How to Dispute a Bill for a Yellow Page Ad

If you have received a bill for a Yellow Pages advertisement that you did not place, you are not alone. Federal and state authorities have discovered that con artists use the familiarity many businesses have with the Yellow Pages to dupe consumers into paying fraudulent bills.The U.S. Postal Inspector has created a public education program in response to the scam. Before you pay a telephone directory advertisement bill, make sure it is authentic.

Instructions

1. Examine the bill you have received. Do not pay unless you are sure that you ordered an advertisement. Fraudulent bills often state that you will be left out of the directory unless you pay immediately.

2. Check your records. Review your records to see what telephone directory advertisements you have ordered. If you have bought advertising, cross-check your order with the bill.

3. Contact the publisher who billed you if you are still uncertain. Ask to see their website or an actual phone directory. Ask them where directories can be found and who receives them. Remember that if they are only sending directories to people that buy their ads, the directories may not be very useful.

4. Contact the U.S. Postal Inspector at 202-268-4298 if you think your bill is not legitimate. Do not pay the bill.

References

• Atorney General's Consumer Protection Division
• Leonead: Bogus Yellow Page Bills
• My Florida Legal: Yellow Page Scam