How does a person in need of competent, ethical tax collection representation services get the help they need, instead of being ripped off by con artists?

Simple — read and heed the following danger signs of tax relief trouble!

Use of fraudulent tax relief review or referral sites. Listing themselves as a preferred tax relief provider on a secretly self-propagated review site, or paying a fee to be listed on one not owned. Lack of ethics in marketing usually means lack of ethics period. And ask yourself why a business owner would stoop to sneaky sales tactics? Is this a sign they will be sneaky in dealing with you? You bet they will. No doubt about it. This is the most prevalent and fraudulent marketing gimmick in use. Avoid these companies like the plague!

Anonymous company ownership. What kind of company does not want you to know who the owners are? And why? Can you afford to take a chance on some murky character hiding in the shadows, afraid to let you know their name, or see their face? Fraudulent tax relief companies don’t want you to even think of questions like that, and like these…

Unlicensed company ownership. If the company owners are not licensed, and highly experienced tax professionals, what business do they have operating a tax relief business? Are you going to put your life in the hands of tax relief amateurs? internet marketing slicksters?

Unlisted or virtual company location. Why do they not want you to know where they really are located? Big red flag! Are you going to send your money to a hidden boiler room?

Unknown professional staff with unknown or unproven experience. Do you want just anybody handling this vital service for you? Don’t you want to know who is working for you? And their qualifications and track record in doing so? Don’t you think you deserve better service than a newbie, a cub attorney, or other bottom of the barrel help? Your life in the hands of an underqualified greenhorn rookie?

No history. The company can not prove how long they have successfuly been providing tax relief services. Sure sign of a here today and gone tomorrow, fly-by-night operator. In my decades of experience I have seen literally hundreds of companies, big and small, rise and fall. Don’t take a chance with someone who plans on closing the doors and disconnecting the phones soon. They will not give your money back to you.

Double digit complaint record. Even the best run and squeaky clean company can get a complaint on occasion due to misunderstanding or an unreasonable client. A double digit number of complaints spells trouble. Unethical or incompetent management. Or both. With your money at stake?

Meaningless sales puffery. Use of hot air to reel you in, such as…As Seen On TV, The Most Trusted, Nation’s Best, Most Credible, Industry Pioneer, blah, blah, blah. You have heard this stuff a million times. Just tune it out, and take the baloney with a grain of salt.

Use of mass media (TV/radio) commercials. Guess who has to pay for this extra layer of business overhead packed with misrepresentations and outright lies? Which leads to…

Excessive fees. Any company wanting more than $5,000 for a full service representation engagement is ripping you off. Period. Believe me, these fraudsters will shamelessly take you for all they can! If you fall for their con jobs.

Cold calling. Having telemarketers make uninvited sales calls to your home or office. Need I say more?

What’s their refund policy? If they can’t help you, do they give all your money back? Most reputable tax relief professionals have a full money back guarantee. Internet marketing sales snakes do not.

Bait and switch contracts. Bait and switch low initial fees. Use of cleverly worded contracts that make you think one thing, but end up meaning something very different. To your detriment. Their mantra is…a fool and his money are soon parted. Or…a sucker is born every minute! These people intend to play you as a rube. Likewise on their low fees which turn out to be only for restricted services. These people are LIARS.

Does the company talk about their “affiliates” or “associates”? If so, they might be a lead generation company — which means they sell you and your personal information to the highest bidder, who may or may not be a qualified or ethical tax professional. Or maybe not a tax professional at all, but instead an internet fraudster looking to prey on an uninformed person desperate for help and in a very vulnerable position.

High pressure sales tactics. Arm twisting, brow beating, and fear mongering are not the means by which real tax professionals will win your trust and business. If you are thinking about signing up with a company just so they will stop calling you all the time and stressing you out…watch out. If the so-called “Consultant” comes off to you like some kind of a pushy jerk, guess what. You’re on to them!

RED FLAG BONUS – Commission paid salespeople posing as “Tax Consultants” who will tell you anything you want to hear in order to convert you into a paying customer. I have secretly shopped ALL of my tax relief competitors and can tell you for a fact that these people do not know what they are talking about. Their “consultation” is almost always wrong and is dangerously detrimental to you best interests. Trust me on what I am telling you about these posers!