09/02/11
Schools and other organisations are warned to beware of bogus calls from publishing companies falsely claiming to represent St. James’ Palace, Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service has announced. Trading Standards Officers have received complaints that Warwickshire schools have been cold called by an as yet unknown company selling advertising space in a leaflet for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
The bogus callers are falsely claiming to be phoning from St. James Palace and are offering advertising space at the cost of £3,400. Warwickshire Trading Standards Service can confirm that these approaches are in no way associated with St. James Palace or Her Majesty’s official Jubilee celebrations.
Rogue publishing companies use high pressure sales techniques to sell advertising space in publications that have very small (if any) circulation. People who take advertising but don’t pay up are then usually chased for payment using very aggressive techniques and threats. Rogue companies will use national events such as the Diamond Jubilee, Royal Wedding or Olympic Games to sell their bogus advertising.
Trading Standards Officers are warning organisations and businesses to take adequate precautions to ensure that staff members of aware of the practices of rogue publishers and don’t fall for their tricks.
· Register with the telephone preference service: http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/
· Circulate information to members of staff who take external calls.
· Audit your systems/procedures for invoicing and payment to satisfy yourself that you are adequately protected from practices of this nature.
For more information, please visit our website: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/tradingstandards
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