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Forged signature on contract, not my signature

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bh674

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Kentucky

I'm hoping someone can give me some advice and let me know my rights. I have advertised in a Large Corporations Phone directory for years and after a sales man had stopped by our business to inquire about future advertising, I gave him my card. Some pushy sales calls were made but we never finalized any advertising. We recieved proofs but never ok'd or signed contract to allow new advertising. They were sent to us after deadline for directory. Therefore we never pursued. We started recieving past due bill's for this advertising and once I realized
this was happening I requested a copy of our advertising contract. Thats when we saw plain as day, that someone within their company had forged my signature to their contract twice. I do not think that a large company such as this should be allowed to do this and get away with it, and I am furious that someone forged my signature and want to know what I should do.

Thanks for your time and help,
BH
 


jtinnc

Junior Member
I'll ask this because I've done advertising before... Are you sure that it was someone on their end and not yours? I've seen numerous occassions where an employee will approve the ad and forge the signature of the boss when the boss in unavailable to do it themselves. Don't know that that would make any difference in fighting it or not, but something to consider because things like that do happen.

jtinnc
 
S

seniorjudge

Guest
bh674 said:
What is the name of your state? Kentucky

I'm hoping someone can give me some advice and let me know my rights. I have advertised in a Large Corporations Phone directory for years and after a sales man had stopped by our business to inquire about future advertising, I gave him my card. Some pushy sales calls were made but we never finalized any advertising. We recieved proofs but never ok'd or signed contract to allow new advertising. They were sent to us after deadline for directory. Therefore we never pursued. We started recieving past due bill's for this advertising and once I realized
this was happening I requested a copy of our advertising contract. Thats when we saw plain as day, that someone within their company had forged my signature to their contract twice. I do not think that a large company such as this should be allowed to do this and get away with it, and I am furious that someone forged my signature and want to know what I should do.

Thanks for your time and help,
BH

Ask them in writing for a validation of their debt.

Then dispute it in writing with them telling them that you did not sign it.
 
This large corporation wouldn't be SBC, would it? We currently have a CA pursuing a law suit against us over the very same thing. As it turns out, yellow page ad salesman are usually "outside salesman" or sometimes plain old contractors who operate pretty much without supervision. Chances are that's the person that forged your signature.

In our case, we did have an ad running in the yellow pages, but when we decided to close the company, we decided not to renew the ad. In the fine print of the original agreement we signed, it does says that ad will just automatically renew year after year unless you inform them in writing that you want it stopped. We received four "here's the way your ad will appear" letters from SBC and responded with four "cancellation" letters. Low and behold, the next phone book comes out with a 1/4 page ad unlike anything we ever saw. When we started getting bills, I called and said we canceled...they said, we have a contract...I said send it to me...the first one they sent was for the original small ad from 1997. I called and pointed that out...they said but you also agreed to the new ad...I said, send me the contract...they sent one with my signature forged.

We'll be in court in a few months...
 

bh674

Junior Member
jtinnc said:
I'll ask this because I've done advertising before... Are you sure that it was someone on their end and not yours? I've seen numerous occassions where an employee will approve the ad and forge the signature of the boss when the boss in unavailable to do it themselves. Don't know that that would make any difference in fighting it or not, but something to consider because things like that do happen.

jtinnc

Me and my wife are the only 2 that work here so that takes others out of the equation. Just not sure if we need to get an attorney for damages? (basically its identity theft), or if its worth it. We know we will not be paying this contract. They have already started an internal investigation there, but I dont feel their customers (us) should let these type of business ethics
happen. Any further advice?

Thanks for everyones time
 

bh674

Junior Member
olgethorpe said:
This large corporation wouldn't be SBC, would it? We currently have a CA pursuing a law suit against us over the very same thing. As it turns out, yellow page ad salesman are usually "outside salesman" or sometimes plain old contractors who operate pretty much without supervision. Chances are that's the person that forged your signature.

In our case, we did have an ad running in the yellow pages, but when we decided to close the company, we decided not to renew the ad. In the fine print of the original agreement we signed, it does says that ad will just automatically renew year after year unless you inform them in writing that you want it stopped. We received four "here's the way your ad will appear" letters from SBC and responded with four "cancellation" letters. Low and behold, the next phone book comes out with a 1/4 page ad unlike anything we ever saw. When we started getting bills, I called and said we canceled...they said, we have a contract...I said send it to me...the first one they sent was for the original small ad from 1997. I called and pointed that out...they said but you also agreed to the new ad...I said, send me the contract...they sent one with my signature forged.

We'll be in court in a few months...

Me and my wife are the only 2 that work here so that takes others out of the equation. Just not sure if we need to get an attorney for damages? (basically its identity theft), or if its worth it. We know we will not be paying this contract. They have already started an internal investigation there, but I dont feel their customers (us) should let these type of business ethics
happen. Any further advice?

Thanks for everyones time
 

bh674

Junior Member
seniorjudge said:
Ask them in writing for a validation of their debt.

Then dispute it in writing with them telling them that you did not sign it.

Me and my wife are the only 2 that work here so that takes others out of the equation. Just not sure if we need to get an attorney for damages? (basically its identity theft), or if its worth it. We know we will not be paying this contract. They have already started an internal investigation there, but I dont feel their customers (us) should let these type of business ethics
happen. Any further advice?

Thanks for everyones time
 
S

seniorjudge

Guest
bh674 said:
Me and my wife are the only 2 that work here so that takes others out of the equation. Just not sure if we need to get an attorney for damages? (basically its identity theft), or if its worth it. We know we will not be paying this contract. They have already started an internal investigation there, but I dont feel their customers (us) should let these type of business ethics
happen. Any further advice?

Thanks for everyones time
You are welcome.

You are welcome.

You are welcome.
 
S

seniorjudge

Guest
bh674 said:
Any further advice from anyone? Do I need an attorney for any repercussions?

Thanks
BH
Just not sure if we need to get an attorney for damages? (basically its identity theft), or if its worth it.

Whether to get an attorney is strictly up to you.
 

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