Beware ... another marketing scam.

[Wallaby]

I got a call last week from a company called McAllister Stone claiming to be publishing a magazine called 'Civvies' for off duty police and services staff.

They are targeting locksmiths right now to advertise for a security special. Of course, it does not exist and they will take any interest on the phone as confirmation of order (even, i'll think about it counts). Apparantly, they are being investigated by trading standards in Liverpool and have previously been in court using 'doctored' recordings of the call with you.

Without showing any interest, I got an ad proof through the post (what a piece of crap - not a single detail correct) and confirmation of my order. Fine print says you have 7 days to cancel. I plan to do more than that but i have seen on the internet that those not cancelling within 7 days get some pretty nasty abuse from these guys ....

Put the phone down if you hear from them.

[Rockford]

Thanks for the warning.

Rockford.....

[toomush2drink]

These are the guys that kept ringing me saying i owed them 200 quid. Nothing but common crooks and when i confronted them about the so called phone call they had on tape the reckoned they couldnt let me hear it. I pointed out i could hear it under the data protection act and i wanted their offices details, never heard from them again after that. They must have rang about 10 times over a 2 month period haassling me for money before that.

[quicklocks]

[toomush2drink]

An update on this matter, they have contacted my friends brother and got heavy with him about his so called debt. They have threatened him with the debt collectors if he doesnt pay but unluckily for them my friend is a copper. She spoke to them and asked what evidence they had that he owed them money and they said they had a recording of the phone call. Heres the best bit she pointed out that under the data protection act they have to tell you they are recording your conversation. They cut her off at this point. Shes got trading standards on their backs from another area so it looks like the heat is getting turned up on these crooks. Once she told them she was a police officer they stopped ringing so it looks like these scum bags will be getting their just desserts soon. If enough people take out courtcases against them under the data protection act they should cease to do this any more.

[haribo]

I have had a few of these saying they are working on behalf of the authorities and producing a wall planner and do i want to advertise. I was working at the time of the call and a bit busy so i asked for some details to be sent. I got ta proof of the advert which was crap and a invoice. I called them to say thanks but no thanks they then threatened me by saying they had recorded my conversation previously which is a legally binding contract !! I told them to f off basically and have heard nothing since. Beware!!

[rua]

Welcome to the McAllister Stone Ltd club. They`ve targetted alot of people (have a look at www.blagger.com) and made alot of threats.
Do what we`re all doing- Report them to Trading Standards and to BBC Watchdog. Can`t wait to see them named and shamed on TV.

[Caine]

I have heard from these blaggers and heard their crap about recorded calls etc, THEY NEVER GOT A PENNY .HEHEHHEE. It gives me great pleasure to know that they are being investigated by Wirral trading standards at the moment as well as a complaint I have made with the trading standards in the scottish borders..

They are true scumbags with their ploy, however I does make you realise there is a space in the market for such a publication but no one would believe you now they have been around.

If only Zorro was here to help us,hahaa, we only have watchdog..

[AUTOLOX]

these calls have been going on for years in one form or another, if anyone contacts you as soon as you realise they are trying to sell something say nothing and hang up, after a few hundred calls you get to know the spiel, I usually hang up within 10 seconds

as soon as I hear any of the following I hang up.

working on behalf of the police/fire/emergency services/charities/hospitals/local authority

also if they try to be your friend or ask you how you are, the warning bells should start ringing

[toomush2drink]

The other thing is getting a call from the "local chamber of commerce" for a mail shot. It seems this is the way they get your name, i fell for it once but soon wised up. I had one yesterday and asked for a contact number "as i was in the middle of a job" which caught them off guard so i hung up

[haribo]

I am still getting calls from these people and these so called year planners 'out next month' who buys a year planner 4 months into the year anyway!

[sledge-it]

Has anyone had the one from 'data protection sevices' ENFORCEMENT SECTION!?
Apparently I owe them £95 quid!
I had to laugh. These amatures are pretending to be some kind of government agency and they 're too tight to even get a franking machine!

[toomush2drink]

That is another scam doing the rounds. They make out you need to register to be legal with the data protection act but its a con as you can register for free i think.

[1st solution locksmiths]

Toomush

To register for data protection is £30 but you can send me £95.00 per year if you want i want say nothing HONEST !!

PS

I have a recording of the conversation we had remember 2 months ago, you said you would give me all you stock & picks

[EvoRed]

I had a call today from a 'local police and fire crime prevention officer'. I usually end these calls immediately but heard this one out.

Same old stuff you hear every few days. They're printing 20,000 publications to deliver to local homes about crime prevention and rogue traders. They are having one business per trade listed in it and asked if I wanted to be the Locksmith. 'No thanks' was my reply as you almost certainly know where it's heading. 'Why not?' they asked. 'I've spent far too much on advertising this year' was my excuse. 'Well, it's free but I'll get someone else' and the phone immediately went dead.

Now either this was a local crime prevention officer who couldn't believe I wouldn't want to be part of such a campaign or it was a scam and they realised they weren't going to get anywhere so just said it was free before hanging up. I hope it was the latter!

The phone number was withheld and, being relatively new to the trade, why would they just pick me out as the Locksmith to call on in the area to avoid rogue traders, especially as there is an MLA member nearby? I could be one of these rogue traders, so any such publication could be full of them!

Call me overly suspicious, but I get so many similar calls that I just don't believe any of them are genuine any more and, to be honest, they drive me up the wall wasting my time, but it could be costly if they were genuine and you missed an opportunity...