Advertising rip off - please help!

mrssarahh

My hubby and I have a new business and were approached last February by a company called MLP Media about advertising. The deal was that for three payments of about £160 each they would print our advert on appointment cards that were to be handed out to everyone making an appointment at our local health centre. The lady that visited us quoted numbers in the thousands that would see the adverts, it was local, and we thought a good way to get the name seen by alot of people.
I have made the final payment and asked at the Health Centre about the cards. They had a variety of different cards, none of which had our advert on them and I have heard nothing from the company (we were promised a sample card when the final payment was made). I just emailed them to ask what was happening, and thought I'd google them to see what I could find.
I found a number of sites full of complaints about them - not publishing the cards, the health centres not using them, and various other nasties. They are also on a list on the advertising protection agency website to say they are being investigated because of complaints!
What should I do? Is it too soon to complain, as the final payment was only beginning of last month? If I do complain, who do I go to and how do I get the money back!
It is even worse due to the fact that we borrowed the money from a relative to pay for it, and haven't paid it back yet.
I feel so stupid for not checking them out first, and just signing up and handing over money we didn't have.
Please can someone give me some advice?!!!

paddyrg

I don't know if it is the same company, but https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3204854 may sound familiar and give you some ideas.

McKneff

oh dear, you fell for the cards/leaflet scam.

The 'Police' do the same thing, and the 'Fire Service'

Beware for the future.

paulwf

If it is any consolation endless new businesses fall for this. It is one of the reasons why it is such a good idea to run a business for someone else before putting your own money on the line.

I think you've learnt your lesson - don't waste £500 on unproven advertising especially when you can't afford it. Now you need to work out how to effectively market your business without paying a penny.

Getting money back once you have paid it out is going to be tricky. I think you'd be best asking "how do I get maximum exposure for free" on these forums. I have an advertising budget of zero, though I do spend an awful lot of time, effort and a little bit of money promoting my business. The key seems to be to have ZERO ad spend, if you can say that with a smile on your face ad companies give you a knowing look and move on. If you falter and say you spend a little and may be interested they'll be all over you like vultures until they bleed you dry.

mrssarahh

Thanks - but I know how to advertise my business - yes I fell for this one but I am generally an intelligent person and I have had experience with alot of businesses in the past.

My problem is how to complain and get my money back from this one off stupid spur of the moment mistake (that we all sometimes make).

Thanks for making me feel like I'm the only stupid one who would fall for this scam.

easyhost

I recently set up a limited company and within days was contacted by phone by a rep of MLP Media. they went though all their chatting, which i thought was too good to be true and the same thing about advertising on appointment cards for my local doctors surgery, which as i am a patient of the surgery i know the only adverts on the back of their appointment cards are their own details. so after they stopped chatting and i could get a word in i said i would pass them onto my advertising manager who also works for trading standards and guess what they hung up.

jexygirl

Mrs Sarah, you truly arent the only one please read through https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2530467 as it sounds like the same old, just a new tactic, and until you get bitten no amount of experience can prepare you - we did police diary when we first started out, and until I found this forum, I never for a second thought of it as a scam... that was 6 or 7 years back.

The link contains alot of info towards the end of it, of people who went to court, or simply refused to pay so have a browse, it may be worth while and no-one, especially Paul who offers so much good advice, is trying to make you feel stupid, at all, you will see hundreds of others who got "conned" that doesnt make you stupid, these people / con artists are really good at what they do. Only advice I would offer, having read that thread is to stop any card payment or details NOW if not sooner. You may not realise that what you agreed to was more, may not be the case, but better to stop any future payments /cards, than have to spend time and energy recouping.

Best of luck
Jex

paulwf

mrssarahh wrote: »

Thanks - but I know how to advertise my business - yes I fell for this one but I am generally an intelligent person and I have had experience with alot of businesses in the past.

My problem is how to complain and get my money back from this one off stupid spur of the moment mistake (that we all sometimes make).

Thanks for making me feel like I'm the only stupid one who would fall for this scam.

Apologies if it came across like that, I did say "endless new businesses fall for this" so that was meant to console you and let you know you are far from alone in making that mistake. I don't know how you can infer from that that no one else has made that mistake but please don't think I'm trying to make you feel bad.

We all make mistakes especially those of us who are starting a new business. Although I haven't been done by ad scams I have been done in other ways, getting some rubbish products and using some terrible wholesalers which has caused supply problems and tied up cashflow. You live and learn.

My wider point was to try and get across the concept of not doing any ADVERTISING at all. Forget the concept entirely. Instead focus on marketing and promoting your business. Advertising is lazy, you just zap across a graphic and write out a cheque. PR takes time and effort but you get to engage with your customers directly and it costs next to nothing in materials. There is no way I'd pay for advertising without having excess cash in the bank, on a small biz scale you simply don't know in advance if the ad campaign is going to work so you're better off saving your cash so you can pay the bills.

Any ad rep is only there for one thing - to take as much money off you as possible. They may be legitimate but just like the scam companies they don't care about your business, they just want their commission. That's not that much difference really

chalkie99

paulwf wrote: »

If it is any consolation endless new businesses fall for this.

mrssarahh wrote: »

Thanks for making me feel like I'm the only stupid one who would fall for this scam.

That is a pretty ungracious response to someone offering good advice.

I would write it off as, firstly, a business expense on the books and, secondly, a lesson in life to never speak to anyone who approaches you for advertising. If you do want to advertise then decide how, where and when you might want to do so, work out a budget and then approach those places you want to advertise yourself, having first done some basic Google searching to see if any alarm bells are ringing.

The sort of scam you have fallen for, as well as the infamous Police diary etc. is such a well worked con that trying to get your money back is probably going to be a lot of trouble with no reward.

In time you will get a sixth sense with all enquiries. One regular we get is a call which starts with something like "are you able to produce work for a school?" which we can now cut short straight away as they actually want you to pay to appear in a directory which is supposedly distributed to schools.

There is always a new twist so you have to be on guard all the time.

It's upsetting and annoying to be caught out but sometimes you just have to write it off and move on.

ashleypride

mrssarahh wrote: »

Thanks - but I know how to advertise my business

Thanks for making me feel like I'm the only stupid one who would fall for this scam.

Do you have to be so rude? paulwf gave good advice, and I fall to see anywhere in his post where he was trying to make you feel stupid.

mrssarahh

I'm sorry I came across rude, I was just very upset about the whole thing having just read all the awful things about this company on the internet, and feeling cross with myself for falling for it. Now I have read the replies again (with a calmer mind) it is good adviceand thank you.

MLP have emailed me back today saying there are delays in the printing and the cards are due to be out end of June. Cleverly no names are mentioned on the email, it is simply signed MLP Media.

So really there is nothing I can do now until the end of June?

About advertising - since then we have advertised in a local community paper (which has been around for years, and I know people keep just for the phone numbers!) and this has definitely brought in work. It is only £20 per month to advertise and well worth it. Also I delivered a few hundred flyers (which were professionally printed, but quite cheaply!) and these have brought in alot of work!!

I will just hold off doing anything about MLP until end June now, then try again and see what they come up with next!