After placing a free ad in yellowpages for my counseling practice, I was contacted by a sales representative for this company. We met at my office and he sold me on an ad, which I was going to try for a trial. However, I did not see a contract, nor sign one, or see the terms and conditions for weeks after that, when I asked repeatedly for it.

BEWARE! The contract, which I did not see for weeks, states that if you cancel the ad at any time, the entire amount is due and payable immediately. In my case, this was $626.00 PER MONTH, and the total for a year would have been over $8, 000.00. I am a widow just starting a private practice, have not received any calls on the ad, probably because it was first published with a typo and is very amaturishly done. I was not given any artistic input into the ad, and it basically is crap.

When a "contract" was produced, it is a clearly computer-generated document in which my signature is about one-half inch above the line. I contacted the BBB in Missouri, where they have their headquarters, and they lied to them, saying that I had signed a document with the words about having been acquainted with the terms and conditions and having had time to consider them. I signed a box on a laptop screen, not a contract. The only excuse I have for being so dumb is that I assumed yellowpages was a reputable company, and that week I was dealing with the anniversary of my first husband's death, birthday, our anniversary, which anybody who has lost a spouse can tell you is an emotional time.

The Attorney General's office in Missouri say this case is not in their jurisdiction, and the AGO in Oregon says that they do not intervene in business to business transactions. They suggested I get an attorney or take it to small claims court. I just called the Federal Trade Commission, and they also passed the ball, advising me to consult an attorney.

My bank is so familiar with this company being fraudulent that they have a procedure for stopping payments. However, when I see that others have paid less than $200 a month, why am I being charged over $600???

I will not give them any more money, nor do I think they can collect it with the documentation I have of their deception. However, I am concerned that this might damage my credit, and the ad remains on line which is so poorly done it is an embarrassment. I have warned all my friends, and I wish I had done a more thorough research before signing anything, even while being assured that I could cancel it when I needed to.

The other question I have is why our government is unable to proctect us, when they say that is their mission. Everywhere I turn somebody passes the buck, and offers little real help.

Do not fall for this as I did!

Hanna M. Jagow, MA, LPC (look me up in Portland, Oregon yellowpages!!!--you will see what I mean)