help with website please

jay-jay

Im wanting to create a website with a directory attached. what I want to know is if want to add business names and addresses to it do I need to ask them for permission first. A friend told me if its i the phone book its classed as public information and therefore free to use, is this correct? Also if my customers were to add personal reviews to the site would this still be the case. Asking in case someone writes a poor review of their services. Thanks jay-jay

Kilty_2

As far as I know, the businesses need to provide you with their information by themselves, you cannot take it from the phone book / yellow pages / etc and put it into a directory by yourself. I'm sure there is a clause in the terms of use about this kind of thing.

ukbill69

A company I work for a big plc firm advertises in the yellow pages and when someone uses there information, they take them to court. How they know they used the info, is because for each campaign they make, they give a new 0800 number to ring.

sgx.saint

Also Yellow Pages place 'fake' companies in their listings. So when other marketing companies ring these fake companies, its actually Yell at the other end of the phone taking down the callers details.

A few weeks later a court summons arrives

Kilty_2

ukbill69 wrote:

A company I work for a big plc firm advertises in the yellow pages and when someone uses there information, they take them to court. How they know they used the info, is because for each campaign they make, they give a new 0800 number to ring.

Something like that is even feasible for small companies too, with 0870 numbers (OK, I know......) readily available for free

I don't know if companies are getting my number from just browsing Yell or it is being sold by somewhere but I get a barrage of sales calls often :mad:.

Registered with the Corporate TPS now though so it's cutting them down a bit

Patr100

sgx.saint wrote:

Also Yellow Pages place 'fake' companies in their listings. So when other marketing companies ring these fake companies, its actually Yell at the other end of the phone taking down the callers details.

A few weeks later a court summons arrives

So what happens if one of us phones one of these fake companies - Will Yellow Pages staff come and fix my leaky roof etc...?

ukbill69

Kilty wrote:

Something like that is even feasible for small companies too, with 0870 numbers (OK, I know......) readily available for free

I don't know if companies are getting my number from just browsing Yell or it is being sold by somewhere but I get a barrage of sales calls often :mad:.

Registered with the Corporate TPS now though so it's cutting them down a bit

Yes, if you want a call from people then the only way is 0800 numbers, 0870 will turn people away. Also TPS is good for somethings, but if there not registered with TPS and most dont and its very hard to know whos calling, becuase the person calling wont give you the real company detials, untill what ever there selling is bought.

Patr100

ukbill69 wrote:

Yes, if you want a call from people then the only way is 0800 numbers, 0870 will turn people away. Also TPS is good for somethings, but if there not registered with TPS and most dont and its very hard to know whos calling, becuase the person calling wont give you the real company detials, untill what ever there selling is bought.

Regardless of TPS , cold callers by law are required to provide certain information, "prior to the conclusion of a contract" including company details also later in writing - otherwise any contract is un enforceable under Distance Selling Regs. So nothing would be legally "bought" until these conditions are met.

If a business cold calls consumers by telephone, there are special rules regarding any distance contract concluded during the course of the conversation. The contract will not be enforceable unless, at the beginning of the conversation, the supplier has made its identity and the commercial purpose of the telephone call explicitly clear.
In the case of a dispute, the supplier must prove that the information was provided in accordance with the Regulations. However, this requirement should not cause too many difficulties as it can be built into the telescript quite easily and, in any case, most suppliers operating over the phone would have to provide such information in order to comply with data protection legislation.

http://www.out-law.com/page-430
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ukbill69

Patr100 wrote:

Regardless of TPS , cold callers by law are required to provide certain information, "prior to the conclusion of a contract" including company details also later in writing - otherwise any contract is un enforceable under Distance Selling Regs. So nothing would be legally "bought" until these conditions are met.



http://www.out-law.com/page-430
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This is from the TPS site:

Under Government legislation introduced on 1st May 1999 and replaced on 11th December 2003 by the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, it is unlawful to make unsolicited direct marketing calls to individuals who have indicated that they do not want to receive such calls.You can either do this by contacting companies directly and asking them not to call you or you can register with a central register - the TPS.

Kilty_2

Registering with the Corporate TPS has certainly cut the volume of sales calls I get on my business number but it has by no means eliminated them.

I definately think that the Yellow Pages is to blame, wish I hadn't taken a free advert now since it's proved useless.