Press release from the Better Business Bureau:
Better
Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning consumers about a Kentucky-based
company, Career Exams (also known as Career Advancement Group), that purchased newspaper
ads in Tucson, advertising jobs for the United States Postal Service
(USPS).
Last
week the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued Career Exams and another Kentucky
company, O'Brien Marketing, in federal court accusing the two companies of deceptive
advertising. The companies have since been barred from selling what they say
are guides to jobs with the Postal Service.
The
lawsuit against Career Exams stems from the newspaper and online ads that ran
in Tucson, and across the country. According to the FTC, job seekers who
answered the ad were talked into buying study materials for up to $127. Once
bought, they received a book titled the "Federal Employment Guide," which
included information about the USPS' hiring process.
BBB
was alerted to Career Exams when a consumer called inquiring about an
employment ad she found in a Tucson newspaper. The ad was advertising "2012
postal positions," that paid $13 to $32.50 per hour. The ad also included
language indicating the position came with "full benefits," and that no
experience was necessary.
BBB
called the phone number on the ad, and reached an operator who asked several
brief qualifying questions- age, education level, etc. When the operator did
not identify the company or organization she worked for, BBB asked if they were
speaking with the USPS or a private company. The operator told BBB that they
were a private company, and were selling study materials to people who wished
to apply for jobs with the Postal Service. The operator went on to claim that
the positions advertised in the newspaper ad were available in Tucson.
The
USPS website currently shows they are hiring for two part-time positions in
Tucson: one with "limited benefits" and the other is a "non-career" position
with no benefits.
Additionally,
study materials for any written exam are free to applicants through the USPS or
a local library, and all applicants must apply through the USPS website. The
USPS never charges application fees or guarantees someone will be hired.
Copyright 2012 Tucson News Now. All rights reserved.
