YellowPage Fax Scam
We got a scam fax today. Not from Yellowpages.com, but from YellowPage-Michigan.com. The top of their fax has the logo at right, a clear knockoff of the actual yellowpages logo at left.Usually these companies call us as telemarketing calls where they say that they are "just calling to update your listing". "Are you still located at [Address]?" they ask, "Is your preferred phone number still [phone number they called you on]?".
If you put up with them that long, they're very careful to try and get you to say that you're the owner of the business or able to act on behalf of the owner and then they tell you that the call is about to be recorded and then they transfer you to someone that talks very quickly. All so later, when you say, "I didn't sign up for your service!" they can play the call back to you.
I, of course, realized what they were doing and said that I wasn't interested. "But updating your listing is free!" they protest. "Click" says my phone.
Anyhow, so now we have this fax that came in under the guise of "hey, time to update your listing!"
Excerpts from the fine print: "The company listed about gives approval for the above given date and orders registration at YellowPage-Michigan.com by Yellow Publishing Ltd. Registration in the directory is for a term of two years at a cost of $89 per month payable one year in advance with 14 day payment terms. [...] This agreement automatically renews for one year if it is not terminated at least three months before the agreement end."
And then twice they want to remind you "Yellow Publishing Ltd. is not responsible for any errors, omissions or other erroneous data appearing in the company's directory listing. All errors are the sole responsibility of the customer."
Then they go on to say how payment is still required even if you ask to be removed. Not only that, but if you sue them, you're responsible for their attorney and legal fees. That's even in there.
October 30, 2009 at 2:31 PM
Is this something that should be reported to the BBB? I'm sure YellowPages would at least like to know their logo has clearly been infringed.
And all that for $89/mo!!! That's more than car insurance to print a stupid phone number in a book people don't use anymore. top
October 30, 2009 at 2:41 PM
I forwarded it on to the consumerist and also to the Contact Us for the real yellowpages. It's all up to them from there. top
October 31, 2009 at 3:32 AM
The first thing I thought of when I saw that picture was Peace Up, A-town Down. top
November 18, 2009 at 10:34 AM
I received one of these faxes this morning: YellowPage-Massachusetts.com. Since I am currently being harassed by another (or maybe the same) "yellow page" scammer for $495 I knew that this was a scam. That web site doesn't even exist! I've reported the other scammer to the BBB and to the FTC. Take a look at this from the FTC: http://www.lawpublish.com/ftcyell.html top
January 18, 2010 at 11:21 AM
I fell for it cause I've been getting so many listings lately. How can I rectify the situation?!?! I'm very concerned as this has never happened to me before and I don't know how to approach this. top
January 18, 2010 at 4:00 PM
Not sure, Joyce. Obviously they write their fine print trying to make it so there's no way out of it, but maybe your local BBB can help? top
February 5, 2010 at 10:21 PM
I've set up a site http://yellowpagescam.blogspot.com/ where we are trying to gather some community effort to oppose this scam. Anyone who has been taken in by this scam please stop by and comment and also send me any documents you may have via fax at 949-335-4604. We have tracked down the scammer in Europe and are working on getting his support system here in the U.S. cut off. We need to unite to fight this scam though.
Jim Slaughter top
April 14, 2010 at 1:47 PM
Bevelyn, April 14, 2010
I got caught in this scam, too, and have to pay heavily -- $1,428.00 CDN -- for a moment of stupidity on my part. I wish I had checked the internet and found your site before signing the contract. Live and learn, I guess, but I certainly will be passing on the bad news about this company to all and sundry. And I did talk to Yellow Pages, who told me they had their lawyers investigating the trademark infringement. top
April 21, 2010 at 2:23 PM
I too was tricked, however I refuse to pay. Anyone who reads this, please don't pay. This company is getting a lot of heat from several businesses. You should direct complaints to the BBB and Attorney Generals in your state and the state of New York. If you are on the National Do Not Call Registry, report them there. If you get a collection notice from ACL Adjustment Associates, Inc. (the Collection Agency) report them to the Federal Trades Commission. The Agency is violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Please read the FDCPA and learn how to dispute your account within the 30 period so your credit is not ruined. Good luck to all. top
May 18, 2010 at 12:48 AM
This scam is now in Australia - my employer received a fax today headed with 'YellowPage-Queensland.com' and the dodgy logo. Considering we already have a Yellow Pages ad, it was pretty obvious this is a fake, but it's just plain annoying.
My advice to anyone else who receives it is to contact the ACCC or go to www.scamwatch.gov.au. The more people that report it, the sooner the problem will be dealt with. top
May 19, 2010 at 10:46 PM
We received this scam fax today here in Melbourne so it's well and truly in Australia now and on the move. top
May 20, 2010 at 2:21 AM
Received a fax this morning from YellowPage-western Australia - so now this scam is in WA as well.
Checked online to find that it is all a fraud.
When is the government going to stop these people wasting our time having to check!!!! Am so sick of tele-marketers as well as this sort of things. We are contacted at least 6 times a week about our phone contract - I now put them on hold and leave them there - they soon get the message. Am going to totally disregard this fax!!!!! top
May 21, 2010 at 1:46 AM
Thank you for your site, which really alerted me. I have filled up the forms and ready to go, Luckily I could go on line and checked with Google and found you "Yellow publishing ltd scam". The Scam has hit Country Victoria now. What can be done to stop them from scamming more people? top
May 30, 2010 at 12:47 AM
I have received the fax twice in 2010. I didn't sign up, but asked the local newpaper to write an article about it to help warn business people. Our business is in Alberta,Canada. The BBB has info on it on their website. top
June 4, 2010 at 3:47 PM
Thanks for having this site. I've received almot 8 calls from this fake scam this week and I finally received a scam fax today. I knew the logo was fake and the fine print had a company address of Manchester England which threw a big red flag. I deleted the fax. I saw this website when I got the first call (which I hung up on without providing information) and told all the other callers to stop calling. Your site is a Big help!!! top
June 10, 2010 at 6:42 PM
I signed up thinking real yellow pages wanted to add keywords and it was free. Since they already had our basic data listed and looked like they wanted an update, I quickly filled in blanks and faxed back without reading fine print. Now they say I owe $1428, and fine print says you are responsible for all their legal fees (so I guess they are expecting opposition once people realize they have been duped). Anyone else in Canada been hit yet? What do you suggest I do? top
July 3, 2010 at 8:36 PM
You are lucky!! Same Fax same deal, but from Yellow page Queensland........ In the blurb at the bottom the registration is for 2 years at a cost of $129 per month!!! You've got a bargain!!!!!!! I wonder how many people have fallen for it!! top
July 6, 2010 at 9:30 PM
I have send a copy of the fax to Sensis(Yellow Pages Australia).
It was the second time I received the fax for Yellow Page Sydney.
Probably not much else you can do, it needs a large company with clout & money to take them down. top
July 7, 2010 at 10:53 PM
Update, here is the response from Sensis Australia:
We wish to reassure you that Sensis is making every effort to put a stop to this activity by a company with which it has no affiliation, and that if you have any concerns about any response you may or may not have made to any YPM faxes, you should contact the ACCC directly on 1300 795 995 or by filling out the webform at http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/tag/reportascam
If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Care Department on 132378. top
July 12, 2010 at 2:09 PM
We received a phone call from these people May 20, 2010. They literally harassed us by calling at least 15 times, disrupting our business. We filed a complaing with the police and Qwest, our local phone provider. I just received this fax and started doing some internet search.
DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY!!!!!!!!!!!! top
August 8, 2010 at 6:05 PM
We received a similar fax today from YELLOW PUBLISHING LTD in Manchester with a cost of $159(NZD) per month. So looks like it's doing the rounds in New Zealand too. Always a good idea to check the fine print but another obvious sign was that they only had our fax number and no other contact details. top
August 8, 2010 at 9:05 PM
Just got this today here in New Zealand
Thank goodness I thought to check the name, it just didnt stack up!! thanks top
August 17, 2010 at 9:41 PM
yes us also, contacted our Lawyer
comments where
1] ignore the invoice, dont pay
2] They are not going to sue you
3] it is a variation on the fake invoice scam .It relies ona success rate of 1% or less actually being paid and that is all they want.
4] upgrade your internet security and spam filter as a side line will be selling email address lists. top
September 11, 2010 at 6:28 AM
Thanks for this info. I got these kind of calls and fax from some other companies in the past. top
September 27, 2010 at 10:39 AM
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! I LOVE GOOGLE, HELPS FIND SCAMS!!!
Recieved the fax today!!! top
November 2, 2010 at 9:14 PM
"We got a scam fax today. Not from Yellowpages.com, but from YellowPage-Michigan.com. The top of their fax has the logo at right, a clear knockoff of the actual yellowpages logo at left." - thanks for the information i would to my friends about this one . they were really in using paginas amarillas or yellow pages i might aware them with this . top
December 22, 2010 at 11:25 AM
I HAVE A BUSINESS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN STARTED GETTING BILLS FROM THIS YELLOW PAGE BV AND DIDNT KNOW WHY, IVE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF THEM, I CALLED THE 1-866-277-0200 AND TALKED TO NICOLE AT STATION 3 AND SHE SAID THAT AS LONG AS A FORM WAS FILLED OUT AND SIGNED IT DIDNT MATTER BY WHOM IT WAS A LEGAL CONTRACT, NOW IF YOU DIAL THE # ITS CUT OFF. IM TIRED OF GETTING DEBT COLLECTION PENDING LETTERS FROM THEM, CAN THEY EVEN SEND US TO DEBT COLLECTION? top
December 24, 2010 at 10:11 AM
The same scam is in Canada too.
YellowPage-Alberta.com.
It looked strangely non-legit, so of course I Googled it and found this blog.
Beware! top
January 22, 2011 at 5:00 PM
We fell victim to the scam by signing the "contract" and faxing it back. They clearly misrepresented their organization. I sent a letter telling them I was aware it is a scam and advising them to take our information off of the website. They sent a letter nicely worded telling us to pay up. As of 1/22/10 they have not taken our information off the site. I am now sending information to Jim Slaughter and the NY AG's Office. I can be emailed at theyellowpagescam@gmail.com. top
March 1, 2011 at 3:23 AM
I have been scammed by them. I moved so I updated thinking it was from Google that I had contacted. YP has Google logo too!! top
March 1, 2011 at 3:35 AM
I have been harassed by these people. They do not have any named person. I asked to speak to the manager Accounts-they said there is no one. Their add say Netherlands!! Why are we the US people so foolish to have such Madoffs around us. top
March 2, 2011 at 2:29 PM
Also be aware that in their latest invoices, this company has flipped the walking fingers logo facing downwards instead of upwards. Notice they have a square box around their logo. The real yellow pages is sort of oval like the attached link
http://www.yellowpages.ca/ top
March 6, 2011 at 10:17 AM
I just fell victim to this scam. So embarrassed I could have been so foolish. Has anyone had success in dealing with this company? Have you been placed in collection?
HELP!! top
March 7, 2011 at 4:38 PM
Is anybody dealing with this issue in Canada? What agencies besides BBB, the RCMP, and the Competition Bureau should be contacted?
This scam makes me sick... top
March 31, 2011 at 12:31 PM
we got scammed in august 2010. The odd thing about it was they seemed to know of the REAL contract dates of our REAL yellow pages contracts(which we spend quit a bit on)They both coincided about the same time as the fax scam. I notified the scammers we were not interested nor did we ever order service with them, and they will not get paid. I will not send them a cent regardless of their attempts to collect. top
May 6, 2011 at 2:48 PM
Same story here ... the fax coincided with my signing of my legitimate Yellow Pages Contract.
I am in Maryland. Wondering if there are lots of us out here in Maryland who have had this happen. top