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WTF??? I have to pay???

J

Jokeram

Golden Member
ok.. here is the scene..

I got this call on the 28th of Feb asking me if I would like a B2B directory toll free directory. I told them that I was not interested. The guy said that we could return it if we did not like it, when we got the product. Within a half hour of having talked to this guy, I got a call from their shipping dept asking me to confirm the shipping address and if we used a purchase order number or just send it to my attention.

I got a bunch of directories and stuff from them yesterday that I have absolutely no use for, so I called them to get an RMA number, guess what they said..

The lady said, "you can keep it as our compliments but you will still have to pay for the listing", so she says instead of $360 you only have to pay us $170.

I did not authorize being listed on their directory and she says that a part of getting the directory is an automatic listing in the directory. I said that we did not want to be listed and to get it off, she says it has already been sent to the printers and there was no way she could stop it.... WTF??? I have to pay for that??. what am I to do now?

She says that since 2 people spoke to me and 'confirmed the order', there was no mistake on their part. She said that if I did not pay the $170 on the phone they will charge me the full amount later.

When I started arguing with her she told me that I was repeating myself and there was nothing left to talk about so the conversation was over??? She told me when the conversation was over... damn I thought the customer was always right.





questions:
what do i do? how do I get out of this?
Is there anyway that I can get them in trouble for these decietful practices?
Can this be reported to the BBB?
Will I have to pay for this crap?


I have already started writing out a letter to fax to them, explaining what happened and that they should send me a RMA # and take us off of the listing. anyone have any ideas?

EDIT: This is the website of the company. they are claiming that I ordered it coz when their shipping dept. called I told them that a Purchase order was not needed for this. Even if that was the case, I did not authorize a listing
 
What was it? If you paid with a CC call your company and have them block it. I am not understanding the story completly🙁
 
I would not pay them jack $hit, tell them to go f%ck themselves, and report them to BBB and your states attorney general for running scams.
 
No I have not paid by a CC or paid at all...

they will be billing my 'company'... Just want to know what my options are for not having this ruin our credit
 


<< asking me if I would like a B2B directory toll free directory. >>



I get these calls quite frequently. They are scams. NEVER engage them in any kind of conversation. Say no, and hang up. I'd be willing to bet that the Attorney General in the state of origin has a very thick file on them. Contact that office.

Russ, NCNE
 


<< a B2B directory toll free directory >>



Sorry for a possible dumb question, but can anyone give a quick definition?

CK
 


<<

<< a B2B directory toll free directory >>



Sorry for a possible dumb question, but can anyone give a quick definition?

CK >>



Its a business to business directory of toll free numbers...

the company is Hanson publications based out of CT.


can someone please link this.. something wrong with my IE http://www.hansonpublications.com/
 
This is a common way that listing companies "extort" money from people. The quickest way to resolve is to not pay and if it ever hits a credit reporting agency you can dispute it. If you pay it with CC and then dispute, you can run into trouble. The main problem is "Why did you buy it if you knew you didn't want it?"

The way you handle it is ultimately up to you but I had the same type of thing happen and I told them after the fact that if they want to come to small claims court then try to bill me. I have yet to hear from them. That was 12 months ago.

-game
 
I like the ones that call and ask, "Can I speak to the person responsible for your advertising? And what was his name again?" The answer to this is always, "No!" and a hangup.

A sneakier version of the scam you had is the "official-looking" phone bill demanding payment for a yellow pages advert insertion........and of course you don't remember so some people actually pay the bill, which is of course a bogus phone company directory. Oh, you ay see the directory, but it's useless for local businesses and no one ever pays attention to them anyway.

Do what Russ said........good advice.
 


<< I would not pay them jack $hit, tell them to go f%ck themselves, and report them to BBB and your states attorney general for running scams. >>



Do this, but be a little more polite 😉

Send a letter to them, CC to the BBB and your state attorney general, stating that they informed you that their service was for no charge and that you did not authorize any charges or billing at anytime. State that now that you have been made aware that their service does cost, that you are no longer interested in any of their merchandise or services. Return any merchandise (a phone book?) that they sent you via some type of tracked shipping.
It is possible that, after you do this, that this company may try and place a collection against you (or your company?). When the collection agency contacts you, you will have 30 days to contest the collection. Send that agency copies of your letters and I guarantee you that they will drop the collection.
 


<< they will be billing my 'company'... Just want to know what my options are for not having this ruin our credit >>

Yep, they're scamming you. Don't deal with them on the phone any longer. Get their address and write them a letter, explaining your situation, what you were told by the rep in the first place, what measures you have taken since (calling to resolve the situation), demand that they resolve the matter, and that you are forwarding all of this information to your state's attorney general's office.

As for your credit rating, if they file a derogatory report, continually keep the bill in dispute by documenting the situation and sending a letter to all three major credit reporting agencies. My parents have a similar situation in that they got scammed, were told that they could return something if they didn't like it, then were told they couldn't. The company DID file a derogatory report to the credit reporting agencies, but my parents have it in continual dispute by writing a letter to the credit reporting agencies twice a year (for two years now).

When they were applying for a home loan, the loan guy sees this on their credit report, asks about it, and essentially says "Other than this one thing, which you have in formal dispute, you're credit is great so we're going to pretent it doesn't exist."
 


<< If they sent it to you U.S. mail call the postal inspector and see if it counts as mail fraud. >>



they are claiming that I ordered it so doubt that will be considered fraud... and yeah I asked them to send it to me on condition that I could return it.
 


<< Within a half hour of having talked to this guy, >>



A Half Hour!!!! Why didn't you just hang up if you didn't want or have interest in this product...

Damn, I've had people call me and try that and I hang up after the first dozen words come out of their mouths...
 


<<

<< Return any merchandise (a phone book?) that they sent you via some type of tracked shipping.
It is possible that, after you do this, that this company may try and place a collection against you (or your company?). When the collection agency contacts you, you will have 30 days to contest the collection. Send that agency copies of your letters and I guarantee you that they will drop the collection. >>



their invoice says:

Merchandise shown was shipped as per your confirmation
NO RETURNS ACCEPTED WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL. NO RETURNS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER 30 DAYS.
 
Jokeram,

Return it anyway. Pack it in a nodescript box. They will not realize it's a return until after it has been signed for. Their little disclaimer is legally bogus anyway.

Russ, NCNE
 


<< Merchandise shown was shipped as per your confirmation...NO RETURNS ACCEPTED WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL. NO RETURNS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER 30 DAYS. >>

It doesn't matter. Misrepresentation occurs when one party makes a false and material statement that induces or entices another party to enter a contract they would not have entered otherwise. Misrepresentation can be fraudulent or innocent. Either way, the contract is no good.

If they won't allow you to return the product as they promised you could, then apparently they want you to have it for free. Dispute the matter in writing and keep copies of the discourse, don't talk with them on the phone any more.
 
From now on never ever accept anything/confirm anything/order anything that someone calls you for. If you make the call, fine, but never if they call. Never give out any data to them either.

Call the BBB about your current problem.

-Pak
 
let it slide. If it does go to credit reporting, explain it to them and the original company that you will not pay for it and that you tried to return it but you were scammed into it. The scam word is very important because that tells them that you are aware. If they insist, tell them that you will dispute this to the full extent of the law. Might be a good idea to say that to the company right now and record your conversation if possible. Tell them that you want everything they are claiming in writing.
 
In many agreements or contracts, it is that statement, offer, or condition that "seals the deal"; i.e. you wouldn't enter into the contract without that condition. If they misrepresent that condition in order to get you, that contract is not enforceable. It is classic misrepresentation.

One classic 'trick' of this trade is to give you something that you feel is of some value, but not worth the original asking price. That way, if you are not satisfied, they will give you a line that goes something like this:

"Ok, your satisfaction is important to us, and that is why we are going to make you this special offer. Instead of the original $360 for the listing and copy of the publication, you can cancel the publication and just keep the listing for a low $170."

If you say that you want neither the listing nor the publication, they will say "What do you mean? You told us you wanted this listing, you agreed to it, and we've already made arrangements with the printer. Your listing in the publication is already being printed."

See what this does? It makes you feel that you've already 'received' something of value, you're being listed in some bogus B2B publication, and you have caused them to incur this great expense on your behalf, so that you will feel a sort of obligation to pay something. It probably cost them $1.50 to list you in this publication, but they are charging you what...$170? What a racket.

An example of a different application of this 'trick' is done by that paralyzed veterans group and the Humane Society of the United States. The paralyzed veterans group, which ranks among the worst charities in terms of dollars spent on actually helping paralyzed veterans vs. administration and fund raising, mail these nifty self-adhesive personalized address labels to your home as a "free gift", then asks for a donation.

Good natured and charitable people feel as though they would be 'cheating' somehow if they accepted these 'useful' and 'valuable' mailing labels without giving a donation. So, they give, and it generates millions in donations. The mailing labels cost about $1.00, but people send donations of $10, $20, or more. The Humane Society of the United States, a front group for PETA and other extremist animal rights groups, is also notorious for this, except they send cute little puppy and kitty greeting cards as your "free gift". What a racket.

I always happily keep whatever they send me and don't send them a penny, because I know that both these organizations are basically money-making or front groups.
 
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