Received a supposed COD from them...nothing I ever ordered. Total scam if I ever saw one.
Comments
0
tj
There was a "Dalore Marketing" that showed up connected to a cluster of "magazine subscription" scammers in the Buffalo NY area.
The common characteristics among this cluster of scammers are that they try to create the appearance that consumers have agreed to some "contract" for magazine subscriptions, which often are never even sent, or only sent sporadically. It usually starts with a telemarketing call first, claiming to have some really special deal, only so much a week! They have also been known to pile on alleged additional magazine "subscriptions" if they think they can push it. There have also been reports of just sending unordered magazines, which they then claim you ordered as part of a "multi-year contract".
They then use threats of arrest or legal action to extort payments in the hundreds of dollars ($700 to $1300) to pay this alleged multi-year "contract", operating under various names and claiming to be "collection agencies" or "attorneys". They may claim to have recorded the consumer's "agreement", and one report was they even faxed poor quality unreadable documents they claim documented the "agreement", but none of the dates made sense. In other words, they have been reported to engage in fabrications to back up their threats.
Did you actually pay a COD charge for something you weren't expecting, and what exactly did they send? If so, thru what carrier? Private, or USPS?
Had you been recently contacted by some telemarketer?
If they start to harass you, record their calls, and contact the New York Attorney General. File complaints with FTC, NY AG, U.S. Postal Inspector (for mail fraud), and BBB.
BBB shows these listings in both Buffalo NY and Dayton OH, and that they are connected. BBB appears to have just started checking into them in both Dayton and Buffalo, but has received no response. That would probably indicate recent consumer complaints.
They have been reported to back off when informed you have filed a complaint with the New York Attorney General.
0
tj
Also see "Allied Publishers" and "716 Services" on Ripoffreport.com
0
tj
Except for "716 Services", BBB reports appear amazingly "sanitized". BBB clearly investigated "Allied" enough to write up a report that included their responses to complaints of misrepresentation.
"The BBB file contains a pattern of complaints from consumers who report dissatisfaction with the company's sales presentation. Specifically, consumers have objected to salespersons' representations that the only charges for magazines would be for shipping and handling. Consumers have indicated that they believed these charges would be minimal, when in fact the total contract price is substantial. The company has responded to the complaints by agreeing to cancel the contracts. ... Number of complaints processed by the BBB in the last 36 months: 85 in the last 12 months: 35 ..."
Another listing: http://www.akron.bbb.org/newsearch2.asp?ComID=02720012000 ALLIED PUBLISHERS SERVICE "... THE FOLLOWING REPORT WAS RECEIVED FROM THE BUFFALO BBB: According to information supplied by the company, ALLIED PUBLISHERS SERVICE began business in April 1971. The Buffalo Bureau opened its file at that time. Mr. Joseph Mosey is the President. This company contacts consumers and businesses nationwide through independent agents selling magazine subscriptions by telemarketing and door-to-door sales. The company has been responsive to complaints brought to its attention by the Buffalo Bureau. Some complaints allege dissatisfaction with the company's sales presentation. Specifically, consumers claim difficulties in understanding the actual cost of the contract price. Initially the cost appears to be minimal, but due to the duration the average contract price is $525.00 and may vary. Other complaints involve the inability to cancel the contract. The company has been responsive to complaints brought to its attention by the Buffalo Bureau by offering an explanation of the its position or by offering to make cancellations, when the company deems it is warranted. The company explains that all contracts are signed by the consumer before orders are processed. After the contract is received at the home office, the order is verified with the customer in a taped telephone conversation, in which the contract's terms are reviewed. The company's position is that the verification call, taped with the customer's permission, constitutes a binding contract. However, the contract may be cancelled during the verification taping or in writing, within three business days from the date on which it was signed. As a matter of policy, the Better Business Bureau provides reports only. It does not endorse any product, service, or company. ## 4/30/97 ... Addresses ONE TECHNOLOGY CENTER, 45 OAK ST, BUFFALO, NY 14203, Erie County 625 DELAWARE AVE, BUFFALO, NY 14202, Erie County 45 OAK STREET, BUFFALO, NY 14203, Erie County P O BOX 446, NORTHFIELD, OH 44067, Summit County Phones (716) 882-8900 (716) 842-1257 (FAX) ..."
Our file contains a pattern of complaints from consumers who report misleading sales practices and dissatisfaction with collection practices. Consumers state that they were contacted at their place of employment regarding magazine sales. They claim that the terms of the actual contract were different than what they were told by 716 Services' sales staff. Consumers report that when they attempted to cancel their contracts the company refused and in some cases advised them they would be arrested if they did not pay the balance owed.
716 Services has responded to the complaints by offering an explanation of their position. They state that they cannot cancel the contracts because the consumers agreed to the terms. ... Seven-One-Six Services Phone: (716) 875-1250 Address: 2430 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14216 ..."
If you were conned into paying a COD charge for something you never ordered, you were defrauded. There are actually scammers who place ads, get orders, and then ship boxes of newspapers, or bricks, COD so they have your money before you know you have been conned. But those scams depend on staying small, below the radar of law enforcement and postal inspectors, maybe using a whole bunch of names to hide the extent of their activities, etc.
These scammers have a history of trumping up trivial contacts into allegations of substantial "debts" owed thru phony alleged "contracts", including alleging or fabricating "documents", or "recorded agreements". The amounts they are reported to go for are in the range of several hundred to a couple thousand dollars. They are not likely to mess around with just what they could con out of people thru unsolicited COD shipments. It isn't worth their time or trouble.
You have already been scammed, and they wouldn't have bothered unless they were looking for more. You didn't choose them; they chose you, whether randomly, or thru buying a "sucker list" from some other scam. By being suckered once, even for a small amount, you have now tipped them that you might be suckered for the whole thing, and that also tells them you are probably unsophisticated enough that they can hit you with their full "thug" attack and get away with it. By making a payment on the COD order you have already given them their excuse to claim you "agreed" to something, and provide them a defense against any later criminal complaint that what they are doing is extortion. They can now proceed to the next step, with little risk, and most people subject to this won't even know what happened. In fact, most people will even be intimidated NOT to contact the authorities, even though what they are being hit with is criminal.
Given what you know about their tactics, file a local police report of the crime, regardless of whether the amount appears trivial at this point, to CYA.
Comments
The common characteristics among this cluster of scammers are that they try to create the appearance that consumers have agreed to some "contract" for magazine subscriptions, which often are never even sent, or only sent sporadically. It usually starts with a telemarketing call first, claiming to have some really special deal, only so much a week! They have also been known to pile on alleged additional magazine "subscriptions" if they think they can push it. There have also been reports of just sending unordered magazines, which they then claim you ordered as part of a "multi-year contract".
They then use threats of arrest or legal action to extort payments in the hundreds of dollars ($700 to $1300) to pay this alleged multi-year "contract", operating under various names and claiming to be "collection agencies" or "attorneys". They may claim to have recorded the consumer's "agreement", and one report was they even faxed poor quality unreadable documents they claim documented the "agreement", but none of the dates made sense. In other words, they have been reported to engage in fabrications to back up their threats.
Did you actually pay a COD charge for something you weren't expecting, and what exactly did they send? If so, thru what carrier? Private, or USPS?
Had you been recently contacted by some telemarketer?
See this whole thread:
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/EOCyDbSpRAC7TgjJ3Y3HJg
If they start to harass you, record their calls, and contact the New York Attorney General. File complaints with FTC, NY AG, U.S. Postal Inspector (for mail fraud), and BBB.
BBB shows these listings in both Buffalo NY and Dayton OH, and that they are connected. BBB appears to have just started checking into them in both Dayton and Buffalo, but has received no response. That would probably indicate recent consumer complaints.
http://search.buffalo.bbb.org/codbrep.html?ID=51001012
http://dayton.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site=51&bbb=0322&firm=5529
"Additional names: Allied Publishers Service"
Look up "Allied Publishing" on Ripoffreport.com
They have been reported to back off when informed you have filed a complaint with the New York Attorney General.
Allied Publishers Service, Buffalo NY:
http://search.buffalo.bbb.org/codbrep.html?ID=6371
"The BBB file contains a pattern of complaints from consumers who report dissatisfaction with the company's sales presentation. Specifically, consumers have objected to salespersons' representations that the only charges for magazines would be for shipping and handling. Consumers have indicated that they believed these charges would be minimal, when in fact the total contract price is substantial. The company has responded to the complaints by agreeing to cancel the contracts.
...
Number of complaints processed by the BBB
in the last 36 months: 85
in the last 12 months: 35
..."
Another listing:
http://www.akron.bbb.org/newsearch2.asp?ComID=02720012000
ALLIED PUBLISHERS SERVICE
"...
THE FOLLOWING REPORT WAS RECEIVED FROM THE BUFFALO BBB: According to information supplied by the company, ALLIED PUBLISHERS SERVICE began business in April 1971. The Buffalo Bureau opened its file at that time. Mr. Joseph Mosey is the President. This company contacts consumers and businesses nationwide through independent agents selling magazine subscriptions by telemarketing and door-to-door sales. The company has been responsive to complaints brought to its attention by the Buffalo Bureau. Some complaints allege dissatisfaction with the company's sales presentation. Specifically, consumers claim difficulties in understanding the actual cost of the contract price. Initially the cost appears to be minimal, but due to the duration the average contract price is $525.00 and may vary. Other complaints involve the inability to cancel the contract. The company has been responsive to complaints brought to its attention by the Buffalo Bureau by offering an explanation of the its position or by offering to make cancellations, when the company deems it is warranted. The company explains that all contracts are signed by the consumer before orders are processed. After the contract is received at the home office, the order is verified with the customer in a taped telephone conversation, in which the contract's terms are reviewed. The company's position is that the verification call, taped with the customer's permission, constitutes a binding contract. However, the contract may be cancelled during the verification taping or in writing, within three business days from the date on which it was signed. As a matter of policy, the Better Business Bureau provides reports only. It does not endorse any product, service, or company. ## 4/30/97
...
Addresses
ONE TECHNOLOGY CENTER, 45 OAK ST, BUFFALO, NY 14203, Erie County
625 DELAWARE AVE, BUFFALO, NY 14202, Erie County
45 OAK STREET, BUFFALO, NY 14203, Erie County
P O BOX 446, NORTHFIELD, OH 44067, Summit County
Phones (716) 882-8900
(716) 842-1257 (FAX)
..."
Dalore Marketing/Allied Publishers Service:
http://dayton.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site=51&bbb=0322&firm=5529
Dalore Marketing
Phone: (800) 828-7577
Address: 3898 C. Linden Ave.
Dayton, OH 45432
Allied Publishers Service
625 Delaware Ave., Ste 100
Buffalo, NY 14202
Tel: (716) 882-8900
716 Services
http://search.buffalo.bbb.org/codbrep.html?ID=70035104
"...
Based on BBB files, this company has an unsatisfactory record with the BBB due to unresolved complaint(s).
Our file contains a pattern of complaints from consumers who report misleading sales practices and dissatisfaction with collection practices. Consumers state that they were contacted at their place of employment regarding magazine sales. They claim that the terms of the actual contract were different than what they were told by 716 Services' sales staff. Consumers report that when they attempted to cancel their contracts the company refused and in some cases advised them they would be arrested if they did not pay the balance owed.
716 Services has responded to the complaints by offering an explanation of their position. They state that they cannot cancel the contracts because the consumers agreed to the terms.
...
Seven-One-Six Services
Phone: (716) 875-1250
Address: 2430 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14216
..."
Allan P. McCarty
"collection agency/attorney"
http://search.buffalo.bbb.org/codbrep.html?ID=222620466
These scammers have a history of trumping up trivial contacts into allegations of substantial "debts" owed thru phony alleged "contracts", including alleging or fabricating "documents", or "recorded agreements". The amounts they are reported to go for are in the range of several hundred to a couple thousand dollars. They are not likely to mess around with just what they could con out of people thru unsolicited COD shipments. It isn't worth their time or trouble.
You have already been scammed, and they wouldn't have bothered unless they were looking for more. You didn't choose them; they chose you, whether randomly, or thru buying a "sucker list" from some other scam. By being suckered once, even for a small amount, you have now tipped them that you might be suckered for the whole thing, and that also tells them you are probably unsophisticated enough that they can hit you with their full "thug" attack and get away with it. By making a payment on the COD order you have already given them their excuse to claim you "agreed" to something, and provide them a defense against any later criminal complaint that what they are doing is extortion. They can now proceed to the next step, with little risk, and most people subject to this won't even know what happened. In fact, most people will even be intimidated NOT to contact the authorities, even though what they are being hit with is criminal.
Given what you know about their tactics, file a local police report of the crime, regardless of whether the amount appears trivial at this point, to CYA.
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/EOCyDbSpRAC7TgjJ3Y3HJg/2