Vardis - Advertising -dont get diddled by them!!!

[thk]

Hi

 

Has anyone heard of or had any dealings with these? I'm a small business owner and they are an advertising agency.

 

I was cold called from one of their agents to have an advertising slot in one of there magazines (can't remember the name of it), the women on the other end seemed quite polite and I may have been interested in advertising so I listened to her sales pitch but when it came down to the prices they were too expensive so I managed to get rid of her eventually off of the phone.

 

Later that day I was called by a man again from Vardis asking if I'd like to advertise with him, he was representing a childrens charity magazine (forresters), his pitch was rubbish, repetitive and he would not take no for an answer but I declined politely and in the end I thought he'd given up as he just said give me a call if you are interested.

 

The very next day a women from Vardis called and said I'd agreed to advertise with them, I replied that I had not agreed to anything to which she immediately just hung up.

 

So I decided to do my research on Vardis and there all over the net with people that have had problems with them! Do a google search for vardis and forresters together and you'll see what I mean. I found that they have even made the national papers (it won't let me post URL)

 

I've had many calls all week, usually from a mobile number and each time saying that I have agreed to advertise with them then this morning really took the p#ss, it was a call from a mobile where he called me to thank me for the support I'd given their charity this year, I told him I did not have a clue what he is on about! To which he replied that I had been in a full front page advert in one of his mags earlier in the year, my business has only been going about a month so I told him straight where to go with that. I explained to him that I knew what their game was as the internet is a powerful tool and their are hundreds of people that have wrote about how Vardis were trying to [problem] them all over the net!

 

After this he got childish, He was playing animal and other sound effect noises down the phone and trying to amuse himself I think by acting a tw#t trying to be funny and talking sh#te, I told him that I was going to report him to TS, to which he said he was going to report me. I asked him what for and he said that he came around my house to buy 2 boxer dogs and I sold him a hedgehog. He needs better comedy material IMO! I just hung up on him eventually cos his jokes were cr#p and he was boring me.

 

Looking at what other people have posted on other sites this is just the start and I am now to expect a call from crown debt recovery to demand money who are the same people as the advertising agency!

 

Sorry about the long post but if there are any small business owners out there do not fall for them.

 

Advice/help needed please! (do a search for 'Vardis Forresters' if you need more info) They are wasting their time cos they not get a penny from me but I just do not need the hassle

 

Thanks

Edited July 11, 2008 by thk

[Prolix]

Ignore them. If you really owe them money they will take you to court. In court they would have to prove you had a contract with them. That would be amusing to see!

[thk]

How do I get them to stop harassing me though?

 

Its my business mobile that they keep ringing from different numbers, I have to answer cos it might be a potential customer and they know this thats why they choose to ring from a mobile rather than a landline where I would be able to tell its them by the lancashire area code.

 

I've already been quite rude to a customer today and had to apologise cos I thought it was Vardis I was speaking too, they always start the conversation pretending to be a friend, someone I know or a customer before trying to trick me into agreeing into buying or saying that I have had one of their adverts.

[gyzmo]

Do report this to TS anyway. They need info like this to be able to take action against these types of people. It may be better to put it in writing but do please report it.

 

If this outfit did try to bill you they would probably be committing an offence under distance selling to business regs and business entires (sorry - lost the legislation so can't remember the name!).

[gyzmo]

It may be best to record calls that come from this person or seek an injunction against them. You can get round this by putting a message on your phone before it gets answered. try reporting it to your TSP as well

[gyzmo]

Unsolicited Goods and Services Act 1971 s. 3 makes it an offence for a business to demand payment for such things.

[Bookworm]

Also complain to the OFT, as their practices should very much come under the new CPUT Regs 08, and the more people complain to the OFT about this company, the better the chance they'll get taken to task.

[thk]

I have spoken to Trading standards this afternoon, they say I need to write to them and say you have to prove to me that I owe them money for adverts or leave me alone, - they won't be able to cos I have not agreed to anything, not even falling for their con when they keep trying to making me slip up and say yes by mistake. If they carry on harrassing me and trying to [problem] money out of me after this then I need to get back in touch with TS and they will investigate further.

 

I wonder how many people with a weaker personality have just gave into them and paid up?

 

This company has been ripping people off for years by the sounds of it even making the National Press and I can't understand they have been getting away with it for so long but somehow they are?

 

I'm very busy the next few days but I'll make sure I find time to write this letter, these are the wierdest people I've ever come across, I don't know how they get a kick out of trying to steal hard working people's money.

[skbuncks]

Hi thk

 

To be safe I wouldn't sign the letter, who knows what use they may put it to if you do

 

skb

[thk]

Thought I'd give an update as it would be useful info if anyone else came across these...

 

Since I reported them to TS I have only received one phone call to which I just told them that I had reported them and was going to turn the record feature on on my phone. After which he just started acting an immature fool again on the phone followed by abuse so I just hung up, and I've not heard from them since.

 

Today I was contacted by trading standards who have looked into my case, he said it was a [problem] that they were aware of as many people had already contacted them about it, I am to ignore all contact they try to make to me both written and verbal unless it gets too abusive/threatening then I need to contact them again.

 

He said that they have been contacting businesses initially trying to sell fake advertising space then if business owners don't buy from them they will try every trick to try and get you to part with your money, like saying that you have bought a few months ago/pretending to be a different company/etc. He says that they just hope that the business owner is weak and just agrees to pay!

 

They are currently under investigation, its a known [problem] to them. The man who runs Vardis - Andrew Lownsborough, has already been prosecuted in the past, so I asked why and how are they still trading? And he said that they keep moving around the Lancashire and merseyside areas and using different people all the time.

 

I offered to give evidence but they say they have more than enough people already and what they have from me is enough.

 

I hope the poeple behind it get a long long time being careful not to drop the soap in the shower of one of HM prisons

 

So the advice is to ignore them, they are being investigated and hopefully will be brought to justice shortly

[gyzmo]

But do report it if you get a call. Even though it is under investigation, the more evidence and the more widesprad it is seen to be the better (in terms of prosecution).

 

Glad the calls have stopped!

[thk]

Well an hour and half after I wrote my message to say the calls had stopped I get another call, this time they are pretending to be ESP (educational support publications) and they are making out that I sponsered one of their mags in February! As mentioned on a previous post I've only been trading a few weeks so this is impossible.

 

It took me a few minutes on the phone to realise it was them but as soon as they were trying to get me to pay for fake advertising that I hadn't bought I knew it was Vardis or another arm of their group again, so I told him where to go and hung up. A quick search on the internet for ESP and yes people have written about it again

 

I know I've been told to ignore them and TS are already onto them but this is just harassment and I just don't need this. How long is this going to go on for, I'm trying to run a business here

[thk]

Well an hour and half after I wrote my message to say the calls had stopped I get another call, this time they are pretending to be ESP (educational support publications) and they are making out that I sponsered one of their mags in February! As mentioned on a previous post I've only been trading a few weeks so this is impossible.

 

It took me a few minutes on the phone to realise it was them but as soon as they were trying to get me to pay for fake advertising that I hadn't bought I knew it was Vardis or another arm of their group again, so I told him where to go and hung up. A quick search on the internet for ESP and yes people have written about it again

 

I know I've been told to ignore them and TS are already onto them but this is just harassment and I just don't need this. How long is this going to go on for, I'm trying to run a business here

 

 

Article found on the guardian website....

 

Time to call advertising conman's bluff

 

I part-run a small business. Since last November, I have been plagued with calls asking if I want to contribute to charities by sponsoring wall charts for the ambulance service, a calendar for firefighters and anti-bullying leaflets for schools.

In late March, Education Support Publications in Manchester started to ask for payments: £149 for the firm's name stamped on 20 school books which I did not order. I have had several phone calls including county court threats. How do I get this company off my back?

HN, Bournemouth

At nearly £7.50 a copy, the 24 page leaflet is hardly cheap. Education Support Publications comes from Ikonic Publications which was set up last October. Its sole director is Andrew Bates.

Until his resignation last October, Bates was a director of Carroll-Dillon Publishing, which also specialised in selling high-cost leaflets to firms which, naturally, are attracted to good causes.

In Ireland, Carroll-Dillon published a controversial school book on drugs, described by the Irish National Teachers Organisation as "totally unsuitable". In 2006, Carroll-Dillon paid for Ian Bates, Andrew's brother, to stay in a luxury Dublin hotel. Ian Bates moved to Ireland after he was convicted at Manchester Crown Court in 2002 of conspiracy to defraud by selling adverts in an anti-drug book aimed at schoolchildren. Andrew Bates is also a director of Core Media Services which sells similarly priced leaflets on drugs and other issues for schools.

The best way to deal with this is to call Ikonic's bluff by telling it to take you to court, where it will have to prove you were a willing purchaser of its expensive leaflets. Unless it has evidence of this, the court will throw out the claim - assuming it gets that far.

Edited July 16, 2008 by thk
itallics!

[thk]

Do you think that Ikonic publications who tried to make out I was in the ESP mag and Vardis who contacted me last week for the Childrens charity are the same people, or have I got two frims trying to con me here?

 

They sound similar over the phone and are both from the manchester area, there 'sales' tactics are very similar.

 

Found this on manchester TS website, great info. Manchester City Council Trading Standards Service

 

Also do a search for Ikonic publications but this is about the most info I can find here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=486971

Edited July 16, 2008 by thk

[samtha]

Hi

 

Thanks for the below information.

My partner has recently been receiving letters from this company telling him he owes them money (over £100) for advertisments that he didn't know anything about. The letters are addressed to my partner but the reference they have is to a laminate flooring company which they think my patner ownes, he's never had his own company so i dont know where they've got this information from.

 

Would you recommend this being reported to trading standards? whats the best way to get in touch with them? email or letter? i've not experienced anything like this before so any help would be great.

 

Thanks

[loopinlouie]

Trading standards is a good way to go. I am sure theyve heared of them before. ps, any further advice and best to start your own new thread incase need help:D Best wishes.

Edited January 14, 2010 by loopinlouie

[simon eastwood]

I have fallen foul of these people (if thats what you can call them) regarding advertising my PAT testing business. They told me they had umpteen thousand publications in my area so I thought why not. It would transpire that no-one I know has ever heard of these publications and have not received any contact through this advert.

There is no way I am willing to pay them their fee when they have completely misled me in their sales pitch.

[qa19]

this is now a massive problem. Over the last few days I've received 3 calls from different companies. I have recordings, names addresses etc but TS simply say they keep popping up around manc/liverpool. I have emailed many companies who use the same advertising locally and all have said they're getting over 3 companies phoning each week demanding money. One lady who started a few months ago phoned me even said there were at least 6 different ones threatening her and seemed rather upset about the whole thing. With phone numbers, bank details, addresses and even pictures of their premises I can't believe TS can't do more.

[kwaks]

Looks like they have moved up a gear!

 

 

Next time they call tell them your business has changed to Security Services and they can speak to your silent business partner......when he is released from Her Majesties Pleasure.

[whoisvardis]

Do you think that Ikonic publications who tried to make out I was in the ESP mag and Vardis who contacted me last week for the Childrens charity are the same people, or have I got two frims trying to con me here?

 

They sound similar over the phone and are both from the manchester area, there 'sales' tactics are very similar.

 

Found this on manchester TS website, great info. Manchester City Council Trading Standards Service

 

Also do a search for Ikonic publications but this is about the most info I can find here MoneySavingExpert.com Forums

 

Hi Thk,

 

I've also received a letter this morning from crown debt recovery, asking me to pay 159£ that owe to Vardis, i dont even know who the F*CK is this Vardis.

but in letter they mentioned my nickname used for internet browsing, i dont even know if they have my right info or not.

and they have used a company name which i never had.

can you please tell me what happened in the end of your story ?

thanks.

[42man]

Name & Registered Office:

IKONIC PUBLICATIONS LIMITED

UNIT 96 2 SAWLEY ROAD

MILES PLATTING

MANCHESTER

M40 8BB

Company No. 06387152

 

 

Status: Liquidation

Date of Incorporation: 02/10/2007

 

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Company Type: Private Limited Company

Nature of Business (SIC(03)):

2211 - Publishing of books

Accounting Reference Date: 31/12

Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)

Next Accounts Due: 02/08/2009 OVERDUE

Last Return Made Up To: 02/10/2008

Next Return Due: 30/10/2009 OVERDUE

Last Members List: 02/10/2008

 

IKONIC PUBLICATIONS LIMITED

UNIT 96 2 SAWLEY ROAD

MILES PLATTING

MANCHESTER

M40 8BB

Status: Liquidation

Date of Incorporation: 02/10/2007

 

Accounting Reference Date: 31/12

Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)

Next Accounts Due: 02/08/2009 OVERDUE

Last Return Made Up To: 02/10/2008

Next Return Due: 30/10/2009 OVERDUE

Status: Liquidation

Date of Incorporation: 02/10/2007

 

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Company Type: Private Limited Company

Nature of Business (SIC(03)):

2211 - Publishing of books

Accounting Reference Date: 31/12

Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)

Next Accounts Due: 02/08/2009 OVERDUE

Last Return Made Up To: 02/10/2008

Next Return Due: 30/10/2009 OVERDUE

[whoisvardis]

I suggest a call to the local trading standards.....is there an address for this Crown Debt Recoveries Ltd on the letter ?

yes there is an address of crown debt recory

 

CROWN DEBT RECOVERY

PO BOX 713

SOUTHPORT

PR8 9LD

EMAIL :[email protected]

telephone : 0871 330 8372

facsimile : 0871 330 8373

client ref : x247 - 10

 

sent and signed by Mr E. Bailey.

enforcement section manager

 

 

i dont know what to do with this, any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[42man]

Interesting the telephone number is quite close to Vardis Publishing's number....!! I dare somebody to call them and ask what their consumer credit licence number is ?

[whoisvardis]

Interesting the telephone number is quite close to Vardis Publishing's number....!! I dare somebody to call them and ask what their consumer credit licence number is ?

 

there is a consumer credit license number in bottom of the letter.

 

its : 590783

[42man]

CCA Search :: CCA Search Results :: Licence Details

 

 

Application / Licence Details

 

 

 

Licence Number:0590783

Licence Status:Current

 

Current Applicant / Licensee:

 

NameAndrew Lownsbrough

 

Categories:

 

Debt adjusting/counselling Debt collecting

 

Right To Canvass Off Trade Premises:No

 

 

Issued Date: 10-Nov-2006

Expiry Date: 09-Nov-2011

 

 

Legal Formation:

 

Sole Trader

 

Nature of Business:

 

Debt Collection

 

Current Address(es):

 

Address TypeAddressPrincipal Place Of Business31, Burscough Street, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 2EG

 

Historic Address(es):

 

Address TypeAddressPrincipal Place Of Business31, Buscough Street, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39Principal Place Of Business31, Buscough Street, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 2EG