All Phase Business Supplies Inc. Misrepresented and Overcharged Rancho Dominguez, California

Like the individual who initiated this thread and experienced, my office manager also received a call from this company offering the same bogus deal with one exception. The individual who called my company from All Phase Business Supplies acted as if we have a contract with them. They were pushy to try to get my manager to verbally agree to order thermal paper. However, she denied multiple times, the individual then tried to get her to verbally agree to order any type of office supplies;  very expensive products.

Unfortunately, there are many companies like All Phase Business Supplies that prey on unsuspecting individuals who do not have authorization to order product, and unknowingly verbally agree to the product.

The way their scheme works, my interpretation:

1. The company who is scheming calls random companies, and makes contact with unsuspecting managers who do not have authorization to order product, and get them to unknowingly verbally agree to order a product. Basically they fast talk and misrepresent their intentions.
2. The company will send products, and include a hefty invoice. Like the individual who initiated this thread stated “The overcharge was not noticed until recently. We have paid over $700 to this company for items that would have cost us about $72 total on Amazon.com.”
3. Very Important: If this company is recording the phone calls for their benefit. There are laws to protect us, just know:

Federal law permits recording telephone calls and in-person conversations with the consent of at least one of the parties. See 18 U.S.C. 2511(2)(d). This is called a "one-party consent" law. Under a one-party consent law, you can record a phone call or conversation so long as you are a party to the conversation. Furthermore, if you are not a party to the conversation, a "one-party consent" law will allow you to record the conversation or phone call so long as your source consents and has full knowledge that the communication will be recorded.

In addition to federal law, thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia have adopted "one-party consent" laws and permit individuals to record phone calls and conversations to which they are a party or when one party to the communication consents. See the State Law: Recording section of this legal guide for information on state wiretapping laws.

When must you get permission from everyone involved before recording?

Eleven states require the consent of every party to a phone call or conversation in order to make the recording lawful. These "two-party consent" laws have been adopted in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington. (Notes: (1) Illinois' two-party consent statute was held unconstitutional in 2014; (2) Hawai'i is in general a one-party state, but requires two-party consent if the recording device is installed in a private place; (3) Massachusetts bans "secret" recordings rather than requiring explicit consent from all parties.). Although they are referred to as "two-party consent" laws, consent must be obtained from every party to a phone call or conversation if it involves more than two people.  In some of these states, it might be enough if all parties to the call or conversation know that you are recording and proceed with the communication anyway, even if they do not voice explicit consent. See the State Law: Recording section of this legal guide for information on specific states' wiretapping laws.

Note: there is a lot more information to review on the source website.

Source: dmlp.org/legal-guide/recording-phone-calls-and-conversations

NOTE: I am not a lawyer; I suggest you or your company seek professional interpretation and guidance through proper legal counsel. I am simply posting a personal opinion based on some fundamental research through the above link and my personal interpretation, and experience of dealing with companies like I am dealing with now, All Phase Business Supplies.  I do not appreciate deceptive business practices.  Also, in my opinion, these types of companies are running scams, and need to be stopped.