Here we go, I bought a number of new office printer off a supplier 18 months ago.

Anyway our accounts department have just faxed me a number of proforma invoice, which look like a standard invoice for goods. They just wanted conformation before paying, they were made out in my name for maintenance contract renewal to said printers.

Total value coming to more than what I paid for the printers!

Obviously I did not ask for these services, the firm just sent them out, my guess, hoping that they would get lost with all the other HO admin and get paid.

Scam or sharp practice?

What does STW masses think?

Maint. often does cost more than the printers, or so my GF has just found on hers at work. But yeah, I’d guess they’ve automatically sent that out in the hope it’ll get paid…

did you check the originasl t’s and c’s? They may well have mentioned ongoing maintenance being invoiced 12 months afetr purchase.

may be neither sharp practice nor scam, just small print.

caveat emptor

True, wwaswas, could have been hidden in the small print somewhere.

It was a telephone order sale, so not sure if they could play that one, unless they stated it at the time of sale?

Our marketing department had one last year, where they ordered some printing from a stationery company, which they supplied.

Then the firm started to charge us for two monthly “club memberships” every month, again, hidden in the small print somewhere no doubt.

if maintenance was part of the original purchase and was thought important (like if the printers are pretty hard to replace and are important to time critical activities) then maybe acceptable…but if not then it could be entertaining to return with a note and an invoice asking for the rebate the salesperson promised you for no call outs in the first year

There is a scam to be careful of where consumable stuff gets delivered, receptionists sign for it and you end up with bills from companies you haven’t ordered anything from. Tends to be water, toilet rolls, and other generic things.

Speculative invoicing
just ignore them