Thursday, May 30, 2013

Is The Dollarshaveclub A Scam?

The dollarshaveclub is taking the country by storm and is a very timely idea that is marketed beautifully. Here is how it works, for $1 a month (plus shipping and no membership fee) you get a certificate of membership, a handle and five double edge razors with aloe comfort strips. The total cost a month is about $3. They have a "less hairy plan" ( I love their sense of humor) which means you get the shipments of razors every other month which makes the club very affordable indeed.
Here is is why I believe this shave club is not a scam but a very, very good idea. First, you actually do get a quality razor for the price they advertise and it arrives when they say it will arrive. Second, if your wife or kids are using your razor ( I know what you're thinking but it happens) then you especially need the monthly shipment.In fact, you can step up to a better plan and receive even more blades. Third, let's be honest here, most of us forget to buy razors at the grocery or discount stores and we use the razors we have way, way too many times. I buy cheap, dull discount blades and use them until I am actually rubbing my whiskers off instead of shaving. When you are receiving new blades in your mailbox each month you will absolutely be overjoyed to toss that dull machete you call a razor into the trash and effortlessly glide your new blade through your beard. You will notice the smooth feel and most of all you will experience less irritation and fewer cuts. The dollarshaveclub is a brilliant idea that I wish I had thought of first. I highly recommend this as a part of your daily hygiene and an excellent gift idea as well!
But don't just take my word on it, give it a try yourself.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Free Trial Unlimited Background Checks By Everify

Everify is a rising star in the unlimited background checks industry and right now they are offering a free, no risk 5 day trial. Why is this such a big deal? Why is it necessary to do background checks? If you consider that 1 out of 6 people have a criminal record then you have a 17% chance of unwittingly hiring someone with a criminal past. Also consider that you have a 17% chance of hiring a baby sitter or renting property to someone with a criminal history. This is huge when you consider the escalation of work place lawsuits concerning fraud and violence from employees that are not screened. This is the reason that 70% of U.S. employers do pre employment background screening and it is precisely why you should consider doing the same. Violence in the workplace is an increasing problem in the United States.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that there are approximately two million workers victimized each year, 700 of these result in homicide. The Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles reported that in the year 2000,  workplace homicide was the third leading cause of occupational deaths in the United States. Imagine having such a heinous act being carried out in your organization and then living with the regret that you never performed an adequate background check on the perpetrator!


A good background check will include information about the applicants education, their employment history, criminal activity and driving history,Most employers are also very interested in the credit rating of prospects because this information sheds light about the intangible aspects of a persons success in other areas of their lives. Some more of those intangilbe areas would include court records, divorce/marriage records, birth records, property records and asset information. Having this information before and after the interview process will shed light on the truthfulness of your prospect. With the job market in shambles and hoards of applicants clamoring for your job openings you must be diligent in finding the best of the best applicants and background checks are the way to help you attain this goal.
Here are some things to consider when shopping for a background check provider. First, is the service accurate? Is the information obtained factual? A background check is worthless if the information isn't truthful. Second, is the information obtained legally? The subject of the check should never have their rights violated. Third, is the background company offering a truly unlimited background search service? Make sure you read the fine print because many companies will claim they are unlimited and fail to live up to the claim. Finally, is the service guaranteed? Everify offers a money back guarantee. You should demand this in any service you decide to use.



Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Don't Login To Carfax Until You Read This!

Before you login to Carfax it would be best to consider your options, Don't get me wrong, it is always a good idea to lower your risks when making a large purchase. Even Dennis Waitley would agree with that premise. Waitley made the famous comment "Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing". With that in mind, I would encourage you not to do nothing when buying a used car but to do the best thing. In this case, the best thing to do is to check out the alternatives to Carfax and there are three criteria that I would suggest you use in your decision.

First, consider the alternatives to Carfax. It's true that there are nearly a quarter million searches for Carfax each month but it's unfortunate that most of those people will miss out on some very competitive and much cheaper alternatives. I would mention two great choices for vin number lookups and that would be Vinaudit and Vinalert. Vinaudit was founded by former Google exec David Wu. Wu made the following statement about his company, "I felt ripped off when I paid $35 for a car history check. Data on vehicle history should really be free.That’s right, public and open like the rest of the Internet. We’re not there yet, but VinAudit.com aims to make vehicle history as public and as affordable as possible.” Vinaudit has a partnership with the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) which allows people to access all available public records for a particular VIN number for a very affordable price. I highly recommend Vinaudit for performance and valute.

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Second, don't login to Carfax until you consider the cost. Typically, Carfax will charge between $35 and $40 for a car history The good news concerning Vinaudit is that it is a real bargain at $9.99. If money is no concern then go ahead and spend $40 but if you want to save money consider the competitors.

Third, don't login to Carfax until you consider the benefits. Since 1981 there have been standardized VIN information requirement for all vehicles made in the U.S. This information can be accessed and is certified tier one information. The categories covered on a Vinaudit car history report would include vehicle specs, title information that is current and previous from each state the vehicle was owned, title issue data, odometer readings, salvage history and a host of other reports. The odometer reading is particularly useful since there is so much fraud in this area. I am reminded of a true story that occurred in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, where police were called to investigate reports of a car driving around the neighborhood in reverse, It turned out that a young girl had placed too many miles on the family car and was trying to re-wind the odometer ! While that story is rather humorous it is definitely not funny that many dishonest mechanics and dealers have been known to tamper with the odometer. A quality car history report can help you avoid this scam


Finally, when you go to a dealership and they offer you a free Carfax I would recommend declining and getting your own copy. I have been very suspicious of doctored VIN reports from dealerships. All these things should go into your thinking before you login to Carfax.