Yellow Pages Advertising
US-Yellow PagesHeadquarters
Information and Alerts
Alert Details
This business has 2 alerts.
Pattern of Complaints
On October 17, 2017, BBB mailed a letter to US-Yellow Pages with concerns regarding a pattern of consumer complaints. According to information in BBB files small businesses and organizations across the country have contacted the BBB regarding complaints concerning billing contacts for unauthorized purchases for directory advertising listings. Customers that dispute the transaction report that they are provided with an order form via mail that is deceptively disguised as a business update form.
BBB received the following response:
"US Yellow has expended great effort to assure that our solicitation format is clear and unambiguous and cannot be reasonably construed as a "business update for" or as an invoice. At the top of the document in large font and all capital letters the solicitation clearly states that it is a "LISTING ORDER FORM" in order to make it absolutely clear that the purpose of the form is to order a service. Our Listing Order Form has been scrutinized by numerous Attoneys General around the United States. The United States Postal Service has also found that the Listing Order Form meets all of the Postal Services statutory and regulatory requirements.
US Yellow has been in the yellow page publishing business for almost 20 years and provides a legitimate business resource to many happy clients. We regret that some customers do not take the time to read the solicitation, but we are confident that the solicitation is fair, clear and unambiguous and is not deceptive in any way. Although we do understand that there are a small percentage of businesses that place their order by mistake, when requested, US Yellow agrees to cancel the order if we are contacted and advised of the error.
Should you have any further questions, always feel free to contact our customer service department first at 866.791.8797 and you will find we have some of the friendliest representatives ready to help you."
Alert
on 10/19/2023, Business Handler Arielle spoke with me on the phone letting me know she is not going to respond to complaints due to being understaffed.
Important Information
Government Actions
Defendants operate a nationwide yellow pages directory business that deceives consumers into paying approximately $1,000 per year for automatically renewing subscription for a listing in an obscure, little used national and regional business telephone directory. Consumers harmed by Defendants' unlawful business practices have submitted over a thousand complaints to agencies such as the Florida Attorney General, Federal Trade Commission, and Better Business Bureau since 2009. The Attorney General brings this action for injunctive and other equitable and and statutory relief, including restitution to consumers, disgorgement of profits by the Defendants, civil penalties, reasonable attorney's fees and costs, and other appropriate relief pursuant to the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, Chapter 501, Part II, Florida Statutes (2018) ("FDUTPA"), including sections 501.207 (1) and (3), Florida Statutes (2018).
The business' attorney submitted the following statement of Global Directories, Inc.'s position regarding the litigation instituted by the Florida Office of the Attorney General:
Global Directories provides a valuable product, using an honest and unambiguous solicitation form, which meets the requirements of the FTC and the US Postal Service, and which was approved by the Attorney General’s Office 9 years ago. The AG's lawsuit is frivolous and was filed in retaliation for Global having sued them first (four months earlier) based on the AG's malicious interference with Global’s lawful business and the AG's refusal to honor the binding agreement they reached with Global in 2009 - an agreement which approved Global’s business model, its business practices and its marketing materials. The AG misrepresented Global’s fees for listings, which start as low as $204 per year, and inflated the number of complaints received about Global. Global fully expects the courts to sustain Global’s right to continue to do business as it has for the last 20 years.
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