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How far did they go with you. to the threats of debt collectors ? over what amount of time have they been hounding you?

This has been going since March when they first contacted my husband, they sent a few letters/invoices.  The last letter we received was notice of default on 14 June from Mark Andrew who is now calling himself the Credit Control Manager although from previous conversations the accounts man was someone called Steven - I think Mark was the one trying to sell the ad initially.  I sent them a letter in their own prepaid envelope which I thought they would not reject if they thought it would contain some form of payment, since then we have not been contacted either by phone or letter.  I think it may be because 1. I challenged the legality of the so called "contract" and 2. I made it clear that I have contacted trading standards ( who called me recently to let me know that my complaint has been escalated to Action Fraud) and that any further communication from them would be deemed as harassment.  As I mentioned in my previous post I have worked in publishing so I knew this was a scam right from the start.

I was being plagued by people trying to sell me advertising space back in April and May.  I finally got caught off guard during a busy day and as the caller (withheld number) mentioned Police, Hospitals etc and plugged the "only mobile hairdresser in the publication" and "put faith back into small businesses", "anit-rogue traders" comments, I took the bait.  I was encouraged to wait the 6 weeks before I paid but would be offered a discount for payment immediately.  He told me it was for distribution in the Banbury area (where I work) so I fell for the "20% off if paid immediately" line and within a few minutes received another call, confirming my ad and taking payment (by credit card), £134.10.  I received an email with a draft ad, which I had to correct a couple of times before I thought it reflected my service, then I received an invoice, disk with ad on and letter thanking me for supporting "Gateway" publication.  Received 2 identical follow up calls asking me how many complimentary copies I would like and one requesting payment, which was hastily ended by the caller after I told her I'd already paid.  Publications were said to be going out mid June.  On 13th July I phoned the number on the invoice for "Harris Cromwell Media Group" also called "Harris Cromwell & Co.", also called "Cromwell Designs".  Asked where my complimentary copies had got to and was told they'd all been sent out that very day!!!  Should be with me Monday, or Tuesday at the latest, the man called Mark said.  I also queried the distribution area which he told me would be a 7 mile radius of my postcode.  I live in a little village 9 miles from anywhere heavily populated so alarm bells started ringing even louder than they had been.  Wednesday I received one copy of a publication called "access".  My ad is in there - and so are lots of other sole trader ads from all over the country!  No record anywhere on publication of printers, publishers, etc.  On the front cover, one of the headers says "INTERNET CRIMINALS What is being done to stop them.  Inside the cover a list of contents listing Internet Criminals article on page 16.  There is no such article.  Only other articles in there are old news and could've been downloaded from any site or publication.  I started phoning some of the advertisers in this publication and many of them had already realised it was a scam and been on to Trading Standards.  Some hadn't realised and had been invoiced many times for ads they hadn't placed.  Some of the phone numbers where no longer valid.  Some advertisers I spoke to had also received this one copy of "access" and in hindsight it is probably distributed to the advertisers as a pacifier to keep them paying.  Some had been fleeced out of over £1,000.00 and had seen no proof of any advert or publication.  I phoned our local police and the lady in the call centre contacted my local town's station and they had never heard of this publication and certainly hadn't received any copies.  Unfortunately for us advertisers, I don't believe this to be a genuine publication, and even if it was, why would small businesses and sole traders working within a limited area, have agreed to an ad in a publication that goes national?  Basically, we've all been "had" by this scam and the more people made aware that it is a scam, the better.  Too many innocent people trying to make an honest living are becoming victims of this scum!  My only consolation is that I paid by credit card, so have someone to chase for the money.  But then this means the scam artists have my credit card details.  Good luck one and all in getting compensation and lets try to bring this scum to justice!

Just rememer that if they have failed to provide the service promised to you verbally or otherwise, that they are in breach of contract and you don't have to pay them a penny.  They don't have a leg to stand on and, by law they are not allowed to intimidate you with threats.  Contact Trading Standards and report them!

I'd bet money on you a: never receiving anything, b: receiving one copy of a publication with no identifying details fo publishers, distributers, etc., c: being told that you have agreed to advertise in more than one publication (none of which exist, d: any publication you do receive will contain lots of sole traders and small businesses from all over the country who didn't want their ad in there either.  Good luck and I hope you may one day get your money back, like I and so many others hope to!

I don't advertise in Yell as so many others do.  I do, however, advertise in my local free paper and they have an internet web page, which I gather I'm now on.

Get on to Trading Standards immediately!

Get on to Trading Standards.  You can refuse payment by quoting section 75 of consumers credit act and section 56 of consumer credit act (misrepresentation of contract).  Don't pay a thing!  You are not bound!

Inform Trading Standards and don't pay a penny for anything that you haven't seen, approved and had chance to read through small print.  Once bitten...

Just a thought to all who have been threatened with recorded conversations...  Before a company can record a conversation they must forewarn you that the conversation is being recorded or they are in breach of data protection...  Pretty sure I'm right on this but someone please correct me if I'm wrong.  I know that if I was to record a conversation and try to use it against someone it would not stand up in court, so I'm sure data protection comes into it somewhere.  Also, check out Condumer Protection against Unfair Trading 2008 because there is something in there about a trader not being allowed to use threatening or intimidating behaviour...

Oftel have information about the requirements upon businesses seeking to record phone conversations at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/oftel/consumer/advice/faqs/prvfaq3.htm

i get the impression that a lot of people actually pay up to these scumbags after putting up a bit of a fight.
i say that because the people who posted on say pages 1,2 & 3 of this site no longer post on here.
if you people are still reading please update us on how you are getting on.

yes, i agree i would also be interested in hearing from people who have paid & what happened after, like did they start getting other demands for money of anyone else

yer like james monk & julie for instance. They defo had a lot to say, then nothing ,guess they just coughed up.

Cannot believe it, they are at it again.  Female caller this time with northern acccent, do we want a free ad in safety magazine?  Husband told her to call me, no call expected nor received cos they are preying on busy people who don't ask the right questions - they don't want to be referred to marketing people like me who will grill them with 101 questions about distribution etc.  So beware folks your names are still on their lists being passed to new sales people.  That's how shabby they are - can't even be bothered to remove disgruntled marks off their lists.

looks like i was right about the likes of james monk & julie then. no reply from them..its ok gobbing of telling people not to pay then they cough up them selves...very strange.

yer. its gone quite on here , look like everyone has given up...

you tell em my son i have the same problem always a female voice trying to scam me no no luck the females are worse than the me but thay will never scam me be advised just say no.

Hi toddy66, we feel the same! we have so "called" one payment left to make to them which i am not going to make  now.. but am worried if i do not?

this is all anybody needs!!

had a call from the blue light mag went ahead whith the add and latter found out it was a scam the only mags thay send out is to the ppl thay have scamed luckly 4 me anouther coumpany that was scamed c my add in ther mag rang round the coumpanys in it beawar tho that as thay send outher companys a coppy of the mag thay are leagaly dispuping it so ther not bracking eny laws as far as the police are concerned and as thay are only saying thay only saply the emergensey services its not elegal as thay dont say thay are publishing on behalf of the emergncy service
ps sorry about the bad spelling in this lol