Yellow Pages Directories Fraudulent advertising + misleading billing + misleading services Ripoff Carrollton Texas

We had been in business less than a year and had obtained a local Yellow Pages listing through ATT/SBC and had initiated payments for the listing when we got a duns notice from a company claiming to be "Yellow Pages". The notice stated in bold letters "LAST NOTICE - YOUR LISTING WILL BE DELETED IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND PROMPTLY." The notice was a single page with nothing printed on the back. The notice claimed that this notice was for a "free online listing". Small type located at the bottom of the notice mentioned an "optional" enhanced listing for the price of $298.00.
The secretary returned the notice without signing the form.

A few months later we got an invoice claiming payment due. We called the number associated with the invoice and protested this invoice, as we already had a yellow pages listing through the local phone company and saw no reason to obtain another.

The man on the phone stated they had a "signature on file" and this constituted an obligation to pay. We refused payment and received a third notice with the missing information regarding obtaining a signature. Attached was a photostat of what may have been the original duns notice with a bogus signature on the line. Nothing on the duns notice specified anything about signature enforcing a contract for any sum of money.

We just got a fourth duns notice threatening collections action.

We are considering legal action as it is clear these people are fly-by-night scam artists who should be put out of business for the benefit of all legitimate businesses in the US.

After researching the online aspect here, we find that the free online service appears to be operated independently of these jokers in Texas.

Owen
alameda, California
U.S.A.