- Report: #153743
Complaint Review: Infotel Publications - Montreal Quebec
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Author Confirmed
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Infotel Publications
5101 Buchan, Suite 250 Montreal, H4P 2R9 Quebec, Canada
Phone:
800-363-0161
Web:
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Infotel Publications Misleading and deceptive business practices Billings us for Advertising we didn't ask for Montreal Quebec
Our employee received a sales call from Sam Hamiki of Infotel regarding listing our business in their national directory. She informed him that if he mailed out some information to her she would pass it on to our president for a decision. She made it very clear that she did not wish to purchase the listing and was only requesting information. Several days later she received a phone call from infotels shipping department asking her to verify our mailing address. She thought she was just verifying our address and agreeing to have the information shipped to us.
Instead of sending the information to us they mailed us the directory and an invoice for a 2 years listing. I tried to call the company directly but they would hang up on me and transfer me to a voice mailbox. I faxed over a letter explaining that we did not order this listing and we were upset that they put the order through when our employee clearly told them she just wanted the information on their product. I received a call from Marlene (1-800-363-0161 ext 316) Marlene played back the tape they had recorded of the second phone call from infotel confirming our shipping. It was very obvious from the tape that our employee thought she was just verifying our address so they could send us the information about the directory.
They operator repeated the price of $389.99 several times, but susana thought that the rep was just letting her know that was the invoice price if we decided to advertise with them. I asked to hear the first tape where our employee declined the Ad and Marlene said they don't record the initial sales call. Marlene did not seem to care that our employee had only requested information and that the salesman should not have put the order through in the first place. We have requested for them to cancel this account as we did not want this order. Their sales tactics were misleading and deceptive. We will gladly return the directory as it has no value to us.
Jennifer
Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.
Instead of sending the information to us they mailed us the directory and an invoice for a 2 years listing. I tried to call the company directly but they would hang up on me and transfer me to a voice mailbox. I faxed over a letter explaining that we did not order this listing and we were upset that they put the order through when our employee clearly told them she just wanted the information on their product. I received a call from Marlene (1-800-363-0161 ext 316) Marlene played back the tape they had recorded of the second phone call from infotel confirming our shipping. It was very obvious from the tape that our employee thought she was just verifying our address so they could send us the information about the directory.
They operator repeated the price of $389.99 several times, but susana thought that the rep was just letting her know that was the invoice price if we decided to advertise with them. I asked to hear the first tape where our employee declined the Ad and Marlene said they don't record the initial sales call. Marlene did not seem to care that our employee had only requested information and that the salesman should not have put the order through in the first place. We have requested for them to cancel this account as we did not want this order. Their sales tactics were misleading and deceptive. We will gladly return the directory as it has no value to us.
Jennifer
Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Former Employee
Cote Saint Luc,Quebec,
Canada
Directors of Infotel Charged With Deceptive Telemarketing
#2Consumer Suggestion
Thu, April 22, 2010
Directors of Infotel Charged With Deceptive Telemarketing
OTTAWA, April 12, 2010 The Competition Bureau announced today that criminal charges were laid against three Montreal brothers and six companies allegedly involved in deceptive telemarketing activities related to business directory scams.The brothers, Gordon Frank (53), Theodore Frank (49) and Sean Frank (43), are alleged to have operated a telemarketing operation that targeted businesses and not-for-profit organizations in the United States, France and the United Kingdom.
The charges stem from a Bureau investigation into criminal deceptive telemarketing by a group of corporations led by the Frank brothers, collectively known as Infotel. The accused operated telemarketing offices in Toronto, St. Johns and Montreal. These activities are estimated to have generated approximately $60 million in revenue between 1999 and 2004.
The Competition Bureau alleges that the Frank brothers companies contacted businesses and not-for-profit organizations misrepresenting themselves as the victims regular supplier of business directories. The Bureau also alleges that Infotel telemarketers failed to disclose material information when contacting businesses, including the true purpose of the call.The Frank brothers conducted the alleged deceptive telemarketing activities under the following names: Infotel Directories Inc., Infotel Publications, Infotel Directories-Toronto, Metropolitan Media, Metropolitan Press and Infotel Canada.
The investigation was conducted with the assistance of the Service de police de la Ville de Montral, the Toronto Strategic Partnership and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.Consumers who suspect that they have been victims of deceptive telemarketing are encouraged to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that contributes to the prosperity of Canadians by protecting and promoting competitive markets and enabling informed consumer choice.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Gabrielle Tass
A/Senior Communications Advisor
Public Affairs Branch
819-953-7734
For general enquiries, please contact:
Information Centre
Competition Bureau
819-997-4282
Toll free: 1-800-348-5358
TTY (hearing impaired): 1-800-642-3844
Steve
Champlain,New York,
U.S.A.
Infotel scam: How to stop them
#3Consumer Comment
Sat, August 27, 2005
If you are being scammed by infotel tell the collector you are the owner and you will not pay just tell them you will file with BBB or AG. If you don't do this they will keep calling you If Marlene or Cindy call you have been loaded this is best way to stop this scam. If you pay Infotel you will be reloaded again in 6 month.
