On Aug. 15, a sales person by the name of Tonya Meyer (who no longer works for Verizon) came into my office representing Verizon Superpages. This is a yellow page directory. She told me that Verizon was the main yellow pages up north and since a lot of the people here in Florida are from the north, they would be familiar with this book and really had me convinced that I would get some new business if I advertised with them.
I signed the papers and took out an ad with them. Time goes by and then I get my first bill. I called Verizon and asked why I was getting a bill when the books weren't even out. They told me that the book had been out a month. I thought being I was an advertiser that I would at least get a book. It took 6 weeks to get a book from them. I wasn't receiving any new calls from their SuperPages. I was asking customers who referred them to call. Most were word by mouth, or my BellSouth yellow pages.
After a while went by, I was getting suspicious on why I wasn't getting calls from the Verizon book. I asked my friends and business associates if they had received the Verizon SuperPages. They said "What Superpages?" So I called and spoke to Linda Elicker in customer service and told her of my problem. I told her I was afraid that the books were not distributed in my area. She checked with distribution and she gave me a two month credit. To me, this was an admission of a problem with their distribution which was inevitable. Also, there are only two ads in their book under my heading, so in reality they can't say there were a lot of advertisers. If there is no Verizon super pages for the customer to see an ad... Then there is no way they can call from it.
My company is in a one story building. I went door to door to every tenant in my building and no one had received a book. Then I called some of my friends and associates to ask if they had received a book. I sent a list of 26 persons/companies to Linda. She then said she would have to have to send it to distribution.
After some time, I called her back and left messages. I finally got to speak with her and she told me that according to their contract, the publisher does not warrant the number of responses to my advertising. I can understand that, but if the books aren't there, how can they call me from my ad in their book? Also, the publisher does not warrant the number of percentage of residences or businesses that will actually receive or us any directory or view any heading or advertisement. Again, if the directory is not there, how can they call from my ad in their book? Publisher may also change the geographic area or areas covered by the listings in or the distribution of a directory.
Linda faxed me a copy of the contract where it said Verizon has sent my bills to a collection agency... I explained all of the above to them to let them understand why I wasn't paying the bill. I don't feel that their distribution problem, which they have admitted they had, should be my problem. They gave me two months free, but are still charging me for the 10 months after that... Which is wrong. They refuse to do anything more for me.
I am a very small company, just two employees, of which I am one. I don't think that I was scammed, but I do feel that Verizon had not treated me fairly. I feel that they can do much much more. Their salesperson came in and asked if I wanted to take out an ad for this coming year. He knew about the distribution problems, but said this year would be better. He kept in touch with me to see if Verizon would help me out any more... Since they wouldn't, I did not take another ad with them.
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