eBay

llee2 · ‎12-03-2003

Got an interesting call the other day from a company by the name of Dunn & Bradstreet. Anyone heard of them or what they do? Apparently, they wanted information on my eBay company for a Canadian Business Directory? Seems they got my contact info from Canada Post, which kind of irks me. Should CP be giving (or are they selling? hmm...) out contact info of their clients. Seeing as I only signed up with a CP PowerSeller account recently for the discount, I wonder if I'm going to get more unsolicited calls now? Anyone else had a call from them?

amberwoodottawa · ‎12-03-2003

Dunn and Bradstreet is a credit reporting agency. They sell information that they gather to their client's who pay them for reports in order for those companies to make a determination about a business' ability to meet its trade obligations.

CP had likely ordered a credit report on your business from Dunn and Bradstree and when they didnt have any current information on your business to provide CP, they went right to the horse's mouth.

Check the documents that you signed with CP regarding their right to obtain credit information and are credit facilities something that comes with your CP Power Seller Discount.

Did you sign in your personal name or in the name of a registered business?

If you need more help, ask me, I have extensive experience in this area.

Malcolm

llee2 · ‎12-03-2003

Thanks Malcolm,

Didn't realize the CP Powerseller Discount came with any strings attached....guess I'll have to look it over.

souranial · ‎12-03-2003

llee2, I received the same call when I signed up!
I looked over the CP PS Program immediately after and noticed that it is not a PS program BS program.

The strings attached are really endless!
You should speak to Todd about his new CP pool.

Regards and happy holidays,
Daniel

mevans_cda · ‎12-03-2003

I got a call at something like 8am or 8:30am from them one day. They woke everyone up. We had a day off and were sleeping in, and as luck would have it, even our baby was sleeping in. The girl was persistant and extremely annoying. She acted as though I HAD to answer her questions. I had a few words for her ... all about 4 letters in length.

llee2 · ‎12-03-2003

Looks like I'm not the only one...

Yeah, I too thought she was overly "pushy" for a lack of better terms. She started prattling all these questions off even before she identified who she was or where she was calling from.

I can't find anything in the PS discount agreement about trade obligations. Is there a minimum we have to ship with CP? Most of my stuff goes to the US via Expedited or small packet, both of which I don't bother using the online processing since the discount doesn't apply.

Really wonder if it's worth keeping the CP discount.

amberwoodottawa · ‎12-03-2003

Remember that they are being paid to provide their customer with information about your business.

If you r business is not a registered Canadian business (incorporation, sole proprietorship or partnership) you should not give them any personal information at all.

Also if your business is incorporated but not listed on the stock market, you should not provide any financial information to them.

What is really a waste of money is for CP to order D&B reports on eBay PSers who have signed up for the CP discount program. It just shows how out to lunch CP is with respect to eBay and the sellers.

With respect to the D&B caller who was rude, they are trained to be rude, remember they also run a collection service and are trained at being bold and rude without crossing the line.

In deciding whether to share anything with D&B or not, just think in terms of your business' need for credit facilities from suppliers who may depend on D&B reports.

I dont have any suppliers who would require a third party agency such as D&B to provide them withinformation about my business in order for me to obtain credit facilities from them so I would have no interest in telling D&B anything at all except where the exit door is!
Malcolm

treasure-pot · ‎12-03-2003

Malcolm, you may remember that D&B was once a respected name in the credit reporting business but, when the scandal broke on them a few years ago, they lost all credibility and a huge part of their business as well.

You are never under any obligation to answer any questions from D&B. They have no impact on your credit worthiness but can only report on the information that is available. That is why they are sometimes so persistent in attempting to get info. They are strictly a reporting and collecting agency and a very slimey one at that. They were caught bilking their customers for millions of dollars and many of their underhanded techniques were exposed several years ago. They lost huge accounts over their methods when they were exposed and have been struggling to regain respectability.

Best practice is to hang up on them when they call. They are trained to be ruthless if need be and who needs that?

Cheers!

Bill

Bill

amberwoodottawa · ‎12-03-2003

Bill
I was Corporate Credit Manager overseeing credit for several of the George Weston companies at the same time for over 10 years (plus a dozen other hats and titles I held concurrently) from 1981-1991.

D&B was not a respected name back then either. I threw them out shortly after I came on board in 1982 and had many battles with them over the years on all sorts of issues.

I learned long before that about their inadequate methods in sourcing information and how lax it was. Left up to a poorly paid and often poorly trained clerk to call up companies and ask them to update information about the company while never seeing how factual the information was. Also they took the information from whom ever answered the phone number they called, whether that person had the capabilities or authority to speak on behalf of the company.

I had even sent some employees to attend some of their credit training sessions and then I found myself exercising my right for a guarantee of the tuition paid if not satisfied when my clerks came back from the courses telling me that they could have given the course better than the D&B instructor.

It just shows you how backwards CP management is when they (a) still use D&B and (b) expect that D&B has financial information on eBay sellers.

Malcolm

muminlaw · ‎12-03-2003

I think a fairly important point in this discussion, aside from D&B's reputation, or any other investigating firm, is that anyone can say they're from any company on the phone -- no credentials, no proof. I absolutely refuse to answer any financial or personal questions on the phone no matter who they say they are. If it's important, they can make a face-to-face appointment and show me some proof that they have a right to the information!

Glenda

Glenda

treasure-pot · ‎12-03-2003

Point well made, Glenda.

Bill

Bill

jaymor8 · ‎12-03-2003

Just to drive Glenda's point home which it doesn't really need but there is the issue of these companies calling you with the phone number hidden on YOUR call display. It will register as 'private' or 'unknown name' and that infuriates me to no end.

I'm not talking about fly by night companies either. I am talking about major banks representing Visa or Master Card and I am talking about government agencies doing surveys. It's disgusting and we never answer the phone on a hidden number. If we get caught by accident answering one of those calls, we proceed to tell them that as soon as they can be honest and upfront about who they are, maybe then we'll take the call.

If they can't show who they are, there must be a reason.

Jackie...

your-chic-shopper · ‎12-03-2003

I as well have had a phone call from them a long time ago . I told them to get my info from Equafax

They told me they could not pull the info from Equafax . I then said " i am not prepaired to provide this info over the phone

Case closed
Todd