Scam - The Phonebook

[Alan42]

Hi all. My sad and sorry tale began on a sunny day last week when a nice lady with a Black Country accent succeeded where others had failed and sold me some advertising for £125, to be paid in 6 months.

The Phonebook turns out to be an online tradesperson finder not, as she had indicated, linked to the BT book of similar name. They sent me a draft ad with a number of errors including the company name, address and phone number, and an invoice for £450, the first instalment due on 5th April. I emailed back to cancel but got no reply. At this stage I thought they were genuine because the call came from an 0207 landline, they have an address (27 Old Gloucester Rd, London WC1) and they had at least sent me something.

On checking their website I found a few entries with what appeared to be made-up phone numbers, I suspect they were copied from elsewhere, eg Yell.com. I checked the full header of their email and the country of origin is 'unk' which translated as 'unknown' so the nice young lady was possibly in a foreign resort of her choice and not, as she had claimed, in Dudley. The address is actually a virtual office, you can buy a mail forwarding and phone service for not very much money.

Last night I discovered that they have stolen £125 from me. I previously contacted my bank to ask them not to pay this bnill but the person I spoke to said that I could not block an individual payment, this is apparently not true. I now have the hassle of getting a new card.

Others beware!

Has anyone had any luck in getting back at the scum who do this?

 

[gibby]

I don't think there is much you can but warn others and post any links to websites involved.

Sadly this sort of thing is on tbe rise. We have a rule that we ask for all info to be sent to us in writing by email or post, before we will look at anything.
It seems to put all the scam artists and cold callers off.

Its also wise not to give card details out but to transfer funds until you know them.

 

[MASSEY]

There is a company called phone book in Birmingham, they have an office close to Broad Street if i remember correctly. Looking at their site design it doesn't appear that they are connected to BT.

thephonebook.co.uk/

I think you are possibly confusing them :|

It's a case of buyer beware when it comes to paying for listings in directories. I don't think it is a case of scam, more a case of risky advertising.

 

[Alan42]

Thanks very much! I checked thephonebook.co.uk, address on Broad St as you say, and they look genuine. The company(?) I am dealing with is the-phonebook.co.uk with an address at a virtual office in London. What a difference a hyphen makes! I bet thephonebook are a bit miffed.

Well, I've learned my lesson. My bank has opened a dispute on this on the grounds of 'services not provided' and I reckon I have about an evens chance of getting my money back.

I took advantage of the FSB legal helpline and was advised to write to the company demanding a refund, I've done that, but success depends on them acknowledging the letter. Since they don't respond to emails I don't hold out much hope.

Finding out their real address would be nice, I think it's probably not in the UK though. Ho hum. Now to brave the snow and get my van ready for her MOT tomorrow...

 

[Anonymouse72]

whois info for the-phonebook.co.uk

Domain name:
the-phonebook.co.uk

Registrant:
Steve Speczyk

Trading as:
PFC

Registrant type:
UK Individual

Registrant's address:
1 Hamfield Close
Oxted
Surrey
RH8 0NG
United Kingdom

Registrar:
Fasthosts Internet Ltd [Tag = LIVEDOMAINS]
URL: http://www.fasthosts.co.uk

Relevant dates:
Registered on: 25-Mar-2008
Expiry date: 25-Mar-2014
Last updated: 21-Jun-2012

is this what you'd already found?

 

[Lucky7CompSolutions]

Looks like a false name and address, the real person is here http://www.pfcltd.com/about-us

Might be worth letting this person know his name and address is being used by a scam

 

[Anonymouse72]

all getting a bit weird?!

if you look on the T&C quoted on the-phonebook.co.uk, they quote their company name as TPBG Ltd, look on duedil/companies house etc. & that throws up completely different directors & trading address in the West Mids (company currently shows as 'voluntary arrangement', which i'm guessing isn't great).

 

[SuffolkDesigns]

Definitely sounds like the common 'Community action' type scam.

Contact you bank and insist the payment was made fraudulently, and that you demand a chargeback. They will have to do something.
Don't let the scammers get away with anything at all!

 

[Lucky7CompSolutions]

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=189426

 

[mit74]

you been done by the typical advertising scam. Companies that promise to put your advert in their national mags and directories but only print a few mags just to keep you and trading standards happy. Usually they claim to be a charity or police/fire service.

 

[Alan42]

Anonymouse and cloud - thanks very much, that's a big help. The thread from 2011 is interesting, thanks for that also, it's unusual to find an accountant with dubious literacy.

mit74, I've carefully avoided the police/fire magazine scammers, one of whom got abusive when I told him I had heard the same spiel from another caller.

Dunno why I was taken in by this one - it was a sunny day and I thought Spring had arrived, I enjoyed the chat with the genuine-sounding lady whose accent reminded me of the happy years I spent living in Birmingham, a favorite customer of mine had just paid my bill for her roofing job, I was looking forward to getting home at a reasonable hour...

No, you're probably right: I'm losing my marbles.

Thanks everyone,
Alan

 

[MASSEY]

I would have to be jacked up on drugs to even contemplate giving a directory money

 

[DomainsRegistrar]

Hi

Sorry to hear that you have fallen victim to these type of scum.
Your bank despite what they say can instantly pull back what has been taken and then their fraud team can investigate.
I know this as I had the same issue and they tried telling me that they could not pull the funds, I sought advice and armed with this I spoke to them again and the funds were put back in my account.
I suggest speaking to them again, demand the funds and get the authorities involved.

 

[FluentFinances]

Sadly I get lots of these calls.
The best one was them claiming to be from the Cambridgeshire Constabulary wanting to know if I wanted to advertise in their magazine!
If you tell them you are not interested they are still very pushy. It's annoying

I hope you manage to get your money back

 

[PlymouthOnline.biz]

Hi OP.

Thanks for the heads up. I will put their details on my online community under my scams feature.



Sent from my tablet.

 

[jamesevans46]

Very dodgy sales staff there

If you need details of anything let me.know

 

[garyk]

Yep sorry to hear that Alan, I think all anyone can do is name and shame on here to reduce their 'success' rate. These sorts of scams work on scale of numbers so they will always make money.

Just like the massive 'I'm from microsoft and your computer has a virus...' cold calls.

My advice would be never ever sign up for anything immediately. Always say you want to think about it and then take a number to call them back.

 

[deniser]

mit74, I've carefully avoided the police/fire magazine scammers, one of whom got abusive when I told him I had heard the same spiel from another caller.

Funnily enough, we have also noticed that they have become abusive recently. We regularly get the same woman from the "Police Federation" and one time when I said I wasn't interested, she started shouting at me saying what terrible customer service we provided and how could we turn away all the policemen and women who were desperate to come into the shop!

One time when I quoted our TPS registration she shouted that she wasn't selling me anything so it didn't apply so how dare I be so rude? I put the phone down.

And yesterday I said I was bored of getting the same calls and she started swearing at me so I just put the phone down, She rang back and I let it go to answering machine.

Given that these people are fraudsters, you'd think they would try to keep a slightly lower profile? And why waste time and money ranting when you have been rumbled? They must think they are untouchable! Or do they think that shouting at you might make you want to buy the service lol?!

 

[Tony King]

I think we are all plagued by this type of cold calling scam! If you include PPI and have you been injured at work / in an accident - i get around 10 calls / texts a day.

i have reduced this by talking 'rubbish ' to them!

The guy from 'phonebook' got so annoyed after I tried to recruit him for my Foot Washing Baptists Church - he told me he was deleting my number and never calling me again!!! Happy Days.

It also helps pass a slow day by engaging them in a long and prolonged conversation ( it is their phone bill) and then telling them that actually i am just the cleaner!!!

Or giving them a massive sale - but giving totally incorrect card details - they get very upset - particularly when you are laughing fit to bust!!! great fun in the pub with the call on loudspeaker!!!

Childish I know - but it works!!!

 

[deniser]

Haha. It's about time we devised a new game for these in the office. At the moment we just play who can get the caller to put the phone down the fastest and time it in seconds.

 

[MASSEY]

When i am unlucky enough to pick up the phone to a seller, these days i just say 'i'm not interested but thanks anyway, goodbye' and put the phone down.

If i have to talk over them so be it, at least the call ends in a matter of seconds.

They used to get my blood going but i think i have mellowed.

 

[SwindonSteve]

When I receive a sales call, I always turn it around and try to sell them my product. When reach the point that I've asked them for their credit card details you can almost hear the jaw hit the floor, followed by the disconnect tone. Mildly entertaining.