[BCMA] Scam?

Tue Mar 2 10:26:32 PST 2010

Hi it's Edith in Mackenzie.

We've received many calls over the years from the Canadian Business 
Directory and as I personally don't deal over the phone, I won't do it here 
either and said I needed written material to talk with the Board.  The 
callers don't like that part, are full of questions as to why in writing, 
why to the Board.  Anyway, many years ago we completed a three question 
survey from New York about the arts and the mail wouldn't stop;  invoices, 
overdue accounts, pamphlets, etc., we sent everything back and it stopped.
Edith
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv." <bcma at lists.vvv.com>
To: "Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv." <bcma at lists.vvv.com>
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2010 11:41 AM
Subject: Re: [BCMA] Scam?

> Thanks, Laura.
> BCMA has had to step in on behalf of Institutional Members, from time to
> time, to intercept threats of lawsuits for "dishonoured" advertising 
> contracts
> that appeared as "free" directory listings, so kudos to those institutions 
> who
> have posted to the listserv before committing.
> --Jim
>
>
>> Hi there,
>>
>>
>>
>> We've had some experience with fighting these scams off as well.
>>
>>
>>
>> Here's a link with a bit more info on how the scam works and a list of 
>> some
>> companies that have been identified for fraudulent behaviour.  We've been
>> contacted by at least three of these over the past few years and all I 
>> can
>> say is make sure you keep good records because even once you've beat them
>> the first time they'll wait a while and then try again.
>>
>>
>>
>> www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/online-listing-c264648.html.
>>
>>
>>
>> Laura Williams
>>
>> Fort Steele Heritage Town
>>
>>
>>
>> From: bcma-bounces at lists.vvv.com [mailto:bcma-bounces at lists.vvv.com] On
>> Behalf Of Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.
>> Sent: February-26-10 2:35 PM
>> To: bcma at lists.vvv.com
>> Subject: Re: [BCMA] Scam?
>>
>>
>>
>> As mentioned already the Canadian Business Directory and, I think it was
>> called, Canadian Biz online cost us a lot of money.  A previous employee
>> supposedly entered into an agreement with them.  I challenged the latter
>> company to send me the written agreement and take the museum to the small
>> claims court, as I refused to pay another invoice, but they backed down 
>> and
>> closed our account.   It took some doing though.
>>
>>
>>
>> Rosaleen Boardman
>>
>> Museum Manager
>>
>> Hudson's Hope Museum
>>
>> 9510 Beattie Drive
>>
>> Box 98
>>
>> Hudson's Hope
>>
>> BC V0C 1V0
>>
>> Phone (250) 783 5735
>>
>> Fax (250) 783 5770
>>
>> e mail hhmuseum at pris.ca
>>
>>
>>
>> From: bcma-bounces at lists.vvv.com [mailto:bcma-bounces at lists.vvv.com] On
>> Behalf Of Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 12:09 PM
>> To: bcma at lists.vvv.com
>> Subject: [BCMA] Scam?
>>
>>
>>
>> I had the most interesting phone call today.  A man called and asked if 
>> my
>> museum would like to renew our listing in the "Canadian Arts Registry." 
>> He
>> read out the information on file, and the address he had down for my site
>> was wrong.  At this point, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.  He then 
>> said
>> that there was a cost to renew, for 2 years, of 400$ and some.  I replied
>> that we were a very low budget site and I would have to talk to my Board
>> about whether it was worth the expense.  I also asked the guy when the
>> deadline to get our info into the Registry was.  He replied "well if you
>> have to talk to your Board, we should just drop this" and hung up on me
>> abruptly.
>>
>> I then googled "Canadian Arts Registry" and nothing came up.  Beware.  It
>> sounds like someone is trying to run a scam that preys on museums' need 
>> for
>> marketing.  Either that, or this guy was the worst telemarketer in the
>> history of telemarketers.
>>
>>
>> Andrew R. Minigan
>> Curator
>> Heritage Park Museum
>> Terrace, BC
>> (250) 635-4546
>>
>>
>>
>>   _____
>>
>> Not using Hotmail on your phone? Why not? Get it now.
>> <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9708120>
>>
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>> 07:34:00
>>
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>>
>>
>
> _______________________________
> Jim Harding, ED
> BC Museums Association
> (250) 356-5694
>
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