Advertising Scam

dkane

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but...

Has anyone come across companies called C.H.A. or Costello?
Recently got an invoice in the post from C.H.A. for over £350 Sterling for an advertisement they said I had asked them to put in their magazine. There was also a copy of the magazine. It was called Waiting Room. There were no ads in it except for mine... printed on a page of A4 paper and stapled into the centre of the booklet!
Since then they have been ringing and being very abusive on the phone. Demanding the £350 and threating legal action.
Of course I never looked to advertise in this booklet.

Then today another envelope arrives. This time from a company called Costello Ltd this time looking for over £600 for a similar "service". Another magazine with an ad for my company printed on A4 paper and this time a book marker with my company details on it too.

Both companies are based in Manchester. The invoices have what look to be legit postal addresses on them and phone numbers. On calling the phone numbers different people answer and give the company names.

Anyone else come across this scam? Any suggestions what I should do?

dkane

Searching online doesn't throw up much info but I found this page on blagger.com about C.H.A.
http://www.blagger.com/db4/company_id/7582/companyname/C.h.a.-Manchester.html

kmick

Just completely ignore them. Its a well known scam.
http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/tag/DirectoriesAndAdvertisingFalseBilling

bookiebasher

yes i had a business a few years back and told them if the wanted money to come and visit me for payment and never heard from them again...its a well known scam...

dkane

Is there anyone that I can report them too? Is there any point going to the Gardí?

cgarvey

Gardai wouldn't be interested as they would see it as a civil matter better dealt with that way. If it was a large-scale scam, they'd only refer to the English police anyway, I'd guess.

Next time they ring, ask them for details of their solicitor, or ask them if they'll be having any sort of a party the night before your case (so you can go along and say hi), use a whistle, or tell them about your personal problems, etc.

More seriously, you could probably give the UK OFT a call to see how best to deal with the complaint / who best to report them to.

board om

there is an online company at the moment doing something similiar. they send you a fax or letter saying they work with the IEDR and they ask you to fax back the signed confirmation that you have an .ie domain and that you would like it listed in some EU directory. then they send you a bill for about €1300. in fact in our case they just sent the bill, they didnt even bother sending the fax before hand. i have the name of the company in work so i will post it again. bloody chancers. i remember searching the company name before and there is a big notice form the IEDR saying they are nothing to do with them.

what you should do with these fcukers is send them a bill for all the time you have wasted on their phone calls and for the letters you send back to them. and threaten legal action if they dont pay

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

Tell them to feck off. Its a well known scam. Although i do like the advice of 'board om'

board om wrote: »

what you should do with these fcukers is send them a bill for all the time you have wasted on their phone calls and for the letters you send back to them. and threaten legal action if they dont pay

Oryx

Weve had people try this over the phone. We take no shit from them, we get stroppy and ask them for proof of where we signed for this so called ad. They always hang up. I actually get a laugh out of it at this stage.

Rule of thumb is, never give cc details over the phone unless you rang the company. Never discuss bills over the phone unless you already deal with the company and can confirm who they are. If someone threatens legal action over a bill you have no knowledge of, let them try.

mcaul

This scam has gone on for years. Similar to the old fax roll scam and the more recent till roll scam. (€300 for €20 worth of till rolls)

Simply tell them to send a copy of your signed purchase order and you will pass details to your accounts dept.

As for legal threats - tell them to go f themselves (usually a bit of strong language on you part can work) and that to please serve papers ASAP.

eth0_

Tell them to feck off, and report them to trading standards in Manchester!

craichoe

board om wrote: »

there is an online company at the moment doing something similiar. they send you a fax or letter saying they work with the IEDR and they ask you to fax back the signed confirmation that you have an .ie domain and that you would like it listed in some EU directory. then they send you a bill for about €1300. in fact in our case they just sent the bill, they didnt even bother sending the fax before hand. i have the name of the company in work so i will post it again. bloody chancers. i remember searching the company name before and there is a big notice form the IEDR saying they are nothing to do with them.

what you should do with these fcukers is send them a bill for all the time you have wasted on their phone calls and for the letters you send back to them. and threaten legal action if they dont pay

Yeh, happened here too cept the company was based in cyprus. I started speaking in irish ... calling a dutch number they were totally confused.. kept repeating "you must pay we advertise" .. Nil is agam Or i just answer the phone, tell them i'll transfer them the managing director and transfer them to hold music instead.

Musha

I had something simlar last year, Got their "Notice" for Legal Action, Plus a strongly worded Letter from my "solictor" and printed out Reports from English newspapers advising of the Scam and compnaies involved their name was one of them faxed it all through to their HQ.

Funny never heard another word from them. :D

Davy

Similar scam postcards/Greetings card arriving and requesting payment. Advice was to ignore and bin