Elenna
17-Aug-07, 16:24
Hello All,
I've just been on the phone with Trading Standards, and they have urged me to help them by putting out the word to the community about this...mine was the first report of this they had for our area, and the more businesses (and individuals) that know about it, hopefully the fewer who will get caught out.
I had a phone call last week from a man who began by introducing himself and the company he represented insucharushandruntogether that I didn't get what he said. He then went on to tell me that this was a courtesy call to let me know that the drug awareness booklets I had agreed for our business to sponsor for our local primary school were now ready to be shipped, and they would be sending me an invoice for £199, as I had agreed over the phone last January.
Because we HAVE done a sponsorship for the Safe Highlanders event next month (see Org front page), I initially thought this was what he was talking about (and I kept insisting the invoice had been paid, as I knew that one had been :D), but it soon became apparent it was not. I told him then that I had no knowledge of any other sponsorship agreement by our business, but he insisted he had spoken to me personally in January and I had agreed over the phone...and then also that I had been sent an email to which I personally had replied with an agreement. Well, I certainly would have recalled such a phone conversation, and as a policy neither Saltire or myself ever makes any sort of commitment to charity, or for business publicity, etc, without first insisting on being sent a copy of the information and then checking out the company. Furthermore, a search right then of my email records showed nothing from the "Drugs Awareness Centre" (as he finally told me clearly he was representing), or any reply from me, and I told him so, and I also googled that name while on the phone with him, and it turned up nothing.
Anyway, to not belabour it all, I finally told him to send his invoice, but I had no evidence of any written, verbal, or electronically sent contract with him, so I didn't consider bound to pay him anything. I duly got an envelope in the post today with a copy of the mentioned anti-drugs booklet (not too bad of itself, but it is well above the understanding of schoolchildren) and a letter and what can only barely pass for an invoice...not from the "Drugs Awareness Centre" but from a company called React Publications.
Well, a quick Google of them turned up some interesting info....:roll: A couple of places to read, if you are interested:
Blagger.com (http://www.blagger.com/db4/company_id/6967/companyname/React-Publications.html)
The Sevenoaks Chronicle (http://www.thisiscourier.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=142737&command=displayContent&sourceNode=142730&contentPK=18055259&folderPk=82904&pNodeId=142747)
Soooo....if you are contacted by "The Drugs Awareness Centre", React Publications, or anyone over the phone referring back to an agreement to sponsor educational materials for schools that you supposedly made months ago, which you cannot recall, there is nothing wrong with your memory...its a scam. And whatever you do, do not give in to pressure to pay them with a credit or debit card right then, or at any time if they keep phoning! However, please do phone the trading Standards office in Inverness (01463 228701) and report the approach that was made to you, and/or any subsequent harrassment, so they can add this information to the investigations they are making elsewhere. Maybe with enough info, they can shut these people down.
I've just been on the phone with Trading Standards, and they have urged me to help them by putting out the word to the community about this...mine was the first report of this they had for our area, and the more businesses (and individuals) that know about it, hopefully the fewer who will get caught out.
I had a phone call last week from a man who began by introducing himself and the company he represented insucharushandruntogether that I didn't get what he said. He then went on to tell me that this was a courtesy call to let me know that the drug awareness booklets I had agreed for our business to sponsor for our local primary school were now ready to be shipped, and they would be sending me an invoice for £199, as I had agreed over the phone last January.
Because we HAVE done a sponsorship for the Safe Highlanders event next month (see Org front page), I initially thought this was what he was talking about (and I kept insisting the invoice had been paid, as I knew that one had been :D), but it soon became apparent it was not. I told him then that I had no knowledge of any other sponsorship agreement by our business, but he insisted he had spoken to me personally in January and I had agreed over the phone...and then also that I had been sent an email to which I personally had replied with an agreement. Well, I certainly would have recalled such a phone conversation, and as a policy neither Saltire or myself ever makes any sort of commitment to charity, or for business publicity, etc, without first insisting on being sent a copy of the information and then checking out the company. Furthermore, a search right then of my email records showed nothing from the "Drugs Awareness Centre" (as he finally told me clearly he was representing), or any reply from me, and I told him so, and I also googled that name while on the phone with him, and it turned up nothing.
Anyway, to not belabour it all, I finally told him to send his invoice, but I had no evidence of any written, verbal, or electronically sent contract with him, so I didn't consider bound to pay him anything. I duly got an envelope in the post today with a copy of the mentioned anti-drugs booklet (not too bad of itself, but it is well above the understanding of schoolchildren) and a letter and what can only barely pass for an invoice...not from the "Drugs Awareness Centre" but from a company called React Publications.
Well, a quick Google of them turned up some interesting info....:roll: A couple of places to read, if you are interested:
Blagger.com (http://www.blagger.com/db4/company_id/6967/companyname/React-Publications.html)
The Sevenoaks Chronicle (http://www.thisiscourier.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=142737&command=displayContent&sourceNode=142730&contentPK=18055259&folderPk=82904&pNodeId=142747)
Soooo....if you are contacted by "The Drugs Awareness Centre", React Publications, or anyone over the phone referring back to an agreement to sponsor educational materials for schools that you supposedly made months ago, which you cannot recall, there is nothing wrong with your memory...its a scam. And whatever you do, do not give in to pressure to pay them with a credit or debit card right then, or at any time if they keep phoning! However, please do phone the trading Standards office in Inverness (01463 228701) and report the approach that was made to you, and/or any subsequent harrassment, so they can add this information to the investigations they are making elsewhere. Maybe with enough info, they can shut these people down.