The Advertising Protection Agency

LizaM

The Advertising Protection Agency (TAPA) recently complained and had the long thread about them closed, as there were some posts which could have been considered defamatory. I am posting this to try and help anyone who may have had a similar experience to me. TAPA sent me a pack containing an invoice - to be paid by debit or credit card - and I cannot remember ever having contacted them. I had no need to, since I am registered with the TPS and have been since 2006. The date I received the pack was 3rd October, the date on the letter in the pack was 26th September - 7 days eaarlier. The day after I received the pack I was telephoned by Chris Irvine, asking me for payment. Whilst he appeared to be quite friendly, I found him quite threatening, with mentions of county courts coming up quite quickly. He said I would receive several phone calls from him to show they had tried to recover the debt before it was taken to court. I went through Consumer Direct and was advised to send a letter of cancellation, quoting the Distance Selling Regulations. A week later Mr Irvine called again and did not agree that I had cancellation rights under these regulations. I was eventually referred to Trading Standards, who have backed me, and hopefully I have heard the last of it. I have read positive reports about TAPA from businesses who have reportedly been duped by phoney advertising companies. Perhaps they are working well here, but if you are an ordinary person who has received an invoice from TAPA, and are not quite sure why, please get in touch with your local Trading Standards and get their advice....And please, if you want to contribute to this thread and keep it open, keep comments factual and feelings under control, however hard that may be!

brightonman123

what do TAPA supposedly do, that TPS/MPS dont..?

wantmemoney

bill......

LizaM

brightonman123 wrote: »

what do TAPA supposedly do, that TPS/MPS dont..?

Go on their website and see. Most of their clients seem to be businesses who are receiving bills for adverts they didn't request, and TAPA claoms to chase these up and get money refunded etc. As far as ordinary folk like me, they can't do any more than the TPS which is free. In fact they actually register you with TPS - and in my case, I'd already been with the TPS since 2006. How can they chase up calls from international call centres when they don't have a number, or where the number is withheld?

LizaM

To any member of the public trying to get rid of unwanted phone calls: You can register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) free of charge. The following companies all charge for this service:
The Advertising Protection Agency (TAPA)
The Telephone Preference Register (This sounds similar to TPS - don't confuse them)
Call Protection Register (CPR) - this company sells a device which is supposed to block cold callers
...and there may be others out there.

Make sure you get the correct website for the TPS, as others have similar names.

mrsabit

I wondered where the thread had gone ! I have had contact back from the ASA (Advertising Standards Agency) they have confirmed they are already investigating them, just to set anyone's mind at rest.

dimar123

Two years ago we stupidly signed up with these people, what a mistake. They cold called us to offer services to stop nuisance calls. We paid a one off payment for a year. The calls which we were being bugged with were, which we have now recently learned, were from companies which were run by the directors of TAPA. We did not renew the contract after a year. In the past month we have been plagued by calls from TAPA asking for us to pay off the account before cancelling???! eh?? We are plagued several time of the day, every day, we now just hang up, but he leaves messages. He uses the number 08443573311 and 07715104932 HELP!

LizaM

....and just when you thought it couldn't get any worse? Somebody has published my name and address on the other site without my consent! Nobody on this site knows my address and nobody on the other site knows my address. TAPA however DO know my address as they sent me their pack. Draw your own conclusions folks, I know what I think. This post is not defamatory, nor is it slanderous/libellous. It is a statement of facts.

Yorkie1

LizaM wrote: »

....and just when you thought it couldn't get any worse? Somebody has published my name and address on the other site without my consent! Nobody on this site knows my address and nobody on the other site knows my address. TAPA however DO know my address as they sent me their pack. Draw your own conclusions folks, I know what I think. This post is not defamatory, nor is it slanderous/libellous. It is a statement of facts.

Sounds like a breach of Data Protection ... (the publishing of details, I mean)

LizaM

Yorkie1 wrote: »

Sounds like a breach of Data Protection ... (the publishing of details, I mean)

It certainly is Yorkie - the ICO confirmed that yesterday. I'm dealing with it!

LizaM

It would seem that people are too frightened of repercussions to post on this site. If you have had problems go to the whocallsme site and enter their phone number (given 3 posts back by Dimar). This site is into its 24th page and has lots of stories from people who've been taken in and their advice on dealing with the company.There are a lot of unhappy people!