Public Yellow Pages

Review: I am the owner of the pediatric practice. Last year Yellow pages representative advertised my practice without my permission and I paid $599.0. Spoke with [redacted]. We agreed that it would not be anymore advertisement for my practice but still the company continue to advertise without my permission. last week [redacted] called me requesting a payment for this year. I never received a bill, never had or signed any contract. And I do not need any advertisement. [redacted] /phone # [redacted]/ continue to call and threat me that this is would be on my record. Please help me to resolve this matter. Thank you [redacted]Desired Settlement: I would like to ask your help to stop this advertisement and threat.[redacted] action disturb my work environment. I also would like to place my phone # on national do not call program. Thanks again.[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by paublic yellow pages regarding complaint ID [redacted].

Sincerely,

Review: Last year I fwas told I owed a bill with Public yellow pages so I paid $549. They had my voice recorded. This year they called again and said it was a two year contract. The name has changed to Public Pages in Bentonville, AR. They say I owe $900 plus but will reduce it to settle the bill. Or else, they will turn over to a collection agency.Desired Settlement: Would like $549.00 back from last year. This year, I would like them to quit harrassing me by calls and emails.

Review: In January 2012, Public Yellow Pages coerced one of our employees into agreeing to services not authorized by owner. When owner was contacted about non-payment of invoice, employee of PYP played a tape which sounded like our employee had authorized the service and therefore paid the invoice. The invoice showed services for one year (September 2011 - September 2012). We are now being told that the services/charges auto-renew, although that information was not provided on any of the invoices or in written communication from Public Yellow Pages. PYP has placed us in collection and has made numerous threatening calls to various employees in our company. We have disputed the validity of these charges since January 2013 verbally, by fax and in writing via certified mail. We are now receiving calls from PYP representatives threatening to take legal action. They have also added interest, administration and legal fees to the original listing price.Desired Settlement: Account adjusted to zero and a cessation of collection and legal action.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted]:

During our telephone conversation yesterday you threatened legal/collection action against our firm for non-payment of an invoice for services which were never requested by us. Following that conversation, we did a further review of our files and checked with the Revdex.com regarding the validity of your claims.

Our review determined the following facts:

• On January **, 2012, a fax from [redacted] at Public Yellow Pages was sent to our employee [redacted] requesting payment of Invoice [redacted], dated September **, 2011. [redacted] was certain that she had not authorized this service and responded by fax advising your company of same.

• A representative of Public Yellow Pages contacted me on January **, 2012 and played a tape recording of what was purported to be [redacted] giving approval for the listing. Based on this, I authorized payment of that single invoice. The invoice and the accompanying correspondence indicated that the service was for one year only. At no time were we advised that the service would be automatically renewed on an annual basis.

• In June, 2013, we began receiving phone calls from [redacted] at Public Pages attempting collection of a new invoice and we again responded by fax on July *, 2013, stating that we were not contracted with your company and requested that collection efforts cease.

• On July **, 2013, I searched your website hoping to find information about the automatic renewal policy. I finally found it buried in the middle of page 7 of an eight page document. Your invoices do not mention that Terms and Conditions are found solely on your website, nor were we advised of that fact either in your faxes or your phone calls.

• I sent a Certified letter to Public Pages on July **, 2013 stating that, although we had been coerced into paying the original invoice, we had no intention of continuing the service or paying additional invoices. We were never advised in writing, nor did any invoices indicate that Public Pages automatically renews contracts. We asked that you take steps to discontinue any further communications with our company and re-emphasized that no agreements with your company were authorized by us.

• Your recent faxes indicate that your company is now doing business as Public Pages and is headquartered in Arkansas although the original invoice was sent from Public Yellow Pages in New York.

• We checked with the Revdex.com and determined that thousands of complaints have been filed against Public Yellow Pages in New York and Public Pages in Arkansas claiming that consumers were being tricked into paying charges based on electronically altered tape recordings made during an initial sales call.

Based on this information, we have filed a complaint with the Revdex.com in New York against Public Yellow pages and are in the process of doing the same in Arkansas for Public Pages. We are also prepared to file complaints with the Consumer Protection and Fraud Divisions in New York State, New York City, the State of Arkansas and the State of Florida.

I am demanding that you cease and desist in your efforts to collect this bill.

Regards

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Public Yellow Pages regarding complaint ID [redacted].

Sincerely,

Review: We received an unexpected invoice and account statement from Yellow Pages Public saying that our company verbally agreed to purchase their advertising services. They played back a fraudulent recorded message as supposed proof. We fell for it and paid the total amount of $599.99 on 05/**/2012 with 2 credit cards: one was charged 350.00 and the other was charged 249.99 . We had never received any invoices or notices from them before this date. The invoice number is [redacted]. The account number is [redacted]. The payment due date was supposedly 01/**/2012. We didn't question this too much until just this month. We received the same sort of collection notice from a company called Public Pages. They played back that same recorded message as proof. This set off red flags. We researched and discovered that this is a relatively common scam.Desired Settlement: We want a full refund of $ 599.99. If not, we will report Yellow Pages Public to the FTC and will pursue to the full extend that the law allows.

Review: Our company never requested YP advertising services and now we are being charged even though no contract was never signed. After calling several time to YP to cancel service we never requested for 2015 and asked to speak to representative to cancel contract he was never available to speak to us but services continued without my authorization.Desired Settlement: To stop the services we never requested and adjust balance for same services.

Review: The public yellow pages is stating that I agreed to pay for advertising. I paid the 599 on 02/**/2012 because they threatened legal action against us and ask them to cancel I was not renewing they stated that it would be cancelled. I receive another bill for $915.35 on July * 2013 I called them and let them know that we did not authorize this and it was to be cancelled, we were then told that it was not cancelled and we would have to pay the $915.35. I received another bill today 8/**/13 when I called the number I was told it was over $1,000 with attorneys fees. I feel that they manipulated the phone call to get the recording that they used to there favor. I would have never paid the yellow pages for advertising we get it for free for our phone company. As stated above I paid the first bill that is what I wish to recover.Desired Settlement: I would like my money back 599 + 20 fee 619.

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Public Yellow Pages regarding complaint ID [redacted].

Sincerely,

Review: This company called on 3/**/2012 with a claim that I was overdue to pay an invoice for a listing on their website. They have a recording of one of my employees agreeing to this service. She is not authorized to agree to this. They played me the recording. They claimed I was obligated to pay $599.99 for the one year listing. I was afraid to pursue it farther, and paid the bill asking to completely close my account following this. Now I am being told it was a two year agreement and I am responsible for a listing at a price of $799.99 with fees ended with a balance of $915.35. They claim to have sent me four invoices and I am now 221 days overdue to pay this invoice that I did not agree to. This is the first I am hearing of it. They faxed me the invoice following the conversation. This company has now moved to Arkansas and I have filed a complaint there as well. I also faxed them a request on 03/**/2012 requesting a full refund and cancelation due to the description not matching what they have placed on their fake webpage. I did not receive a response back. The invoice date is 11/**/2011.The invoice number is [redacted].The account number is [redacted].The claimed service premium business package, business name, address, city state, zip, phone number, fax, website and email link, business category, company description, business hours, driving directions and mini web page. The representative that called [redacted] Phone number ###-###-####I have not paid this current invoice and I am looking for resolution in this matter with a final invoice stating a $0 balance and no further contact, and a full refund of the original invoice at $599.99.Desired Settlement: I am looking for a full refund of the $599.99 from last year, a final invoice from last year and this year stating a $0.00 balance, no further contact and a statement reporting no contact with my credit.

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Public Yellow Pages regarding complaint ID [redacted].

Sincerely,

Review: 9/**/2011 [redacted] entered into a one year contract for advertising services via phone call to [redacted]. We did not realize we had entered into such contract, but they played back the recording that said we did. We never received an invoice but eventually received a fax for collection and then phone call from [redacted] (Public Pages New York) on 1/**/2012. Following discussion and noting that the invoice was for "one year premium listing package" the listing amount of $599.99 was paid by credit card on 1/**/2012. On 7/*/13 a fax and then a phone call was received by [redacted] from [redacted], collection agent (Arkansas), indicating [redacted] had not paid their invoice for the second year of their contact. An invoice that had not been received by [redacted] but [redacted] said was sent via US Mail. Upon denying entering into the second year contract, [redacted] played the recording of the phone conversation from 9/**/2011 which did not say anything about a two year contract but only indicated that we wished to sign up for a contract which has now been paid in full. [redacted] said that the terms of the agreement were noted on the Public Pages web page and that this contract was for two years. [redacted] was told that we were not directed to their web page nor were we told to reference the web page for this contract, nor could they prove that they told us to refernce their web page. He indicated we had to sign their form of cancellation if we had wanted the contract cancelled after the first year; which again we were unaware of. The cancellation form was then requested on 7/*/13 but was never received. We were told a letter from us to cancel was unacceptable. Had to be on their form. More harassing phone calls, faxes and threats of ruining [redacted] credibility. 8/*/13 [redacted] (pre-legal dept) takes over. [redacted] is turned over from [redacted] to [redacted], [redacted] Accounting. [redacted] and [redacted] talk and [redacted] is unable to substantiate their claim that Public Pages is making. Another call from [redacted] to [redacted] on August **, 2013. [redacted] refuses to be transferred/talk to [redacted], and subsequently becomes very unpleasant in his demeanor saying the collection is against her ([redacted]) and threatens to sue her and take her in front of a judge in Arkansas. [redacted] disconnected the call at that time. The amount of dispute is $799.99 for a "one year premium listing package" plus interest and fees now totalling $1,024.08. We refuse to pay this amount.Desired Settlement: We request that Public Pages (aka Public Yellow Pages) to remove the listing of [redacted] at [redacted] from their web page, discontinuing harrassing us, and clear our account of any amount due and restore our credibility. Apology would be nice but is not necessary.

Review: This company continues to contact/harrass us to collect an invoice we do not owe them. They constantly send emails and we have sent them all of the information we have regarding their invoice. They have failed to provide a signed contract proving we owe them for this "service" they play a recording from 2 years ago from someone who is no longer with this company.Desired Settlement: We want them to stop contacting us.

Review: Called the company to cancel contract and our request was never performed. After calling sales rep several times to cancel the contract to 2015, services were never cancel. A representative was to come to business to personally cancel contract and he never showed up.Desired Settlement: To cancel services and adjust balance for services never requested.

Review: YP called and provides a recording that has me saying yes to a question which they say was my agreement to a contract for their service. I DID NOT, DO NOT WANT AND WOULD NOT HAVE AGREED TO ANY CONTRACT. This has been going on since 2012 which after being harassed repeatedly, I finally paid them a total of $ 627.39 and told them we were finished with their company and to remove any and all advertising account they may have in their system for us and we were told that they would do so.

On Sept. **, 2013 we received another call and an email from a [redacted] stating he is in collections and needs us to pay $ 943.02 for 2013 immediately. I DID NOT AUTHORIZE THIS!!!

On Oct. **, 2013 he called again and informed me, [redacted], that he plans to call me 3 times a day until I pay............ as a woman I feel that he is [redacted] harassing me. I will be turning this over to our company attorney and business insurance.

Oct. **, 2013 [redacted] called again and got my husband as well.

AGAIN, WE DID NOT AGREE TO AND DO NOT WANT THIS ADVERTISING, AND WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWINGLY AGREED TO A CONTRACT. THE RECORDING HAS BEEN DOCTORED SOMEHOW.Desired Settlement: Void the fraudulent billing under our name and remove us from your records and send written verification.

Review: This started in 2011 with a phone conversation asking if I was another party that used to own my business. They said in order to get the name and address resolved that they would need to ask me some questions in which I answered yes to several questions telling them at the end that I would not use my credit card to pay $599.99 for ad. They called several times in one day to get what they wanted on tape then said that if I did not pay this bill it would go on my credit rating. Not wanting this to happen and being a new business owner I paid the $599.99 off over a years period of time, the last bill paid in August of 2012. Today I recieved a call saying that I owe for another year using the same recording as in 2011. They have my e-mail address and are now harassing me with e-mail, by mail apparently ( I throw out anything with YP on it) and now the phone. I don't owe them anything else, just stop contacting me period as they said they would a year ago.Desired Settlement: No more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Review: I got a call on November 2011 from Public Yellow Pages saying that I had a past due amount of $599 for advertisement. I got really upset, because I didn’t sign any contract with them, so the guy told me that id probably was a mistake and he was going to take care of it , but he would need a recording from me just to confirm that he was talking to the right person responsible for [redacted]. After the recording, he said that everything was good. He gave me a confirmation number which I found out later that it was an invoice number. I didn’t hear from them again until March 2012. By then, I supposedly owed over $700. I had my lawyer call them, and they said I had to pay because of the recording. So I paid and asked them to send me a receipt, of which they never did. Now I just got a call from them again saying that I owe $915 and that recording was a 3 year contract. I never received anything in the mail. I don’t even know what their service is. I do know that I didn’t sign any contract, not even over the phone. The recording that they have doesn’t say anything about a contract. I tried to call the person that I spoke to when I did the payment, but the number is no longer in service!Desired Settlement: I would like my money back and to stop getting phone calls from them.