# Small business scam



## koolchick (Apr 5, 2011)

I set a dog walking site up this week and put an add on free index site last night about the business and contact number. This morning I got a call from someone claiming to be from South Yorkshire Police who wanted to know if I wanted an advert for my business in a Police magazine for £99 for a year. Which would according to this person get me more custom. I would get a logo and professional photos for my business in that price. I asked if I could think about it and let them know later. As soon as I was off the phone my mum said its a scam so I put the number they gave me in google and there is loads of things people having the same call as I got. So anyone running any business don't agree to anything you have to pay for on the phone unless you know it is genuine and you know what you will get and have proof.


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## TheLondonDogWalkers (Mar 17, 2012)

We get calls from them all the time too.

We follow the same rules as with our advertising if you seem desperate people won't buy it or use the services you provide.

It could possibly be real but even if they did distribute the leaflets the percentage of people who would read it would in affect be the same percentage as if they did not bother to distribute them at all.

I always remind myself this is a business and too many people make the mistake of spending money to "make money". You did not set this business up as a new way to spend money. There are many reasons why we exist the primary one is to promote and offer great care for Dogs. Yet any business also has to make money.


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## Kaz64 (Mar 4, 2012)

Oh great.....I got had by these then. This Scouse bloke (sounded like Derek Accora!) phoned me just before Christmas. I am usually pretty switched on. Never thought of it being a scam. They said they were bringing out a quarterly magazine, and would I like to buy some space for the year. 

Oh well....you learn by your mistakes. :mad5:


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## Paganman (Jul 29, 2011)

I'm getting used to dealing with these types now and my advice is this....

Never agree to anything over the phone,ask them to post you the info. This gives you time to think and check them out. If it's a scam, nothing will arrive. If it to advertise in a paper publication, ask them to send a copy of the last publication.

I have also had the guy from "the Police" on the phone. I gave him the full interrogation and it turns out he was from a publishing company that print the diaries for the Police. I told him I would be reporting the fact the he claimed to be from "the Police"

The other pests are the google ad words people 

They claim to be able to get you shed loads of business from being at the top of google and how great it is.

My answer is to that is, why are you not doing that for yourself? if you was, you would have so much business, you would not have to be cold calling me. For some strange reaso, they all seem to be based in Manchester and get very annoyed when you are not interested in giving them any money


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## koolchick (Apr 5, 2011)

Kaz64 said:


> Oh great.....I got had by these then. This Scouse bloke (sounded like Derek Accora!) phoned me just before Christmas. I am usually pretty switched on. Never thought of it being a scam. They said they were bringing out a quarterly magazine, and would I like to buy some space for the year.
> 
> Oh well....you learn by your mistakes. :mad5:


I nearly fell for it. Just never ever agree to pay for anything that you get called by someone selling until you have doublt checked its genuine. Best way is use google to search for any phone numbers they use or give you and as others have said ask for a copy of what they will put your ad in.


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## Kaz64 (Mar 4, 2012)

Paganman, I actually got stuff through the post, and a graphic of the advert they were supposedly putting in this Police Publication. They even offered discount for prompt payment, with their account details. So I did a Faster Payment.

Pfffft! 

Koolchick, am glad you didn't get taken in.


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## Paganman (Jul 29, 2011)

Kaz64 said:


> Paganman, I actually got stuff through the post, and a graphic of the advert they were supposedly putting in this Police Publication. They even offered discount for prompt payment, with their account details. So I did a Faster Payment.
> 
> Pfffft!
> 
> Koolchick, am glad you didn't get taken in.


Well if it is a police publication and you paid but they failed,get down the local small claims court with your proof of payment and get your money back with costs and interest


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## wagwoofwalk (May 8, 2012)

Thought I'd just add to this.

I got called by the same people. I wasn't going to agree to anything without researching it first but as the person said they were from the police I didn't want to be rude so I listened to what they said. 

Basically we left it as I was going to check out their website and call them back if I was interested. 

Despite this they still sent me a proof copy of what they'd done (using pictures and my logo from my website) and an invoice.

They keep on sending "final demand" invoices and leaving messages on my business mobile number demanding payment. I've blocked their number now but I still get the invoices and I didn't actually agree to anything.


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## WarFlyball (Aug 15, 2008)

I've had a few calls like this, I tend to tell them that I don't need to pay for advertising and I'm not interested. As soon as you say you're not interested they put the phone down without even saying goodbye! 
The other ones doing the rounds are the folk who put TV screens in vets and try to get you to pay a fortune to go on them when most vets will take your card for free - the number of times they have rung me they clearly aren't managing to hook anyone in as they say they only take one dog walker etc per area. When I asked them to see some information regarding people who had used them and how many customers/leads it had generated they didn't have any info at all...


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