution even when we had a “hybrid”–

* An IP-PBX that supports our TDM proprietary phones,
* An ACD with reporting built into our Voice Mail/Auto Attendant system,
* IP, SIP and wireless (multi-line) phones & analog devices and geeky gizmos,
* UC and management features/tools on the desktops,
* Verizon Centrex–a step above POTS but with undeniable reliability,
* SIP trunks serving as a real cheap LD alternative, and
* A hosted 800 number to deliver cool features.

Skydiving Scammers Hit Valley

Hey! Found this and want to view your comments to this article. So, enjoy!
A Phoenix attorney alleges a company has scammed more than $23 million out of consumers nationwide, and an Arizona company that’s been a major target said, “Enough is enough.”About 75,000 people believe they were scammed when they forked over big bucks to what they thought was a reputable skydiving company.It’s a scam that targeted thousands of people searching the Web for a skydiving company, only to be conned out of hundreds of dollars, officials said.”With very little investment, they were able to divert hundreds and hundreds of customers, specifically looking for my client, to their Web site, where they took the people’s money before they ever revealed who they really were,” said Skydive Arizona attorney Sid Leach.Leach said he knows all about the scam. He just won more than $6 million in damages from the con artists for his client, Skydive Arizona.It’s the biggest skydiving company in the country, something the alleged scammers used to lure folks in, Leach said.Leach said the scammers set up Web sites and 800 numbers boasting the same amenities Skydive Arizona has. Leach said when people would call to confirm they had the right company, they were told yes, they called Skydive Arizona.In reality, they were talking to a group of people based in Atlanta, Leach said. Sometimes the consumers were sent to an airfield and taken on what Leach called an “unsafe dive,” something Skydive Arizona would never do.Other times, Leach said, they got nothing at all.”The feeling of violation, where you trusted something, and obviously you have to be a lot more careful these days and not just trust what you see on the computer,” said Susan Lipper, who was victimized.But the scam isn’t just about skydiving. Since it was a civil suit, the company is still out there. Leach said he’s sure they’re branching out into other phony Web sites, trying to rip off a new demographic of unsuspecting people.Leach said he recently contacted Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, asking his office to do something to shut these people down altogether.

Ring Central Online

Nice news! Enjoy!

Ring central offers you a latest and spanking new internet phone system with a toll free numbers delivers and all the immense powers as a big company.

Ring central offers you a latest and spanking new internet phone system with a toll free 800 numbers delivers and all the immense powers as a big company. With this Ring central also offers you an opportunity to improve your company’s professionalism over the phone and you can also manage incoming calls with answering system and Outbound VoIP choice with Digital line

You can as well access this power of Ring Central behind your company for just $9.99 a month in minute’s time online itself. No hardware or any technical skills is required. Ring Central is the foremost virtual phone system developed specially to meet up the requirements of small businesses and mobile professionals. It’s the influential, cost-effective innovative way to deal with business communications. You can also sign up for a free trial.

Ring Central 800 Numbers

Here is some new info about RingCentral services. Read and enjoy!

Small business can now compete with huge corporations with this facility. It serves to be a professional advantage for the small business to prove their mettle with the right technological help.

Ring central now offers its clients the much needed authority and advantage of an 800 number through its Business package. These numbers come as a value addition to Ring central business package. Clients can now select their own 800 numbers. This enhances their professional image to their business contacts and clients. Vanity 800 numbers are perfect for customer service or for sales hotline purposes as it boasts of easier recalling.

The toll free number is activated instantly. It paves way for easier communications within and outside the company as it can be instantaneously connected to the existing phone lines. Small business can now compete with huge corporations with this facility. It serves to be a professional advantage for the small business to prove their mettle with the right technological help.

Do Millionaire Investors Get Better Deals?

Found this. If anybody is interested in this theme, comment please.

In 2007, the term “moving upstream” was all the rage in private banking and brokerage.

Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney and others were focusing on true millionaires to reap bigger rewards. The merely affluent were shuttled off to ATMs and 1-800 numbers.

The reasoning: the biggest profit came from those with the biggest wealth.

Now, the banks seem to be reversing themselves. And it isn’t just because of the falling millionaire population.

A Reuters article quotes Enrique Marazuela, chief investment officer at the fund management arm of Spain’s BBVA, saying that serving clients of lesser wealth is actually more profitable than serving the ultrawealthy.

Customers with 100,000 euros to 300,000 to invest ($147,180 to $441,540) were “much more profitable” and generated business with gross margins of more than 1% of assets under management, he said. For customers with more than two million euros to invest, the gross profit margin was “below 1%,” he said.

Why? For starters, competition for the multimillionaire client is fiercer than for the merely affluent. Those with $100 million or more of investible assets are constantly given freebies, deals, discounts and incentives to open accounts that give a wealth manager more prestige and a huge pile of assets under management.

But perhaps the biggest reason is that larger clients often are more sophisticated. They behave more like institutions, able to scan the market for the best spreads, prices and opportunities.

The thinner margins are further proof of one of the wealth-management industry’s open secrets: the rich tend to get better deals than the merely affluent.

Struggling with Pornography Addiction

Hey! And what about this? Do you think this is really a big problem for a nowadays society? And if so, what should we do to cope with this problem? So, read below and leave your opinion.

Advocates call pornography a right of freedom of speech covered under our 1st amendment. Others say it is as addictive as cocaine and leads to the destruction of morality and family that some never recover from.

She is a mom of a 19 year old son and does not want to be identified.

“Most people think that this is a victimless addiction and it is not,” she says.

The subject is sexual addiction. Not an easy topic to talk about, especially when it’s your child. He was only 14-years-old when friends opened him up to the world of internet porn.

“Finding it was devastating to us. We had no idea, and the things that were coming up on the screen were… we’re not just talking a Playboy picture, we’re talking some horrible sexual figures that came up and some in cartoon form which was really awful to think what age they’re targeting for this,” his mother tells us.

“These are very hard core, pornographic pictures that even 8 year old kids are seeing and it’s getting into their minds,” says Internet Forensic Investigator Darin Finch.

Finch investigates Internet activity on the corporate level and sees the long-term effects this type of addiction can have.

“In my position with a couple of different companies, I’ve seen people’s careers end because they couldn’t stop browsing inappropriate things even though they know they’re being watched,” says Finch.

Sexual addiction slithers its way into people’s lives at a very early age. It enters the homes of unsuspecting parents and wraps itself around marriages that, for many, chokes them to the point of divorce. It’s hidden in the pews of our churches as those within the faith community will admit that even they are not immune.

This is a child who was being home schooled. He was raised in a Christian family, Christian values and generations of Christians with a lot of support. And that’s part of why it was so devastating,” says the young boy’s mother.

Vicki Tiede is a Christian motivational speaker who counsels countless women on this addiction. Having first hand knowledge because her ex-husband spent a lot of time and money on his addiction to pornography.

“I share my own story having walked through this, having been married to someone before who didn’t struggle with it but who just did it and saw nothing wrong with it. Those who struggle with it actually have hope because they want to be rescued from this pit,” says Tiede. “I was one of those women who was up at two and three in the morning because my husband was on the computer, and thankfully I was pointed to resources and people who could help.”

Vicki got the help she needed but this mom’s struggle was only beginning.

“We felt like we had conquered the monster. We secured our computer and learned how to watch for it. A year later, when he was 15 we discovered that the phone had a bunch of 800 numbers on it. We had blocks for 900 numbers but his cell phone had 800 numbers. When we got the bill I looked it up and started dialing the numbers and found it was telephone porn,” she says.

“I think the biggest challenge is how to explain to them how it could affect them later in life. How serious those images are and actions – we’re even talking about movies – how that is adversely affecting their views of women, their view of masculinity and sexuality and what healthy sexuality is versus what they’re seeing on tv or on the Internet,” says Finch.

An educational symposium called the naked truth is going to take place at the Rochester Assembly of God Church this Saturday.

It is designed to help equip parents, couples, leaders, and clinical counselors on how to help people who are facing these topics and more.

Keys Examined To Avoid Locksmith Scams

For not being scammed read this article and there will be less chances to be frauded when you are ready. So, be ready!

The down economy isn’t the only obstacle for a Valley business.Scott Malone with Scottsdale Lock and Key said what’s made business more challenging is the scam artists stealing his customers.Malone went to his computer and typed in the name of his company on a Google search.His business and address popped up, but with a bogus 800 phone number next to it.When he called the number he got an operator at a call center looking to dispatch a locksmith in his area. They are not associated with his business.”They’re basically stealing the business and they don’t really care about repeats,” said Malone. “They gouge you for as much money as you can.”"The other day I had a customer call to complain that we came out and ripped her off,” he said. “It wasn’t even us.”CBS 5 tracked the 800 number and found it connected to an assortment of other locksmiths in Canada, Florida and Maryland.When CBS 5 called, an operator said she doesn’t know why their number is listed next to local businesses and that her supervisor would call us.CBS 5 has not heard back.Malone just wants to warn customers to be careful who you hire.Malone said it’s been extremely difficult to track down who’s behind this locksmith scam and determine how widespread it is.It’s also been tough for to get the bogus phone number removed.Arizona’s Attorney General has been notified and is looking into the problem.According to the Arizona Better Business Bureau, there are things you should know before you hire a locksmith.

Don’t call 800 numbers. Most local locksmiths have local numbers.

Search for a good locksmith before you need one and put the number in your cell phone.

Find one with a local shop or office so you have a place to go if there’s a problem.

Reasonable 800 Toll-Free Number Service Provides Effective Marketing

Here is some info for you! Read and enjoy!

There’s no denying that business owners are always eager to motivate customers to contact them, which is why finding affordable 800 number services has become a necessity. Having an 800 number will help you maintain a professional business image among your customers; but more importantly, you are giving your customers the ability to call you from any part of the country toll-free. In today’s scenario, businesses that do not currently have an 800 number are missing out on a lot of sales due to inadequate customer responses.

Business owners have little excuse because finding an affordable 800 number service has now become very easy. It’s true that during earlier years, only large business houses and corporations could afford to offer 800 numbers to customers. But several factors including deregulation of toll free numbers and competition between service providers have resulted in affordable 800 number access for most business houses regardless of size. With low per minute costs operational costs and negligible monthly fees, there is really no reason for a business not to have an 800 number service.

Apart from 800, toll free numbers also have prefixes such as 866, 888 or even 877. The extended prefixes indicate that there are enough toll free numbers for businesses to obtain them on demand. As is known to all, the toll free service means the caller or the customer will not incur any calling costs because the business bears such cost.

It is worth restating any number of times that 800 phone numbers are a tremendous way to increase business visibility. This leads to more customer responses resulting in enlarged profit. The advantages of having affordable 800 number services are many, so we’ll mention a few below:

1. Human psychology is such that they’ll often be attracted to anything that doesn’t come with a price tag, which is why oftentimes they’ll stop and think before making a call they have to pay for. In order to benefit from this behavior, business must provide their customers with free calls to keep them happy.

2. No matter where an ad is placed – be it in electronic or print medium – a toll free number is sure to boost customer response rates. Marketing professionals who use toll-free numbers know this magic formula.

3. It is important to have regular communications with customers. If customers know you have an 800 number they will contact you more often. If anything, they will at least feel more confident buying from you even if they anticipate having post-purchase complaints. With a toll free number, customer can be confident in contacting you without incurring calling costs.

4. Offering customers 800 number boosts your business image and infuses a sense of reliability in the minds of the interested buyers of your products and/or services.

5. Customers may not be unduly concerned as long as they know you have an affordable 800 number service that stays with you no matter where your business goes.

6. By using an affordable 800 number service, you are employing one of the most economical marketing tools. Offering an 800 number to customers proves you’re customer-friendly and want their patronage.

7. 800 phone numbers make it more tempting for customers to call you directly as they are not required to worry about hold time, and paying high charges.

What to do if you own a credit card

Here is some useful info for credit card owners. Read and enjoy!

* Guard your credit card details (card number, expiry date and the card verification value code) at all times.
* Keep a copy of all your identification, as well as the 1-800 numbers and account numbers for your cards in a safe place at home.
* Sign your card as soon as soon you receive it. n Never keep your PIN with your credit card. Memorise it.
* Keep all your monthly statements in a safe place. When it lands in the wrong hands, your credit card statement is as good as the card in terms of gaining access to your account.
* Compare receipts to your monthly statements. Immediately report any questionable charges.
* Never leave cards unattended in a car, office or changing room where, a thief could easily find them. n If you pay at a restaurant, either ask for a portable POS (point of sale) machine to be brought to your table or accompany the waiter to the payment terminal. It’s okay to be over-protective.
* When you lose your card, report it immediately. What to do if you own a credit card tips