LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Legal Newsline) - Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel filed a lawsuit on Thursday against a New Jersey-based online advertiser for allegedly trying to convince Arkansas businesses they signed up for a free trial and failed to cancel.
Electronic Media Marketing Group Inc., doing business as General Yellow Pages, allegedly told business owners the businesses agreed to a free trial of advertising. General Yellow Pages allegedly said that because the service was not affirmatively cancelled, the businesses must pay hundreds of dollars for an additional year of advertising services.
General Yellow Pages allegedly sent $599.95 invoices to the businesses, even though the businesses never agreed to an advertising free trial and never sought paid advertising through General Yellow Pages.
"In this audacious scheme, the defendant sought to deceive Arkansas business owners into paying for a service they had never heard of," McDaniel said. "When businesses didn't fall for the scam, the defendant continued to send bills, make repeated phone calls and threaten collection actions. I am confident that the court will make sure these illegal actions are ended."
McDaniel alleges General Yellow Pages violated the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, the federal Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Act and the federal Telemarketing Sales Rule. The lawsuit seeks an injunction requiring General Yellow Pages to stop its practices and a court order requiring the company to pay civil penalties, attorney fees and restitution.
Ark. AG suing General Yellow Pages, calls scheme 'audacious'
