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Telemarketing
Caution - Office Supplies
OTTAWA, November 18, 2002
Press release from the Canadian Competition Bureau
The competition
Bureau issued a warning today to businesses and not-for-profit
organizations in both Canada and the United States to take
caution before supplying information to telemarketers about
their office equipment or about the individuals responsible
for purchasing office supplies.
The Bureau receives
hundreds of complaints from businesses and not-for-profit
organizations across Canada and the United Sates about the
deceptive telemarketing of office supplies, including toner
products, supplies for credit card machines and business directories.
Complainants allege
that telemarketers misrepresent themselves as the target customer's
regular supplier of office supplies.
Telemarketers allegedly
make false or misleading statements about the nature of the
product they are promoting and about the existence of previously
authorized orders. Furthermore, they fail to disclose pertinent
information such as the price of the product and terms and
conditions of delivery.
DO
- Alert employees
to the potential for office supply scams.
- Ensure employees
are aware of and follow purchasing policies.
- Ask questions
about the price and nature of the products promoted by telemarketers.
Ask for the name of the company they represent.
- Verify who ordered
office supplies before authorizing payment of invoices from
unknown suppliers.
DON'T
- Provide confidential
information about the makes and models of your office equipment
to unknown callers.
- Add vendors
to your accounts payable system until you have verified
that they are legitimate suppliers for your business.
Provided
by the Arkansas Better business Bureau®
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