Advertising - debt collection

polgara

My OH has an event company and was approached by a company re advertising in a venue brochure - we negotiated re advertising in their in-house brochure for a period of two years. After months of back and forth re the advert re approved it and awaited the brochure -which was duly printed and received by the venue last month.

However, on talking to the venue manager we were informed that its not certain that this brochure will be re-printed once the stocks run out (print run of only 400 I think) and she is not guaranteeing that the brochure will last the length of the two year contract as detailed by the printing company (and the contract we signed).

We were picking these issues up with the company and have such not yet paid the invoice...however today we've received a letter from a debt collection services!

So - what do we do - pay up and see if the brochure is available in two years time and if not then raise a dispute or is there any way to stop this debt collection agency? The agency has already added a £110 fee on top of the original cost of £300 and has only given us til Friday to pay up.

dinglebert

Not surprised the brochure company are annoyed. You agreed a contract, they so far have done everything they said they would and you have not paid the bill. You're only evidence that things are not well is from a 3rd party who was "not certain" about what they were talking about.

hippyadam

To be fair, if the contract states it will be available for two years i would want to know they had sufficient stocks to last!

After all the OP is paying for advertising for that long. I would say that qualifies as a genuine dispute and i wouldn't be parting with my money at this point either.

OP if you've raised your issues with the magazine company and they haven't responded, or responded by passing it to a collection agent i'd be worrying frankly...

My advice write (recorded delivery) to both the DCA and the company, outline your queries and advise you won't be paying until they are satisfactorily answered.

polgara

Hi - thanks for the advice.

dinglebert - might not have been very clear:

Printing/marketing company approached the venue saying we can do this brochure for you at no cost (costs to be met by advertising suppliers who provide services to the venue), venue manager said thank you very much. Printing company said (to venue manager) once the initial print run has gone, then any additional copies will need to be met by the venue - but there is no obligation on the venue to do so.

Printing company has guaranteed two years advertising in the brochure to the suppliers/advertisers.

Brochure was produced at the beginning of the month (as per order form the cost would be payable) and the venue have already given out a healthy percentage (at least 10%) of the brochures and at a recent event on the 6th of the month (that we were key suppliers to) the venue manager has expressed her frustrations over the publication issues she's had with the company and has said she will not authorise any additional print runs.

Main issue for us has been - we signed an order but have received no further communication - we have tried ringing/emailing etc but the first response we had was the debt collection letter. We're now taking legal advice and have advised the debt collection agency and the company. One factor that the marketing company haven't factored in - all the other suppliers do in some capacity work as sub contractors for us at times for other venues (as well as contractors for the venue) so we will be contacting them re the two year concerns.

hippyadam

polgara wrote: »

we signed an order but have received no further communication - we have tried ringing/emailing etc but the first response we had was the debt collection letter. We're now taking legal advice and have advised the debt collection agency and the company.

That's the bit that would concern me, its hardly the behaviour of a legitimate supplier. I'd be looking over the contract you signed, very, very carefully.

You need to be aware, disreputable companies can have perfectly legal and more importantly, enforceable contracts... Good to hear your getting a legal opinion, would be interested in what the brief says