St. Louis area business should be wary if they get e-mails announcing that they’ve won a “prestigious” award from the Washington-based U.S. Commerce Association. Businesses have to pay for the plaques and trophies and the group giving out the prizes seems fishy, the Better Business Bureau of St. Louis warned on Tuesday.
On its website, the U.S. Commerce Association says its purpose is “to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.”
When describing its “three-part strategic vision,” the web site spouts this mumbo jumbo:
- Be the primary repository of the best in local business information and resources.
- Attract the best people.
- Promote the best practices in the industry.
Nowhere on the site are there examples of how, exactly, the U.S. Commerce Association looks out for businesses or how firms can access its trove of business data. In fact, the site doesn’t mention the names of anyone working for the group — nor does it list a mailing address or phone number. The web site says the association is based in Washington, but there’s no record of such group in telephone directories for the D.C. area. Needless to say, I couldn’t find any evidence that the group is recognized as a tax-exempt, non-profit group by the Internal Revenue Service.
(So how does one get in touch with the association? The group says on the web site that it prefers all its communication to be via e-mail, because it is “required by association by-laws to document any conversations with businesses that are under consideration for recognition.” No one responded to an e-mail I sent the group. If that changes, I’ll update this blog post.)
“From everything we can find, this is just one more ploy to profit off the universal desire for recognition and approval,” Michelle Corey, president and chief executive of the St. Louis BBB, said in a prepared statement. “We are advising people to steer clear, unless they want to pay $180 for what looks to be a meaningless office decoration.”
Here’s more from a BBB release detailing one St. Louisan’s experience with the U.S. Commerce Association:
Pat Joshu, executive director of St. Louis’ Immigrant & Refugee Program, wasshe was immediately suspicious when her organization received a press release from the U.S. Commerce Association notifying it of an award. Not only had Joshu never heard of the association, she discovered that if she ever wanted to display the “hand-polished crystal” award in her office, she would have to pay the $179.99 cost herself…
Joshu first learned of her group’s “award” in a news release sent to an e-mail apparently taken from the charity’s Web site. The release, issued June 8, said the Immigrant & Refugee Women’s Program had been selected for the award in the “Individual & Family Services” category. The release said that “various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category.” A photo in the e-mail showed the crystal award with the organization’s name apparently engraved on the crystal. Joshu said she was offered three award options: an aluminum and wood plaque for $79.99, the five-pound engraved crystal award for $179.99, or both pieces for $199.99…
In a link provided in its e-mail to Joshu, the U.S. Commerce Association provides a list of several hundred award winners from 2008. Among the winners were a discount driving school in Maryland, a tattoo removal clinic in California, a bagpipe player in Arizona and a “laser tag family fun center” in Louisiana. Other award winners were in categories such as “astrologers,” “disc jockeys,” “tanning salons,” and “artificial waterfalls.”