On or around 3rd December, I was contacted by someone from Island Yellow Pages, about advertising my business online. I immediately told him that 2009 was a bad year for me and I was not interested in putting any ad at this time. He continued to talk telling me of the advantages, but I told him I could not afford. He tried to tell me about payment plans but I again told him I could not afford to use his services at this time.
He then told me he will go ahead to place the ad and said I had 3 months to cancel without any cost to me. He told me I will be contacted to have a website done. He said when contacted to have the website done, I can cancel if I wished, but he said I had to give him some details. He needed me to say my name, address, email address, etc. After giving the details he told me that the information was recorded so if I accepted he will be able to make the contract.
To my surprise, about a week later, I was contacted by phone requesting payment. I reminded him that I had told him I could not afford. He then made me to understand that he had a recorded confirmation for the invoiced amount, and the contract cannot be cancelled. I told him to go to hell.
On January 3rd, I received an invoice by email. I dispatched an email reminding that I could not afford additional cost. I had originally told him I may have done business at a later time when my situation improves. I never got a reply to my email but was contacted by phone.
During that phone contact I was told that they have a confirmed order with my voice and the contract cannot be cancelled. I told him that all contracts could be cancelled if even they are written in stone. I was threatened with legal action, and was told that I will have to pay attorneys fees, and other fees if I do not pay the amount of the contract.
On January 10, I was contacted by Tilton Couley of Stone Thomas & Goldberg. He told me that Island Yellow Pages had appointed him to collected the $954. on the invoice. I told him of the circumstances surrounding the dispute. He tried to get me to pay part by credit card. I told him I will think about it and call him. I put down the phone and called the number he gave me (954-556-6511) in Tampa. The phone went to an extension 204, on three separate occasions. When the option of pressing 0 to get the operator came up, I never got any operator. It ended going to voice mail on the three occasions. Because these people had tricked me, if even they were offering me to pay for an ad on easy terms, I felt I should not even give them a credit card number.
Mr. Couley called me again. I told him of not being able to get to anyone. He told me that he was on the phone and the operator had left for the day. I told him to speak to me another day. He kept trying to get me to make some form of payment. I had to end up terminating the conversation.
I looked up the firm Stone Thomas and Goldberg and saw a scam report come up in the browser. This convinced me that these people are ripping off unsuspecting people and would threaten them to pay their fees.
Anthony
Arouca, Trinidad.
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