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WARNING TO SMALL BUSINESSES
Do you own a small business?
Have you received a call recently trying to get you to order till
rolls? If so, a word of caution. Don’t be bullied into paying
for goods or services you haven’t ordered. So say Trading
Standards who’ve received a spate of complaints from people
who’ve got unsolicited phone calls from companies across the
water. Some calls are selling advertising others trying to get people
to order tills rolls – in both cases the businesses end up
getting bills for goods they didn’t order.
We hear from a County Down publican who had till rolls he didn’t
order, sent to his pub.
Speaking On Your Behalf Jimmy
Hughes of Trading Standards Service advises:
"If a local business has not agreed to any advertising or to
purchasing any goods over the phone and receives one of these demands
for payment, they should write to the company, briefly explaining
that they refute any such demands.
“These are typical examples
of approaches targeted at people in small businesses to get them
to purchase goods or services they generally don’t want and
usually haven’t agreed to receive. Depending what is said
over the phone, the basis of a contract may be established, so it
is important to pay particular attention to the content of any unsolicited
telephone calls. It is good practice to warn any employees who will
be answering the phone about such companies, and to make sure they
emphatically decline all such approaches.”
If businesses want to report
any unsolicited approaches or require any further advice they should
contact Consumerline on 0845 600 6262.
Some businesses may be able
to reduce the number of unsolicited telephone calls they receive
by registering with the Corporate Telephone Preference Service (Corporate
TPS). Corporate bodies, limited liability partnerships, schools
and other public bodies can register.
To check if you can register
telephone 020 7291 3320,
or visit their website.
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