[TopGlass]

Have any of you guys signed up for this? I signed up last week, but already I'm having my doubts! It's going to cost me £750, spread over 5 months, and they'll advertise my business for 18 months on their website and in their directory, plus I get a free 0800 no with all charges paid by them, but with a full money back guarantee!

But they said they would send me a welcome pack within 2 days, which I haven't received, and would be put on their website within 24hrs of signing up, which also still hasn't happened!

I called them this morning and was told someone would call back within the hour, they didn't. Then I got a call at lunch time from someone else there, (who was very pushy and really trying hard to catch me out so I would agree), trying to sign me up for another deal. Basically, for £950 I would get a full page A5 ad put in their new directory, which would be put out in my area and I would be the only w/c in it, this would last 18 months. This would be delivered to businesses and wealthy households.

But for that kind of money, on top of what I have already taken on, I'm just not prepared to risk it, plus I've got no guarantee it will work. So when I said no, this guy got quite nasty and started saying that if I was a real business man, then I would recognise this as an oppurtunity and that i'd wasted his time! Eventually he put the phone down! This is a new promotion, so maybe he's on commission only! 

Anyone else received a call like this?

[garry]

 get your money back total waste stick to yellow pages or thomson.

[Derek_Walker]

I would stay well clear of this firm, you might as well give away your hard earned cash. Leaflets would give you a much better return on your investment.

[thewindowcleaner1]

Do like I do with any tel e sales put the phone Down.
and if you ain't paid anything yet stop payment as they have not met thier side of the agreament,

Some one rang me earlier this year regarding placing an add in a directory going to local schools, I stalled and said I,d think about it (no intention)then last month had a phone call saying that the directorys had been printed and would I like to pay (wanted about £250 + I think) so after a long and heated conversation in which they kept insisting that I had agreed to the print run I said produce a signed document or other proof and put the phone down heard now't since (rip offs)

[KJG]

Don't pay anything. Email them, ring or whatever and just say, "Thanks but no thanks, I've changed my mind. Goodbye." End of!

If they contact/threaten you again, just tell them to literally f*** off. And don't be afraid of any bullsh*t legal threats either. They wouldn't stand a chance in any court, not that they would actually go that far anyway. There’d be too much cost, time and bad publicity for them.

Common sense should tell you that if outfits like this are as good as they say, people would be running to them - not the other way round.

If you want to, let us know how you get on them.

Incidentally, you can sign up to Yell.com for free online. I did it about 7 months ago and now I’m in the "local only" Yellow Pages too - for free! Haven’t got anything from it yet though!!!!!

[Paul Coleman]

Have any of you guys signed up for this? I signed up last week, but already I'm having my doubts! It's going to cost me £750, spread over 5 months, and they'll advertise my business for 18 months on their website and in their directory, plus I get a free 0800 no with all charges paid by them, but with a full money back guarantee!

But they said they would send me a welcome pack within 2 days, which I haven't received, and would be put on their website within 24hrs of signing up, which also still hasn't happened!

I called them this morning and was told someone would call back within the hour, they didn't. Then I got a call at lunch time from someone else there, (who was very pushy and really trying hard to catch me out so I would agree), trying to sign me up for another deal. Basically, for £950 I would get a full page A5 ad put in their new directory, which would be put out in my area and I would be the only w/c in it, this would last 18 months. This would be delivered to businesses and wealthy households.

But for that kind of money, on top of what I have already taken on, I'm just not prepared to risk it, plus I've got no guarantee it will work. So when I said no, this guy got quite nasty and started saying that if I was a real business man, then I would recognise this as an oppurtunity and that i'd wasted his time! Eventually he put the phone down! This is a new promotion, so maybe he's on commission only! 

Anyone else received a call like this?

As they approached you, it's possible that you are entitled to a 14 day "cooling off" period.  Write to them immediately using registered post saying that you wish to cancel because you have changed your mind. Also, if you have paid, contact your card company immediately to cancel.  This can be a problem if you paid by card as you need co-operation from the company you have paid.  If you set up a direct debit instead, that is mucheasier to cancel (which is why some companies insist on a card number).  Please note that a debit card number is not treated the same way as a direct debit.  If you haven't paid or given a card number then no problem.  I have found this bunch to be really pushy.  I said no thanks (politely) to them and had another call from them a week or two later.  I am signed up to the Telephone Preference Service as well.  They are supposed to check any numbers they ring against the TPS list.  When I pointed this out, they didn't even know what the TPS was.  If they try again, I will be making a complaint to the TPS.  By the way, they "only" asked me for £599.

ALSO:-  These guys selling advertising space seem to be out in force lately.  I had a call yesterday (must be yet another lot that don't check the TPS database) from an outfit based in the northeast called cleanerslocal.co.uk .  At first the idea seemed pretty good and I gave them a "maybe" answer.  How it works is that you go to Google and key in the following search term:-  window cleaners in crawley (Crawley being my home town).  Cleanerslocal then appears in the paid for advertising windows on the google front page for that search term.  If I pay money to cleanerslocal, I am then guaranteed prominence on *their* page.  At first, for £199 a year, this seemed OK and I was considering it.  However, I then started playing around with google to experiment.  Bear with me a moment here.  If *I* wanted a window cleaner in Crawley, the search term that *I* would use would be:- window cleaner Crawley (note the omission of "in").  When omitting the word "in" from this search (as I believe most people would" they didn't even appear in the ranking never mind the special ad boxes.
Years ago, as an experiment, I put some obscure and non-existent words into a web page that I made up.  After a while, I came top of the search engine rankings every time when using those "words" as the search term - the point being that no-one would ever search for those particular "words".
I'm not saying that cleanerslocal is a scam - they do appear to be a genuine ad company.  What I am saying is that it's important to research what someone is trying to sell you.

[TopGlass]

Well I tryed to cancel it today, then was told by this women that I could only cancel after the 18 months were up! To which I replied no, I want to cancel now and I want my money back, (Fortunately I'd only paid £75 deposit, but I was told I could cancel at any time and have my money back). So now I 'm waiting for a call from their management department, but I said that if I don't get my money then heads will roll, hopefully it was recorded!!

Thanks for all your advice by the way guys!

Daz

[JM123]

first rule of dealing with other people is - no I won't wait on you to ring me - I'll ring you, keep ringing and ringing until the redial button stops working - they will give in eventually, also remind them that nothing has been signed and you never applied as they approached you, on top of that, never ever give out personal details to anyone on the phone especially credit/debit details.  Got a call bout 4 years ago claiming to be from roads service wanting payment for parking fine said we could pay it using card on the phone - put them on hold, rang police from mobile - got it traced and guess what???!!! - it was the roads service and I did have to pay £30 - d*/m it

[Paul Coleman]

first rule of dealing with other people is - no I won't wait on you to ring me - I'll ring you, keep ringing and ringing until the redial button stops working - they will give in eventually, also remind them that nothing has been signed and you never applied as they approached you, on top of that, never ever give out personal details to anyone on the phone especially credit/debit details.  Got a call bout 4 years ago claiming to be from roads service wanting payment for parking fine said we could pay it using card on the phone - put them on hold, rang police from mobile - got it traced and guess what???!!! - it was the roads service and I did have to pay £30 - d*/m it

Hahaha.  That's a classic.

[squeaky-clean 1]

hi
i went with them about 6 months ago but i am still waiting to get any calls from there i always ask client when they call , where did you find our number so that i know next year who to advitise with IT WONT BE 118 TRADS.COM.

and i will ask for my full refund that they promised.

but how can we proove we have not had business from them.?

Belinda

[Paul Coleman]

Well I tryed to cancel it today, then was told by this women that I could only cancel after the 18 months were up! To which I replied no, I want to cancel now and I want my money back, (Fortunately I'd only paid £75 deposit, but I was told I could cancel at any time and have my money back). So now I 'm waiting for a call from their management department, but I said that if I don't get my money then heads will roll, hopefully it was recorded!!

Thanks for all your advice by the way guys!

Daz

If you had approached them, the cooling off period allowed by law is 7 days.  As they approached you, the cooling off period allowed by law is 14 days (these figures may have changed so don't take my word for it).  Get some written evidence that you are attempting to cancel within that 14 day time period such as the registered letter that I mentioned.  Notify your card company too straight away.  Be aware that if they have your card details, they may try to extract other amounts due from your card.  Cancelling transactions is more complex with card numbers than it is with direct debits.  If your card company won't play ball, if you are in a position to do so, tell them that you will cancel the card account so that 118trades cannot remove money from it.  That sometimes focusses their minds to find a solution.  It is very important to get written evidence of your attempted cancellation as, without it, it may be difficult to prove later on.  I assume that you are within the 14 days.  If they phone me again, maybe I'll mess with their heads and give them a bogus card number.  Should keep them busy for a while.

[dai]

The best way of dealing with unsolicited calls is to say "Sorry, just a minute there is someone at the door". Then keep the phone off the hook and go and watch telly.
DAi

[thewindowcleaner1]

   

The best way of dealing with unsolicited calls is to say "Sorry, just a minute there is someone at the door". Then keep the phone off the hook and go and watch telly.
DAi

I agree or if you fancy a bit of fun pass the phone around to every one in the house and make the canvasser read his script every time get really intrested and see how long you can keep them on the line (not earning) really good fun if it is from a call centre in another country..

[brookie12]

i have had a  add with 118 trades for the last year and had no calls at all i have rang them many times and evan wrote to them in the end i sent a letter to trading standards and have wrote to watch dog as thay dont do as they said like, Radio adds, adds on the busess,Cheking refrences this company is a rip off and full of s'#T

PLEASE EVERYONE STAY AWAY DONT PART WITH YOUR CASH........

[Alex Gardiner]

My policy is never to take out anything where the person has rung me!

[Terry_Burrows]

They tried to get me to!but we were having none of it ::)you are best to stick with the books if anything ;)people do not bother so much with on line,thats what we have found