08443573311

I had a few withheld numbers yesterday, so hoping they will dwindle into thin air. No more news, but will keep checking this and let you know whats happening here.

Of course they could be someone else (unrelated to TAPA) but if they can't be bothered to leave messages, they don't deserve to be answered!

Hi All

I have read through the majority of this thread, and now fear the worst.

My wife and I run a small business, and recently recieved two invoices from two seperate companies, both based in Manchester.  They were both for Charity advertising, and totaled in excess of £550.00.  I contacted these firms, and tried to explain that we (as a business) dont order things without a PO, which neither of these invoices have recorded!!  Any way they both informed me that they had a recording of my wife, apparently agreeing to something.  I listened to one of the records which did seem very jerky and disjointed, however my wife showed an interest in the advertising and didnt actually agree to anything!

I was concerned, so did some research and low and behold the companies in question appeared on the TAPA list:-

http://www.advertisingprotectionagency.org/the-tapa-opt-out-ledger.php

So on 7th Dec 2011, I contacted TAPA in a worried state.

The chap I talked to spent such a long time talking me through things, seemed very honest and demonstrated empathy with me.  He guided me through the process of signing up, however at the time I didnt have my business card with me so used a new card for a new bank account.  At the time there wasnt any money in there, and I am glad there wasnt, as despite telling me they wouldnt attempt payment they have tried!!!

They said that we would get some paperwork on the Friday, which we didnt, but they did call and ask for payment which my wife said she would come back to them as she was busy!

Since then, my wife has had a couple of calls, I have had none, and tomorrow is the seventh working day.  The T&Cs state that we have 14 days to cancel, however these forums state 7 working days.

I have contacted ASA, CAB, TS (both locally and Cheshire East) and had no confirmation about the legimaticy of the organisation.  I even phoned Peter Marsden (domain name registered in his name) and asked if he registered the domain; he replied he did, but didnt have day-to-day activity with the organisation, but was instead an agent of theirs in financial terms!  I was shocked he answered the phone, answered my questions, and I was caught on the hop I just said Thanks and put the phone down!

Anyway, I dont know what to do, who to trust, who to call.  I considered venturing to the addresses in person, and seeing if they would discuss these issues with me, but feel this may not be the right approach.

Any advice, suggestions, directions would be massively welcomed!

Thanks
TS

TAPA say this on their site

If you have instructed TAPA to stop unsolicited sales telephone calls from charity advertising firms being made to your telephone number(s), you can cancel this service within 14 days of the date you instructed TAPA. If you wish to cancel this service, you will need to provide cancellation in writing as per our terms and conditions. Providing cancellation is received no later than 14 days from the date of instruction, TAPA will cancel service at this time.

So they say you have 14 days
You should look at the distance selling regulations
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/2334/contents/made
and
http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/general/oft698.pdf

You will have at least 7 workings days from when you receive the T&C's  etc in writing to cancel and you can do this by e-mail, fax,mail or in person. If you write they never reply.
They can be friendly until it comes to money.

remember they also say the following in their T&C's


35. The Service Provider is not a legal practice and does not act in any legal capacity or is qualified legally. The Service Provider is an independent profit-making private organisation. The Service Provider does not work under contractual agreement or is licensed by any government department to carry out its day-to-day practice duties. The Service Provider is not associated and does not work in partnership with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the Office of Communications (Ofcom) or the Telephone Preference Service (TPS).

They have no legal authority and have no powers to recover money on your behalf.

Mike's right Tom. Write a cancellation letter saying you are cancelling the contract within the 14 days stated in their terms and conditions, from the date your letter is POSTED (NOT the date they can receive it - obviously they can lie!). Send it recorded delivery and hang on to the Post Office receipt. Those of us who talk about 7 days are not a business of any kind - if you look on their site you will see private citizens have 7 days, businesses dealing with advertising scams have 14 days. You could also send an email. Make sure you send it to their registered address as it appears on their website. (This is not where they 'work' but is the only address available.) Then forget all about them. You will probably get calls, but don't answer them. As for the charity advertisers - report them to the police, Action Fraud and the Advertising Standards Agency. Good luck!

Hi  Have you read any of the earlier contributions which talk about the apparent close relationship between the charity scammers and TAPA?  This has not happened to me as I am just a private individual but others have discussed it.
Do as LizzieM has already told you.

I dont know what is going on but i contacted tapa for some advice only and they tried to get me to sign up which i declined until i had time to read through everything !!! I had just one company scamming me that i was concerned about but funny that after speaking to them i had a call late on in the evening from another bogus company say i had agreed to an add in a school mag!!!!?? Who the hell do we trust seems hard working small business people are just easy pickings and the government are doing nothing to help us despite all their talk about getting more help for us !!!??? I am really starting to hate this country totally gone to the dogs !!!!

The advice here is invaluable. Just want to add that for anyone new to the snake oil world of TAPA.

I've not been answering any withheld or unknown phone calls since last week and thought it was dying back a little but got an answer phone message today mostly unintelligible apart from the phone number to call back on and my name (how convenient) ...have not responded. Found TWO packs from TAPA waiting for me when I got home. All official looking. I have not read them as I don't want to delve into panic / rage again. Do I need to read them /  return them / keep them for Action Fraud and Trading Standards for their records. Can't face looking at them yet. I know they have had both my letter of cancellation (postal service delivered) and email of cancellation (response email and answer phone message) Is this sufficient without me having to read the rubbish in their 'pack'?

Abster: I suggest that you do look inside just to see whether the packs have 2 different dates of registration and 2 different client numbers on them. They tried a very similar trick on me and claimed that I had registered twice which I most definitely did not do.  Then just email them again stating clearly that you have not applied twice and that you have already cancelled within the 7  day period (or 14 day if yours was a business one).
I have not had another call since the last ignored one (approx 6 weeks ago)

I think sending them back is pretty useless and any communication with them just seems to wake them up again to make more harassing calls. It is pretty much to the pattern that they phone after the pack arrives which you get after the 7 days and then give up again when they are ignored

You have nothing to worry about - you have proof of cancellation. They're just trying to scare you into submission - and you're not going there! Hang onto them by all means - I've kept all my bits of paper, even now, but file them away and forget about them. (Or stick pins in them if it makes you feel better!!)

i wasn't suggesting sending them back, just looking to see if there are 2 different client nos. I think they will usually persist beyond the 7 days after registration/getting the pack. The last time they tried to ring me was about a month after sending the pack.
If you do try to communicate with them again in any way, they seem to think that you are still scared of further threats and that it is worh pursuing you.

Yes! you were right! I just forced myself to get the packs out and Lo ! 2 different registration dates, 2 different 'certificates' (no certificate number), 2 different invoice demands and rather oddly ...the same password in both packs for me to log in. Also strange that both packs were apparently registered 2 days apart and yet arrived on the same day. Even stranger that although both 'packs' were stamped, neither have been franked. Am I paranoid or were they hand delivered? Anyway, I'll contact the Action Fraud and TS people tomorrow with my concerns and in the meantime, will email the snakes to repeat my cancellation.

I would reiterate what my TS said and that was not to enter into any form of communication with them as it just goads them on. The fact that you received 2 packs just further shows the scam that it is!!!!

Yes - it does, doesn't it! I have already sent an email repeating my cancellation but that is IT, now. I now have a file marked 'scam' that I keep in the same drawer as the dogs' food. Everything is going in there. I may also stick pins in it as LizzieM suggests.

My 2 packs arrived on the same day too. I did not notice whether they were franked. I will look when I get home (if I kept the envelopes). Mine had been registered 2-3 days apart but also arrived together.

Dare I say it? Happy and TAPA-free New Year to my friends and mediators on this site.

Thank you - and I wish the same to you too! Thank you to all here for your support and help. x

Happy New Year to all of you. Let's hope that 2012 is a bad year for TAPA