visit us online at

bbb.org Last year more than 9.2 million people asked the BBB about the reputationof companies in Northern Illinois or contacted us to assist them with a complaint.

Get a

FREE Quotefrom BBB Accredited BusinessesPage 7

BBB Warns Against

Five ScamsTargeting Senior CitizensPage 10

BBB Letter-Grade A+Through F Ratings System Helpsto Evaluate CompaniesPage 12

Complete List of

BBB Accredited BusinessesPage 13

ConsumerResource

GuideTHE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU®

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2 | BBB Consumer Resource Guide SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION BBB Consumer Resource Guide | 3

Free BBB Services Free services areavailable 24 hours a day, seven days aweek. Find businesses you can trustand obtain FREE information about acompany or charity; get free BusinessReviews to check out business beforeyou buy; and file a complaint atbbb.org/chicago

BBB Online 102,000 BusinessReviews are available on northernIllinois businesses for FREE atbbb.org/chicago. Over four millionreviewss are available nationally forFREE at bbb.org

Social Networking Find us on Face-book at facebook.com/BBBChicago,Twitter at ttwwiitttteerr..ccoomm//cchhiiccaaggoollaannddbbbbbb,, and visit our blog atcchhiiccaaggoobbbbbb..bbllooggssppoott..ccoomm

Bienvenidos a el BBB en español312.832.9803, 9AM-5PM Lunes aViernes, Información importantepara el consumidor en español. Proporcionando por el Better Busi-ness Bureau, sirviendo a el area deChicago y el Norte de Illinois.

BBB Email For business inquiriesand complaints emailinfo@chicago.bbb.org

BBB AUTOLINE 800.955.5100 Thisservice only deals with complaintsrelated to problems with vehiclesmanufactured by certain companies.

Telephone Service 312.832.0500Consumer consultants are availablefrom 9AM to 5PM Monday throughFriday to obtain a Business Reviewsover the phone.

Ratings Update To update yourcompany’s important information goto chicago.bbb.org/updatecompany

U.S. Mail/FaxWrite or fax the BBBoffice nearest you:

Chicago – 330 N. Wabash Avenue,Suite 2006, Chicago, IL 60611; F: 312.832.9985

Rockford – 401 W. State Street, Suite 500, Rockford, IL 61104; F: 815.963.0329; P: 815-963-2222�

The Better Business Bureau Consumer Resource Guide is included in all editions of theChicago Sun-Times on Tuesday, October 26, 2010. The Guide provides highlights on howto use the BBB to protect yourself and your money. It also lists all BBB Accredited Busi-nesses in Chicago and northern Illinois that meet the standards as of September 24,2010. About 18,000 people contact us each day. The majority of these consumers arechecking the reputation of a company prior to doing business with it. Our databaseincludes Business Review information on more than 102,000 companies in northern Illinois, including the over 7,000 Accredited Businesses affiliated with the BBB, in addition to Business Reviews on more than four million businesses across the UnitedStates and Canada. These Reviews are readily accessible through our Web sitewww.bbb.org/chicago for ffrreeee.

The goal of the BBB is to protect consumers and to promote ethical business practices.Our daily efforts are helping to empower and refer consumers to find businesses theycan trust. When you contact one of our Accredited Businesses make sure you informthem that you saw their ad or name in the BBB Consumer Resource Guide. This is anadditional assurance of satisfaction as each BBB Accredited Business must meet andmaintain ethical standards of business practice in order to remain Accredited.

Sincerely,

Roy Spencer Steve J. BernasChair President & CEO

THIS IS YOUR GUIDE TO BETTER BUSINESSES

officers & members of the executive committee

President & CEOSteve J. BernasBetter BusinessBureau

Immediate Past ChairCharles A. GavzerCataldo Family Enterprises

Vice ChairKimberly A. SvobodaU. S. Cellular

Vice ChairGeorge OlsenGrants Appliances Electronics & More

Vice ChairJanice ZimmermannHarris N.A.

TreasurerCarl JacobsonGE Real Estate

ChairRoy Spencer Perma-Seal BasementSystems, Inc.

SecretaryMichael E. StanczakHanson MaterialService

Vice ChairGerald M. ColeWaste GasificationSystems, Inc.

how to reach your BBB

ChairRoy SpencerPerma-Seal Basement Systems, Inc.

President & CEOSteve J. BernasBetter Business Bureau/Chicago

Immediate Past ChairCharles A. GavzerCataldo Family Enterprises

Vice ChairGerald M. ColeWaste Gasification Systems, Inc.

Vice ChairGeorge OlsenGrants Appliances Electronics & More

Vice ChairKimberly A. SvobodaUS Cellular

Vice ChairJanice ZimmermannHarris N.A.

TreasurerCarl G. JacobsonGE Real Estate

SecretaryMichael E. StanczakHanson Material Services

General Counsel:John A. JanicikMayer Brown LLP

Billy AbtABT Electronics

Theodore J. AldrichDelaware Place Bank

Gladys ArroyoSun-Times Media

Jack ArslanianMiniMoves, Inc.

Ed BachlerNombach Home Exteriors

Brian K. BarkleyAccess One, Inc.

John BelliTru-Link Fence a Division OfPeerless Enterprises

Shirley BicknellSears Holdings Corporation

Jerry N. BoudreauTransUnion LLC

Joseph B. BrocatoPedersen & Houpt P.C.

Patricia Davis BrooksApple Vacations

Cathy BushmanTiffany & Company

Lawrence J. CarneyAmerican Home Heating Company, Inc.

Debbie CarpenterWFLD/WPWR Fox 32

Doris K. ChristopherThe Pampered Chef, Ltd.

Ilene CollinsThe Apartment People Ltd.

Douglas CookFeldco

Nicholas DacanayDacanay Consulting

Jeffrey DannRJ2 & Associates, Inc.

David E. DarbuttAutomated Data Processing (ADP)

Duane G. DebsWest Suburban Bank

Dennis DePaolaCBS 2 Chicago

Steve DeZaraLuna Carpet & Blinds, Inc.

Rick DowMidas International Corporation

Mark T. DoyleNational Van Lines

Rob EwingWalgreens

David B. FineAT&T Inc.

Paul FisherDanley Garage World

Robert P. FleckTribune Media Group

Russell T. (Wicker) FreemanCoyne American Institute

Joseph M. GagliardoLaner, Muchin, Dombrow, Becker,Levin and Tominberg, Ltd.

Ed GarciaWireless Central LLC

A.F. (Duffy) GaynorIBM Corporation

Dayle GillettThe Inland Real Estate Group, Inc.

James GnoffoAAA Chicago

Patricia GoldenNBC5 Chicago

Edward E. GordonImperial Consulting Corporation

Thomas D. GrahamAiroom Architects & Builders

Peter GrandeState Farm Insurance

E. Barry GreenbergThe Greenberg Law Firm

Michael T. GrisamoreCDW

David P. GutmanMomentum Advantage PartnersLLC

Greg L. HooverBekins Van Lines, LLC

Richard HynesHynes Associates Architecture & Interiors

Joann JacksonIntegrated Project Management Co., Inc.

David KellyDex One Corporation

Christopher E. KentraMeckler, Bulger Tilson, Marwick & Pearson LLT

John KroenDeVry Inc.

Gary LangGary Lang Auto Group

Edith LeonianConcession Services, Inc.

Mark A. Lies II, Esq.Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Jerry LottBridgestone Retail Operations, LLC

Michael MagnussonPinnacle Advertising

David W. MaherPublic Interest Registry

Robert MarcocchioAssurance Agency, Ltd.

Dan McLaughlinPlumbing Council of Chicagoland

Howard MedleyMedley’s Moving & Self Storage

Harold (Sandy) MengerPave Man, Inc.

Carlos M. MinettiDiscover Financial Services

Raymond D. MinkusMinkus & Pearlman

Kevin MizeO’Hare Honda, Pontiac, Hyundai

John MoranKPMG LLP

Bridget MoscatelloEmpire Today, LLC

Robert MuddMudd Advertising

Dale MuellerChicagoland Aamco Dealers

Bruce O’NealMatthews Roofing Company, Inc.

Dennis R. OntanedaCombined Insurance, Worksite Solutions

Steve PiwowarChampion Window Company of Chicago

Desmond RobertsAdvantage Chevrolet

Allen RodriguezRodriguez Consulting

Mark ScarpelliRaymond Chevrolet/Olds, Inc.

David J. SchroerHallberg Commercial Insurors, Inc.

Jim SchwantzVon Sydow’s Moving & Storage

David SloanChicago Automobile Trade Association

John SmithTower Travel Management Corporation

Vincent J. SollecitoABC 7 Chicago

David SparksSparks Consulting, LLC

David StantonPeoples First Bank

Jerry S. StockU.S. Waterproofing

Dan B. StoneAlberto-Culver Company

Desiree TateD&T Communications

Cecil TreadwayTreadway Enterprises, Inc.

John WellsHilton Chicago

James W. WicklanderLake County Press, Inc.

Marty WilkeWGN-TV (CW9)

Jerry ZientyJerome A. Zienty & Associates, P.C.

Board of Directors 2010-2011 TThhee BBeetttteerr BBuussiinneessss BBuurreeaauu®® sseerrvviinngg CChhiiccaaggoo aanndd NNoorrtthheerrnn IIlllliinnooiiss,, IInncc..

With the excitement duringfootball, hockey and basket-ball season, many fans take tothe internet to find tickets anddeals to cheer on theirfavorite teams. However, theBetter Business Bureau warnssports fans to use caution toavoid scammers who areready to make them a loser.

The secondary–ticket mar-ket is a $10 billion dollar a yearindustry which includes pro-fessional brokers, speculatorsand season ticket holders.Because many of these sellersare not licensed or bondedand are often found on unreg-ulated online auctions, onlineclassifieds, and bulletin boardsusing person to person salessports fans need to be moreskeptical and on the alert.

“The Internet has becomethe playing field of choice forsports fans looking to buy orsell tickets. Unfortunately, it isalso a breeding ground for

scammers looking to takeadvantage of game day fever,”said Steve J. Bernas, president& CEO of the Better BusinessBureau serving Chicago andNorthern Illinois. “Sports fansare often blinded by theirdevotion to their team and runthe risk of putting their trust ina seller that doesn’t deserve it.”

If you are considering buy-ing tickets on the secondarymarket, the Better BusinessBureau offers the followingtips to ensure a successfultransaction:

• Check to make sure the bro-ker is licensed as required inthe state of Illinois.

• Deal only with brokers thatprovide clear details concern-ing the terms of the transac-tion. For instance, you shouldknow up-front the amount ofthe surcharge for each pur-chase; whether the tickets areguaranteed; how they will be

sent to you and the time-frame for delivery; and thebroker’s refund, reschedulingand cancellation policies.

• Visit several Web sites tocompare prices and ticketavailability for the eventyou’re interested in.

• Do not buy tickets fromInternet sites that are notsecure or lack a privacy pol-icy; fail to disclose theirrefund, rescheduling andcancellation policies; do notprovide a telephone numberand fixed place of business;or insist on cash payment.

• Verify the location of theseats on a seating chartprovided by the venue toavoid purchasing non-exis-tent seats or seats withobstructed views.

• Pay with a credit card oranother secure form of pay-ment so you can dispute

4 | BBB Consumer Resource Guide SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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When Sports Gets Exciting, Ticket Scams Begin to Surface

Buying event tickets fromprivate sellers has risks

Ticket Scams continued on page 5

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION BBB Consumer Resource Guide | 5

Ads on TV may promise tomodify car loans and preventa visit from the repo man, butsome companies fail to carrythrough on their promises.The Better Business Bureaurecommends that cash-strapped consumers savetheir money by trying to workout a deal with the lenderdirectly before paying outhundreds in upfront fees to aloan modification company.

High unemployment in thecountry means that manyfamilies are struggling tomake ends meet and thenumber of repossessed carscontinues to rise. More than1.9 million cars were repos-sessed by lenders in 2009according to Manheim Auc-tions. Some businesses areseeing an opportunity in theincreased number of repos-sessed cars and claim that,for a large up-front fee, theycan work with the lender tomodify the terms of the loanfor the borrower.

“Auto loan modificationcompanies are following inthe footsteps of dishonestmortgage modification com-panies which have long tar-geted struggling families whoare just trying to stay abovewater,” said Steve J. Bernas,president & CEO of the BetterBusiness Bureau servingChicago and Northern Illinois.“Some companies may makeit look like they are tossingout a life preserver, but theyend up pulling many borrow-ers deeper underwater.”

The BBB system hasreceived complaints fromacross the country againstone Florida-based company,

Auto Relief Group (ARG).Complainants say they paidhundreds of dollars inadvance fees in exchange forthe promise that ARG wouldsignificantly reduce themonthly payments on theircar loans. Complainants want-ed their money back after thecompany was unsuccessful inmodifying the car loan.

If you’re having a hard timemaking payments on yourauto loan and are consideringassistance from a loan modifi-cation company, the BBB rec-ommends that you:

Start With Your Lender.Many complainants to BBBstated that their lender toldthem they didn’t need to pay acompany to help modify theirloan and they could haveworked something out togeth-er. Lenders are often eager towork out a more convenientpayment plan because it’s intheir best interest to keep youpaying your bill.

Do Your Research. If you areplanning to enlist the help of athird party to modify yourloan, always research thecompany with the BBB first.The business’s BBB BusinessReview will tell you how manycomplaints the BBB hasreceived, if the company hasresponded to complaints andif there are any governmentactions or lawsuits against thebusiness. This can be done forfree at www.bbb.org

Beware of Advance Fees.Large fees in advance shouldbe considered a red flag evenif the company claims to offera money-back guarantee ifthey are unsuccessful. TheState of Illinois does not allow

companies to charge cus-tomers in advance for finan-cial services including loanmodification.

Get it in Writing. Ask fordocumentation from the com-pany. Be sure it discloses theservices they will provide andtheir terms including refundpolicies and any money-back

guarantees.

Complain to the BBB. If youfeel you’ve been misled by aloan modification business,file a complaint with your BBBonline at www.bbb.org

For more advice on manag-ing personal finances, visitwww.bbb.org �

License #104 000715

Beware of Deceptive Auto Loan Modification Offers

the charge with your creditcard issuer or bank.

• Shop only Accredited Busi-nesses, visit www.bbb.org

“The most common waysports fans are gettingscammed online is by eitherpaying for counterfeit tickets ortickets that never arrive,”

added Bernas. “Even if the tick-ets do surface, they are some-times not for the seats the sell-er advertised – which can meanbeing stuck with seats thataren’t next to each other, up inthe nosebleed section, or withan obstructed view.”

For more information onfinding ticket brokers you cantrust, visit www.bbb.org �

Ticket Scams continued from page 4