Received Invoice for Advertising I didn't want! What do I do?

Jules

I have just received an invoice for advertising that I didn't authorise or ask for and want to know where I stand.

I contacted them today but they insist that as its already been printed that I have to pay. The paper came along with the invoice and the ad that's in it has been directly lifted (scanned and copied I presume) from another paper I do advertise in.

This company say they phoned me on 24th August last year with regard to this publication coming out Feb 2007.

I don't remember any such call but like most small businesses am inundated with people trying to sell me things and don't remember the half of them.

They also say that I was sent a booking form, I wasn't, and they are sending a copy out today. I asked was it signed and returned and they said it didn't need to be signed!!! Is this normal practice? I would have thought some sort of authorisation would be needed.

I know that I didn't agree to this advertising as I run a very small business and only advertise in yellow pages and one other place but need to know where I stand.

I feel awful for disputing this as it's for a special needs paper but it is based 25+ miles away from me, I know I didn't say yes to this and really feel I shouldn't be blackmailed into paying for this. When I disputed it I got the "but its for a good cause". Well sorry but I can't afford to give money away, good cause or not.

Sorry for the rant. Any help would be appreciated.

What should I do? What would you do? Where do I stand?

Thanks
Jules

martindow

This has all the hallmarks of a scam where invoices get presented and paid by companies without being checked. These 'charitable' ventures I suspect provide charities with little or nothing to the charity. I would dispute the invoice and if the booking form they send does not have your signature refuse to pay. Raising an invoice or sending a copy of a form they supposedly filled in at the time does not prove your approval.

We have charitable policy and have allocated some money annually to charities of our choice. This makes it much easier to fend off 'charities' like this when they call.

elsien

My mother used to run a small business, and had several similar scams tried on her, from supposed special needs ventures.
I believe the legal position is that although a verbal contract over the phone can be held to be binding with no signature required, the onus is on them to prove that you did agree to it in the first place.
Contact your local trading standards dept who can clarify this for you, tell the company that you're going through trading standards and I guarantee you won't hear from them again. I think they assume that you place so many adverts, you won't remember agreeing to one more.
My mother told them where to go, and never heard any more.

Petmidget

Its a fairly common scam and they always use charity publications to play on the guilt trip factor.

Write them a letter denying any responsibilty ask for the signed proof as authorisation, if they say it was authorise by phone ask how the art work was approved.

Inform them you will contact Trading Standards and remind them that it is a criminal offence to attempt to obtain money by deception.

They will go away eventually but they will fight, these guys work on the basis that a lot of people will pay up if they put enough pressure on you.

richt71

Jules wrote:

I have just received an invoice for advertising that I didn't authorise or ask for and want to know where I stand.

I contacted them today but they insist that as its already been printed that I have to pay. The paper came along with the invoice and the ad that's in it has been directly lifted (scanned and copied I presume) from another paper I do advertise in.

This company say they phoned me on 24th August last year with regard to this publication coming out Feb 2007.

I don't remember any such call but like most small businesses am inundated with people trying to sell me things and don't remember the half of them.

They also say that I was sent a booking form, I wasn't, and they are sending a copy out today. I asked was it signed and returned and they said it didn't need to be signed!!! Is this normal practice? I would have thought some sort of authorisation would be needed.

I know that I didn't agree to this advertising as I run a very small business and only advertise in yellow pages and one other place but need to know where I stand.

I feel awful for disputing this as it's for a special needs paper but it is based 25+ miles away from me, I know I didn't say yes to this and really feel I shouldn't be blackmailed into paying for this. When I disputed it I got the "but its for a good cause". Well sorry but I can't afford to give money away, good cause or not.

Sorry for the rant. Any help would be appreciated.

What should I do? What would you do? Where do I stand?

Thanks
Jules

Jules,
There was a spate of false invoices sent to York businesses recently. Local trading standards basically said the scammers depend on businesses just paying the invoice. If you know you didn't purchase whats on the invoice then ignore it. They won;t take you to court as they'd have to prove you agreed to any advertising. Hope that helps?

Jules

Thanks for all your replies. I am going to contact trading standards this morning and then write these people a letter, but have decided that I will not pay them and if they want to take me to court then fair enough.

I does seem to be a local "project" but if one lot gets away with doing this then another will probably try it on too. I does make me mad that these people play on the "special needs" but then that's their game.

I will let you all know the outcome.

Thanks again

Jules

Bossyboots

We've had a telephone call at work saying we agreed to advertise in one of these local charity booklets and asking where to send the invoice. As it is company policy not to do so, we know that we did not agree to any such thing so they were told exactly where to put their invoice. Its unusual for them to call though. The other scams we have had have just involved invoices turning up which, as mentioned, they rely on big companies just paying them.

Raksha

This kind of scam has been going on for years. I can remember coming across a similar thing in the late 80's. My boss used to file them in 'the big round filing cabinet'

CrustyMcMuffin

I got a call from someone saying we'd agreed to sign up to advertise in some wallplanner, I knew we hadn't so just said unless they could supply me with an order form signed by me I wouldn't be paying. They did try to make me feel guilty saying the thing is going to print and it will cost them money to make changes now but I knew they were at it so just let him rant on and then told him again to present the signed order form and I would gladly pay it. Never heard from them again.

ukbill69

Bottom line is dont trust anyone!

tcall

as the others say, it IS a scam. There was a feature on this on Radio 5Live a few months ago.
Anyway, don't fret about it. Just report it to tradng standards and basically forget about it. They can't take you to court. For gods sake don't spend any time worrying about it. IT IS A SCAM. Dont respond to their letters. Don't speak to them on the phone. Don't waste any of your time with this.