NotaGeek
08-19-2008, 06:22 PM
Ok, so I am not normally one to publicly vent ... but I had to share this with you folks. So, I have spent the better part of today with our company's attorney and controller filing a fraud complaint with the Washington State Attorney General...
Back at the beginning of June some random woman called in and talked to our office admin assistant (who coincidentally is now my assistant) and she claimed to be a "friend" of our controller -- knew his full name and contact information and that he gave her my assistants information because she is the person that does the office supply ordering.
Well, this person claimed to work for a company called Tornado Office Systems, that was relocating to Arkansas and they had to unload as many of their supplies as possible before their move. They offered "deep discounts on bulk supplies" ... and the deal sounded too good to be true. And we ALL know that rule about if it seems to good to be true...
So my assitant asked for a quote on the minimum orders so she could get approval on them ... and the woman on the phone quoted a few items at gross or by the case or 1/2 case with a number of approximately $230 ... the quote never came to my assistant and she forgot about it. Well fast forward 3 weeks later and a shipment arrives of 9 boxes and 30 lbs of supplies ... with no invoice information.
Well said assistant just sorts the items and stores them thinking the invoice went to finance and they approved the order.
Here's the scam ... we got an invoice from the company in the mail yesterday for $8614.59 for the order! Yes, all those sale prices weren't by the box or gross as quoted ... they were by ITEM. You can imagine my assistant freaking out and assuming she would be fired...
So being the good boss I am, I start researching the company (go ahead and Google them!) and they have tons of complaints for the exact same fraud ... and I called the WA Attorney General and they instantly knew the company and they fraud ...
They send tons of supplies and 2 months later they bill you, assuming that it will either automatically go to accounts payable and never get to the person that "ordered them" or the company will think they have no recourse because they have started using the supplies and it's too late to complain.
SO ... I called the company and they called me back and when I told them we were sending most of the items back because we never actually placed the order and never even issued a purchase order, which is required for anything over $500 they accused ME of fraud! AMAZING.
To all you office working folks ... beware!
Back at the beginning of June some random woman called in and talked to our office admin assistant (who coincidentally is now my assistant) and she claimed to be a "friend" of our controller -- knew his full name and contact information and that he gave her my assistants information because she is the person that does the office supply ordering.
Well, this person claimed to work for a company called Tornado Office Systems, that was relocating to Arkansas and they had to unload as many of their supplies as possible before their move. They offered "deep discounts on bulk supplies" ... and the deal sounded too good to be true. And we ALL know that rule about if it seems to good to be true...
So my assitant asked for a quote on the minimum orders so she could get approval on them ... and the woman on the phone quoted a few items at gross or by the case or 1/2 case with a number of approximately $230 ... the quote never came to my assistant and she forgot about it. Well fast forward 3 weeks later and a shipment arrives of 9 boxes and 30 lbs of supplies ... with no invoice information.
Well said assistant just sorts the items and stores them thinking the invoice went to finance and they approved the order.
Here's the scam ... we got an invoice from the company in the mail yesterday for $8614.59 for the order! Yes, all those sale prices weren't by the box or gross as quoted ... they were by ITEM. You can imagine my assistant freaking out and assuming she would be fired...
So being the good boss I am, I start researching the company (go ahead and Google them!) and they have tons of complaints for the exact same fraud ... and I called the WA Attorney General and they instantly knew the company and they fraud ...
They send tons of supplies and 2 months later they bill you, assuming that it will either automatically go to accounts payable and never get to the person that "ordered them" or the company will think they have no recourse because they have started using the supplies and it's too late to complain.
SO ... I called the company and they called me back and when I told them we were sending most of the items back because we never actually placed the order and never even issued a purchase order, which is required for anything over $500 they accused ME of fraud! AMAZING.
To all you office working folks ... beware!