'Child safety' publisher wound up following DTI investigation

Gillian Nightingale
Member - 175 posts

Manchester Trading Standards have detailed advice and guidance on their website relating to this, and other similar sharp practices. http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/manchester/publish.htm

Anonymous

Adrian Smythe have also been pressing me for payment following a telephone call completely out the blue,claiming i had agreed to sponsor 'books for schools'.I have made no payment and will not be doing so.Having found this website.They are calling people randomly claiming they have agreed to sponsor these books,and relying on people to send payments to them before they realise they have been conned.I have received about 5 letters in 4 weeks from them,and about 2 invoices,the latter claiming they will take me to court.Bring it on!!

Anonymous

We too have been targeted by Adrian Smythe. Unfortunately, we were conned by Anderson Clarke Publications and paid up. This time we have stood our ground but we have been pestered with letters and invoices. One letter even claims to have an audio record confirming the verbal contract but at the time of speaking to them, not once did they tell us that they were recording the conversation. Is this legal? When I asked for the audio tape they say they can't send it but if we want a transcript of the tape they can provide it for a fee of £10.00

Anonymous

Someone asked for the number for Adrian Smythe Publications.

It is 0161 236 4351

They forgot to withold their number once when ringing my partner. They will answer if you keep ringing but they get increasingly aggressive.

Anonymous

hello every one, i currently work for adrian smythe. im one of the geeks that phone you up. telephone calls are not recorded and when they charge you £10 for a transcript they just keep your money, the company is moving very soon to a new city centre location. i will keep you posted when we move, any more info, please contact me by email ld9237@aol.com

Anonymous

I think I've received this scam as well. I am now worried about another company called Global Media Productions Ltd based in Manchester.

Has anyone heard/know anything about this company?

Anonymous

I own an Accountancy Practice in S.Wales

I to have been contacted by the above

Adrian Smythe and had exactly the same things said to me,they are allegedly taking legal action against me for not paying one of the Duff invoices.

Their latest address as of 13/6/05 is 3rd Floor Beehive Mill

Jersey Street

Manchester

M4 6JG

I now look forward to it thanks to all For the comments I have read on this page.

Anonymous

For those who have invoices from any suspect company check the VAT registration with the Customs and Excise Advice Centre, 0845 010 9000 and if not correct then I suggest you use the confidential Customs and Excise report system, email address customs.confidential@hmce.gsi.goc.uk or their free telephone 0800 595000. Telephone lines are often busy.

If the VAT number is not shown then go straight to the confidential line.

HM Customs and Excise will prosecute the company for fraudulently collecting VAT and failing to pay the VAT Collected

Let us now put pressure on these companies.

Ian Faulkner
Member - 2 posts

With reference to Helen's query on Global Media Productions Ltd (12 June), they were featured in a story in the Mirror on 26 May.

See http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/mirrorinvestigates/tm_column_date=26052005-name_index.html

Anonymous

I too, as a poor student needing work over summer, took up a job at Adrian Smythe. I lasted a week.

Basically, we got paid to ring up businesses from the Yellow Pages stating that we'd spoken to them back in Dec/Jan when your company had 'agreed' to sponsor a certain amount of books. These are priced between £95 up to £500, but you'll usually be asked for £95- £195 a go. Calls aren't recorded, so don't pay for a transcript that doesn't exist.

However, please remember that most of the employees are people like myself who hate what Adrian Smythe do but need the money- so instead of swearing and shouting, please just politely but firmly decline, and they'll leave you alone (hopefully).

Anonymous

ps: Adrian Smythe are now claiming to be "the A & S Crime Prevention Team"

Anonymous

The comment about using Yellow Pages as a reference base for multi calls to promote a business breaks the Yel Copyright.

Yel take this seriously and, I understand, prosecute where they can get the evidence.

Anonymous

These people have been pestering me for the last 18 mths. I have agreed to nothing, but they insist they have a recording and just recently my signature. I have not received an invoice as like others, but i have been told court procedings will be started and "we will see you in court"

Im sick of these people surely this can be stopped.

I would like to see Nicky Campbell get stuck in about this bunch, WHAT SAY YOU.

John Mc Guinness
Member - 17 posts

Hello Mr V. Angry

Why not call the bluff of these scamsters? Suggest you draft a letter to AS & his Crime Prevention outfit advising that unless they refrain from causing a nuisance(such contact could be classed as nuisance)you will apply to the court for an injunction restraining his outfit or their agents from contacting you. In addition, point out that should this action be necessary you will be seeking an order for the full cost of recovery action.

I guess you will not hear from AS or his outfit again.

John Mc Guinness

Shires Safety Consultants

Gillian Nightingale
Member - 175 posts

Thanks to everyone for their contributions to this forum thread.

We have received dozens more comments than are shown, but the quantity of contributions on this site has now begun to skew the balance of the overall service we provide. As a provider of information and advice on employment law, health and safety and premises management, we need to ensure we maintain this focus.

We have therefore taken an editorial decision not to show any further contributions on this topic, though the thread to date will remain viewable. Any further contributions will be removed from display.

We have been in contact with BBC Watchdog about this thread and passed every contribution to them so far. We still await a response from them.

Sorry we can't do more here, but please do heed the advice of our forum posters, and do not respond to the threats of these fraudsters.

Gillian Nightingale
Member - 175 posts

DTI press release 12.9.05

The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has presented a petition in the High Court to wind-up Adrian Smythe Publishing Limited in the public interest.

The Manchester-based company (registered office 3Q, 3rd Floor, Beehive Mill, Jersey Street, Manchester M4 6JG) was concerned in the publication of child safety and crime awareness books for distribution to schools. The business involved cold calling businesses across the UK to solicit sponsorship payments in relation to the books.

The petition was presented following an investigation carried out by the Department's Companies Investigation Branch under section 447 of the Companies Act 1985 and is listed for hearing on 16 October 2005. No further information will be provided until then.

Anonymous

Watch out for a new woman on the block.
She calls on behalf of Peterson Lloyd an associate of Community Initiative Association (CIA). CIA is also now known as Community Initiative Associates.

Gillian Nightingale
Member - 175 posts

DTI press release 25 October 2005:
A Manchester company that published "drugs and safety awareness books" aimed at school children has been wound up following a DTI investigation.
Adrian Smythe Publishing Ltd (ASP) cold called businesses throughout the UK to secure sponsorship for books it published. The company claimed that in return for donations, they would distribute books dealing with issues such as drug use, bullying and Internet safety. The company gave the impression that it was primarily engaged in a charitable or official child safety campaign. In reality it was a commercial enterprise selling the books for profit. The proceeds from the sponsorship deals were spent mainly on commissions to telesales staff and other running costs.
The DTI's Companies Investigation Branch found that over 5,500 sponsors had been contacted and the company had secured sponsorship payments approaching £600,000. This required the company to supply some 88,000 books, but investigators found that over 65,000 books had not been distributed as promised.

Anonymous

I've just spoken to the woman from Peterson Lloyd who told me that "We are a charity." I searched the register of charities on-line and can find no reference to them. Furthermore, there is no reference on their letter head to being a charity. I called the Charities Commission to tell them about this and was told that there was nothing they could do about it! I have forwarded this information to Manchester and Liverpool trading standards departments along with details on about 20 other companies who have targeted us over the last 9 months.

Robert Hacon Williams
Member - 67 posts

Peterson Lloyd or Community Initiatives Association is the company that I reported to Companies House as they previously used the word Association in their title. They were made to change it to Associates. I also reported them to HM Revenue and Customs for use of a VAT number not registered to the company or its registered directors.
I sugest you contact Companies House and HMRC . HMRC will be interested as there is a possible loss of revenue.

Julie O'Hagan
Member - 1 post

Has anyone had any dealings with a Company called Parks Miller & Co with regards to an advertisment in a Business to Business Child Safety Awarness Journal.

I have thought something is just not right. They are looking for £585 and I have not paid them anything yet.

It seems similar to the scam mentioned, someone calls about something you are meant to have agreed to and the next thing a pro forma invoice is sent.

I have just recieved a call stating if payment is not met that their leagal team will be in contact.

stephen jones
Member - 1 post

Ref Peterson lloyd.
I have been harrassed by these people for 5 months now for money for an advert which they say they are putting into a charity event.
They want me to pay nearly 200.00 for this advert.
They will not tell me which charity they represent.
They will not inform me which publication my advert will be put into.
They will not send me a proof of the publication so that i can see it.
They use a fake email address of:-

hstng145@red.net

What do I do to get rid of these people with out getting ripped off?

smjones1969@hotmail.com

David Woollcott - Workplace Law Network
Online advisor - 5 posts

There are a number of organisations which seek donations and payment for advertisements placed in such publications. For the last three years at least, I have received telephone calls thanking me for the advertisement I placed in diaries for the police, fire service, charity, etc., for which the latter was extremely grateful! They play on your conscience and hope you will not remember that they have probably never contacted you before. I received a copy of one such diary which was appalling in quality and content. Although they were reluctant at first, they eventually withdrew the invoice for an insert which was not authorised. The best thing to do is to state clearly that the company has a selected number of charities which it supports and that there is no additional funding for any others.

John Ramsbottom
Member - 1 post

In response to Julie O' Hagen's input on Parks Miller I can tell you they are a scam outfit. There's no need to worry about their legel team - they don't have one. They wouldn't dare take anyone to court because they'd never win and it would become obvious to many what they were up to anyway.

John Ramsbottom

Sean Patterson
Member - 1 post

With regard to Parks Miller we have been repeatedly called over the past two weeks. Having found this site we challenged them today at which point the caller laughed and hung up.

It appears that their attempt is to trick you, by associating the information with taking you off thier database, into giving information about advertising you have done on Wall Planners or Diaries. Then we assume they will invoice you for said item in such a way as to make you think it was supplied by them in the first place. The caller called himself Scott. Nice try Scott, no cigar.

Adina Bejenaru
Member - 1 post

We have received similar invoices and telephone calls from the following: Moorside Media Ltd, Privilege, Raise a Smile Campaign, Interlock Media Ltd, Alex Steadman & Co Ltd, Crime Prevention Advisory Service Ltd, Caring 4UK, Parkes Miller & Co Ltd. Not only that they have been very persistent in their requests, but they are also very rude and intimidating. I would appreciate your advice as to how to stop these companies chasing us.

Robert Hacon Williams
Member - 67 posts

Adina,
I found two ways.

Firstly a solicitors letter stating there is no contract and they must cease harrisment and that you are considering reporting them to HM Revenus and Customs (HMRC). My solicitor wrote two letters for me and they cost some £50 but the harrasment ended. I did also report them to HMRC

Secondly actually report them to HMRC either by letter or via their, HMRC, confidential help line. This is especially important if they use a VAT registration number as in the case I had it was according to HMRC a false number.

A LEVISON
Member - 1 post

Just had a called today from a manchester based company 'campaign for child safety' claiming that we (only the company name referred to not an individual) had agreed to sponsor an ad on the back of 'books for schools'.
This is a repeat of 2 years ago.
The solution:

1. Ask for proof in writing that has been signed by a member of your staff
2. Ask for their company number and directors name
3. Point out that they must, by law, disclose the above
4. make it clear that no verbal agreements are every entered in to as a matter of company policy.
The young lady was annoyed, asked 'why do i want to know?' and that it wasn't the law. Then told me I was being agressive and put the phone down.

Alan Cregeen
Member - 1 post

I have just had a call from a lady from 'Child Saftey Initative Publishing' claiming that i had agreed to an advert in march on the 'books for schools', and wanting to send me my certificate, and under questioning then found they were also trying to invoice me. Its also funny how they can reduce the price instantly by £50.

She also got angry with me when i said i would need to refer this to a legal representitive and asked for a copy of the phone call or proof that i had agreed to the advert as no one does verbal agreement.

After talking with local trading standards i have probably been scammed 3 times now in the first part of this year, and now have a trace on my phone.