yellow Pages - Mis-sold product?

Runnybabbit

Hi,

Don't know whether I am posting in correct area, but please feel free to move if needed.

Can anyone help with this problem please.

I purchased some advertising with Yellow Pages last year and On the advice of the rep bought a product called 118247 - apparently the 'answer to all my prayers'. What a load of tosh !!! :mad: . I asked on many ocassions for the proof from Yell that this product was as good as the chap made out it to be. I never had the proof so therefore I refused to pay for it!.

Yell then sold this 'debt' on to a Debt Collection Agency (DCA) who then threatened me with court action, bailiffs etc. I wrote to them in April 2008, saying that I was disputing this amount, and have not heard from them since.

I don't want to contact them again, since the DCA are extremely rude, arrogant etc.

I don't want to open a can of worms intentionally, but then again I want closure on this matter. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do next. Thanks for your help.

uktyler

So you agreed to purchase it, and now don't want to pay for it?

Have you cancelled it, or is it still running?

Have you ever asked for proof in writing about the quality of the product?

I think you might be onto a loser here, you agreed to purchase, but have not paid.

Runnybabbit

uktyler wrote: »

So you agreed to purchase it, and now don't want to pay for it?

Have you cancelled it, or is it still running?

Have you ever asked for proof in writing about the quality of the product?

I think you might be onto a loser here, you agreed to purchase, but have not paid.

I agreed to buy it, on the advice of the Rep who GUARANTEED it's 'usefulness' (sorry can't think of the correct word). This failed to deliver.

No, it was cancelled and therefore not running.
Yes, I did ask for the proof of the quality of the product, which they have failed to provide me with. (I've asked 4 times)

uktyler

Runnybabbit wrote: »

I agreed to buy it, on the advice of the Rep who GUARANTEED it's 'usefulness' (sorry can't think of the correct word). This failed to deliver.

No, it was cancelled and therefore not running.
Yes, I did ask for the proof of the quality of the product, which they have failed to provide me with. (I've asked 4 times)

Do you have written proof of the guarantee?

I'm just asking because these are the questions a judge will ask if they take you to the small claims court.

RadoJo

What is the actual product? If it's an advertising tool then I would have thought that any guarantee would be based on previous experience with the product and not an actual guarantee of sales/orders/leads. Are you sure they didn't guarantee to display your ad a certain number of times for example, rather than generate a certain number of sales? Without knowing more about what you have ordered, it's a bit difficult to say.

unika

hi,
i have also been missold advertising by yell.com and i need some advice if any body out there can help.Below is copied from the letter when i have wrote back to yell after i recieved an invoice they are demanding payment.

After a conversation with a sales rep I was lead to believe that I was signing up for a 2 month advertising trial period with yell.com, which I needed to sign up to immediately to qualify. After the two months I would get notified that the trial period was ending, so I could I carry on with the advert or I could cancel if I chose. He told me that this would be when I made payment if I chose I wanted the advert. At no point was I told by the representative that this was an advert that couldn’t be removed once listed. At no point were any bank details given, as I was told none was needed until I decided to carry on with the advert. An email was sent out to me and I had to enter two letters of a password and send it back to approve the advert. There was no mention of being of being tied into a twelve month contract with yell, or anything to say that the advert could not be removed. I did what was requested, as I believed that I was only approving an advert for two months not signing up for a twelve month contract. No letter arrived to state that the free period had run out, only an invoice dated 12/09/2008.

On receipt of the invoice I immediately telephoned and tried to speak to the original rep who sold me this to be told he wasn’t available. I then spoke to a different sales rep, only to be told that apparently I had signed up for a twelve month contract and that the advert was a live advert and could not be removed for twelve months. I explained how I was lied to, but she stated that I would have to pay and that she would send out the credit agreement and pre contract information for me to sign.

Should I not already have read and signed these to enter into the supposed contract? I struggle to see how putting two letters of a password, and not originally signing any form of contract or credit agreement put me into a twelve month contract.
any way i have recieved a response from yell, now saying thay were sorry to learn that i remain unhappy with there previous response( lol which was a credit agreement and a contract to sign ), but my request to cancel the advert that i didnt want was recieved to late. They havent covered anything to do with the mes-selling me advertising. and ended the letter with normal collection will continue on my account.
Please can anyone give me any advice.......

hot_plumb

You are not alone!!!

I have just been forced to pay for a pointless non happening waste of time advert. I was told by the silver tongued snake £475 inc VAT business would double overnight.” I am a new business not even paid myself any money yet and I told him I couldn’t afford that kind of advertising.” Don’t worry I could trial the ad to see if it would work for about 5-6 weeks, my business was going to take off and was I prepared to be inundated with work. I said ok. the fax came through no terms and conditions couldn't quite make out the declaration but signed anyway....... YES I know my own fault. I now have to pay £475 for an advert that has been up for 3 months with no business calls only sales calls from Google, web designers, insurance sales, tool suppliers and of course other advertisers, including yell247 who also promised me the free trial.......And how quickly did I want the new business. He also sent a fax and called everyday for a week until I sent it back. you know what the trial period they both offered doesn't exist they offer 14 days before it goes live once its live and people can see or potentially get the information you are bound by the contract. I now owe them another £375 for that useless service. When I refused to pay as it didn't work I have had letter from the debt collectors.
If you speak to the person who conned you, cos you took his word for it," It's Yell a reputable company why wouldn’t you trust them" They deny the whole conversation "we are a profit making company we don’t offer free trials, My boss is sat behind me if he heard me say free trial I would get the sack and you signed the forms sent them back". I haven't been sent terms and conditions or anything. A very expensive mistake I will never trust a sales person ever again.

I am sure some people will get good business through advertising with them but can I repeat DO NOT trust them Record your phone conversation sign only when you have read the terms and conditions and make sure whatever is offered to you is written down and you ONLY have 14 DAYS from the signed date of cooling off. After which time it is live you are stuck with it whether it works or not you owe them your hard earned money .

cactusjohn

unika wrote: »

hi,
i have also been missold advertising by yell.com and i need some advice if any body out there can help.Below is copied from the letter when i have wrote back to yell after i recieved an invoice they are demanding payment.

After a conversation with a sales rep I was lead to believe that I was signing up for a 2 month advertising trial period with yell.com, which I needed to sign up to immediately to qualify. After the two months I would get notified that the trial period was ending, so I could I carry on with the advert or I could cancel if I chose. He told me that this would be when I made payment if I chose I wanted the advert. At no point was I told by the representative that this was an advert that couldn’t be removed once listed. At no point were any bank details given, as I was told none was needed until I decided to carry on with the advert. An email was sent out to me and I had to enter two letters of a password and send it back to approve the advert. There was no mention of being of being tied into a twelve month contract with yell, or anything to say that the advert could not be removed. I did what was requested, as I believed that I was only approving an advert for two months not signing up for a twelve month contract. No letter arrived to state that the free period had run out, only an invoice dated 12/09/2008.

On receipt of the invoice I immediately telephoned and tried to speak to the original rep who sold me this to be told he wasn’t available. I then spoke to a different sales rep, only to be told that apparently I had signed up for a twelve month contract and that the advert was a live advert and could not be removed for twelve months. I explained how I was lied to, but she stated that I would have to pay and that she would send out the credit agreement and pre contract information for me to sign.

Should I not already have read and signed these to enter into the supposed contract? I struggle to see how putting two letters of a password, and not originally signing any form of contract or credit agreement put me into a twelve month contract.
any way i have recieved a response from yell, now saying thay were sorry to learn that i remain unhappy with there previous response( lol which was a credit agreement and a contract to sign ), but my request to cancel the advert that i didnt want was recieved to late. They havent covered anything to do with the mes-selling me advertising. and ended the letter with normal collection will continue on my account.
Please can anyone give me any advice.......

i have also been misssold by yell offered a 6 week trial after witch a 12 month contract follows if im happy but then they told me there was no trial i owe 2grand

PeterJ_2

Sounds like there are a good number of us who have been scammed by Yell.coms sales tactics. They should be brought to account for this after all they aren't an unknown little business. I would liek to see more comments here from others who have been scammed and let's get Yell on BBC Watchdog.

I was recently contacted by them to use Yell.com. I had previously refused but this time their sales patter was more convincing - but as it turns out just more conniving!

The main issue was that I would get 118 247 FREE if I used Yell.com. I told them i did not want 118 247 as I didn't believe it was appropriate for my business. However if I wanted just Yell.com it would be the same price because 118 247 was FREE!. However, and this is the 'slimey' bit, apparently due to competition rules the order and invoice would show a fee for Yell.com and a fee for 118 247, as Yell.com couldn't be seen to be giving it for free. But it was free because I would be paying the same amount for just Yell.com on its own.

I have now found out that I could have had Yell.com for £300 and didn't have to order 118 247 also which they charged me £260 for.

I have complained and set out clearly in writing what was said and all I get is - you shouldn't have signed the order if you didn't want 118 247. I told them this is what I was told would happen! They were not prepared to listen just saying that they can't comment and if I didn't pay they would put their debt collectors on to me.

I asked them to speak direct to their sales rep (whose name I have) to get his version. Begrudgingly they said they would and come back to me. I suspect though that he will just deny it so they are then inferring that I am the liar - but as I told them I couldn't have made this scam up myself.

READERS BEWARE OF YELL.COM

toby1970

Oh Boy! I have been scammed too! I got collared into yell 118 24 7 in September. One of the sales reps phoned me and told me that I can have a 2 months free period and even showed me an example (over the phone) of what sort of ad I would have including up to 20 photos but in order to be able to upload pics I would have to confirm 2 letters of a password (2nd and 4th letter). He said that he was sending the order via email right now and to go on to yahoo and keep pressing the refresh button and let him now when the email comes in and as soon as it did he said great quickly hit "reply" and email back the 2 letters.

At no point did we discuss a 12 month contract or payment terms the only thing he mentioned was after 2 months they will send me a direct debit mandate for me to fill in if I wanted to carry on.

Unbeknown to me by hitting "reply" I had agreed to their terms and conditions. None of which was discussed prior!

I was very surprised when yesterday I received an order for £524.

I phoned up their customer services and spoke to a very unhelpful lady who wouldn't budge and told me that having sent back the letters I am legally bound. I insist I was tricked into this contract!!

I have complained to trading standards about this.

Has anyone had any success in getting these contracts null and voided?

RadoJo

So was the two month free trial for a limited version of the service which you upgraded (albeit unwittingly) by submitting further images? What terms and conditions are they saying you agreed to? Did the e-mail that you replied to contain these terms and conditions?
If not, then I would say that they have certainly misled you, however if the e-mail did contain the Ts and Cs that they are now holding you to, then it would be worth posting them so that people can respond in more detail.