Better Business Bureau (BBB) | Greater Maryland alerts businesses to be on the look out for a scam that is creeping its way across the country. According to complaints filed with Kentucky's BBB, R & K Wholesale and Distribution is sending invoices to car dealerships for DVDs on OSHA safety training. The problem is that the businesses had not ordered or received the DVDs.
Dealerships caught up in the alleged scam have typically been invoiced in amounts ranging from $139.95 to $160.00. R & K Wholesales and Distribution has responded to complaints, generally indicating that the invoice was sent after a company representative spoke with dealership personnel about training and safety issues. A point contested by the dealerships on record with BBB. The company goes on to describe that the training materials are not released to the dealership until it receives payment for the invoice. Copies of invoices, which have been sent to BBB by various car dealerships, fail to include a statement advising the business the invoice is actually a solicitation, nor do they give any other indication that the DVD had not been requested by the dealership.
BBB Advice: It is against U.S. Postal Service regulations to mail a solicitation designed to appear as an invoice, unless it bears a clear disclaimer identifying it as an unsolicited invoice that is for information purposes only and that it is not a request to pay. The best protection against tactics, such as the one in question by R & K, is knowledge and vigilance. Businesses should alert their bill-payers to be on the lookout for disguised solicitations; carefully review invoices from unfamiliar companies; establish effective internal controls for the payment of invoices, and verify all invoices with the person who authorized the purchase.