2 messages, 84 lines:

(1)------------------------
Date:         Wed, 28 Jan 1998 10:17:03 -0600
From:         Joe Edelen <jedelen@SUNBURST.USD.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Invoices for materials not ordered or received

My recommendation would be to toss the invoices in the trash and not even
call the company.  This is common practice amongst many companies,
including publishers of journals.  We get things like this all the time,
but can't say that we have heard from this particular company yet.

Joe Edelen
U of South Dakota
<jedelen@SUNBURST.USD.EDU>

(2)---------------------------
Date:         Wed, 28 Jan 1998 11:36:37 -0500
From:         Susan Zappen <szappen@SCOTT.SKIDMORE.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Invoices for materials not ordered or received

Peter,

Request in writing that the company send you your purchase order number.
Send a copy of that letter and copies of any correspondence from the company
to your State Attorney General. Include a letter to your State Attorney
General outlining the situation and asking if others have had similar
problems. By doing this you document the situation without making  any
accusations. You help yourself and others in the process.

I have done this in the past when I received a request to order a title from
a publisher that I recognized as fraudulent. I sent the publisher's blurb to
the Attorney General who then notified the US Post Office. I had the
resources and experience to determine that the publisher was fradulent, but
not all libraries/librarians do. I felt it was important to other libraries
to contact the Attorney General, who actually sent me a thank you letter!

          ********************
Susan H. Zappen
Head of Technical Services
Lucy Scribner Library
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs NY 12866-1632

Phone: 518-580-5521
Fax:      518-580-5540
szappen@skidmore.edu
          ********************

Peter Zeimet  <pzeimet@BARR.COM> wrote:

>Here's a question for you Serials folks.  We have been receiving invoices
>from a company called Progressive Business Publications.  We have never
>ordered anything from them in the past, nor have we actually received any
>products.
>
>After receiving the bill, we call the company to explain that there must be
>some mistake.  This gets us nowhere and now the matter has been turned over
>to a collection agency.  We think there is some foul play involved.  Some
>of our ex-employees have been contacted and said that Progressive Business
>Publications has done this before.  Do any of you have similar experiences?
> And what do we do?
>
>It seems a simple matter of telling them that unless they can produce paper
>demonstrating that we signed for a subscription (which we didn't), then we
>are under no legal obligation to pay.  But one of their moves has been to
>send these bills not only to the library, but to our accounting department.
> My guess is that they're hoping someone will just pay it in the confusion.
> When I talk to the collection agency they keep telling me that they will
>contact the vendor and get back to me.  But a month or so later, guess
>what?  A new invoice arrives.  They won't allow me to call the vendor
>directly.
>
>Without going to an expensive lawyer, any ideas?
>
>Peter J. Zeimet
>Systems Librarian
>Barr Engineering Co.
>8300 Norman Center Drive
>Minneapolis, MN  55437-1026
>612-832-2868
>612-832-2601 fax
> <pzeimet@BARR.COM>