Targeting Area Businesses with Deceptive Invoices
Jumpage Solutions aka INC21 Communications
785 Market Street, Suite 900
San Francisco, CA 94103
www.jumpagesolutions.com
info@jumpagesolutions.com
800-611-2721
FAX: 650-887-2894
Spokane, WA - 06/04/08 - It has come onto the BBB's radar via a service area business that this above mentioned company is signing people up for online advertising services without their authorization.
Based on the BBB Golden Gate report for this company, the company responds to complaints mostly regarding sales practices and billing issues brought to its attention by the BBB, however the following government action is also posted regarding this company:
On November 17, 2006 Chicago Assistant District Attorney General Philip Heimlich settled a lawsuit (case 2006 CH 568) against Inc21.com Corporation dba GlobalYP.net and Roy Lin over allegations that, in offering Internet yellow pages listings, they bilked small businesses in Illinois and across the country through a practice known as "cramming."
Without any admission of wrongdoing the suit alleged that the defendants, Inc21.com Corporation, dba GlobalYP.net and Roy Lin, individually and as President and CEO, placed telemarketing solicitations to small businesses, offering a free trial of their services, without any obligation. However, in reality, if small businesses accepted the free trial and failed to cancel within 15 days, the defendants placed monthly charges of $34.99 on the local phone bill. The charges appear under the "Miscellaneous Charges and Credits" section of a consumer's phone bill and are commonly listed as "Inc21.comm. Gold Business Plan" or "Global YP Gold Business Plan."
Small business consumers have reported charges on their local phone bill despite having flatly refused to receive any service or information from the defendants. In some instances, consumers have denied knowledge of any solicitations by defendants' telemarketers. All consumers who complained to the Attorney General's Office did not authorize the defendants' services or agree to pay for these services.
As part of the consent judgment, the defendants agree to not bill any consumer without the consumer's express authorization, to clearly and conspicuously disclose all terms and conditions of the offer, and to obtain and record verification of all purported requests by consumers for goods or services. In addition, the defendants have agreed to pay $10,000 to the state that will be used for enforcement of the consumer protection laws.
TIPS
What a business can do to protect itself:
Know your rights. If you receive bills for services you didn't order, don't pay. The law allows you to treat unordered services as a gift.
Review your phone bills as soon as they arrive. Be on the lookout for charges for services you haven't ordered or authorized.
Assign purchasing to designated staff. And document all your purchases.
Train your staff in how to respond to telemarketers.
Buy from people you know and trust.
If you have an unresolved issue concerning an unauthorized bill, file with your BBB, Attorney General's Office as well as the FTC.
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Contact:
Zan Deery, Communications/Investigations
zan@spokane.bbb.org
Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Washington, North Idaho & Montana
152 S. Jefferson, Suite 200
Spokane, WA 99201
509-455-4200 or 800-356-1007
www.spokane.bbb.org