- Report: #964432
Complaint Review: AT&T Advertising Solutions - San Francisco California
Reported By:
John -
Burbank, California, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
AT&T Advertising Solutions
201 Mission St. Suite 200 San Francisco, 94105 California, United States of America
Phone:
415-248-4000
Web:
yp.com
Categories:
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AT&T Advertising Solutions Pacific Bell Directory Betrayed by AT&T, not enforcing industry standards of screening false advertisements San Francisco, California
I was betrayed by a subsidiary of AT&T called Pacific Bell Directory. After 25 years of paid advertising in their yellow page print directory, At&t changed their policy or procedure of screening false advertisements in their publications. multiple false and deceptive advertisements were placed in the yellow page directory under the heading of garage doors side by side with my paid advertisement. This caused unfair competition between my company and many illegal advertisers.
Not only did AT&T betray my trust, but they betray public trust. By AT&T not screening advertisers, the public is deceived. Some consumers receive substandard work, some elderly are taken advantage of and consumers are put at a risk of injury.
Although AT&T claims to have high values and ethics in their company policies. AT&Ts yellow page directory advertising from 2007 to current has not met up to industry standards and recommendations for screening advertisements. To me, it is a crime to publish unlicensed contractors and fake company names with fake addresses. Yes, fake addresses so a service man can appear to be a local company.
I am the only garage door company in burbank with a true physical location, but by 2009 I had to compete with 80+ false advertisements that AT&T allowed in the Burbank book with local addresses. Currently my company must compete with 380 garage door companies listed by AT&T within 10 miles of my location. About 85% of these ads are false and 10 % are miss listed. That is 95% inaccurate and misleading. These are horrible advertising ethics and AT&Ts products cannot be trusted.
Not only did AT&T betray my trust, but they betray public trust. By AT&T not screening advertisers, the public is deceived. Some consumers receive substandard work, some elderly are taken advantage of and consumers are put at a risk of injury.
Although AT&T claims to have high values and ethics in their company policies. AT&Ts yellow page directory advertising from 2007 to current has not met up to industry standards and recommendations for screening advertisements. To me, it is a crime to publish unlicensed contractors and fake company names with fake addresses. Yes, fake addresses so a service man can appear to be a local company.
I am the only garage door company in burbank with a true physical location, but by 2009 I had to compete with 80+ false advertisements that AT&T allowed in the Burbank book with local addresses. Currently my company must compete with 380 garage door companies listed by AT&T within 10 miles of my location. About 85% of these ads are false and 10 % are miss listed. That is 95% inaccurate and misleading. These are horrible advertising ethics and AT&Ts products cannot be trusted.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
abraham1122
Burbank,California,
United States of America
AT&T Pacific Bell Directory Industry Standards
#2Author of original report
Tue, November 06, 2012
There are many sources for advertising standards directed toward the media:
FTC "SCREENING ADVERTISEMENTS" "A GUIDE FOR THE MEDIA" speaks to publishers and broadcasters about "all purpose advertising screening tips".
"STANDARDS OF PRACTICE OF THE 4A'S" (American association of of advertising agencies)
"LOCALSEARCH ASSOCIATION" "ADVERTISING SPECIFICATIONS MANUAL" (Standards, rules, and guidelines to the yellow pages industry).
The Yellow page (print directory) referred to in my complaint is for Burbank, Ca. The same deception of fake address advertising is now over the entire los angeles city and county.
The "Fake names" are unregistered, unlicensed company names. There is now way for myself or a consumer to find the fake company other then by the phone number itself. If something goes wrong with the service or if the consumer should get injured, the phone number can be blocked or changed and the service person can disappear.
The fake addresses are exactly that= no company at the address listed. Many of the addresses are malls, restaurants or between addresses (non existent).
I do have sour grapes regarding this situation. Many of my true legal competition have lost their businesses. I am on the verge of loosing mine. I have been fighting this for 4-5 Years now. I have gotten nowhere with AT&T, YP or Pacific Bell Directory.
Ken
Colorado,USA
Are you saying that the other advertisers are false and deceptive if they don't live in your area, or.....
#3Consumer Comment
Sun, November 04, 2012
the area the directory is circulated in?
I'm also unaware of any "industry standard" for screening out these "false and deceptive" ads.
Which standard is this?
What is fake about the names?
Sounds like sour grapes.
