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Dex Media review: fraudulent contracts! 55

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12:00 am EDT
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I agree with this complaint 100%! We had the exact same thing happen to us. Dex Media told us that we had agreed to an auto renewal of our advertisement in some portion of a sales agreement that they we never saw much less agreed to. No one from Dex even Tried to contact us to see if we wanted to renew our ad, they just put it in again and billed us. I have refused to pay and they are now in the process of sending our account into collections which will damage our credit rating.
I have been told that the best course of action is to file a complaint with the Attorney General of the state that you were victimized in. I am in Oregon and so I will be filing with them immediately.

Is there anyone else who has had this problem? Dex Media needs to quit taking advantage of small business!

Oct 05, 2016 1:30 pm EDT
Dex Media customer support contacts
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2200 West Airfield Drive, P.O. Box 619810, DFW Airport, Dallas, TX, 75261, US

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I'm sorry to hear of the issue that you've outlined and would love to look into this matter for you and see if we can work toward a resolution. Please contact us via email at Social@dexmedia.com providing your business name/address, and preferred contact number for prompt follow up. Thank you, Ed!
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55 comments
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Bozem, US
Sep 14, 2009 2:45 pm EDT

I too had a call from a representative wanting to update my information. I told him I wanted to cancel my advertising for the next book and was told it was taken care of. After my contract should have ended I began receiving past due notices. Called the number on the bill, yes it was very easy to get a hold of someone, and was told they never received any cancellation notice.
So the next bit is in response to Dex Guy;
I'm always easy to get a hold of, being that I have one number (a cell phone which is always on me). So the statement "Yes, there is an automatic renewal clause in our contracts. This is ONLY if we cannot get a hold of the business owner or if they choose not to respond." is obviously false. I never recieved another call from any representative asking if I wanted to renew.
And this may not be the good old days where you can seal a deal with a handshake, but you can do so with a word (no signature necessary). So why should it not be the same to end the contract? especially when talking to a live person who reassures you it's no problem!
You may be an honest man trying to do an honest job, but you work for a company with dishonest business practices screwing the rest of us out of our hard earned money. If honesty was a trait Dex valued, they would work with me to find a mutual solution.
FYI: I will now be advertising with my local phone book who charges a fraction of the price for the same results. If you have an alternative in your area, I advise going with them.

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alice58
Bozeman, US
Aug 27, 2009 9:47 pm EDT

I work for an independent yellow page publisher (a competitor of DEX) and I can tell you that we DO NOT auto-renew our advertisers. Our customers LOVE us for the better service, more affordable rates, higher use of our books, and the fact that we do NOT renew your ads/listings unless you do give us your signature to renew. There is no longer a monopoly in phone books the way there used to be.

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Toyo
Phoenix, US
Jul 31, 2009 8:25 pm EDT

My nightmare is similar, only they have autorenewed my comnpany for 5 years. This has cost me over $5000 dollars. Sad part is I have paid it... as it was billed through my phone company instead of direct invoice. I did not even notice it until this month when having a third party disect my confusing 9 page phone bill for me. Unbelievable! I cannot believe a company can "auto-renew" an advertising piece without contact, and bill discreetly through phone company on top of that! I feel as though I have been robbed!

I cannot believe how many have complained of this an yet this company has not been sued, I will gladly join any group that is wanting to take this on.

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heatman
Idaho Falls, US
Jul 16, 2009 12:05 pm EDT

Well I have tried to cancel for over a year. They turned me into their collection agency, Allied and I just received a call from them. The lady stated no one has ever won a law suit against Dex. The only way to cancel is in written communication. Why don't they tell you that when you call? Well my ad isn't in their book this year and I didn't write letter, funny how that works.
I have tried for over a year to get a copy of my "contract" instead they sent me some paper with my name but not my signature some one else had signed it. Everytime I did get in contact with them I was told their was notes indicating I had ever called. So I guess that means I never called, right? I mean if there isn't a note it never happened? this company is full of crooks. I have told the lady at Allied to send me a copy of my orignal contract and I would take it to my lawyer. Hopefully she sends something. I will keep you posted.

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scott nelsen
, US
Jul 14, 2009 8:15 pm EDT

OH, ANOTHER THING. THE "CLAIMS LADY GAVE ME THE PHONE NO. OF "MY SALES REP. I CALLED AND TALKED TO HIM. HE CLAIMED THAT HE SENT ME A CONTRACT RENEWAL FORM OR LETTER OR WHATEVER AND THAT, IF I WANTED TO CANCEL, ALL I HAD TO DO WAS WRITE THAT ON THE LETTER AND SEND IT BACK. GEE, I'M PRETTY SURE I WOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT IF I HAD EVER RECEIVED ONE. AND I DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE SIGNED IT AND CANCELED AS I DIDN'T PLAN ON RENEWING. I THINK THEY HAVE A NAME FOR THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY THAT DEX IS INVOLVED IN.

ONE LAST THING. DEX SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH BEING SUED BY BUSINESSES FOR NOT POSTING THEIR ADS. THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO CONTACT PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES ANYMORE TO PRESENT CONTRACTS TO FOR RENEWAL. IF THE BUSINESS HASN'T DONE THIER PART TO RENEW, DEX HAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. AND BY THE WAY, THE TEN YEAR EMPLOYEE DEFENDING THEIR BUSINESS PRACTICES IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF OF THE KIND OF PEOPLE THEY MUST HAVE WORKING THERE. I CAN'T BELIEVE HE IS THAT NAIVE.

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scott nelsen
, US
Jul 14, 2009 7:57 pm EDT

I JUST GOT ANOTHER MONTHLY BILL FROM DEX AFTER, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE LAST PAYMENT TO THEM FOR 2008/2009 BOOK. I CHECKED MY STATEMENT ONLINE AND SAW THAT I WAS ABOUT TO BE BILLED FOR THE 2009/2010 BOOK TOO. I EMAILED THEM A COMPLAINT ABOUT NOT RENEWING, GOT ONE BACK FROM THEM DIRECTING ME TO THE "CLAIMS" DEPARTMENT PHONE NUMBER. THE LADY SAID AUTOMATIC RENEWAL WAS PART OF MY CONTRACT AND NO ONE AT DEX WAS GOING TO MAKE MY BILL GO AWAY. I THOUGHT WHEN MY ONE YEAR WAS UP MY ADD WOULDN'T BE RUN AGAIN WITHOUT A NEW CONTRACT. I EVEN GOT A PHONE CALL FROM DEX IN MARCH OR APRIL 2009 ASKING IF I WANTED TO RENEW AND TOLD THEM NO. I TOLD THEM I WASN'T GOING TO PAY ANYMORE.

I READ THE POST FROM THE DEX EMPLOYEE. GIVE ME A BREAK. SO IT'S A LOT OF WORK TO GET CONTRACTS RENEWED. WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD. THAT IS HOW IT WORKS. I AGREE WITH THE LADY'S POST ABOUT DEX SHOOTING THEMSELVES IN THE FOOT. IF THIS IS NOT A SCAM I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS. IN THE WORLD I LIVE IN I DON'T PROVIDE A SERVICE OR PRODUCT WITHOUT A SIGNED CONTRACT. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF I DID THAT WITHOUT SOMEONE'S CONSENT AND JUST SENT THEM A BILL.

BY THE WAY, THE SALES PERSON WHO SOLD ME THE AD FOR THE 2008/2009 BOOK NEVER MENTIONED THAT I WOULD GET BILLED IMPERPETUITY. HAVE YOU EVER HAD SOME OBSCURE BUSINESS SEND YOU A BOOK OR C.D., UNSOLICITED BY YOU, AND A BILL FOR THE PRODUCT AND A NOTE SAYING THAT IF YOU DIDN'T RETURN IT IN TWO WEEKS THAT YOU WERE LIABLE FOR THE BILL? HOW DEX HAS DECIDED TO RUN THEIR BUSINESS ISN'T ANY BETTER.

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Dex Guy
Denver, US
Jun 25, 2009 6:04 pm EDT

Another point:: You cannot simply leave a voice mail to cancel a contract. Again, this is to protect the business owner. We must have the contract signed saying CANCEL on it with the price crossed out. Unfortunately, this isn't the good old days where we can seal a deal on a handshake. I wish it were.

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Dex Guy
Denver, US
Jun 25, 2009 5:59 pm EDT

Another point of information. It shouldn't be that difficult to reach Dex...never has been. If the 800# is frustrating, look in your local white pages and find the local office and call them. If you are a business owner, call your rep back.

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Dex Guy
Denver, US
Jun 25, 2009 5:57 pm EDT

I am an employee of Dex and have been for 10 years. I can tell you that we have hundreds of customers to individually contact each year. We are honest people trying to do our best for our customers. Yes, there is an automatic renewal clause in our contracts. This is ONLY if we cannot get a hold of the business owner or if they choose not to respond. We do not like auto renewals as the local sales people do not get paid for these. It is in our best interest to work with our customers. However, there are times where a business owner doesn't respond for some reason and we auto renew the contract. THIS IS TO PROTECT THE BUSINESS OWNER. If we pulled out every ad just because they didn't get back to us, we would have a lot of very angry bankrupt business owners. And this has acutally happened.

What I have found in the last 10 years is that a lot of business owners are not doing their job. They don't answer their phones, they don't return calls and they don't decide that taking 1/2 hour per year is worth their time to discuss yellow pages. Then, when they fail to own up to their mistake, they want a class action law suit? Come on?

I'm not saying every sales rep and every manager at Dex is perfect, but in my 10 years I can say that I am proud to work for this company. And in my experience there have been VERY few issues with the auto renewal issue. This isn't benefiting us as much as it is protecting business owners. If a dentist or plumber had their ad pulled out of the book because they neglected to call Dex back, do you think they would do very well the next year? No. Because the yellow pages is still the #1 place people go to find local information.

And regarding the verbal contract. It is valid and is a valid contract in all of the states in which we do business. We have tailored it to ge the specific information we need to verify the responsible party, billing info, advertising items, amount, etc.

Hope this helps those who don't really know the way it works. Please think twice before jumping on a bandwagon trying to sue. We are all local people with families living in your community just trying to make ends meet.

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Infoservinc
El Cajon, US
Nov 20, 2008 3:41 pm EST

A client of mine has been going through the same thing with this company for two years. They wrote a letter canceling the contract and four months later DEX called their office and found someone to verbally renew it. DEX recorded the conversation. My client is not going to abide by the verbal contract and is willing to enter into a class if there is one.

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Baumanator
,
Oct 09, 2008 5:36 pm EDT

Interesting that Embassy Loeans above would complain about Dex, but at the same time buy one of their new fangled Search Engine Marketing packages.

http://storefront.dexonline.com/embassy-loans

No I don't work for Dex, but do work in the same industry.

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john
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Oct 07, 2008 5:55 pm EDT

I met with a sales woman from dex about possibly placing an ad, I did not agree to put an ad in and did not agree to pay dex any money in a contract. Dex then sends me a bill for a rediculouse amont of money per month for internet advertising and the yellow pages. The sent me a contract without my signiture and scribbled things out and replaced them with other figures. It is as if a company is trying implode all on its own. It seems almost like Dex has hired a bunch of delinquent teenagers to manage its sales department, they are shameless plus just simply stupid to do this to themselves. I am sure the yellow book is loving it. To answer your questions on what to do. I sent info to the attorney general and to the Better business burea. I took a lot of work and many letters to Dex. Send them certified mail with return receipt ALWAYS! Keep all correspondence as evidence. And yes Dex is looking and a Class action Law suit. They have commited out right fraud and I told them they would be looking at a class action law suit about a year ago, and now here it is. I am glad they are going to get what they have comming.

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LOUIS ANCONA
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Aug 27, 2008 11:10 am EDT

dex left out ad due to their own negligence.cost our company over 100000 .00 in sales and does not want to compensaate us in any manner for thier negligence.we refused to pay bill and now are getting constant collection calls.we currently spend 22000.00 a month in yellow page ads, and i would go out of business before advertising with dex.they really dont care about their clients its obvious.so if you are considering placing ads in any of their books, you have been warned

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Cliff
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Aug 23, 2008 10:03 am EDT

Nobody bothered to call me to ask if I wanted to renew my DEX directory ad. Had they bothered I would have told them not to renew because I retired last year and am no longer in business.

I have been trying to reach the company for over a month now to dispute my bill. Sent a letter to them and it was ignored. I have also tried more than a dozen times in just the last week to reach them by phone. I end up with nothing but a busy signal after hearing a recorded message warning I may get one due to heavy call volume.

Does anyone know how to reach these people. It is absolutely ridiculous that an NYSE listed company (owned by RH Donnelly) would conduct business this way.

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GALE TAYLOR
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Oct 03, 2007 1:00 pm EDT

I have spoken to the Boulder County consumer affairs department. I spoke with Cindy Taylor. They need as many people as possible to substantiate our complaints about Dex Media , owned by RH Donnely. They have false + illegal addenda to their contracts. The Boulder County consumer affairs department telephone number is [protected]. It is very simple to file a complaint. Please contact this office. They will help. I have already filed. They are waiting for more complaints.

Thank you