Vermont Business Magazine An online business directory, also known as a phony yellow pages, has violated the Vermont Consumer Protection Act, according to a lawsuit filed today by Vermont Attorney General TJDonovan. Thelawsuitalleges that General Yellow Pages and its owner, Vladimir Adolphe, attempt to hide their fees from prospective customers, misrepresent the purpose of their telephone solicitations, and engage in other deceptive practices.
According to the lawsuit, General Yellow Pages targets small business by pitching a free trial for a business listing on the website, GeneralYellowPages.Com. The listing – which may cost as much as $75 per month – provides the same type of basic information that a free search engine provides. General Yellow Pages purposefully hides the high cost from its customers. In its script, General Yellow Pages directs its employees to “[o]nly quote the yearly cost of $599.95 if they ask.” If a business does not cancel within the trial period, it receives an invoice at the end of a year. General Yellow Pages refuses to honor cancellation without payment. Failure to pay results in repeated collection attempts by a collection agency. The lawsuit also alleges that General Yellow Pages failed to provide written notice of a consumer’s right to cancel a sale made in whole or part by telephone, in violation of Vermont laws and consumer protection rules. By law, until this notice is provided, a consumer may cancel the sale.
The lawsuit claims that General Yellow Pages also misrepresents that its customers’ business listings will appear among the results of a Google search for a type of business and geographic location. Furthermore, numerous Vermont businesses, non-profits, trade organizations, and governmental offices appear on GeneralYellowPages.Com without their knowledge, which serves to pad the business listings.
“It is not fair for small businesses to be dealing with phony yellow pages or repeated collection attempts on an illegitimate debt,” said General Donovan. “These illegal practices of General Yellow Pages and Vladimir Adolphe have no place in Vermont. Our small businesses deserve better.”
The lawsuit seeks restitution for all businesses who were defrauded by the Defendants, civil penalties, an injunction preventing further consumer fraud violations and collection attempts, and costs.
Anyone with concerns about a phony yellow pages and General Yellow Pages in particular may file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program, via theonline complaint form, by phone: (802) 656-3183, by email at[email protected], or by mail to: Consumer Assistance Program, 109 State St. Montpelier, VT 05609-1001.
Vermont AG: May 30, 2017