The Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona has received 32 complaints since June about a Tucson company that aims to help people land government jobs.
Complaints to the BBB about Government Careers Inc. come from 18 states, including Arizona, stemming from what customers consider misleading advertisements and false statements about government job availability.
"What alarmed us is that it's a large influx of complaints for a short time," said Kim States, president and CEO of the Southern Arizona BBB.
Government Careers Inc., at 4625 E. Broadway, helps people write résumés and navigate the government job application process, said its vice president of marketing and operations, Richard Friedman. The BBB complaints represent a tiny fraction of GCI's business, Friedman said. It has sold about 4,100 consumers its most popular package, which costs $119 and includes testing materials, counseling and a ZIP code analysis of available jobs, he said.
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"Anybody who's not satisfied with our product receives a 100 percent refund minus the cost of shipping," Friedman said.
About 10 percent of those who purchase the service request the refund, he said.
Those who complained to the BBB said they weren't aware they were signing up for the company's service when responding to what they thought were job postings, says the BBB.
Also, online employment ads indicate several government positions are available across the country, but complainants say that, upon signing up, they find out there are no such government positions in their area.
"The ads imply there are government jobs available across the country, but we've been unable to verify that," States said.
The company has a disclaimer on all of its advertising stating that it's not affiliated with the government, Friedman said. As for complaints about no jobs being available in certain areas, Friedman said the company sends out available jobs to customers based on ZIP codes.
Those looking for work with the U.S. Postal Service are finding jobs especially slim, Friedman said, but the company issues a special announcement about the limited jobs there.
Some consumers who complained said they purchased the company's more intensive program for $965 and received a bill from a third-party financial institution before securing a job. They thought they didn't have to pay unless they got a job, the BBB says. But Friedman said the company's contract doesn't specify those customers must land jobs before getting billed.
The company has issued refunds to all those who've had complaints, Friedman said. The BBB's States confirmed that refunds had been issued.
States said job seekers have grown more leery and less tolerant in the tight job market, and that can lead to an increase in complaints.