Five tips for avoiding advertising scams

Not a scammer: Steve Graff, the Chamber's map ad  representative from CommunityLink, is currently selling ads for the upcoming edition of the Madisonville-Hopkins County Map. He has been visiting with our members for the past few weeks.

It’s the time of year when the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing … and your office phones are ringing as solicitors try to entice you to purchase ads in their “publications.”

We’ve received multiple reports from members recently concerning telemarketers who claim to have connections to the Chamber and local businesses. One company has even gone so far as to acquire copies of past Chamber magazines, and is using them to sell ads for their less-than-professional publications. We find it especially interesting that this activity has increased since we have started selling ads for the new edition of the city-county map.

How do you know whether these calls are legitimate or scams? The following tips will help keep you – and your money – safe:

1. When a caller says they are working with the Chamber to sell ads, don’t take their word for it. We will always announce ad sales to our members via the E-Market prior to the beginning of any campaign. Our ad sales are limited to these publications:


·         The biennial Madisonville-Hopkins County Map we publish through CommunityLink (this is our current campaign)
·         The biennial Chamber Member Directory and Buyers’ Guide
·         The annual Madisonville-Hopkins County Magazine

If a solicitor’s sales pitch leaves you feeling uneasy, stop! Don’t purchase an ad right away. Get the name of the company and a phone number, then hang up and call the Chamber office to verify.

2.  When the Chamber is selling ads you will be personally contacted, and the sales representative will meet with you face-to-face. Representatives from The Messenger sell ads for our annual magazine. In 2011, board member Ronnie Noel contacted members concerning ads for the new directory. Currently, a member of the CommunityLink staff is setting appointments for our members to meet with Steve Graff, the ad representative selling ads for the upcoming edition of the city-county map. CommunityLink will not pressure you to purchase an ad over the phone.

3. Ask for a web address that will allow you to see an online sample of the product. You can then visit the web site – and do web search to see if the company is associated with any scam activity. You may find, once you see the online sample, that the product doesn’t look as good as described by the caller.

4. Don’t let the telemarketer pressure you into making a quick decision. This is one time when procrastination is a good thing! It’s your money – don’t let someone you don’t know talk you into spending it. Also be wary of callers asking you to ‘renew’ a previous ad – another clue that they have an old Chamber publication and are simply calling our past advertisers!

5. Do not agree to pay for advertising over the phone using your credit card – especially when it’s your first contact with the solicitor.

From time to time, the Chamber sends advertising alerts via e-mail to our members. Typically, we send these out because we have received one or more calls from members inquiring about a company claiming to be affiliated with us. We appreciate it when our members call with such information, and are always happy to pass the warning on to others.

For questions about the Chamber or ways we can help you realize the most value from your membership investment, please call us at 270-821-3435 or contact us via our web site.