Welcome to Purchasing Services User Alerts Page. This location will post information about questionable marketing actions by suppliers as reported by departments.

Beware of calls about:

  • Renewal of orders that have never been placed by your department
  • Inquiries to validate your copier or printer model number
  • Invoices for goods never shipped
  • Unbelievable discounts or special deals

To protect your department:

  • Never give your P-Card number over the phone or in an email unless you’ve initiated the contact.
  • Never pay for toner products in advance.
  • Do not give any information about your office equipment to unfamiliar suppliers.
  • If someone calls you about the “renewal of a previous order”, ask them for the original purchase order #.
  • Do not authorize any shipment of supplies from a caller soliciting business over the phone.
  • Do not ask the company to send you an invoice just to get them off the phone.
  • Beware of any suspicious activity from callers using selling ploys that seem too good to be true.
  • Be aware of phone numbers that are displayed on caller ids as “blocked” numbers.

Red Flags:

  • Anyone that calls you about toner products for your copier. (Most departments are on a “cost-per-copy” program which includes toner at no charge).
  • You receive a call about toner prices going up and they want you to place an order to get the old price.
  • You receive a call asking for the model number of your printer or copier.
  • You receive a call asking if you would take a toner order intended for another department that no longer needs the toner.

Please advise Resource Management immediately at 314-935-5621 should you encounter any such selling tactics by a supplier.


Toner

These firms may contact a department asking to update its shipping and copier model number information, then ship and bill you for toner. Advise your staff not to give any information to a caller from a company they do not know. Your usual supplier has all of the account information needed.

Often, these firms will use the name of an executive in their quest to get a machine model number and to have an order shipped. Ask the caller for his/her name and phone number in order to call back. This request will often result in a hang-up or a revised story from the caller. DO NOT sign and return any order forms faxed to your department by an unfamiliar company.

Favorite quotations:

  • “We understand that you have “x” brand copier (or printer, FAX). If you order now, you can avoid a price increase.”
  • “Your boss referred me to you.”
  • “The price increase has just been announced but if you order now, you can avoid it.”
  • “I have a toner order intended for another department that no longer needs it. Can I send it to you?”
  • “I got a call asking if ‘we still had our HP printer’ and that there had been a ‘mixup on an order from another nearby lab’. They said the other lab had recently upgraded printers and that they would just redirect the leftover boxes to us to save on shipping them back.

Companies to avoid:

  • Acme Company
  • Advanced Imaging Systems
  • Angeles Distribution Company
  • ARS Networking
  • Atlas Business Supplies
  • Benchmark Supply
  • CCM Supply
  • Central Distribution, Inc.
  • Certified Supply Center, Inc.
  • Commercial Office Systems, Inc. of Tarzana, CA.
  • CopyCom
  • Corporate Advantage, Northridge, CA
  • Corporate Business
  • Corporate Products
  • Corporate Services
  • Corporate Solutions
  • Corporate Supply, Chicago
  • Datatech Services
  • Distribution Service Center
  • Distribution Warehouse Center
  • District Distribution Corporation
  • General Mercantile, CA
  • Global Micro Experts
  • GT Toner Supplies
  • IDCServco, Culver City, CA
  • Imagetek Distribution (aka IDC Servco)
  • Intercoast Supply Center
  • Internal Business Systems, Inc; Florida
  • International Supply Center
  • International Supply Service
  • Interstate Distribution, Culver City, CA (also known as IDCServco)
  • IT Solutions, Los Angeles, CA
  • Laser Imaging
  • Lasertech
  • Micro Experts
  • Microtech Solutions, Montana
  • National Supply Center
  • National Systems Imaging, Los Angeles, CA
  • Network Imaging, Westminster, CA
  • Premium Marketing Services, Los Angeles, CA
  • Premium Distributors Center, LA, CA
  • Reliable Shipping
  • Regional Distribution Center
  • Regional Supply Center, Inc.
  • Resource Data Services, Alsip, IL
  • Supplies Distribution Network (SDN)
  • Supply Information Center
  • Supply Services, Atlanta, GA.
  • Supply Support Network
  • Systems Warehouse
  • Upstate Supply, Inc.

If you become aware of a company using questionable business practices that are not listed above please contact Resource Managment.


Advertisement Firms

Advertisement firms may contact you to renew or start a subscription for a listing in their directory. This contact may be either a phone call or a solicitation which looks similar to an invoice. You may also receive an actual invoice for the listing.

The directory listing that is offered may be printed or maybe an online web directory. The directory most certainly will exist, however, it is important for each department to carefully evaluate the value received for any such listing.

Please advise all staff to carefully review any documents from the following firms:

  • Advanced American Marketing, N Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Ameri-Globe Publishing, Miami, Fl
  • American Access
  • American Data
  • A.Y.P.R., Boise ID
  • Bright Pages, LLC (BPLLC), New York NY
  • Business Communications
  • ClearView Corporate Communications, Chi IL
  • Commutel
  • Corporate Info Systems
  • Data Source Solutions, Wilmington, DE
  • DataLink Directory
  • Datatech Communications
  • DataTel
  • First Publications, Albertson, NY
  • Global Data, Wilmington, DE
  • Global Source Center, Miami, FL
  • Hanson Publications
  • IT&T, Switzerland
  • Infochase, Champlain, NY
  • InfoCom, Florence, Ky, 41042
  • Infomatika Publications
  • Infotek
  • I-Pages America
  • MDSC Publishing, Canada.
  • National Business Info
  • National On-Line Listings, Chicago IL
  • National Subscription Services
  • NDS Data Source
  • New Limit Publishing, NY, NY
  • Newline Publishing, Port Huron, MI 48060
  • Pin Point Publishing, Canada
  • Progressive Business Publications, Mavern, PA
  • Quality Submit, Charlestown, MA, 02129
  • Simple.Net
  • So-U-No Directories
  • United Media
  • Universal Media; Montreal, Canada
  • US Data, Plattsburgh, NY
  • UTP Digital Directories
  • Web Data Publishing, Boston MA
  • Web Data Publications, Boston MA
  • Web Media Publishing, Newark DE
  • World Data Publishing
  • Yellow Assistance, Chicago IL
  • Yellow Pages (BBLLC), new York, NY
  • Yellow Pages, Inc.; Anaheim, CA
  • Yellow-Page.Net
  • Yellow-Pages-America.com
  • Yellow-Pages-Missouri.net

Yellow Pages Billing Scams

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Be on the lookout for phony bills for Yellow Page advertisements.

The Better Business Bureau warns that these invoices are actually solicitations for listings in alternative business directories that differ from the well-known yellow pages. The solicitation from an alternative business directory may look like a legitimate invoice. It may feature the name “yellow pages” or include the familiar “walking fingers” logo and falsely state that the publisher is affiliated with the local telephone company or another bona fide yellow pages publisher.

Because the name “yellow pages” and the “walking fingers” logo are not protected by any federal trademark registration, they can be used by anyone. A careful review of the “invoice” may find the words “This is a solicitation”.