International Telefax Directory & Sharp Practices

EDM number 482 in 1993-94, proposed by Peter Bottomley on 31/01/1994.

That this House condemns the sharp practices of United Telecom Trust, a company based in Zurich which publishes a so-called International Telefax Directory, which sends unsolicited invoices to fax users in the United Kingdom seeking payment for an entry in the World Telefax Edition, notes that these invoices are issued to businesses and individuals who have not in any way sought to be included in this publication; notes that the honourable Member for Paisley South received an unsolicited invoice for ú332.00 on 29th January, a bill which will remain unpaid; further notes that the smallprint on the invoice sets down conditions such as 'in the event of an error being made in any entry there will be no refund' and 'if no notice of cancellation is given until end of the calendar year, a repeat entry will automatically be carried out at subscriber's expense'; believes that the confidence tricksters behind this scam must have successfully duped a sizeable number of businesses and individuals into paying for this so-called service as this is not the first year they have issued these false bills; and calls upon the President of the Board of Trade to ban the operation of this company in the United Kingdom pending a full and thorough investigation into its practices.

This motion has been signed by a total of 43 MPs.