Business Watchdog

Archive for the ‘Business Alerts’ Category

Facebook offers access to a huge market place. It may be just what you need. Within 5 days we know one advert had 200,000 impressions so it may help to raise brand awareness. Click throughs about 20; business – none so far.
Be aware that some companies are now phoning round offering to manage your Facebook advertising. Even with the above information they still tried to push their service – £69.00 a month. It’s easy to do yourself  in a matter of minutes so why pay someone else? This could end up causing the same grief as those selling Google Adwords.

We have had someone contact us about about their experiences with this company – yet another Google ads company based in Barrow-in-Furness. Have you used them? Have you found them helpful? Have they managed to avoid some of the criticisms aimed at similar companies?

Just received this from one of our readers:

After a couple of very rude telephone calls from someone called Christopher at “The Yellow Pages 24” today, I have received faxes from Christopher at “Yellow Pages 24” and “City Map” (same company). The faxes are looking for an authorised signature to stop our listing being cancelled. We are certainly not signing any of these documents and would not be fooled by these sharks.

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You may have noticed that I have changed the images at the top of this page.  These were declared to be licenced for use by me, as the purchaser, on any web site I build. However, there is a storm raging on the FSB Forum as many web designers have used photos they thought were free to use. They have been sent invoices for Thousands of Pounds by Photo Libraries such as Getty Imaging and Corbis. The photos were not copyright free. Nothing on the web is free to use and someone somewhere owns the copyright.
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Ladies and Gentlemen.
In order to have your company inserted in the registry of World Businesses for 2009/2010 edition, please print, complete and submit the enclosed form (PDF file) to the following address:
WORLD BUSINESS GUIDE
P.O. Box 2021
3500 GA Utrecht
The Netherlands

I did not open the PDF but their web site outlines the terms of the contract (http://www.world-businessguide.com/terms.php). They publish a CD ROM of World Businesses and the charge for the initial 3 year contract is just under 3000 Euros. Could be just what you need, but if not, be aware that this is not free.

Update 29th August 2009. Another of these emails has been received. The pdf form offers free updates, followed by a statement saying, “Only sign if you wish to place an insertion.” Placing an insertion is charged for and this is what you are agreeing to:  – I WILL HAVE AN INSERTION INTO ITS DATA BASE FOR THREE YEARS. THE PRICE PER YEAR IS EURO 995. THE SUBSCRIPTION WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY EXTENDED EVERY YEAR FOR ANOTHER YEAR, UNLESS SPECIFIC WRITTEN NOTICE IS RECEIVED….
So this offer is not for a free entry but only for free updates – after you have subscribed.

Now being targetted by office in Spain:

Dear Madam/Sir,
In order to have your company inserted into the registry of Worldwide Business Guide for 2009/2010,
please print, complete and return the enclosed form (PDF file) to the following address:
Worldwide Business Guide (WWBIZG)
Apartado 3054,
29649, Sitio de Calahonda,
Mijas Costa, Málaga, España.

We have had reports of a fax or emailed pdf supposedly from “YellowPage-UK.com” (note the upright fingers logo) and offering a “free submission to www.google.com”. Make sure you read the small print. You will then discover that you are agreeing to pay £89 per month for one year if you sign-up for this service. The UK Yellow Pages legal team is apparently looking at what action they can take.
Here are the Dutch companies contact details:
Yellow Page (Netherlands) B.V.
The Hague Equinox
Jan Pieterszoom Coenstraat 7
NL-2595 Den Haag, WP
The Netherlands
VAT-Nr.: NL8085.96.974 B.01.

A friendly person phones from the Crime Prevention Team and thanks you for agreeing in a phone call last February to participate in the scheme. I simply said someone had given him false information. But as usual they have published something and want to send it to schools – and want to collect money from you. A charity might get 5% but the chances are the Crime Prevention Team – whoever they are – pocket the lot!

If you receive an email from “eNomCentral Support <”tech @ enom.com”>”, with subject of “Maintenance at eNom.com – attention!” – do NOT click on the link, bin the lot.
The link address is “www.enom.com.com94.net” which is nothing to do with the registrar “enom.com” – it is a subdomain of “com94.net” which was only registered on 25-10-08 with a Russian address. There is no “com94.net” website. It will either be a phishing page or will try to install a trojan downloader.

If you receive an email with the subject line of “Registration of EU Companies 2008/2009″, and an attachment “euform.pdf” just make sure you read the small print or you may be in for a shock. “THE VALIDATION TIME OF THE CONTRACT IS THREE YEARS”, “THE PRICE PER YEAR IS EURO 995″ and “THE SUBSCRIPTION WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY EXTENDED EVERY YEAR FOR ANOTHER YEAR, UNLESS SPECIFIC WRITTEN NOTICE IS RECEIVED BY THE SERVICE PROVIDER OR THE SUBSCRIBER TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF THE SUBSCRIPTION.”