Another magazine scam?

Received a cold call yesterday afternoon advising me that I had been selected to be able to be the only courier in my area to place an advert in their magazine, something to do with raising funds for the emergency services (?) was a bad connection. Would only cost a minimum of £195.00! Someone from the accounts dept would contact me to get my details. Yea OK. Some lass phoned again this morning but as soon as I said before I go ahead I wanted to see a previous issue or two of this so called publication she quickly terminated the call. 10 minutes later the chap from yesterday phoned again to say someone would etc etc. Once again I said I needed to see a couple of previous copies. But before you pay he said you will receive a copy with your ad in it. But I want to be able to read another and contact an advertiser to see how much response they got. Another terminated call, draw your own conclusions but their three calls were from mobile phones. Sorry to have gone on a bit but that's how it happened.

I had the same call when I started in September. Publication was Blue Light Magazine and the company involved was Sigma. Nearly got caught out but googled it first. It had scam written all over it. When you call them back they don't answer with a company name and were surpisingly unconcerned about the negative info on t'internet. They were advised details of communications were being passed to local plod too. Since then had a call for a road safety magazine and numerous ones for sick kiddies and cancer from various "alleged" con merchants.

You'll get used to these type of calls, Calendar for the Fire Service, Diary for Police, Charity balloon race, all and more are complete and utter bollox, which makes you overly cynical when a real charity is after some help... Which is a shame.

Most "private" or "withheld" calls will be scams of one sort or another and sorry if this offends but a lot seem to have a Birkenhead accent

As soon as they say you have been selected for? Just say no then hang up they soon get the message

Thats right as Sigma have there "office" in Liverpool

PW, there was me thinking I was special...

Shame they don't spend their time and energy on some real work isn't it... As if it ain't hard enough out there for the newbies

If in doubt, do nowt

If anyone asks to speak to the MD tell em he's out, best to send an email... A good way to sort the wheat from the chaff cos if they ARE a proper outfit they'll send one, if not they won't

Blue Light.. That's the one, knew it was something to do with emergency services.

Just tell them that you have a system to rotate your charity giving (equivalent to the tax you will be paying at the higher rate) around your local hospices and and the Air Ambulance and that this years allocation has already been made.

www.whgla.org.uk/misleading-advertising-scam-claiming-to-be-for-bluelight-magazine-15th-december-2011/

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=262776

Looks like a few of us had the call

Ive had a few in the past, even had one stating my invoice is outstanding from Abingdon publishers please pay now, so told em where to go..... but now just use another tactic, by asking if I can talk to them naked, or do they do loans as Im bankrupt and need cash, Ive loads of for different types of cold callers, but alternatively just a plain F/o will suffice.

021 SAMEDAY said:

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(equivalent to the tax you will be paying at the higher rate)

I will look forward to that, wouldn't object at all.

I'm with Mr Gas on this one... Works everytime (not the naked one... Thats a tad worrying) A plain and simple F Off

Julie, albeit VERY loudly but politely told a 'pushy' PPI caller to go away, and cut the phone call off! He called back almost immediately to ask 'why did you shout at me?' :)

Just a word to the wise regarding scammers.. Keep the conversation to a minimum and dont use keywords, its amazing how technology can edit and put together a conversation stating you agreed and owe thousands..

Verbal Contracts are just a way of getting you to pay up

Distance Selling Regulations

Quoted from the Office of Fair Trading

Distance Selling - an overview

In general you are required to: give potential customers certain information in advance, such as your name and address, the goods you are selling or the services you are providing, the price (including all taxes), delivery cost, delivery arrangements, and customers' right to cancel send customers an order confirmation giving information such as your postal address and cancellation arrangements allow customers a seven working day cooling off period during which they can cancel their contract with you.

There are some exceptions to the regulations such as: financial services, transport, accommodation, leisure services and food, drink or other goods for everyday consumption delivered by a 'regular roundsman' such as a milkman.

So if someone is trying to bully you for payment by suggesting you've agreed to advertising in a publication or similar then I suggest you ignore em...

Bailifs will not appear neither will a summons to court

They will just move on to the next poor unfortunate victim

My rule of thumb is to google anyone who wants to take any of your time or money, you will find out if they are cosher or not by the results in seconds!

Got one today from "the child safety society' just said no thanks & hung up with in 5 minutes they rang back so asked for her name & her managers name & phone number then she hung up om me

They dont bether me anymore, but when I started up 10 years ago I had all these calls, I know how to handle these sort of folk now & they dont phone up, how boring, is the books for schools scam still doing the rounds?

They [Sigma] sent me a nice letter and a colour flyer today, how nice of them.

Funny I cant find their address anywhere.

Has anyone heard froma company called the fffc, the forresters fund for children. They range me justa few days ago asking if i would like to advertise in a local magazine in the devon area.

terrysmanandvan.com said:

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Has anyone heard froma company called the fffc, the forresters fund for children. They range me justa few days ago asking if i would like to advertise in a local magazine in the devon area.

Did they have a scouse or manchester accent?

No Never heard of em.. But read previous threads on the matter and make your own mind up...

Terry, foresters fund for children, give them a miss I have heard of them, I wont say any more has you can get into lumber saying too much.

Rule of thumb... Ignore ANYONE trying to sell ANYTHING.

If you want to advertise with someone, then you ring whoever if it you want to place an ad with based on your knowledge of the publication, or website.

There really does need to be a do's and don't tick list for small businesses!

Another rule of thumb...

If someone knocked at your door and said this is the 50" plasma you ordered and I am here to collect the £799.00.

What would you say?

Yep that's what I thought.

Exactly... Especially if they wanted the cash before you opened the box!

I know someone a few years ago that bought a "Sealed" box of new VHS tapes from a door knocker.

Guess what they were all empty boxes when he opened the box a few hours later.

For those who are saying what's a VHS tape... Ask you Grandad!

Well you'll never completely stop the stupids, all we can do is try and educate them, and if that don't work then bollox to em

I'm with Darwin

I had a call yesterday...

"Hello sir, I'm from Compensation UK. How are you today?" "I'm fine thank you, and I don't need any compensation." "Ok sir, no problem. Goodbye."

Call duration, 9 seconds. GET IN!

9 seconds, ask if they want to book a courier be nice, when they say no phone down, takes less than 9 seconds

Most blokes think 9 seconds is a long time

Mr Speed, are you speaking from experience?

Dunno what you mean...lol

                          For the times when it is

Nottingham & Derby Couriers said:

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Another rule of thumb...

If someone knocked at your door and said this is the 50" plasma you ordered and I am here to collect the £799.00.

What would you say?

Yep that's what I thought.

There was someone was selling 42" LCD tv from the back of a van in Northants, they all looked Kosher, well know brand, they opened sealed boxes etc except none of them worked when you plugged them in

A few years ago I heard a chap bought 10 x 10,000 boxes of cigarettes on a Russian ship, deal done on the quick obviously. When he later opened the boxes he discovered that only the first box he was shown contained cigarettes, all the rest contained polystyrene and weighed the same.

Lovely thanks guys, no i didn't accept it, and yes they did have an accent. I never buy anything over the phone, unless of course i am ringing them to buy that is

Today I got a copy of my artwork. Is this persistance.

BusinessBuddy - I was nearly caught out by Sigma when I started. I never got as far as receiving a copy of the art work but I believe they state that you have seven days to notify them of any changes or they will proceed. As i mentioned earlier in the thread I googled it and the scam alarm went off so to speak. I called there office number to confirm I was not interested and that due to my findings on t'internet I would pass details to local police to alert other businesses. This was then followed up by a letter to their "address" confirming my lack of interest. They were never heard from again. The contact address although I could not find them registered at it is Trident House, 31-33 Dale Street, Liverpool, L2 2HF. Contact number 0800 035 2131. Mind you Rob at Speed Couriers has already given plenty of good advice on what they can do if they try to chase you for any payments.

Yep tell em to Feck rite off!

Thanks Dave (DDR) I done the same. Just wanted to see what they could offer. Obviously I never paid owt. It does look good tho.

I am still waiting for the couple of previous issues I asked for so I can see what I am (not) getting for my pennies but nothing as yet.

[Admin: Previous spam post removed.]

That's ok, but we don't live in LA.

AJM sameday Couriers said:

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That's ok, but we don't live in LA.

We have a dozen or so members in the US, a few in LA.

Website Admin said:

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AJM sameday Couriers said:

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That's ok, but we don't live in LA.

We have a dozen or so members in the US, a few in LA.

This ones doing loans if you look at his link

Yes Richard, another new member who is actually selling something, this time its loans.

ILKLEY EXPRESS said:

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Website Admin said:

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AJM sameday Couriers said:

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That's ok, but we don't live in LA.

We have a dozen or so members in the US, a few in LA.

This ones doing loans if you look at his link

Thanks.

Speed Couriers Nationwide said:

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Verbal Contracts are just a way of getting you to pay up

Distance Selling Regulations

Quoted from the Office of Fair Trading

Distance Selling - an overview

In general you are required to: give potential customers certain information in advance, such as your name and address, the goods you are selling or the services you are providing, the price (including all taxes), delivery cost, delivery arrangements, and customers' right to cancel send customers an order confirmation giving information such as your postal address and cancellation arrangements allow customers a seven working day cooling off period during which they can cancel their contract with you.

There are some exceptions to the regulations such as: financial services, transport, accommodation, leisure services and food, drink or other goods for everyday consumption delivered by a 'regular roundsman' such as a milkman.

Don't rely on the above, as these distance selling regulations to not apply to business to business sales. Someone selling advertise space to a courier, is definitely B2B. The only protection you have, is the word NO.

Speed Couriers Nationwide said:

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If in doubt, do nowt

If anyone asks to speak to the MD tell em he's out, best to send an email... A good way to sort the wheat from the chaff cos if they ARE a proper outfit they'll send one, if not they won't

I go further than this, all my staff tell them they must email our buyer (we give them an imaginary name but a real email address). Most don't email, they just call back a few days later asking to speak to this imaginary person (and also insisting they have spoken to him before and he would be expecting the call). Obviously this gives them away immediately as a complete waste of time. If I answer the phone, I put them on hold and go make a cup of tea - they are usually gone by the time i get back :-)

Yes i've done that too... Its a shame there are so many scammers about. I've said it before and i'll say it again, if they spent as much time doing something worthwhile as they do on their scams, they'd probably be even better off than they are trying to fleece people... Or maybe thats not as much fun?

Fun or desperation, i do not know. But there seem to be loads of them offering phony or even non-existent magazines and business directories.

Speed Couriers Nationwide said:

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Yes i've done that too... Its a shame there are so many scammers about. I've said it before and i'll say it again, if they spent as much time doing something worthwhile as they do on their scams, they'd probably be even better off than they are trying to fleece people... Or maybe thats not as much fun?

And not as lucrative financially.

Now i'm not suggesting that these guys do anything but sell genuine stuff.. But its worth a look just to see what they get up to... BBC 9pm The Call Cente... If i'm back in time its compulsive viewing

Tuesday night bbc3 9pm