Service provider faked invoice to extend our contract!!
Service provider faked invoice to extend our contract!!
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Discussion

jonamv8

Original Poster:

3,300 posts

197 months

Wednesday 20th January 2016
quotequote all
Hi

Interesting one for me and a first. January seems to be the month of b3ll3nds in my line of work, all good fun tho!

Right, Q1 Initial Term 3 months contract taken in Jan15 and paid in advance for use a service.

Terms of contract state:
Term extensions are subject to negotiation prior to the extensions taking effect.

We didn't renew, nor were we contacted to renew, nor were we invoiced for Q2.

January of this year I was contacted and told we owed the company money. I responded stating that we didn't for the reasons above. I was then visited for a meeting where I was told that they did invoice in April 2015 and had a printed copy which I refused to take.

I've since had an email with a WORD DOC invoice attached, the one they apparently sent in April 2015.

Checked the METADATA thats automatically stored by WORD into each DOC file, it was created Jan 2016, 2hours after receiving my email telling them to f-off for above reasons. Can you believe the cheek.

I've pulled them up on it and they have gone quiet, apart from laugh at them and tell them to do one not sure what else I could do. Is it worth contacting anyone as they could do this to other companies, who don't work in IT, who may fall for it and pay them

Edited by jonamv8 on Wednesday 20th January 18:07

essayer

10,410 posts

225 months

Wednesday 20th January 2016
quotequote all
Police/Action Fraud. No mercy

Simpo Two

93,022 posts

296 months

Wednesday 20th January 2016
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I know a case where the police won't investigate a theft of £80K; they're hardly likely to get excited by a fake Word document.

Jasandjules

72,664 posts

260 months

Wednesday 20th January 2016
quotequote all
essayer said:
Police/Action Fraud. No mercy
I have to say I would refer it as well - I don't imagine the police will actually do anything but still...

jonamv8

Original Poster:

3,300 posts

197 months

Wednesday 20th January 2016
quotequote all
Police are never interested in anything business related IME

Action Fraud maybe worth a try.

Or I may spread the word around some key individuals i know who are connected to the business and see what they think

jammy_basturd

29,778 posts

243 months

Wednesday 20th January 2016
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Are they on any review sites on which you can post the events of what has happened?

xjay1337

15,966 posts

149 months

Thursday 21st January 2016
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Why not name and shame them....

Nothing illegal about alerting other people to some obviously unethical fellows.

Pints

18,451 posts

225 months

Thursday 21st January 2016
quotequote all
xjay1337 said:
Why not name and shame them....

Nothing illegal about alerting other people to some obviously unethical fellows.
Naming and shaming is against site rules.

Marcellus

7,210 posts

250 months

Thursday 21st January 2016
quotequote all
Have they actually taken any monies from you?

If not then every time they send and invoice/reminder be right on top of it and acknowledge/reply reminding them of their Fraud.

If it's a significant amount I'd be inclined to get my lawyer to open a file and send a letter.

A friend had a real issue with a credit card machine supplier where the salesman had "cut n pasted" my friends signature on to the agreements so the company were pursing with vigor as they claimed they didn't know of the salesmans fraud/deceit, it very nearly ended up on court as my friend was arguing it themselves it only stopped then the company got a solicitors letter and the company took it seriously, he wished he's spent the £200 earlier as the stress cost more!!

jonamv8

Original Poster:

3,300 posts

197 months

Thursday 21st January 2016
quotequote all
Pints said:
xjay1337 said:
Why not name and shame them....

Nothing illegal about alerting other people to some obviously unethical fellows.
Naming and shaming is against site rules.
Don't worry will not name and shame.

It's a niche B2B service so no real benefit to me to add to review sites. The business in my opinion won't be around for long, I get the impression they are holding on by skin of their teeth trying things like this to keep their heads above water

jonamv8

Original Poster:

3,300 posts

197 months

Thursday 21st January 2016
quotequote all
Marcellus said:
Have they actually taken any monies from you?

If not then every time they send and invoice/reminder be right on top of it and acknowledge/reply reminding them of their Fraud.

If it's a significant amount I'd be inclined to get my lawyer to open a file and send a letter.

A friend had a real issue with a credit card machine supplier where the salesman had "cut n pasted" my friends signature on to the agreements so the company were pursing with vigor as they claimed they didn't know of the salesmans fraud/deceit, it very nearly ended up on court as my friend was arguing it themselves it only stopped then the company got a solicitors letter and the company took it seriously, he wished he's spent the £200 earlier as the stress cost more!!
Significant in that it's 4 figures.

They havne't got the ability to take money, they want me to send it to them hahahaha

I sent a very strongly worded email to their CEO explaining that I am not happy with someone trying to rip me off. Normally quick to respond haven't heard from him since. He had a telecon scheduled for Tuesday, never called me. Someones been caught out and is burying their heads in the sand.

I have good industry contacts and also know some key people involved who have been made aware.

sgrimshaw

7,587 posts

281 months

Friday 22nd January 2016
quotequote all
Send them payment in Monopoly money or a fake cheque created in Word - drawing against the "Bank of Kiss My Arse"

Fake Payment to pay a Fake Invoice.

getmecoat

KrazyIvan

4,341 posts

206 months

Friday 22nd January 2016
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Send it back, updated to show you have over paid by £8000000000000.00 and will await their check to settle your account.

Put it on facemuck naming the company's shenanigans.

jammy_basturd

29,778 posts

243 months

Friday 22nd January 2016
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You could send them a drawing of a spider as full and final settlement...

jonamv8

Original Poster:

3,300 posts

197 months

Friday 22nd January 2016
quotequote all
sgrimshaw said:
Send them payment in Monopoly money or a fake cheque created in Word - drawing against the "Bank of Kiss My Arse"

Fake Payment to pay a Fake Invoice.

getmecoat
I like this option a lot!!!