-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Business Directories -- Sarah D. Tusa
Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2000 09:56:04 -0600
From: Leslie Burke <lburke@ebsco.com>

This shady practice happened a lot at my former corporate library and
the
names of the directories are similar to others we might get.  They did
try
to imply that we'd done this in previous years -- probably because
someone
at the company got burned. Often we'd end up with a cd of information
for
$297 which we could have gotten free off the Internet.  I considered
this to
be similar to the old copier toner scams that turn up.

Leslie Burke

>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Business Directories
> Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2000 08:53:19 -0600
> From: "Sarah D. Tusa" <tusa@almark.lamar.edu>
> Reply-To: tusa@almark.lamar.edu
> Organization: Lamar University
>
> Greetings.  Just before I came down with bronchitis, I noticed a
> discussion of marketing habits for certain business directories.  I
> offer one or two more caveats to the discussion.
> First, the marketer(s) sometimes get hold of more than one office
> extension.  For  instance, I know that in my library the same sales rep
> has called at least 3 different people to "verify our address."  We have
> since sent out  a warning to everyone in the library to forward such
> calls to me.  "Verifying an address" can magically turn into a firm
> order, as we have discovered.
> Also, as I have recently been reminded, when I ask if I may check our
> records to see if we have purchased the proffered directory previously,
> the telemarketer abruptly ends the conversation.   Hmmmm.  Anyhow,
> people might want to alert their staff to the ploy of verifying the
> library's address.
> Happy Holidays!
>
> Sarah Tusa
> Serials Acquisitions Librarian
> Lamar University
> Beaumont, TX