BULLETIN: The Better Business Bureau of Southeast Florida and the Caribbean has given Data Network Affiliates (DNA) an “F” rating after the company failed to respond to complaints.
DNA, a purported multilevel-marketing (MLM) firm, publishes a street address in Boca Raton, Fla., on its website. The BBB’s file on DNA lists the Boca Raton address.
DNA now joins Dallas-based Narc That Car, also known as Crowd Sourcing International, in the lineup of purported license plate data gathering firms to have received an “F” from the BBB. The “F” rating is the BBB’s lowest on a 14-step rating scale.
Separately, bizarre events at DNA continue to occur. Earlier this year, DNA purported to be in the business of gathering license-plate numbers to assist law enforcement in locating abducted children. In a conference call, a DNA pitchman criticized the AMBER Alert program, claiming it had a bloated budget. The same pitchman recommended that members gather license-plate data at “churches” and “doctors’ offices,” triggering concerns that DNA’s business model could lead to untenable invasions of privacy.
It is far from clear that DNA has any capacity to help law enforcement locate missing kids. The company’s domain name is registered in the Cayman Islands. Earlier this year, DNA claimed the offshore address was arranged through a domain registrar so company executives would not have to put up with “stupid” calls.
DNA later declared itself the world’s low-price leader in the cell-phone business, before acknowledging that it had not studied pricing before announcing it could offer an “unlimited” plan for $10 a month, including a free phone.
DNA later said it also had ventured into the businesses of selling a purported spray to be applied to license plates that would prevent motorists from getting tickets if they ran a red light at an intersection equipped with a camera — all while purporting to support law enforcement.
The company also announced it had ventured into the mortgage-reduction business, claiming churches had the “MORAL OBLIGATION” to support the program.
In July, DNA asked existing members to pretend the company had not launched in March, asking them to “Make believe that July 26th, 2010 is the LAUNCH DATE for DNA…â€
DNA than rescheduled the make-believe launch to Aug. 9. It is unclear if the imaginary launch occurred as advertised. A countdown timer set for Aug. 23 now appears on the website.
Meanwhile, the company appears to have renamed its Business Benefit Package, which once used the acronym BBP, to the BBB. BBB is the acronym used by the Better Business Bureau.
DNA regularly employs capital letters to stress sales points in pitches to members.
“Please attend our next WEBINAR it will CHANGE YOUR LIFE,” DNA said in a recent email, which also included a pitch for products described as the “DNA Photo Blocker & The DNA $5.95 TELE-FAX BOX.”
It was not immediately clear if the product advertised as “DNA Photo Blocker” was the same product previously advertised as “DNA Protective Spray.â€
Visit the BBB site.