| For Immediate Release April 26, 2006 |
Contact: | Susan Kang Schroeder Deputy District Attorney (714) 347-8408 Office (714) 292-2718 Cell |
YELLOW PAGES, INC. ORDERED TO PAY OVER $535,000 TO PAY BACK CONSUMERS IN CHECK SCHEME INVOLVING 28 STATES
*CONSUMERS FOOLED INTO THINKING THE CHECK SENT TO THEM
WERE FROM THEIR LOCAL YELLOW PAGES COMPANY
Santa Ana – Yellow Pages, Inc (YPI) agreed to pay a total of $535,000 dollars to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) and 28 other states today. The money will pay the cost of the lawsuit, educate consumers and enforce the judgment. In addition to the $535,000, YPI will also have to give eligible, complaining consumers in any of the participating states their money back. Furthermore, YPI will be prohibited from sending check solicitations to or from any of these 28 states. Anyone who received one of these check solicitations and paid YPI may be eligible to get a full refund.
YPI, also known as Electronic Directories, LLC, is located in Anaheim. YPI is not affiliated with the common household Yellow Pages Book.
OCDA and 28 states sued YPI for sending out checks to businesses, schools and non-profit organizations in small amounts (approximately $3.49). If the consumer cashed the checks, YPI claimed in the fine print on the back of the check that the consumer signed up for one year of advertising with them for $179.00. Many of the victim businesses thought that the check sent was a legitimate refund or rebate check from their local Yellow Pages. Once the check was cashed, YPI used a collection firm called Continental Recovery Services to vigorously pursue collecting the $179.00 and threatened to send the victims into collection if they didn’t pay YPI.
Deputy District Attorney Michelle Cipolletti of the Consumer Protection Unit handled this case. Any consumer that thinks they fit that description should contact OCDA Investigator Carol Mona at 714 347-8570 or e-mail her at carol.mona@da.ocgov.com.
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