2 messages, 63 lines:
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Date:         Tue, 19 Sep 1995 13:18:40 EDT
From:         "HELEN P. MACK" <hpm0@LEHIGH.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Blind invoices & professional ethics

Sometimes we get odd "invoices" such as you mention.  More often they involve
materials we ordered once, but which the publisher wants us to get on
continuation.  I ask them to cite the P.O. # they think they're responding to.
If they can't, too bad.  If they cite a P.O. for a single item (rather than a
continuation), too bad.  We try to stay on top of these things and not get
hornswoggled into getting new things unintentionally.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Helen P. Mack                         Internet: hpm0@lehigh.edu
Acquisitions Dept.                    Fax (610) 758-5605
Lehigh University Libraries           Phone (610) 758-3035

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Date:         Tue, 19 Sep 1995 11:37:11 EST
From:         Judy Schneider <schneiderj.oimc@GAO.GOV>
Subject:      Re: Blind invoices & professional ethics

     It would seem to me that if you have no record of ordering either
     title, you are entirely justified in writing to the publisher and
     requiring them to justify their claim that you owe them money. You may
     also want to talk to your agency's lawyer about what to do, what not
     to do, and what to say in any correspondence. You may also want to
     send copies of any correspondence to your lawyer. Having a lawyer
     review things like this will help protect you from lawsuits, etc.

     I work in a government library, and any disputes that go on long
     enough will definately get review by our attornies.

     BTW, it's very helpful if requests such as this one are signed. As you
     can see from the included message below, I don't get mail headers, so
     I have no idea where this message came from. (Dangling participle free
     of charge!)

     Hope this helps,

     Judy Schneider                 "So Many Books ...
     US GAO Library                     So Little Time"
     schneiderj.oimc@gao.gov

     My opinions are mine! All Mine!

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Blind invoices & professional ethics
Author:  "SEREDIT: SERIALST Editors" <SEREDIT@UVMVM.UVM.EDU> at INTERNET
Date:    9/19/95 9:03 AM

Recently my library has two blind invoices from the same publisher for
periodicals never ordered. In each case the publisher claimed that we had
ordered the title and that they had sent issues.  One invoice even
claimed that not only had they sent the issues but that we were in
arrears on our payments. Do other libraries receive such invoices?
Frankly I'm reluctant to mention the publisher's name for fear of being
held libelous.  Does anyone know if I would be and has anyone else had
experience with publishers who use such tactics to con libraries into
subscribing to their journals?