When a telemarketer called Fuhrman Chiropractic Center asking if
Dr. Nancy Fuhrman wanted to buy advertising on a Bradford Area High
School sports schedule, he didn’t know what hit him.
“They called the wrong office,” Fuhrman said. “I got downright
nasty.”
For Fuhrman knew better than to believe Kelly Publishing Inc.
representatives when they say the advertising sold would benefit
local sports teams.
Fuhrman, wife of Bradford Area High School basketball coach Dave
Fuhrman, got even madder when a friend of hers asked why their
advertising was so expensive, many times what they normally pay for
advertising in the basketball program.
That’s when Fuhrman notified the Better Business Bureau in
Illinois, where the company is located, then Illinois Attorney
General Lisa Madigan in September 2006.
After months of waiting, Fuhrman was notified in the middle of
May that Kelly Publishing, as well as several others, had been sued
by the AG’s office for soliciting small business nationwide to
purchase advertising space on posters featuring game schedules of
high school teams.
The suit was filed against Kelly Publishing, Loyalty Publishing
Inc., doing business as All-Star Publishing, Community Athletics
Publishing Inc., and Liberty Publishing Inc., doing business as
Booster Club Productions and U.S. County Map Services.
“These guys are good,” Fuhrman said, noting that they go under
various names. “They act like they are doing something for the
kids, but they are not.”
Madigan’s office began investigating the companies after
receiving complaints from high school principals and athletic
directors in Illinois and other states. The companies said they
were affiliated with area schools and had called small businesses
in the schools’ communities to purchase advertising space on game
schedules.
According to the complaints, in some instances, company
telemarketers told prospective customers that the proceeds from the
ad sales would be contributed to the schools’ athletic teams.
The investigation revealed that not only did the companies have
no affiliation with the schools, but in most cases the schools
never saw any money.
Fuhrman had the full support of the Bradford Area School
District – Superintendent Sandra Romanowski signed her letter to
Madigan and Athletic Director Tim Walter said the school was behind
getting the situation corrected.
“I couldn’t sit back and let this go on,” she said. “If you
believe in something you got to do something.”
Fuhrman said the local businesses as well as the athletes were
victims of these businesses.
“We don’t need someone taking advantage of our businesses.”
Madigan’s four lawsuits allege violations of the Illinois
Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act and the Uniform
Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Kelly Publishing Inc., Loyalty Publishing Inc. and Liberty
Publishing Inc. also violated the Solicitation for Charity Act
because they used high schools’ names, without permission, as part
of their telemarketing calls.
The complaints further allege that all of the defendants
violated the Solicitation of Charity Act due to their failure to
register as professional fundraisers, as required by the Act.
“My office will never tolerate illegal profiteering by companies
that divert money away from high school teams by deceiving local
businesses in this cruel manner,” Madigan said.
The company does give out 8×10 inch laminated schedules. The one
Fuhrman saw was wrong, however. The company had received an old
schedule and switched the home games to away and changed the
dates.
These schedules are never approved through school officials.
“They were using our kids for profit. Our athletes deserve
more,” Fuhrman said. “That’s stealing. It’s fraud.”
Fuhrman explained that the basketball boosters put out their own
schedule and sell ads at a fraction of what the Illinois companies
charge.
She said a 1/2-page ad sells for $60. Her neighbor received a
bill for $209 from Kelly Publishing.
“It’s a shame these people would stoop so low as to take
advantage of our youth and our business community and claim this
benefits our children,” Fuhrman said.
She made a few suggestions to those who get calls from these
bogus companies.
First, make sure you can put a face to a name. Also, ask for a
call back number. If it’s a 800 number of out-of-area number, it’s
not legitimate.
