Businesses get refunds for ads in Yellow Pages

The Advocate: Businesses get refunds for ads in Yellow Pages

Wow, I can't imagine that SBC could have handled this any worse if they tired.

First, they mislead the advertisers by telling them that the small community directories were being replaced with a county-wide directory.

Hey, this kind of thing happens all the time to better serve the needs of shoppers. No biggie. Some advertisers P.O.'s, but what the hey?

Right after the big book hits the streets, SBC announces that they ARE going to keep the little books after all.

Problem it that many of the advertisers wouldn't have wasted their money in the big book, but it was their only option from the telephone company.

Big lawsuit. SBC loses, and the advertisers are due refunds.

Oh, but if the advertisers INCREASED their ads because they TRUSTED what the SBC rep said, then they were screwed out of their refund.

SBC says that they mailed notices to 11,000 advertisers that they may be entitled to a refund.

Gee, when they were selling advertising, they sent representatives to go door-to-door, not mailing solicitations.

Doesn't seem right to me. Just my opinion.