The Blue Hippo Scam
Is there a large population in America that wants a new computer and can’t perform simple math? That’s what I have to assume, otherwise Blue Hippo couldn’t possibly be in business. I’ll do the math for you.
Here’s the specs on the desktop computer Blue Hippo is currently offering.
Deluxe Desktop 2006
256 MB of RAM
2.66 Gigahertz Intel Processor
80 Gig hard drive
17″ color monitor
CD Rom drive with CD Burner
Microsoft® Windows XP
$700 worth of software
3 year warranty with free tech support
Color Printer
20″ LCD TV with speakers, remote, and mounting brackets
You get this for the AMAZING DEAL of $39.99 per week for 52 weeks. Or translated to $2,079.48 total. Would I ever spend that much on a desktop? Possibly, but certainly not a computer with such pathetic specs. For that much money I’d expect a decent gaming video card, 512MB of RAM and at least a 200GB hard drive.
But just for kicks, let’s compare this computer to a model being offered by HP.
m7500y series
512MB RAM
3.0GHz Intel Pentium 4 524 w/HT
80GB hard drive
48x CD-RW/DVD-ROM (48×32x16×48x)
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
9-in-1 Memory Card Reader
2 USB 2.0
1 1394 Port
Microsoft Works 8.0/Money 2006/MSN Encarta Plus
The basic model doesn’t include the monitor or networking hardware, so let’s add that.
HP 17-inch Flat CRT monitor
802.11 b/g Wireless LAN PCI Card
The total cost so far is $769.99, which HP will finance for $27.00 a month with 12 months of no payments. But let’s get crazy. Let’s add the 3 year extended service plan since the Blue Hippo model has the 3 year service plan. But why stop there, let’s also add Microsoft Office Basic Edition, a 24 month activation of Norton Internet Security 2006 with AntiSpyware and upgrade the optical drive to Double Layer DVD +/- R/RW. The total price is now $1,197.98, which HP will finance for $40.00 a month.
So basically, the inferior model being offered by Blue Hippo costs $881.50 more than what you can get from HP. I didn’t even look for the best deal. I simply found a better deal. You can find cheaper computers from HP, Gateway or any number of manufacturers. But the point is, you’re not doing yourself any favor by buying anything from Blue Hippo. The major computer manufactures have competitive prices and financing options. You simply need to look. And the major manufactures offer something Blue Hippo doesn’t, customization. Do you need $700 worth of software? Probably not, especially since you don’t know exactly what you’re getting? Buy what you need.
OK, so what if you can’t finance because your credit is wreaked? Save up. If you can afford to pay $39.99 a week for an overpriced computer, you can save up to buy a fairly priced computer in fairly short order. If you sock away $39.99 per week for 6 months, you’ll have all the money you’ll need to buy a computer. Or if you talk with the financing department, you might be able to save up for 3 months, pay for half of the computer and finance the other half. The point is, just because your credit record is wreaked, doesn’t mean you need to overpay for a computer. Talk with the financing department and find out what you can do. Their job is to sell computers to people that don’t have the full cost up front. Let them do their jobs and save yourself some cash.
Friends don’t let friends buy Blue Hippo.
Comment by Danielle — Saturday 4 November, 2006 @ 19:42
WOW!! All I can say now is “thank you”!!
Comment by Anonymous — Friday 8 December, 2006 @ 15:40
blue hippo is a honest company with the custumers best interest in mind - oh, and today i saw pigs flying
Comment by Rick — Tuesday 12 December, 2006 @ 20:43
Got me for $700.00
Comment by Venzetti — Wednesday 13 December, 2006 @ 13:21
This is not a deal to help people. BLUE HIPPO is trying to RIP off People who are broke in the first place. UNBELIEVEABLE~!!! The computer specs are horrible. I can buy a WAYYYYYYY better system for half the price. DO NOT BUY FROM BLUE HIPPO!
Comment by Anonymous — Tuesday 19 December, 2006 @ 16:21
The people from Blue Hippo is smoking crack!
Comment by patty — Wednesday 17 January, 2007 @ 16:39
Yea I understood all this and I have been calling to cancel my account with Blue Hippo since October 2006. Nothing has happened and all they say is my credit is going to be affected if I cancel. I don’t want that to happen to my credit. They have been withdrawing my bank account twice a month but I never saw the computer along with a free television. Well It’s January 17,2007 and I have not seen the damn computer. well I guessed I got it good. I even asked if I can talk to the manager and all they tell me is “mam that is not necessary”. So stupid me goes with the flow but still no computer. That’s what happens for believing this scam. I guess it’s my fault, hippos aren’t blue.
Comment by Evan — Thursday 25 January, 2007 @ 16:56
Blue hippo is a company with a bunch of bullies, and a Law firm (ross gelfand) to back them up.. I have the same problem as Patty…No computer, and no TV, i’ve paid over 1900 dollars, and still they are trying to withdraw every month. I am in the military, and i have access to good legal representation. If anybody else wants to go “Legal” against Blue Hippo..email me at Huntnblack@yahoo.com
Comment by Trent — Wednesday 21 February, 2007 @ 15:37
Well,i enrolled in this program in nov of 05 got my computer in mar 06, paid it off in nov 06 still havent got the free items and 500 dollar gift card… legal action is around the corner im waiting 10 more days and then its on… email me at dicedude71@yahoo.com
Comment by Anonymous — Tuesday 20 March, 2007 @ 22:13
they are not legit and this will not affect your credit, call your bank and dispute the transactions
Comment by Michael — Saturday 24 March, 2007 @ 16:59
Blue Hippo,
I wish I had read this report before I decided to jump on with Blue Hippo. I fear that I may have gotten myself into a tight spot. I’m not sure what to do now. It seems like they don’t live up to their end of the bargain. They told me that all of my payments are reported to the credit union and that it will reflect good on my credit (because I have no established credit). I only hope that this is true. I’ve made $498.90 worth of payments and I can back this up on my transactions list. I just hope that things don’t go sower with this deal.
If They Rip Me Off I Will Go To My Local Tribal Attorneys (I Live On An Indian Reservation) & Sue The Crap Out Of Them!
Michael
P.S.-Thanks for this article and don’t make any rash buying decisions like I did.
Comment by Jack Brewer — Sunday 13 May, 2007 @ 9:04
People beware !!! I have done alot of checking into this so called company blue hippo and they are not a ligetiment company at all !!! my daughter got suckered into there deal and after i did some checking into them… no way !! i closed out my daughters bank account and had her reopen a new one and then i called the blue devils and told them no deal !! Guess what… they threatened to sue for the remaining balance owed even though my daughter did’nt recieve the computer.. I told them to bring it on !!!!and no this will not affect my daughters credit… it’s a hassle i know but if you are paying for this thing stop!! close out your account and get a new one opened at your bank this will stop blue hippo dead in there tracks and you wont loose any more money. god bless. the brewer family
Comment by amelia sanchez — Tuesday 22 May, 2007 @ 11:00
Blue Hippo company, has taken 1.300.00 from my bank account and I
never received the computer. They have given me a hard time, so I
cancelled the account and asked for my money back. That was over
eight weeks ago. I took it to the BBB. The responed 4 weeks later, saying that since I cancelled my order, they would send me my money back, no later then 14 days. It is going on 20 days and still no money. Oh! yes, they are keeping 175.00. What a scam. PLEASE, DO NOT DO FALL FOR THIS SCAM WITH THIS COMPANY!!!!!
Comment by katherine — Sunday 3 June, 2007 @ 0:56
All I can say is don’t be upset , everyone makes mistakes. I ordered a laptop from them and yes, I recieved it but it was so out of date and slow and it cost me almost 2700 dollars for a 600 hundred dollar product. At first I felt stupid and ignorant but it taught me a lesson- to check things out and comparison shop. A lawsuit has been settled so we all should be recieving our money back by early 2008. Look up the settlement. So I feel better but I still don’t understand why they are still advertising on TV. Man, the stuff these companies get away with. Maybe if we get burned enough we’ll stop and check things out first. Thanks for listening.
Comment by JOSEPH DILIBERTO — Sunday 17 June, 2007 @ 21:20
I ALSO NEVER RECIEVED MINE BEEN TRYING TO GET MY MONEY FOR 4 MONTHS. I DONT BELIEVE YOU DO IF ANY BODY KNOWS A NUMBER
Comment by trina harris — Wednesday 20 June, 2007 @ 11:52
Unfortunately, like you I have been scammed by Blue Hippo. I have paid them over $1300 dollars for products I have not received. They promised me a $500 dollar gift card for WalMart that I never received. I was thinking that maybe we all could come together and fight in court. I am a single mother and you maybe also. I can’t afford it alone especially since I’ve lost so much already. You know as well as I do that a group is heard louder than one voice. If you are interested, please call me @ (704) 692-8367.
P.S. Even today they are still harrassing me for the remainder of the balance with FEDEX letters from an arbitration group.
Comment by Jillian Sanchez — Thursday 19 July, 2007 @ 13:43
I am asahmed to admit that I, too am in the middle of a “Hippo of a mess”. Blue hippo has taken almost $1,000 of my money..and i have recieved NOTHING…(execpt bad attitudes) from their so-called customer service dept. I feels like they are reading from a script when every time i call… it’s the same exact speech. I am fed up and want some answers! call me at 860-380-0445
Comment by JoeJoe — Saturday 28 July, 2007 @ 1:55
All I can say is thanks for the information. I won’t be buying anything from that FAKE company.
Once again, another big time scammer compliments of the lack of leadership in America since 2000.
Comment by Chris — Tuesday 31 July, 2007 @ 9:21
Like I’ve said before, for the money Blue Hippo “loans” you for an inferior PC, you can either go to the local stores like Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, etc. and buy one with a monitor included, or if you are adventurous and/or know how to, build a PC yourself or have one of the local repair shops do it for you and again, with a monitor included, and still not spend $2000+. I know it says $39.95/wk., but round that to the nearest dollar to $40 and save for 12 weeks about three months, and you can buy a better system outright for most retailers and even the rent-to-own places for the repossesed rentals. There is also EBay since a lot of companies auction off their PCs, laptops and printers and many still have the manufacturer’s warranty on them and for less than retail and most certainly less than $2000+.
Credit aside, if you know where to look and shop around and save your money, you can get an equal or in most cases better PC than Blue Hippo.
Comment by Carmen — Tuesday 28 August, 2007 @ 19:02
I have just signed up with Blue Hippo..I just called for info and the rep was insistent on me signing on today…I will be calling to cancel this, I am concerned because I already gave my account information to these people, I called Digital Boulevard to set up the order which it appears they are the same as Blue Hippo…What names to they deduct money from your account under…I want to tell my bank not to pay out anything to this company…I hope I don’t have to close my bank account
Thank You for any help you can provide
Comment by i w — Monday 17 September, 2007 @ 22:19
I had order and called back to cancel. They told me they could not do nothing until I recieve the contract that I would say no to the order and send it back and nothing can be done until the contract is sent back. Will I never recieve a contract I never sign a contract and thay had taken the 99.00 plus 39.99 since May. I have called and I get a aset of rings then a hang up.
Comment by Matt — Tuesday 9 October, 2007 @ 10:57
I just signed up with Blue Hippo two weeks ago. Unfortunately I didn’t find this site until today.
My initial payment was scheduled for 10/17/07 for $99.00 but they took the payment today, 10/9/07, and caused my account to become overdrawn. I even called the company last week just to be sure of the date of the initial payment and the rep told me it was scheduled for 10/17/07 and could not be changed. Well, if the date can’t be changed why the hell did they deduct the payment on the 9th instead of the 17th?
No worries… My bank is taking care of this for me.
New customers beware! Do not fall for this scam as I did!
WHY IS THIS COMPANY STILL IN BUSINESS???
Comment by JC — Thursday 25 October, 2007 @ 17:59
WELL.. IM ACTUALLY A REP OF CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR BH AND YES IT A SCAM DEFINILY.. THE SALES REP LIES SO MUCH IT NOT EVEN FUNNY OF THE PAYMENT TERMS AND THEY LAST FOR EVER TO SEND THE “FREE ITEMS” AFTER THEY PAY FOR THE PC AND SOMETIMES 1 OF THE FREE ITEMS COME DAMAGE OR USED.
Comment by Anonymous — Friday 2 November, 2007 @ 19:14
mary
well it looks like a lot of us made the same mistake .Like everybody else here i didn’t get all the stuff i was promised .Although i did get my computer system but that was it.i was suppose to receive a 27′ flat screen tv for free and i have not received it yet and i don’t think i will.and i allready payed them 2,079.00.my next step is to dispute the remaining amount.i agree 100% on it being a scam and that nobody should make the same mistake as everyone of us did.
Comment by Anonymous — Tuesday 6 November, 2007 @ 11:42
I enrolled at Blue Hippo & the same situations happend to me.The only difference is that I was only tring to get out of social security by working at home that is why I sent for this computer but I never got it.I spent over 1300 that could have gone to my grand children for christmas.I am about ready to take these people to court.I am so pissed off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by alex — Friday 23 November, 2007 @ 4:08
blue hippo is straight up a scam. just like in boiler room. SCAM!! they sent the legal papers, with my social security number, to the wrong address. i do everything i can to speak to a manager and they tell me that one will call me in 72 hours. they also tell me that i cant have my $99 first payment back and they still try to charge me. BLUE HIPPO IS A SCAM!!!! and i would like very much to join in legal action against them. they all need jail time. check this site— http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0507/422030.html
SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM
Comment by Melinda Messenger — Friday 30 November, 2007 @ 16:18
Hello webmaster…Man i just love your blog, keep the cool posts about The Blue Hippo Scam comin..holy Friday .
Comment by Dawna — Monday 17 December, 2007 @ 20:25
Well this scam is on all the tv channels in the New England area. I wanted to see what was up with them so I Googled them and found this site.(great site).I didnt have much money a year ago when I wanted a computer and figured I would check out Dell and believe it or not i got a desk top computer with a CD burner but no DVD player delivered for $500.00 what a deal . Also if you cant afford to pay upfront you can get something from a rental store(LOCAL!! they know were you are and you know were they are) they do have very good computers an inhome service but it will cost you in the long run if you decide to pay it off over the long term but the good part is if you kill it they replace it so (kill it just before its paid off and you get a new one)There is alot of places to find cheap computers if your willing to look an research what you realy need in a pc (most of the time the basics are better than the bling) Good Luck Everyone
Comment by jimmy — Wednesday 19 December, 2007 @ 18:40
This is the same b-shit that rent-to-own furniture and electronics places have been doing for decades.
yes there is a certain percent of the human population that IS THAT STUPID. LOL
Comment by trent — Tuesday 5 February, 2008 @ 5:11
well i got my pc it was as old as a dinosaur., paid it off got my free tv and printer never did get the gift card..then 2 months passed and they sent me another tv, thanks for the fuck up blue hippo, well it really wasnt a fuck up i still paid to much lol
Comment by lisa — Saturday 12 April, 2008 @ 15:45
Thanks so much for emailing all your complaints about blue hippo. I certainly won’t be calling them. My husband saw their TV commercial. He told me about it and I decided to check it out online before I called and ordered their BS. Thanks so much. Hope you get those lying theives.
Comment by Anonymous — Thursday 1 May, 2008 @ 14:27
So, explain how this is any different from Rent-A-Center or any other type of business that allows people with little money to obtain nice things? It’s not a scam, it’s just another company out to profit off those who’ll throw lots of money down the tube for instant gratification.
You wanted to talk about how you could get basically the exact same thing for 800$ less, but the thing is, the people who are targeted by this company don’t have $1,000 bucks to drop on a computer up front, and they don’t have the credit to qualify for payment plans and store cards. Duh. Stop being retarded.
Comment by Steven A. Stehling — Thursday 1 May, 2008 @ 15:23
It’s a scam because unlike Rent-A-Center, you don’t get the product immediately, they often don’t deliver what they promised and if a person is late on a payment, additional charges and fees are applied. Blue Hippo is actually charging people extra for a product that has not been delivered.
The Blue Hippo scam is not related to instant gratification. It’s predatory lending which is a market failure in the financial industry that the government has not corrected due to a long standing policy of minimal involvement. It also doesn’t help that the general public has little understanding of how lending works, what are good and bad lending practices and people are more than willing to accept any loan agreement without fully understanding the terms.
If you’re going to criticize what I write, you should read the entire post (not that I believe you’re a real person, you probably work for Blue Hippo). Anyone that can afford to make $40 per week payments can easily save up enough to buy a computer from an honest company.
Comment by Shadowninja — Thursday 8 May, 2008 @ 23:12
Perhaps with a routing device in their physical server… it could allow someone to gain access to finances and post their profits on every blog on every fraud website and put a whitelightning virus in their shipping manifest computer. Justice is served in many ways. This company needs to go down I am currently writing to several government officials of these activities that have put people in unecessary debt and ruined many peoples credit. The senator’s staff has written back assuring that it will be looked into by the I.R.S. After all if anyone is pissed it has to be the internal revenue service I mean, that’s competition. Who would win between a small LLC. corporation and the IRS? No brainer, Blue Hippo is going DOWN.
Comment by Amanda — Friday 30 May, 2008 @ 16:58
We spoke with Blue Hippo after seeing the commercial..the person on the phone was fast talking and spoke with such a thick accent that it was almost incoherant. After 30 minutes of trying to understand what he was saying i asked to recieve information in the mail in writing before i decide on anything. He agreed and finished recording the preauthorization information . Never have we recieved a packet in the mail..just a short email that verified that what he told us was untrue. When I called to cancel the ordering process i was informed that 100 dollars was already collected and would not be returned. Yes i got sideswiped by the dreaded hippo from hell!
Beware! Dont call..dont even think about calling.
Scam? ya think? hahaha
Comment by teresa — Tuesday 3 June, 2008 @ 18:40
i fell for the blue hippo junk and it took me almost 2 years to get my computer, and i never recieved my so called free items. I wish i would of found this website a long time ago
Comment by bruce — Thursday 19 June, 2008 @ 14:24
i too have been taken by these scum, they have been reviewing my account information for the past two years, and i still haven’t received my refund can i turn to for help against these pigs. if anyone can tell me please let me know. thank you. bruce.sonja@yahoo.com
Comment by Johnnie — Wednesday 25 June, 2008 @ 15:02
Yes i’m embarrased and ashamed to say i fell for the BLUE HIPPO Scam. I contacted the BBB and the sent numerous letters to them. They finally responded back stating they would deposit my rebate and send my so called free items on the next shipment. I finished paying for my low grade computer back in January and everytime i call to them they would say 2-4 weeks. As you can see it has been going on 7 months. I contacted a local investigator and we will be bringing this to the public consumer eye. I would like to have everyone that can to sign up by sending me an email if you were a victim to them. My website is http://www.topebooksforless.com just click on the email link when u get to this site.
Comment by John — Tuesday 22 July, 2008 @ 14:36
I just want too offer to all of you that fell for “BLUE HIPPO’S SCAM” , “please consider contacting these two agencies in your state and report this fraud! (1) Federal Trade Commission & (2) Your States “State Attorney” so you can file “Charges for fraud and theft”!
Comment by Grim Reaper — Sunday 27 July, 2008 @ 6:41
Blue Hippo needs to be grouped with horrible companies like Quixtar that preys upon people who are in financial distress and looking for an easier way. They simply offer a deal that is veiled in BS and hope that enough people will throw themselves further in debt for an inferior product line to keep them afloat. Buyer Beware!!
Comment by eric — Tuesday 29 July, 2008 @ 5:16
guys need help or inside info about BLUE RIPPO contact me on my e-mail i have all the info about this company.
shahvezazan@yahoo.com
Comment by Jennifer — Friday 1 August, 2008 @ 9:12
just thought I would pass this along:
BlueHippo Funding Settles $1 Million Case
Company Will Refund Consumers’ Money, Pay Penalties
By Joseph S. Enoch
ConsumerAffairs.com
May 11, 2007
BlueHippo CEO Joseph Rensin (left) begs off questioning by WJLA-TV’s Ross McLaughlin.
As the result of a settlement with the Maryland attorney general, BlueHippo Funding, a layaway computer sales company, will have to forfeit all of its profits to Maryland consumers who received overpriced products and make full refunds to those who received nothing for their money.
The office of the Maryland attorney general will also resolve BlueHippo complaints for consumers outside the state of Maryland. Those consumers should call the Consumer Protection Division at (410) 528-8662.
Maryland attorney general Douglas Gansler and BlueHippo settled after a two-year investigation stemming from 1,320 complaints filed with the Maryland Better Business Bureau.
“This company has misled customers nationwide and as of today, they have agreed to halt their deceptive business practices,” Gansler said.
Gansler estimated the settlement will cost BlueHippo $1 million on top of $300,000 the company must pay in restitution to the attorney general’s consumer protection division.
Comment by Jennifer — Friday 1 August, 2008 @ 9:14
straight from the FTC website!
BlueHippo Defendants Will Pay up to $5 Million to Settle FTC Charges
Two companies that offer to finance the sale of personal computers to consumers with poor credit ratings have agreed to pay up to $5 million for consumer redress to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they violated federal laws.
According to the FTC’s complaint, BlueHippo Funding, LLC and BlueHippo Capital, LLC offered to extend credit to consumers to finance purchases of personal computers and other consumer electronics with down payments of $99 to $124 and a year of weekly or bi-weekly payments ranging from $36 to $88. In nationwide television and radio commercials, and on their Web site, the defendants touted the ability of consumers with “less than perfect credit, bad credit, no credit” to finance the purchase of a computer. Many consumers who ordered products paid hundreds of dollars and received nothing in return, the complaint alleges.
According to the complaint, the defendants required consumers to agree to a series of automatic, periodic debits from their bank accounts to purchase their products, promising that they would deliver the product once the consumer made 13 weekly, or seven bi-weekly, payments. In many instances, the defendants debited consumers’ accounts without first disclosing that consumers could not get a refund even if they cancelled before delivery of the product, and regardless of the reason for cancellation.
Consumers who ordered products by calling a toll-free number were told that they would receive a “shipping verification form” with sale terms and shipping information, and that they had to sign and return the form to ensure product delivery, the complaint alleges. The form contained terms that were not disclosed previously, including disclosures regarding finance terms. The defendants often failed to provide the forms and revolving account agreements before they debited accounts, so the finance terms and refund policy were not disclosed before consumers started making non-refundable payments.
According to the complaint, many consumers did not receive the merchandise they ordered or refunds. The FTC alleges that the defendants failed to clearly and conspicuously disclose their policy of not providing refunds before debiting accounts, in violation of the FTC Act, and consumers had no opportunity to make a timely and informed decision about whether or not to risk the potential loss of advance payments. The defendants also allegedly failed to deliver the products after consumers made 13 weeks of payments, as promised during the sales call, also in violation of the FTC Act.
The defendants also are charged with violating the FTC’s Mail Order Rule by failing to ship merchandise in a timely manner or give consumers the right to cancel and receive a refund. They allegedly violated the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Regulation Z by failing to make certain written disclosures before a transaction is made under an open-end consumer credit plan, and they allegedly violated the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) and Regulation E by conditioning the extension of credit to consumers on repayment by preauthorized electronic debits.
Under the proposed stipulated final order, the defendants are barred from misrepresentations in the marketing of consumer electronics or any product requiring four or more periodic payments before shipment. They also are barred from misrepresenting refunds, cancellations, exchanges, or repurchases of products without disclosing clearly and conspicuously, before receiving payment, the terms and conditions, and any policy of not refunding all payments when a consumer cancels the contract before product delivery. In addition, they are permanently prohibited from violating the Mail Order Rule, the TILA and Regulation Z, and from conditioning the extension of credit on mandatory preauthorized transfers in violation of the EFTA and Regulation E.
The settlement includes a monetary judgment of at least $3.5 million and up to $5 million. This money will be used to provide redress to consumers who entered into contracts with the defendants before March 2006, made payments, and did not receive the ordered products, refunds, or other restitution. If valid consumer claims exceed $3.5 million, the defendants will be required to pay up to an additional $1.5 million to pay those claims. The settlement also requires the defendants to stop collecting money from purchasers who are entitled to redress, to stop furnishing derogatory information about such purchasers to credit reporting agencies, and to notify any agency to which they have provided such information that the person’s account is in good standing. The settlement contains monitoring and record keeping provisions to ensure their compliance.
The Commission vote authorizing staff to file the complaint and stipulated final order for permanent injunction was 5-0. The documents were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been
or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendant has actually violated the law. The stipulated final order is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by the defendant of a law violation. A stipulated final order requires approval by the court and has the force of law when signed by the judge.
Copies of the complaint and stipulated final order are available from the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, click http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.shtm or call 1-877-382-4357. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,600 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. For free information on a variety of consumer topics, click http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/consumer.shtm.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Frank Dorman,
Office of Public Affairs
202-326-2674
Comment by Cynthia Anne Jones — Monday 25 August, 2008 @ 18:46
I signed for a compute from BlueHippo back in Nov26,2007 for a Dell cpmputer and camra an printer.Put down $99.00 Dollars down payment and they then took out 89.96 every two and when time to get the computer and I had 868.78.And 75 telephone calls later still nothing.I’am madder then and old mother hen.Ha!Ha!I’am madder then that but cussen won’t help much so I guess I need to pray for them.
Comment by Rubens — Monday 25 August, 2008 @ 19:54
I am soooooooooooooo glad I read this before making a rash decision. Thanks everyone for the info.
Comment by Nate — Friday 29 August, 2008 @ 16:19
Thanks allot for the info : ) I was just considering going to purchase BlueHippo, as college at this expensive University can be difficult without one. Guess I’d better pay for a better computer up front.
Comment by jen — Saturday 6 September, 2008 @ 14:17
My husband is in the army and we thought that this would be a way to get a computer and build credit… we started our payments in January and then in May began the process of being told that our product was being shipped. Frustrated after a few months of hearing their crap and deciding that the computer was nonexistent, we pulled our authorization thru our bank. Our bank was also able to revoke a few payments and get us some money back. Then after several bad calls to customer service, I recieved our computer yesterday. I do not know what to do now, but was shocked and still feel that they are a huge scam! Wish would have done some simple research before getting involved. These are the scum of our country that my husband has to fight to defend??? Ridiculous!
Comment by Ali — Friday 12 September, 2008 @ 1:54
Hi there!
I know you have suffered alot due to our company policies. As I am an ex employee of blue hippo at their offshore contact centre in Pakistan. I have worked with in the Sales department where we take orders.
Actually they are not doing the injustice with their customers but with their employees. I resigned due to the deceptive behaviour of my manager which was accepted by HR and I was given a one month salary as a compensation. I didn’t worked but I get the salary. People here in Pakistan hired to take calls from US people has quite an odd accents and they claim they are in Baltimore but don’t know any place in Baltimore and some of them are unaware of the US time zones. They got trained to take calls just for a week and then put on calls to let you people suffer but few of them misrepresent delibrately and others has to read the deceptive script VERBATIM. Its not our fault because if we tell you we are located in Pakistan we’ll be fired not being abide by the policies. This is the main reason customer remain apprehensive on things.
Believe me! Nobody is happy there in Pakistan office because of US people suffering and wonder how come they stay in business after doing all that to customers.We got 100 of calls everyday that you pay your hard earned money for too long for a computer you could possibly have 4 times less cheaper than bluehippo. Still after paying the paayments you got nothing from bluehippo. The main problem and pain to your sufferings is the CEO “Joseph Rensin”, who has a history of ripping off and scamming people with bad credit.
I would request all the US inocent people to do the complete market research before financing to companies like bluehippo. We got sued in MD, IL WV and some other states and can’t do business with their residents. If we got call from such states for a computer who is unaware of the company’s profile we have to give them a rebuttal that “currently we are not financing in your area, I appologize for that”
BlueHippo is in the business for past four years and got sued by 5 states in four years due to deceptive trade practise. They can stay in the business for a good time due to the lawyers they have hired to fight against the law suit. I guess by the time they will be ban in all 50 states they can make a lot more money they are making these days and will prey many more credit troubled and innocent US customers.
I feel sorry for all the US people who has been ripped off and those who will remain unaware of this BlueHippo predator and will be ripped off in the comings years.
Help expose this scam!
Here is some links including the wiki article about bluehippo scam.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_hippo_scam
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/finance/blue_hippo.html
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/099/RipOff0099745.htm
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/consuminginterests/blog/2008/05/bluehippo_blues.html
http://articles.latimes.com/2006/mar/16/business/fi-bluehippo16
Their website is:
http://www.bluehippo.com
Sales Line is:
1-800-747-4260 Call this no. on your day off and see how they sound and deal over the phone. 0% customer handling skills.
My pal said they’ve got Blue Hippo advertisements running on ESPN channels AND on 105.7FM at least 15-20 times a day in St. Louis.
And incidentally, the CEO has been in trouble before for predatory lending practices:
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2005/05/09/story7.html
If anyone or any current employee suspects I am lying, there aint a truth in whatever I said and I never worked for this company, shoot me your concerns and I’ll answer you every bit of bluehippo people here in Pakistan.
Sincerely,
Muhammad Ali.
ali_sublime@hotmail.com
Comment by Texas — Saturday 11 October, 2008 @ 22:59
As much as it pains me to see people complain about getting ripped off with the blue hippo pc’s, I can’t help but sit back and laugh a bit too. I mean, anyone with 2 brain cells can deduce $39.95 ($40) a week = $160 month! My guess is the blue hippo people are focusing on people with inferior credit and/or low incomes. Lets see those same people SAVE $1,000 and go buy a pc! The bottom line is read the fine print, do the math and suck it up if you do the deal. Worst case scenario is you get a sub-standard pc and a few bonus points on your credit score.
Comment by consumer protection — Friday 17 October, 2008 @ 19:27
1st, I am not an associate for Bluehippo, nor am I trying to defend their actions.
I agree with Texas’ comment. When buying something from tv. radio or online, consumers need to pay very close attention to EVERY thing stated. Like the old saying states, “if it sounds too good of a deal it probably isn’t a good deal”
Though the Bluehippo deal maybe deceptive, they may not be acting in an illegal way. I spent a total of 38.2 minutes navigating through the entire site, and YES I read every single word on every page. It is very clear how this business operates. Here is what they say in the “our program” sub-heading “summery” page:
Our Guaranteed Approval Program
Unlike other financial companies, we don’t check your credit and measure you based on some score. Instead, all we ask is that you build a little credit history with us by paying a small, one-time initial payment and 52 weeks of layaway payments. However; once you’ve paid as agreed for just 6-13 consecutive weeks, we’ll offer to finance* the balance of your purchase price, order your computer and have it shipped directly to your home.
* financing not available on all products, see product for details
After reading dozens upon dozens of complaints regarding not having the pc shipped after the first payment; I have to wonder if everyone missed reading this part or if this disclosure was added later by Bluehippo ???
In my opinion Bluehippo provides sufficient explaination of how their program works.
Like I always say BUYER BEWARE!
Comment by Steven A. Stehling — Sunday 19 October, 2008 @ 11:22
Actually, they’ve been found guilty of deceptive and illegal practices. While it may not be nice, there are legal ways to take advantage of customers. Blue Hippo has abandoned that approach altogether because they’ve done the math. Enough people will fall for the trick so any losses they accrue in court will be overshadowed by their profits. A majority of their customers probably don’t have a clue how to report this kind of fraud. It’s not something your normal police department is equipped to deal with. Most slack jawed pigs can barely use computers, let alone understand white collar crime. I’d be willing to bet that many cops have fallen for the Blue Hippo Scam.
Comment by Rosemary Smith — Thursday 23 October, 2008 @ 10:43
I just when on google and found these reports. I am just sick to my stomach. I have been paying since April 2008. I have now paid
over $1600.00 and I too have been calling, going on their chat line etc. and can not get anywhere with anyone. I live in
New York State and I will be contacting my Lawyer and the Attorney General to investiage Blue Hippo. I an cancelling my auto
deduct today and just put on my list of BIG FINANCIAL MISTAKES. I am not worried about my credit, I have been im poor shape for
a long time. I have nothing to loose right now. Has anyone filed a class action suit against these people? What do I do now.
This just disgusts me that their advertisments said they were created to help people without credit and now they have taken
$1600.00 and have gotten nothing.
Comment by Irina — Thursday 23 October, 2008 @ 15:21
Well, thank you for all the comments. I was going to buy a computer trough Blue Hippo for my kids, but first thought to check out their reveiws. I am going to learn from someone else’s mistake. Thank you again, I guess I am going shopping to Best Buy.
Comment by Tim — Tuesday 28 October, 2008 @ 15:34
I am surprised that so many have been taken by Blue Hippo. I had horrible credit and called them. I turned their deal down because I would have paid over 2000 dollars on a computer that was under 700.00 on the dell site. Instead I worked on my credit, saved my money and bought a computer on Ebay. that was 3 years ago and it is still working great. I only spent 400.00 on my ebay purchased dell computer. A fool is born every second.
Comment by Juliana Ortega — Thursday 30 October, 2008 @ 15:28
OK, so I am one of the many idiots who actually fell for this crap and purchased a computer through them. Ok, actually paid in full, never late on a single payment and now they refuse to give me information or tell me where these wonderful “gifts” are…… they dont exist and its probably another perk to their adverstising team to get customers who need a computer. I have finish paying over four months ago and still after sitting on hold for over an hour can not get an answer, instead I got a girl who told me that she “didnt have a clue”!!! DUH!!!!
Comment by Marie — Friday 7 November, 2008 @ 12:22
Well, I canceled my order and had my bank cancel the payments, the money that was already taken (over $600)can not be returned and instead they gave me credit, OK!!! well i purchased a digital camera through the site (with the credit) and a month later…I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT…I am tired of being on hold for an hour each day and not getting answers…
Comment by Jeana — Saturday 15 November, 2008 @ 11:59
I called twice. Their website is made to look like you can purchase any computer. If you click purchase your prompted to a login and you can’t. You’re made to call. You get a foreign no english speaking individual that can’t answer any direct question. Red flag!!! They wanted to sell me a dell with a camera, printer, and software package. It all added up to be $2000. I did the math. I knew it was bs….so I jumped on here and sure enough. People…do your research. NEVER HAND OUT BANK INFO…It’s crazy that some do. I’m sure Blue Hippo will get what they deserve. Sooner or later.