Yellow Pages company screwed up. What are your thoughts on how to make it right?

[rbrbrb6]

The exact same thing happened to me a few years ago with one of the small local directories we advertise our pumping business in. No recourse, no compensation, just "Boy are we sorry that third party printer dropped the ad!" Checked with legal and since we had not prepaid for the ad, "no harm, no foul" legally. Luckily most of my customers in that area keep their old books rather than learn the new books so it was not a total loss of revenue from that part of my customer base for the year. The only thing they did do was not raise the price the next year!

 

[snowman]

I will be honest, prior to this I also felt most people don't use the phone book anymore. This changed my mind about that.

Jim

As the evidence from Jim's experience shows, there are a whole lot of us out here who still use the books/yellow pages. And, at least in these parts, there are a whole lot of businesses who do so also. The business section of my books are considerably thicker than they used to be. In fact, I would venture to say that a business around here who doesn't advertise there will have a very difficult time generating business. In my experience, if I want something in this area, it is the fastest, easiest way to find what I'm looking for.

Hope you're able to find a satisfactory resolution, Jim.
Andy

 

[rwsmith]

I use the Yellow Pages....

I use the Yellow Pages and I've had businesses ask me how I found them and were pleased when they found that the ad was a good customer draw. I think it depends on the type of business you've got. If you are a clothes boutique, all of your customers are probably 'connected'. If an investigator, maybe not. Anyway, it doesn't matter if the YP are outdated or inefficient. The OP got ripped off from something important to his lively hood and I hope he gets just compensation.

 

[P&R Fan]

Update:
Finally talked to somebody in this incredibly large company who can help me. Explained the situation and he of course apologized. He said they can't give free ads because of this, said they MAY be able to give a discount. When I asked how much he said he didn't know. I told him my attorney knew of somebody in a similar situation who was given free ads, and that I was turning over all information from him to my attorney. He said he "didn't like being threatened". I told him I am a business man, and I don't make threats but I do enjoy a good fight when I know I am in the right.
These people think I am going to be intimidated and go away.

These people are sadly mistaken.
Jim

 

[Doug M.]

I once had an insurance adjuster tell me "I won't be threatened by an attorney" when he got stupid with me. He learned the difference between being educated and being threatened. He had a lot of time to internalize the lesson after he got fired when his employer lost that contract over a $280-odd difference where he was clearly wrong.
The other response one could use, and I may have: "That's not a threat. It's a prophecy".

 

[zzzippper]

Update:
I told him my attorney knew of somebody in a similar situation who was given free ads, and that I was turning over all information from him to my attorney. He said he "didn't like being threatened".

This tears me up every time. Where is there a threat in this?