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Yellow Book review: Fraudulent activity 31

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11:41 am EDT
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It all started with my desire to up my business this year, seeing that the economy was going down i thought i would try yellow book, since they had the back page available. Being such a big purchase I was sure that my service would be great, and that they would do me good. I even payed for the first two months ahead and was promised that this would apply to the first two months of the ad, Jan and Feb (the harder months for a painter).

Well here is where it gets interesting, first of all I was promised to receive a proof within two weeks, and we even gave them an example that we wanted to be replicated. It took almost four with me constantly checking in and bugging them. Finally getting the proof, it was not at all like I wanted, Instead of the American Flag as background it was white, and the general design made my ad look more like a quilt... on top of all this, the phone numbers were wrong, the info was missing and the title of the company was wrong too...

Of course at this point I didn't think too much of it, just felt like the company didn't put much effort into it at all. After I sent the proof off the next day I would not receive another proof again. Time passed and I was excited to see my ad, until I finally received a copy of the yellow pages... NONE of the changes were made, not one except the phone numbers! I was very upset, and gave them a call about the ad.

They in turn said they will give me a call back never did. Then a bill came (keep in mind i pre paid for the first two months) and it said that I owed 450, I called them and told them i pre paid and the answer they gave me was that they applied it toward the last two months of the cycle. I argued that I paid for the first two and they agreed to fix it within a few days, then a second bill came for twice the amount and i called again and from here they just refuse to fix the problem saying that they will not and there is nothing we can do about it.

I am upset, disappointed, and in a bad position since i did not plan to pay for the first two months... I live in Washington and it rains at least 8-9 months out of the year, so you mainly paint june july and August. because of this you don't have much money to spend on this kind of stuff, which is why i paid ahead of time.

They are now saying that they can put me on collection... I don't know what to do.

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jhonbs
rockville, US
Apr 05, 2013 12:22 pm EDT

Hey... please like us on facebook! look up yellowbook scam

we are on https://www.facebook.com/YellowbookScam

lets stop this terrible company!

crappie22
crappie22
Lewisville, US
Sep 10, 2012 8:46 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

We own a small computer company in Texas.
I am a graphic artist.
A yellowbook rep. came out and sold us an ad (February 2011). He made a quick sketch on his laptop . . . it was supposed to just be a sketch.
I told him I'd re-design it and so I did. I sent him the artwork and he confirmed and supposedly gave it to yellowbook's art department.
A couple months later the book came out. I couldn't believe it, they put in his sketch instead of my design.
We were so pissed.
After a lot of complaining and back and forth, we stopped paying. Then we had 1 year of collection company calls, Clovis & Roche.
Very rude and stupid people. The last we heard was in January 2012 that we would be sued.
And then today a weird call from yellowbook, that woman had such a bad accent I do not know what she said. The caller ID said unavailable, so I called the number back and sure enough it was yellowbook.

So, now, after reading all the yellowbook complaints, I wondering what's going to happen.
We also went to a lawyer and she said we may have a case . . . but we no longer have the money for a lawyer, thanks to yellowbook our business has gone down the drain, since the book came out we got 1 stinking call.

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mrsb05
East Moline, US
Jan 23, 2012 6:41 pm EST

This is ridiculous. Yellowbook has screwed my husband and I royally. We called in October of 2011 to have them stop automatic payments because we NEVER signed up for them. They insisted we did but said that auto-payment was canceled and we would just get our bill in the mail. After months of us outsmarting them by not keeping money in our accounts, we had to put money in there to pay a bill. Not even 1 hour after the money is deposited they have taken out their payment. We called our bank and learned that there hasnt even been an attempt to withdraw until the money was in the account. What that means is Yellowbook has been monitoring our PERSONAL bank account and waiting until we had money to take out the payment. We called back and talked to Yellowbook and miraculously they cant find the conversation we had in October with them saying that it was cancelled. On top of that the Collection agent named AKIL was extremely rude calling us idiots and incompetent for not understanding that it wasnt cancelled yet. After insulting our intelligence he gave me a number to call to speak with customer service. I called them and they told me that because we were rude to there agent that they could not help me and promptly hung up. DO NOT GET INVOLVED WITH YELLOWBOOK THEY ARE TERRIBLE!

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ayco
Hilo, US
Sep 21, 2011 2:31 am EDT

My complaint with YELLOWBOOK is severe. They have destroyed my business. I finally decided to enter into the "website world" after nearly 20 years in business. I started last year with a 5 page contract, I worked for days exactly on the look that I wanted and sent it to my "website contact" with YellowBook. This was after placing over $400 deposit for the year. Into the second month of going back and forth I finally spoke to an honest YellowBook employee out of the East Coast who admitted that what I wanted could not be done due to the limitations of the software YellowBook used to create web pages. What he submitted as their design was unacceptable and I declined the web site part of the contract. I was supposed to be credited but I am still trying to resolve that.
I am a designer and have been successful in my community for many years. But the market is changing and after being convinced by my sales rep I agreed to create a website. Since YellowBook could not create what I needed and what was submitted was just awful and would hurt my business we aborted putting up the 5 page website. Around comes this years advertising and once again my long time sales rep convinces me to try again with a single information page web site and then when my webisite now being designed was completed we could have a link.
So we proceeded on this years ad contract, since I know the internet is where it is at and I am very late getting a webiste presence. Well I never receive any information, contact by phone or email from the website design dept at YellowBook as promised by my sales rep. only the approval of the print ad. I am fighting the worst economy ever as we all are and not thinking about chasing down the YellowBook design people to see my website design. The result I only find out what was created, whent the sales rep comes around for this coming year's ad contract . They produced without my approval or review, what is more than HORRENDOUSLY DESIGNED page. And I am just learning now was up for 6 months. It was so bad that my sales rep is afraid to show it to me until the end of our meeting. Being a designer the only comparison I can seriously make is that this page was so horrible that if I was a plastic surgeon it would be like a photo of a client with a crooked nose and a gash across their cheek as the photo to advertise the business. It took more than three weeks to get this "negative advertising weapon" taken down by YellowBooks technical department and then with promises of follow up to get a new page produced, no one contacted me. At this point I decided it was not my job to chase these people down, they were paid for a service and did not follow through once again. Now here comes the sales rep for this years ads and the phone calls start coming that I owe YellowBook more money. But no one calls to remedy what I am supposed to be paying for to get a web page up, which once again their technical dept promised.
So I took all my payments made for this year, which fortunately where made on my credit card, and put them into dispute. NOW everyone is contacting me including someone from RESOLUTIONS DEPT and an insulting offer to deduct $296. from my account, instead of agreeing to the disputed amount of payments of $323.96 ; no acknowledgement of the damage they caused my business and not even to agree to put the account on hold for 3 months, which I requested while I recover from this disaster, the HORRENDOUS WEB page it turns out was up for 6 months. I refuse to accept this treatment, and after reading all these complaints and the damage they caused I am going to see exactly what is involved in a CLASS ACTION SUIT. Because come on people, look at all the business this company has hurt, not lived up to their contract or their advertising and in my case actually caused damage.
They think they are too big well that is not the right attitude to take because if everyone groups together, they can be hurt and seriously.
anyone who has a similar situation to mine please contact
ayco64@gmail.com

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John in Nevada
Carson City, US
Jun 16, 2011 4:44 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

The service I was promised never happened. I fought with them to cancel my contract with no results. I cost me $700.00 for 4 - that's right four phone calls that did not result in new business. Beware of Yellowbook!
You would spend your money better paying someone to stand on a corner with your sign.

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TK's Country Pools
Springtown, US
May 23, 2011 7:29 pm EDT
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they are horrible! They suck! The marketing department needs huge help and the customers service providers. I bet the go bankrupt!

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David P.
Roseto, US
May 23, 2011 5:50 pm EDT
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CORRECTIONS TO MY POSTING ABOVE IN ORDER- > *WENT TO A GAS STATION 10 MILES AWAY TO ASK FOR THE NEW BOOK, CAUSE I DIDN'T EVEN GET ONE*... AND THEN ADDED THEIR OWN FONT *... HUGE*... BECAUSE*... sorry when you type in anger & on an old computer, mispelling happens.

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David P.
Roseto, US
May 23, 2011 5:26 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

(( David P. 5/23/2011 510 SLB Roseto, PA)).. This years 2011 book came out. 2 months prior I ordered two dollar bill size adds with 6 websites with the deal. It Came to $820 down, $410 a month. Here I am thinking im going to recieve amazing service ( WRONG !) Never got a phone call for my proof, or to be worked with for exact print appearence for 2 months straight. ((Never got a hard proof in the mail)) which they assured me i would. Never got the book delievered to me. ((Never got my 6 page websites)) with my offer which was paid up front. ((Cannot)) find myself or my 6 webpages anywhere online, even on there website ! Had to go ask a gas station 10 miles away if i can have thiers ! Should i have to have done that ? NO ! I get the book only to find out they shifted my add out of place in the book, photo & pdf file. And the added their own font and wording to my add. I got pipe dreams with no promises & nothing in return regarding the way i wanted things to be.. For prime example, My ad was supposed to be printed showing my services were only ($99 per job) to save people money & so people would call me right away.. ( It was a perfect approach & plan given the fact no one else listed this way. 7 days before print date, i had to call them & they tell me your proof hasn't even been worked on yet ! In furious rage, I send them my pdf file again, , , they tell me you have to add the words ( ask about ) next to your $99 & i was told i must list this way with no other choice ! I immediately wanted to cancel, they said you cannot. Thanks should've called me earlier when you sent me no proof and i would've jerk offs. So i send them back my PDF with the smallest ( ask about possible ) so it wouldn't hurt my add none, cause i already was furious @ this point with the whole idea. (( Without my consent )) they disregarded my font & added thier own h0ge font
(ASK ABOUT) right next to my $99 price. ! Well with 2 small dollar bill size ads, compared to 10 full page adds before me, I have to somehow beat my full page add competitors. So displaying my price was the perfect idea, cause no one else had thiers listed. Now think about it, if it says (ask about) (when it really IS $99) It causes heads to turn away becuase im the only one that knows now you dont have to ask about anything, therefore now i'm completely washed up. The vision, plan & dream is crushed ! Thank you yellowbook for all your quality service & everything i didnt want for my money ! Through out the whole entire process of expecting beauty to come from this - I never even got a phone call... I had to call them & I got hell, rather then heaven with an idea & ad they decided to give me, versus staying in touch with me to give me exactly what i wanted ! Yellowbook gave me a Mis-print, no customer care or service, no calls to my phone not once from them regarding my add, no book @ my door step, no websites, no nothing ! All recorded & documented.. My lawyer said if they try to send you a bill I will be in court so fast they'll be sorry they sent it.. Yellowbook pipe dreams loosers !

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eric apt
roanoke, US
Apr 12, 2011 1:34 am EDT

If everyone sat back and thought about it, the world is made up of the rich, screwing over the poor that are unable to defend themselves..You live your life hoping that the next person you deal with wont screw you over as bad as the last one did..A few months ago in Indiana we had a Blizzard Warning, outside of Krogers a guy was trying to sell gallons of milk for 6 bucks since the store was sold out..This is the old US ofA for ya.you know what, I think Iwill just sit on my [censor], , run up my credit cards, then wait for about one year and settle for 75% less then what I charged...Have the rich get it from the taxes..[censor]ing world is a joke.The funny thing is, , I can do it, , my wife has a 735 credit rating, , I dont need mine..ruin my credit yellowbook.I will still beable to get a new car with a 2.99/3.99 intrest rate..Yellowbook has a better chance of my son growing another arm then getting the money they ripped me off of..Come get your money..Kinda hard to garnish someone that owns his own company..I will just have them pay cash or make the checks payable to my wife...lol...F with me...I love it!

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TK's Country Pools
Springtown, US
Mar 18, 2011 5:35 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I have had the WORST customer service from Yellow Book. We requested proof of our ads to verify its satisfaction and they never gave me proofs until after it was too late to make any changes. Not only were the pictures they chose the exact opposite of what we ask for, we never got to turn in our Co-op. C0-op would have paid for half the ads! We were told that yellow book doesnt have to show us proofs. BS! Im not paying for something I did not approve. Yellow book did attempt to settle with a discount, but it was hardly a discount to me. I was not asked if I agreed to the discount. I was forc fed it. I am being told I am being reported to the collections now. Im not scared of YELLOW BOOK. BRING IT! I'm not paying you a damn dime. HORRIBLE SERVICE!

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Randi Tieken
Escondido, US
Mar 17, 2011 5:35 pm EDT

Can we start a class action lawsuit against yellow book. I cancelled my ad with the rep, called in to the Prussia office and sent a letter, which they say they never got. Each way I tried to cancel they tell me its not the way to cancel, if I call, you need to do it in writing, in writing they tell you you have to cancel with the rep, I cancel with the rep and they say you have to send a fax to PRussia, they keep you on a vicious cycle till the deadline of cancelling passes and then tell you you didnt cancel by the deadline. I have been paying them thousands of needless dollars just to keep the collectors off my back and now they are threatening to take me to court. They have destroyed our businesses credit and I dont know what to do. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Randi Tieken
Window Magic randi777@cox.net

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Steve M Brandeberry
Urbana, US
Feb 24, 2011 2:20 am EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

In 1982 a gentleman in Piqua Ohio started a Champaign County Ohio telephone directory it was called AMTEL Directory after his company name Area Marketing Telephone Directories. In 1994 I bought certain assets of his company including the rights to the name AMTEL. After a business partnership that went 'south', 'my' former company was sold to yellow book. I had sold my company to an invester who was to sell me the company back within 5 years but the investor was in breach of contract..I won the law suit but he kept the 'worthless' company. When I sold to my invester he asked for the right to USE the name but he sold yellowbook the exclusive rights...someone didnt do their due dilegence! my 1994 contracts, which yellow book have in their posession show that my comapny American Telephone AND I PERSONALLY OWN THE RIGHTS...YELLOWBOOK has THE RIGHT TO USE THE NAME BUT SO do i..SO THE COURTS WILL deside...yellowbook HAS SUED MY FOR STARTING A competitive book in the market using the AMTEL name. The public and business owners LOVE us and most HATE yellowbook for many of the reasons listed above!

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best In repts
Greensboro, US
Jan 24, 2011 2:35 pm EST

Thank You Everyone this has helped me make up my mind . I will not be doing business with them. I was undecided and you all helped me to see. Thank you all
Elise Keiser
Best In Repts
www.bestinrepts.com

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CoolRiverMassage
Port Richey, US
Dec 30, 2010 6:59 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

In October of 2009, I opened a small business and placed a print ad in a local ad booklet. My first call as a result was from Tara Lewin, a Yellowbook.com salesperson in Iowa. She gave me a long sales pitch about how great Yellowbook.com ads perform, and that it would be a great boost to my business. Before I said yes, I asked her how many calls I would be able to expect, she told me 20-30 a month was not uncommon. I figured if I got maybe five calls a month, or even one or two, it would pay for itself, so I gave it a try.

I had never seen a Yellowbook.com ad, but she made it sound so good that I went ahead. What I got was a plain white page with a few sentences, and a crappy stock photo that did not represent me at all. I knew I had been taken, I just knew it. One month into the ad I complained to a company representative, and he promised me that if I gave it time, I would see great results. I still have that email, where he promises that I was not wasting my money. The result was a great big nothing!

To make a long story short, an entire year passed with not one single call or email. I refused to pay for the ad because they would not make any attempt to satisfy me, I was told I have to pay no matter what because I had a one year contract. Now I have their collection agency harassing me every day. I want everyone to know what a sleazy company Yellowbook is. Don't waste your money! All they care about is taking your money! No customer service at all. Nasty, on the phone, they ignore letters and emails unless there is money attached to it.

I ask every single person who calls me, how did you find me? In a full year, not one single person responded "Yellowbook.com".

A few months into this, I was getting worried about them trashing my credit rating, I called and tried to offer them what I owed up to that point, and have them cancel the ad. The woman on the other end sounded like that would be OK, but then supposedly asked a manager, who refused. I was told I have to pay no matter what. The response from the rep was "WE CAN'T MAKE PEOPLE CALL YOU."
My reaction was if this is the way you treat your customer then I am just going to have to refuse to pay for this garbage. I am no deadbeat, but there's no way I'm paying for this worthless product no matter what they try to do to me. Yellowbook.com is a sleazy, deceptive, company. Stay away!

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macthefloorguy
Tulsa, US
Dec 30, 2010 8:03 am EST

Also, regarding my dispute with Yellow book, the" customer service" rep. told me yesterday, I know the person that spoke to you and he would never promise that we would cancel your internet ad and you would owe nothing. I asked him if they recorded conversations, because that was EXACTLY what I was promised, or I wouldn't have paid them anything, because, as I said, I never proofread an ad, and I don't believe that I ever signed a contract. I believe that my signature was forged from an earlier contract. The year before, they actually left me completely out of the directory, and I still had to pay the full amount. This is the most dishonest company I have ever dealt with in my life. I WILL NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THEM AGAIN.

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macthefloorguy
Tulsa, US
Dec 30, 2010 7:57 am EST

"Ditto" to just about all of the above complaints. I have never dealt with a business so dishonest in their dealings in my entire life. They are incompetent, lying, low-lifes who deliberately mislead customers, intentionally lie to them, and, I bleieve, engage in criminal acts such as forging signatures on contracts. I signed a contract at one time a few years ago, and I don't recall signing an agreement to advertise with them for this year's directory or internet. I never got a "proof" of my ad listings, and was not told that they were reducing the size of the book by at least 1/3, eliminating residential listings, etc. which I believe makes their book an inferior product compared to past editions, and more likely to be thrown away. I was told that they were not required to disclose that the book was going to be smaller, or that residential listings would no longer be included in the book. I believe that my signature was forged on the contract, using an old contract as a sample to copy. On the site "[redacted]", several customers stated that their signatures were forged on contracts. I made a payment about 60 days ago, before I ever received any books delivered, and agreed to a settlement with the "customer service" rep that I was paying in full for the print ad for the entire year, and that I could cancel the internet ad immediately and would owe nothing. Since that time, I've received several "late payment notices" and assumed that they had just not posted my payment yet. I received a new letter from the "collection department", opened it, and noticed that they were threatening turning me over to a collection agency. I called to straighten the problem out, and was told that they applied my payment, which was for the exact amount due for the book ads, to my "internet account" because it was set up on a different billing start cycle than the book. I was told that the rep had no authority to settle the account in full and cancel the internet ad, and I would have to pay for it despite what he had told me. They offered to "give me a deal" and knock off about $6 in late charges if I wanted to pay them another $600. I told them to forget it and send the payment back and I would see them in court if that's what they wanted to do, because I was promised that my check was for payment in full and I WOULD OWE NOTHING. I think we all need to contact not only our state attorney general, but also the US attorney's office and have the US attorney pursue these CROOKS. Also, the quality of the printing in the directory is extremely poor, it looks like they were running out of ink for much of the directory. It is much harder to read, the catagories are hard to find and don't make a lot of sense in many cases. kmacg@cox.net

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hotel2
Portland, US
Dec 20, 2010 4:37 pm EST

I am wondering if they are actually doing something considered ILLEGAL. The reason I ask is I just noticed that I can get the recording of all the calls that come through the "special no." which trust me non of them are customers just a few people looking for work or asking for free advise... But my concern is we always ask our customers for a deposit on a CC to hold a reservation. I am concerned that the customers CC no. can fall into the wrong hands since these people are not very trust worthy. I was not even aware they would be recorded and I will never know which calls come from that no. as they all get forwarded to my reg. phone so does that mean I have to warn all my customers they might be recorded and then how do I get the deposit which we have done for years... I hate these people and their ads are worthless. PS they also charged me double for 2 months and they said they would credit back to my credit card but when I called back and asked why the credits were not put back they said oh we changed our minds we just credited to you YB account so you are paid up for the next 4 months. HOW do they get to choose what to do with MY F____ money!

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eric apt
roanoke, US
Nov 30, 2010 2:06 pm EST

Now how can the courts get away with allowing them"the yellowbook" to keep doing this to people?mine started out about the same way, , They had me sign a contract and told me that they would get together with me to go through pictures of mine to be placed on the yellow book web site, , they never contacted me even though over&over again I tried to contact them, , .. not only did my website never get put on...But most of all, , , the part in the yellowbook itself that I payed the most for had someone elses landscape pictures in...not mine...I did the same thing, , I called again&again&again...no calls back...I stopped the withdraw from my account..then when I did here from a Henry from the yellow book I was told by him that the women who I signed with no longer worked for the company...everytime from that point on that i would received a bill I would call them telling them that I wanted them to cancel it, , , why couldnt they, , they placed my ad in the yellowbook under a phone# that would dial through to my phone even though it wasnt the # I had..They each time explained to me that I signed a contract, , , even though they didnt hold up to ther end of it...I told them fine, , , I just wont pay because from the month the book came out tothe present I called them trying to cancel...this went on for 8 months and now they sent me to collections threatening me that will put holds on my properties, vehicles, , bank accounts ect...When I called collections he said these words, , , In the contract it shows that you needed to send a written letter to yellow book explaining why...and that the yellow book wasnt there to quote- hold my hands...Even though I called every month for 8 months to make them cancel, , , , that tells me that they train people to lie or not be honest over & over again just to collect off of people...This is the exact reason the world is the way it is today... rich getting over on the poor in anyway they can...Then the courts backing them...same with the BBB that gets payed big money from these company's to back them...What a joke the world has turned out to be...Eric apt [protected]

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Spinnell
, US
Jun 12, 2010 7:43 pm EDT

I took out an add that got no response. I was also conned into getting upsold to print which I did not really want and was told by yellerbook that my consultant no longer works there. Well if they treat their sales people like they do customers it no wonder. I worked out a payment plan with them and now that isn't good enough. I cancelled my internet account and am stuck with paying for print. Yellerbook is a dirty company. I AM BEING THREATENED WITH COLLECTIONS AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT!
If any body would like to form an alliance to fight I would be interested in doing just that. Americans are having enough problems without crooks hiding behind a contract that is riddled with lies and deception.

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Kevin Trusheim
Flemington, US
Mar 30, 2010 2:57 pm EDT

Signed a contract with Shaun Lowy an Account Representative with Yellow Book who is out of the Skillman, NJ office. I was going to place another (2nd year) add in the Hunterdon County, NJ are Yellow Book. I explained to Shaun Lowy that, “I don’t know if I’m going to advertise due to the economy!” He explained not a problem, “you can cancel anytime”. After talking it over with my fiancé, I had thought to skip this year and put the money into my web site. Mid August I had called Shaun Lowy. I received his voice mail and left a message, “not to run the add!” I had not heard back from him…which I thought was not good business, and at least to try to sell me a smaller add! In addition, I emailed him the same request not to run the add! Not hearing from him again…I called and left another voice mail!
Sure enough I got a bill for $1, 113 dollars. I had ignored the art work revision contracts sent to me, because I thought my account representative would show good ethics and business practice by requesting my verbal and written request. Accounting has told me I have to pay and would suffer the consequences of late fees, lawyer charges and 25% interest if I ignore the bill! Accounting also told me if I produce the email sent to Shaun he would handle the bill. Currently, I have filed a complaint with the BBB.org and the FTC.org and the Attorney Generals office of my state.
On 2/30/20010 I spoke to Supervisor Jay Freid, from the Skillman office and he explained a contract is a contract and that he spoken to Shaun. No surprise he said, if I recover the email he will reconsider…but at this time there is nothing he can do.
I’m never ever going to advertise with the Yellow Book again! The book has gotten smaller and smaller. My prediction is that in a few years Shaun and Jay will not have Jobs! The yellow book doesn’t even list residential phone numbers any more…isn’t that telling you something. One of my customers in Tewksbury, NJ didn’t even take the book out of the bag, she just through it in her paper recycling! It’s called changing with the times. I am very disappointed that my requests with Shaun Lowy not to run the advertisement were ignored. Now I will ignore Yellow Book AND NEVER AGAIN DO BUSINESS WITH THEM! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! BAD SERVICE!

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RRND
Jupiter, US
Feb 25, 2010 10:03 am EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

My situation sounds similar... in summary, I was told I could cancel my account before the print ads went out. Unfortunately, I didn't get that in writing... only verbal. I followed the steps the representative said I need to do, only to find out they printed it again and charged me >$2000. When I asked them about this, they said I only wanted to cancel their internet account. When I asked for the recording of the conversation (which they said they had), they stopped responding to my e-mails and did not return my calls. I hired a lawyer and she eventually ran into the same roadblocks. She was able to obtain the contract (which I didn't have) and on the back it says you have only 7 days to cancel the print ads. I question if they didn't doctor this up, but not much I could do.

So now I'm just trying to pay the balance and in return get a letter from them stating the account is closed ... for good. I've been trying for over a month now... no response from multiple attempts and methods. I'd love to fight this, but who has time and the money.

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Brian Pet Sitter
South Euclid, US
Feb 11, 2010 9:41 pm EST

I had a situation almost identical to one already mentioned. After cancelling my contract because I was told if I did not I would continue to be charged, I was still charged the same amount per month. I was told this was for the internet ad, and I had cancelled the print ad only.

I did not realize at first the I had been paying for over a year, since I did not imagine they would just keep charging me especially after I signed a cancellation, and I was letting Yellowbook automatically bill my credit card. They refused to give me back my money I paid for the three months beyond when my ad appeared in the book.

The only reason they give is that I signed a contract. I complained to the better business bureau but they were not able to really do anything.

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Paint Master
Boothwyn, US
Jan 22, 2010 9:34 am EST

Consumer Alert! Beware of Yellow Book of King of Prussia and PA!

I’m a small painting contractor located in southeastern Pennsylvania and I’ve had nothing but ongoing problems and harassment from Yellow Book of King of Prussia, PA just because I’ve voiced my complaints back in August of 2008 about their poor service with their customer service department. They will gladly send their independent sales reps to collect your money, (they will even come to your funeral, ) but when it comes to resolving an issue regarding something as simple as a spelling error or incorrect phone number in your phone book ad, they (in my case, ) simply ignored my request to make the changes until I signed the contract and gave them a check. I decided because of this poor treatment, that I would discontinue my service with them. I did not sign the contract for ongoing service with them in August of 2008 and yet they (sales rep Wilcox, ) persistently harassed me to continue service.
Every time I called Yellow Book they would just leave me hanging on to a digitalized voice mail with the inability of someone to resolve my problem. When I finally got through to a customer service rep, they told me there was no such employee by the name of Wilcox.
To summarize my situation for the rest of you consumers, Yellow Book of King of Prussia, PA Representative Joan McNamara decided to continue printing my ad (with spelling errors and misprints, ) without my authorization! The company continued to bill me, followed later with threatening letters and unidentified phone calls from RMS collections and then went on to put a negative mark on my personal credit report with Dunn & Bradstreet, Transition, and other credit agencies.
Now I’ getting letters from Yellow Books attorneys telling me to send them a check for $2200.00 and this problem will disappear. What about the PRINCIPLE POINT IN THIS MATTER!
After having great credit over the years as a small business, I am getting denied small business loans from my bank and others because YELLOW BOOK has severely affected my chances of getting new credit!
I have decided to take this to court representing myself, (I can’t afford a lawyer, ) and I will fight Yellow Book right to the end and I hope the rest of their greedy executives will go down with the ship.
Take it from me as a hardworking fighting small business person, stay away from YELLOW BOOK!
I would love to hear from all of you who have had similar problems with Yellow Book. Fight BACK!
tkalinoski@comcast.net
Thomas

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rexs
Las Vegas, US
Jan 08, 2010 7:22 pm EST

Hey, Jax
I am sorry that yellow book screwed you over. It look like you are not the only one that yellow book screwed. I was just on the web and I found a website that you can have a ebillboard for to advertising for FREE. Just go to www.seekshallfind.com

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Sheri Rigdon
Hennessey, US
Nov 04, 2009 6:09 pm EST

PLEASE STAY AWAY from Yellow Book. I wish I had Googled for complaints about them before I signed a year ago! I am fighting with them now and see I am not the only one with issues. I paid my account for the year then when the rep. came around I signed a cancellation form. Well guess WHAT...that supposedly doesn't include the internet listing! IT SAYS RIGHT ON IT INTERNET PLACEMENT! So then I have to fax over the page I signed because for some "unknown" reason they didn't have a copy of that! I told them I did not owe them for something I had cancelled and didn't hear anything back. They sent another bill and nasty collection letter. SO I sent them two months late fees $4.00 each and told them I may owe that but that was my final payment...I wrote final payment on the check, also. They called and left a message saying that I owed a lot more than that and they would not be cashing my check. Now a lady from accounting called today and told me I owed 5 months internet service. I explained that I cancelled and she again said that the cancellation was not for the internet service and asked if I had read the back of the contract! THIS COMPANY IS ###! I would like to go around town...find all the Yellow Books I could and send them back to them! I am going to write on every compaint board I can find about them and so far that hasn't been hard!

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HJ11
, US
Oct 03, 2009 7:55 pm EDT

I signed with yellow book paide for two monts was told That I could cancle any time by the sale person Steve. . Tried to call him back with in two weeks that Adv was wrong and did not list what I did. NO response. And no calls to the business. I sent a letter with in 30 days and cancled the account because they had the wrong information in the adv. Have sent them copyies of the cancelation. This Drags On From Last Noveember 08. Numerious call about the bill. Me stateing the incorrect ADv. and No calls. Received a call yesterday Oct 1 Stating that I could not cancle until December of this year and I stated that I am NOt going to pay them"We'll get you dont' worry".
Enough from these people. I have never received a call from any customer.

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scubageorge
Apache Junction, US
Sep 29, 2009 1:53 pm EDT

In my twenty five years of advertising i have NEVER come across such a corrupt Company! They dont even try and hide it because they know that fighting it will cost you time and money. They are the lowest kind of ### you can come across ! Stay Clear of YELLOW BOOK no matter what they offer ... No matter what they Promise... No matter the great deal ... Tell them No Thank you and walk away you will thank me for it! ( No matter what the deal is they will screw you and WILL NOT STOP till you take them to court ) and that will cost you lots of time and money! they figure their book is worthless for advertising so you will not sign up again next year so they will take you for all they can, and get new suckers for the year after!

DO NOTHING TILL YOU READ BELOW !

To whom it may concern,

I was approached by a Nancy Krugjohann by phone call regarding advertising with Yellowbook around 6-1-08, she had gotten my info off a Clipper magazine advertising add.
She told me a little about herself and what she did trying to sell me advertising on her phonebook I told her that I had not touched a phonebook in five years so was not interested at that point.
She then told me about a package deal that she had with online services that she could bundle up so I told that I could not meet with her then but maybe next week.
After persistent phone calls we set up a meeting at a restaurant so she could show me her products, at that point I came in and found that she was there along with who she said was her manager, and they both started to push the online yellowbook ads and said they could give a great deal on a package, to which I said again I don’t use the phonebook and I think it is on the way out. but if they gave me a great deal I might consider it, since I was getting good response from the magazines every month for only $400 a month and I said good by.

The following few days I got a phone call once sometimes twice a day from Nancy and even a few from her manager to the point were I would have to mute my phone during appointments with my customers.

Then it happened, my son who I had gotten custody of from two years had gotten sick, and I had been lucky enough to never had gone through that before . He had gotten a terrible strain of the Flu that was going around that had left him weak from days of constant throwing up and had not been able to retain water.
That lead to Dehydration to the point of unconsciousness,
Needless to say we had ended up in emergency room under care at Banner The dehydration go so severe that they thought there were other complications of some sort.
During that time and days prior the calls were constant none stop I was not even answering my phone .
Then on the day that they had stopped the vomiting and had attached him to liquid through Iv he was finally resting when I started getting the phone calls again so I answered,
it was Nancy again telling me that it was the last day to sign up.
I told her about my situation and that I was in the hospital with my son and would not be able to meet with her since I am a single parent !

With out skipping a beat she insisted that she go to the hospital to meet with me because it was the very last day to help me with the advertising and that is why she had to meet with me today, so I told her that I was tired after a few days of no sleep and could not do it,

She said it would only take five minutes so she can get my authorization to get the paperwork started to it could go to print then we could meet to arrange the details.

So she shows up again at the hospital and I go down to the waiting area to see her and her manager again, they both were very polite and stated that they were sorry for the circumstance and for my son but that this would get me in then I could meet with them and the add designer to do the campaign pictures information etc.

I was hesitant about signing the paper work and they said " not to worry they would take care of me " but that they would have to charge me $40.00 dollars for the person to meet with me to put together the adds?
I once again straight forward asked them NOT to print anything with out us meeting and going over the designs. Once again they assured me that they would call me the next day to set up a time after my son was out of the hospital to for us to meet.

Well this is were everything goes wrong! After being called nonstop for half the month the calls COMPLETELY STOPPED !
Not a call the next day, or the day after that, or the rest of the week.
On the Monday following that I left a message for Nancy and no return, then again a few days later then I called her office and I was told that she was in the field a lot but that they would get her the message to return the call.
I called her again ( NO ANSWER ) Then her Office ( She was not there again ) so I asked when she was usually in and the lady that I talked to said she could not give me that information? so I asked her to please let me speak to her manager she said HE was not there but she would give him the message to call me?

THE FOLLOWING MONDAY... I called again no call back and no Nancy at her office ? I asked the lady if she had been giving my messages to her and her manager and she said that she had, I asked her to pass me over to the manger above them SHE SAID SHE COULD NOT DO THAT ! that they would call me back at when They had a chance!
At that point I got pretty upset and asked her to please give me a phone number where I could talk to someone from corporate and she refused! We went on back and forth for a while and she finally said that there was nothing else she could do and hung up on me!
I called Nancy back and told her TO CALL ME BACK ASAP ! THAT I WAS UPSET AND THAT I NEEDED TO TALK TO HER TODAY !
NO CALL BACK!

After about three more weeks and ridiculous games I called my creditcard company and canceled !
Guess what the very next Monday Nancy calls !
And she says HELLOOOO Mr. Martinez, how are you? Well what a coincidence that you call right after I cancelled my creditcard ? I am not doing so well thanks to you!
She asks Why? So I told her well because you swore up and down along with your manager about how you were going to call me the next day for us to meet and this is the fist time you have talked to me or returned my calls! So I went on about how I left messages for her and she swore up and down that she had not received any, but I told her it did not matter you called me three times a day for twenty days straight and lied to me to get a signature and as soon as you did you disappeared!
She said OH NO Mr. Martinez I am going to get to the bottom of this and talk to my area manager about your situation and make sure you are taken care of! I will call you early in the am to let you know what we can do?

that was the last time I talked to her?

Then I started getting bills from YellowBook... for over $4000 dollars? for months I thought that my add had not made it to print because we had never gotten together and I had never gotten a sales call?

Till a friend of mine called me one day not to congratulate me for the add but to give me a hard time because he had seen the add and said ( " you cant see what the add is?" )
He dropped off the book so I could see it because I never got one !

What those ### did was got the add from the Clipper were they had found me and shrunk it !
and placed it in their book !
I AM NOT JOKING ! THEY TOOK A HALF PAGE ADD FROM A MAGAZINE AND SHRUNK IT INTO A 6" x 1-7/8" INCH SPACE!

So here I am, after trying to talk Yellowbook they stated that it did not matter what happened or how it happened or if I was deliberately conned I would have to pay the amount they were asking for.

Folks I really need your help in this situation because I know now after talking to more and more people that these people are prepared to pressure the business that they have conned by taking them to court . They have the financial capacity to spend time and money for attorneys and court.

Please contact me George Martinez at [protected] thank you very much

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SalesRep
Springfield, US
Aug 15, 2009 5:21 pm EDT

I have worked for Yellow Book for five years now. Unfortunately, I have seen many unscrupulous employees come and go in that time frame. Yellow Book is a company that prides itself on its integrity. In regards the two month deposit, it should have been explained that the first bill is due about 60 days after distribution of the directory. My recommendation to anyone who is dissatisfied with service from their sales rep, (regardless of whatever company you are dealing with) is call and demand to talk to a manager. Yellow Book has been around for nearly 80 years. A company that treats its customers as shabbily as it accused of doing here would not last that long.

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JSB Web Deisgn
Maryville, US
Aug 05, 2009 10:01 am EDT

Yellow book is nothing but lies and deception. Please no one else fall for their lies. They say you can cancel after 2 months, except after 2 months they act like you don't know what you're talking about. I had 3 phone calls with them. I asked for recordings of all 3. I received call #2 and #3. It has now been about 45 days and I have not heard a single word about call #1. Guess which call I am told I can cancel after 2 months. Ridiculous that they can treat people this way.

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MenoFaith
Parkland, US
May 01, 2009 9:24 pm EDT

Shut down yellow book practices. They as despicable.

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MenoFaith
Parkland, US
May 01, 2009 9:22 pm EDT

Stay AWAY from yellow book ! They do not deliver what they promise. We have sold our old business and purchased a new one and after several call transfers, we are still receiving the same nonsense answers about closing an account for a business that NO LONGER exists. This is NOT a REPUTABLE organization. Complain to your BBB and theirs and also google consumer protection to complain to the authorities. Something will have to be done with enough complaints.