The-internet-yellowpages.com dishonest sales tactics Champlain, Virginia Beach Virginia

In early August 2006, I received an envelope from The-Internet-Yellowpages.com. Usually, those types of solicitations are trashed unopened, but for some reason, I opened this one. In it was a bill for $379.99 for a two year advertisement listing. I called the toll free number listed for “Inquiries?”.

Michelle (?) called me back and told me we had ordered their service on July 20, 2006. I told her we had not. She told me to hold while she checked “verification” and played me a tape of someone in my office answering “Yes” to questions such as, “Do you have the authority to order this?”, etc. I told Michelle that the person recorded had no such authority and that any order was canceled and we would not be paying the bill. This employee would never authorize a four hundred dollar purchase on her own. I found out from perusing the Rip-off Report web site that dubbing in recorded “Yes” answers to questions that weren't asked is a common telemarketing scheme.

Michelle said the ad had already “gone to print” and that there would be fees to cancel since they had already spent money on it. I replied to Michelle that there was no printing costs since it was posted on the web. The minimum fee she offered was for me to pay $150.00 for six months for an ad I did not want, order, or need.

When my employee came in, I asked her what happened. She said the offer was for a one month free web site trial. When Michelle called again, I relayed what my employee told me and Michelle replied that they do not give free trials and offered to play the tape to me again. I told her I didn't need to listen to the tape again, I was still in the one month free trial and that I was cancelling the trial. She said I couldn't do that and said she was trying to work out a settlement price. I told her the final offer was zero dollars and zero cents and terminated the call.

Just for grins, I went to their web site and they had my company listed, however, none of the links worked. Since then, they have added a link to my website. I keep hoping they will remove the listing for my company but so far they haven't.

David
Carrollton, Texas
U.S.A.