- Report: #634623
Complaint Review: Healthcare Times - Naperville Illinois
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Author Confirmed
Why?
Healthcare Times
40 Shuman Blvd, Suite 105 Naperville, 60563 Illinois, United States of America
Phone:
630-416-4191
Web:
http://www.healthcaretimes.com/
Categories:
Business Rating:
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Healthcare Times Midland Publications Phone Scam Ripoff/Fraud Naperville, Illinois
We had our home listed on the MLS listings as a For Sale By Owner. We got a cold call telephone solicitation to advertise our home in a publication that would supposedly be seen by lots of doctors and professionals. The young lady who was making the solicitation was very nice and polite and so we told her to send us any information she had and we would look at it. She tried very hard to get us to committ over the phone, but we never, and I mean never, do business with telephone solicitors. She finally agreed to send us some information and we promptly forgot about the call. Approximately two months later we got a bill for $200. We called the Healthcare Times and informed them that there had obviously been a mistake. We couldn't seem to make any progress and so we asked to speak with the manager. A Mike Haddad then got on the phone and informed us he was looking at the paperwork and that he had personally approved the order. At that point we realized we had apparently been the victim of a phone scam, but we continued to try to convince Mr. Haddad that they had made a mistake. Mr. Haddad became progressively more rude and hostile and so we wound up hanging up on him after informing him that we had no intention of being one of the victims of whatever scam he was running.
Shortly thereafter we began to get dunning telephone calls and letters. We again informed them that we had never agreed to anything other than looking at whatever information they wanted to send us. The calls were very insulting and obviously designed to bully us into paying their fictitious bill. They have now turned their "claim" over to a Chicago collection law firm that is apparently in cahoots with them. The name of the firm is Serota, Avis & Associates. We have informed them that the claim is bogus and that we have no intention of paying one red cent to these crooks. We have told them to send us any evidence that the claim is legitimate, and to date have received no such evidence. In fact, we have never received anything at all from Healthcare Times despite Mr. Haddad's claims that we have. We are in the process of filing a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General and haven't ruled out a lawsuit against Midland Publications, the Healthcare Times, Mr. Haddad and possibly the Serota law firm.
These people are obnoxious crooks and need to be fined to the point that it is financially painful enought that they will cease these dishonest business practices.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Robin
Corsicana,Texas,
United States of America
I had the same experience with HealthCare Times Midland Publications
#2REBUTTAL Owner of company
Thu, November 29, 2012
I wanted add my affirmation of this account. I, too, had almost an identifical experience with this company. They target home owners that have listed their homes on MLS and "For Sale by Owner" to solicit advertising. I hesitantly agreed to allow them to mock something up for my consideration. I did not order an ad as I told them I was unfamiliar with their actual market or distribution. I never confirmed any "order" of an ad placement but later began to receive bills for $200 for a supposedly ordered ad. They had apparently collected my billing address and information from the For Sale by Owner ad. I contacted them and informed them that I had never placed an ad and their manager became verbally agressive and stated that I had positively ordered it. When I requested some sort of confirmation of my order, such as an email from me, he was unable to provide it and stated that he would pursue aggressive collection mechanisms, threatening a lien on my home. I later received similar correspondence from the attorney that they are "in cohoots with". I contacted him by phone to make sure he was aware that this ad had not been ordered and I believe this was related to telemarketing fraud, and he became very aggressive, threatening to pursue a lawsuit, file on my credit (bragged on how easily he could obtain my SS#) and was unwilling to provide proof of my ordering the supposed ad. I then filed a complaint with BBB. To date the corporation has NOT provided any confirmation of an order authorization from me and continues to threaten me with a lawsuit. I have reported this corporation to the FTC for telemarketing fraud and will continue to make their aggressive fraudulent telemarketing and billing/collections practices known. I, too, believe these folks are obnoxious crooks thta bully people into paying them unearned dollars and believe they need to be fined and stopped.
Buddy
Valparaiso,Indiana,
U.S.A.
I doubt it's a disgruntled employee...
#3Consumer Comment
Tue, November 09, 2010
Today, I received a very strange phone call from someone representing themselves from Healthcare Times.com. She was very adamant about our organization trying to be published on their website. She had mentioned various times about deferring payment or trying to bring down payment at a later date, but "please let us work for you."
I am not convinced. She claimed that they were NOT affiliated with Midland Publication, BUT that they had a regional office in Naperville, ILL, which was owned by her District Manager's son. She continued to press the issue, even after we had discussed that we would need to talk more about this at our upcoming meeting. Very slick sales tactics and I am pretty sure was phone soliciting.
The original story didn't add up and she was very vague in the details of her telephone call.
I would advise to proceed with caution when dealing with this organization.
George
Naperville,Illinois,
United States of America
No Record Found
#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Mon, September 13, 2010
Per this one complaint in regards to advertising in the Health Care Times. We have no record found for a "John" in Chattanooga, TN, nor do we have a record of doing advertising for anyone in Chattanooga, TN.
Unfortunately, this may be a case of a digruntled ex employee.
