Daniel F Uid

This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ

Verified Reviewer
| map-marker Barcelona, Barcelona

BusinessTrends.nl - INVOICE SCAM

stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full
This company operates under the businesstrends.nl website now, fake business magazine unconnected to Business Trends Magazine. They contact businesses offering free promotion, but then hit them with invoices for charges that were never agreed to. DO NOT PAY them, you are not contractually obligated to pay. Our company simply ignored them, then told the collections company that they were collecting a scam debt and reported both companies to Dutch and EU authorities. Don't pay these people, just block their emails and move on with your life. This is an old scam, hopefully dutch authorities will eventually shut these scammers
View full review

User's recommendation: Don't pay them, contact dutch authorities.

2 comments
Guest

These fake publishing Zillion Media predators tried to scam my company in the 1990s! We also ignored all the officious attempts by collectors and they eventually went away.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2451044

Not sure if this Tamil is the same Can’t write *** REVIEW so I won’t Tfoley

View more comments (1)
Anonymous
map-marker Singapore, Central Singapore Community Development Council

Scam by Email under BusinessTrends

Tried to scam us with BusinessTrends.nl. Dont work with them! Person by name of Ellen wrote to us and it appears convincing.
View full review

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

Anonymous

Attempted scam

stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full
Exactly the same attempt to scam a company I represent was made this year, only this time using Business Trends as a title for their fake business journal. The name Zillion was hidden and had to be discovered only from the entities' register.
View full review
Cons:
  • Scammers

User's recommendation: Do not sign any document received

Marcellus R

Trying to return a product given as a gift.

stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full
Trying to return a product we can't use. It was given as a gift, the return date has passed. Can you all make an exception please?
View full review
Loss:
$85

Preferred solution: Full refund

Anonymous
map-marker Koenigswinter, North Rhine-Westphalia

Same scam, new name: business trends nl

stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full
The same people (the woman calling herself "Ellen Groen") are still trying to make money the same unethical way that was already described in detail under "Zillion". They try to scheme you into paying moon prices for each millimeter of pictures printed in their non-existing "international business magazine". The only difference is that they are using a new name for their "magazine" now: "business trends". They are using the dutch domain "business-trends.nl". Beware! Do not sign anything!
View full review
2 comments
Sabri Dbi

just got targeted here in Dubai. Will report them to the Dutch authorities.

They are still using Ellen Groen and Karin Gourley as names! what a nerve

Guest

Just happened to us as well.

View more comments (1)
Anonymous
map-marker Ohio, United States

Zillion-Intl.com is a scam

Zillion-Intl.com is a scam
I must say I have seen some complicated scams before but this one ranks right up there. Do not do any work with this so called media group called Zillion Media B.V. The piece they say will be published in Zillion publi2.0 which is not really a magazine but appears to be some sort of digital publication. Here is the details of how the scam works. They scan the business news feed for business articles and will then approach the companies about doing a fluff piece in their zillion publication based on the published piece on the news wire. There will be no discussion about cost or if you press them on it you do not get a clear answer. In the fine print of the digital pdf proof they send you their is to the effect this "you will be charged approximately 10 Euros for every millimeters of a photo that is used in the piece." No insertion order or contact will ever be presented. You will receive a nice digital pdf proof and a few months later you will get an invoice. The invoice will be for thousands of Euros. For example in my case the invoice said 1 Photograph - total mm = 250 @ 10,50 Eur for a grand total of $2,625.00 Eur due to them. They will require you to wire the money to their bank. The bank is in the Netherlands. They tried this with us and I refused to pay the invoice as we never authorize them doing the ad and no contract or costs were ever discussed. You will then get an email from {{{Redacted}}} threatening to send it to collection. You can pretty much at that time tell her to go jump off a bridge. There are many red flags to this mainly who charges for an ad based on the photo size? The more photos you have the more your bill will be. As I noted it's ranks up there in terms of complexities of a scam as what they will present to you looks professional. But, don't fall for it. In closing I am attaching an image of the invoice they sent to us. I have blurred out information that I do not want to be seen across the web. However, users please be aware of this scam.
View full review
Reason of review:
Pricing issue
6 comments
Guest

Same scam, same price, same tactics, same location - photo based pricing with 'free' editorial perpetrated by 'Business Trends' in the Netherlands.

One of our people was pitched on the idea by Ellen Groen. All pricing was carefully hidden, no totals, no contract, then all of a sudden, a letter for late invoices from Karin Gourley offering a 4% discount to resolve the matter.

Then comes the threat of turning us over to collection. All the elements of the scam match perfectly to the Zillion scam, even some of the people's names and their location at 7511 EL Enschede, The Netherlands.

Of course, during the scam, they are never concerned with the usual practice of asking for a signature on a contract that with a price on it - or asking for a Purchase Order.

Their calculus, is more about ensnaring unsuspecting people, and then getting some percentage to pay. Don't be fooled by their deceptive sales practices.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1400313

What did you do? This just happened to us too.

Guest

Zillion is a scam who uses words that sound legit and offer "free" editioral articles and are thus are more successful at the scam. In the fine print they charge 10 Euros per mm per photo.

Naturally they use massive photos and charge for printing to a non-existant audience.

They have a person named Ellen and Anne who do this dirty work. Do not pay them.

Guest

Please all of you, who have been scammed by Zillion, call the Dutch authority against fraud. Their number is: 0031 -8*-*** ****.

As long as you speak English, the Dutch will be able to help you.

The more people report this matter, the sooner we can stop these horrible people.

Guest

What company are you using? We are in our third house with Window World Windows.

Excellent quality and installation all three times. Had one window crack this spring during a hail storm (Plano TX) called them the next day and they had new window made and installed in two weeks.

Excellent customer service. Our son had these installed in his house and also had excellent service.

Guest

Tihs has just happened to me too. What a racket. Do not work with Zillion!

View more comments (5)
Anonymous
map-marker Chicago, Illinois

Zillion Tried to Scam us too

We had a similar situation to those mentioned above. We are a large company, we were approached by zillion about an article, there was an unclear email about column millimeters that they later claimed were costs, we signed an order sheet, but the order sheet did not indicate costs any costs but did reference that there would only be shipping costs if we ordered more than 25 print copies. we elected the digital copy, and were then sent an invoice for 6,700 EUR! we disputed, as there was never any signed transaction document indicating costs, after some back and forth they offered a 5% discount, we declined, they threatened to send to collection agency. This is a SCAM. DO NOT BE TAKEN IN.
View full review
Reason of review:
Pricing issue
2 comments
Guest

Hello, It happened to our company as well.. So I re-send the question, if you can advise what was finally done?

Were you forced to pay or could take legal action? Thank you for sharing your experience

Guest

Hi, I cannot agree more with your comment. Unfortunately, we had the same experience.

What have you done at the end?

Legal action? Paid?

Many thanks for sharing.

Kind regards

View more comments (1)
Tahmir Pcj

Zillion Business Review - BAD BAD BAD

The outline of the case is as follows:-

• We were approached on email and on the phone by Zillion Media

• We were asked if they could write a story about us for their Zillion Business Review – we accepted

• No cost for the agreement was made as we do not pay for advertising (company standard)

• The piece was written and pictures were requested from Zillion to support the editorial

• As per request, we sent 5 pictures, of which 2 were chosen

• The final ‘Order Sheet for Publication’ was sent to us

• We read the text and signed the order to publish – again, no mention of costs or invoicing was attached to this document

• We were then presented with a bill for £2,755.00 EUR

The issues have arisen are as follows:-

• No mention or agreement of costs were discussed or presented before the proof to print was presented to us

• The only cost mentioned on this document was the cost of 1 EUR per extra copy over 25 if we requested them

• No cost was agreed throughout and they made zero notifications to us of any cost along the way

• On emailing them this information about deliberate ‘hiding’ of the cost, they admitted there had been some misunderstanding and offered a 6% reduction

• I declined this as we at no point agreed for this to be a paid publication

• They have again come back and offered a 10% reduction whilst instructing a Bailiff company to contact us to reclaim the costs which with extra fees and interest have now jumped to £2,742.85

• We have tried to make contact with the Bailiff Company and had zero communication back from them

• I have contacted Zillion to dispute these costs and they are now demanding this full settlement from us

I have also completed research online and found we are one of many companies this has happened to. Apparently they do not charge for the actual editorial but the size of the pictures added into it. Hence why they keep confirming ‘the editorial is free’ but only after much pushing did they admit the cost of the images (to which they chose and sized) is the costed part. All of this was never agreed to and if we would have know, would never have gone ahead.

They have stated the ‘business from the article’ is something that needs to be considered. We have received not one phone call, one email, one journalist request or any enquiry from the business. I requested a distribution pack of where the magazine is sent – this was declined.

I have been in communication with Anne on email (all emails attached) and will keep in communication with her as we are concerned with the addition of them seeking Bailiffs, we may be forced to pay and then we can never reclaim the costs. We have now received an email from Anne at Zillion with the email address for the ‘Bailiff’ company as:- Rick Wubbels r.wubbels@***.nl so I am concerned the two are very closely linked as I find it odd to be asked to discuss this over email with a ‘high court’ agency.

On the bailiff letter, I can see they are trading under two names – Zillion Media BV and Bala United INC, I have found two addresses for them which I have included above.

The Bailiff Company I have been contacted by is:- TE RECHT DEURWAARDERS and they have stated their website is www.terechtdeurwaarders.nl but can also be found at www.kbvg.nl. Due to them being in the EU I sought advice online and was told to make contact with the Financial Ombusman based in the UK – I have copied them into this letter also.

Will let everyone know how i get on!

View full review
Loss:
$4000
20 comments
Guest

...and the scam keeps on running with Business Trends and Karin Gourmley! Just been caught out with exactly the same thing - charging per mm of space for each image used, but at no point presented with a quote, or final costs for how much this 'advertorial' will cost.

Email correspondence carried out with so-called editor Karin, who sent a few questions and used all the images I sent.

Then sent a PDF proof showing the layout and then ended up with an invoice for several thousand Euros. Beware!!!!

Toye Rtg

Hi all, Having the same dispute many of you have had with these scammers. It would be great to know what the outcome was for others, and whether people managed to get out of paying them?

They have just "given us 14 days to pay them". Thanks

Guest

We have had the exact same experience. This is a SCAM!!!

Guest

we had exactly the same situation! i won’t repeat all the info.

in the last email we told Anne that we’re going to report them as scam to different authorities. she replied saying: now your case is in the hans of a collection agency) a few weeks after we received an email from Bailiff Company.

I checked their website through alexa.com - no data at all! there was a phone number in the email, so I tried to call them, but got no response.

Guest

Same exact scam perpetrated by "Business Trends" on us and on our client.

Their cast of characters is;

Karin Gourley - Collections

Ellen Groen - Sales

As earlier posts have noted, precursor to Business-Trends with the same M/O is Zillion Media ... also in the same location in the Netherlands.

The two people behind that were Bert Vos and Anne {{Redacted}} who seem to be laying low now that they have been exposed.

We refused to pay. You should too.

Guest

We just had a similar encounter with "Business Trends", a publication also based in the Netherlands. If you look at the Zillion Media website and the Business Trends website, you can see that the magazine covers are almost identical, so yet another name under which this group is attempting to scam people.

We published a press release for a client (who will remain unnamed), and someone named Anne Fransz reached out indicating that they would like to do a story about our client.

There was, in the email, a brief reference to an image fee, something like 2 Euros per mm. At this point, we hadn't even agreed to do an interview, much less approve the story or images, so we didn't pay any attention to this comment at the time.

We went back & forth a few times, found a day & time that worked for all parties, and my client did an interview. Following the interview, they sent us the article for approval, and requested 5-8 pictures to choose from to include with the article (no mention of fee).

We responded with our edits and some images.

They selected 2 images, and sent us an "Order Form" asking how many copies of the article we wanted sent to us, and asking if the images were approved (no mention of fee).

Our client signed the order form, and we returned it. They acknowledged receipt & said the copies would be mailed (no mention of fee).

Weeks later, my client received an invoice for approx 6400 Euros (about $7,500 USD). We quickly contacted Anne, saying that if this invoice was for the copies of the publication, please disregard, we did not want the extra copies.

It was at this point that she clarified that there was a fee for the images. We wrote back and asked that they please exclude the images from the publication if that was the case (no response to this request). My client then received another copy of the invoice, at which point I reached out and got a response from an Ellen Groen, who said Anne was on holiday but she would serve as our point of contact. I let Ellen know that no payment was going to be made, as they had not gotten approval from my client (the original email mentioning the fee was only sent to my company - not my client - and it was my client that signed the order form).

I'm curious to see whether or not they'll try to pursue the issue given that they don't have the appropriate approvals or paperwork to back up their claim that the image fee was disclosed / approved. How did your case end up?

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1407392

Just had the exact same thing happen to me! Karin is still at it!!!

Guest

We have this same exact issue... They are shady at best!

Nothing on for us "Business Trends"

We received a large bill for 2 images for the "free" publication.

We will not pay, and Anne has been told this. I have also reached out to this "collections" company and told them to refrain from contact.

Guest

Same here. We were interviewed for a "free" editorial article and then were asked to pay 12000 EUR for the pictures THEY requested.

Can anybody please share the experience if you simply ignore them and forward their emails into the spam filter. Have they ever actually tried to go legal steps?

Guest

Hi,

We experienced the same thing and I received an invoice with the amount not being mentioned at all. Anyone got updates on the legal process?

Looks like they are still cheating people in this way. We will go through legal process is nessesary.

View more comments (19)
Anonymous
map-marker Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant

Fraudes Exposed

I know who they are... Hello, I had exactly the same process with them. They tried to scam me for 8000 euro's. I work for a big company with 9000 employees so I had the oppertunitiy to expose them. I had contact by telephone with them and they were shocked I traced their location, real names and confonted them as fraudes. Zillion is runned from Bonaire by two people: {{{Redacted}}} (he has also a company in Bonaire called Cuanto). They have a Dutch background near or in the city of Enchede. The man collects the payments. He has a profile: {{{Redacted}}} They try to leave as little info on the internet as possible so almost no info turns up by search engines. Spread the word because they have scammed many many companies and collected their money doning absolutely nothing in Bonaire.
View full review
Reason of review:
Poor customer service
2 comments
Guest

Please all of you, who have been scammed by Zillion, call the Dutch authority against fraud. Their number is: 0031 -8*-*** ****.

As long as you speak English, the Dutch will be able to help you. The more people report this matter, the sooner we can stop these horrible people.

Guest

Hi there, we have also been scammed. Have you had any further contact with them?

What has been eth follow up? Have they continued to try to exact payment?

View more comments (1)
Harshita Zsq
map-marker Cambridge, England

They have a tried and trusted scam technique - don't fall for it!

stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full
Zillion approached us having read one of our press releases, offering an interview and feature article. All seemed professional enough, with the exception of the thin info available about the publication itself - Though as it's print media, it wouldn't be unusual for there to be thin info online. Following the interview and publication - During which they were very keen to stress that we must provide photos - I asked for a copy of the magazine. I was told that they would send a copy but they were chargeable at approx 5 Euros. I agreed this without much thought, and they agreed to send an invoice through alongside the magazine. When their invoice arrived, it was for 5.985,00 Euros. Interpreting that as a little more than 5 Euros, I agreed payment, and our finance team paid it. Now, 2 months later, they are chasing us for payment of five thousand, nine hundred and eighty five Euros, saying that this is the cost of 2 photos in the magazine, charged per millimeter. We have paid the 5 Euros, and won't pay any more than that - Because we haven't agreed to pay any more. I can see that this is essentially the same scam they have forced on others. BEWARE - This is a scam company!
View full review
Reason of review:
Problems with payment

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

3 comments
Guest

Do not do any work with is company. It's a way to scam money usually in Euros for fictitious work that is never created or they create a digital pdf of the piece.

You will be invoiced months later for thousands of Euros.

You will then be threatened with sending you to collection. If the name {{{Redacted}}} is on any of your communications be very wary.

Harshita Zsq

To my immense frustration, we cut a deal with this scam company and ended up paying them a compromise sum. BEWARE.

Guest

Can you share your results with them trying to get more money from you?

View more comments (2)
Anonymous
map-marker Sonderborg, Syddanmark

Zillion Business Review

Beware: do not waste time with Zillion Business Review! They claim to be a serious business magazine but are in fact selling advertisement space. Trolling the net for news releases, Zillion Business Review will request an interview, but never mention that there are costs involved with printing the interview. Once you sign an order form to receive a copy of their magazine featuring your article – guess what? The plot unfolds and you are presented a hefty invoice for printing pictures that you never asked for and gives little value to your company. Zillion Business Review appear to be a respectable company but their business practice is deceptive, none-transparent and resembles a scam Truly a waste of your time and money
View full review
Loss:
$12000
6 comments
Guest

Can you tell me more about what happened with them trying to nail you for a big invoice? I have the same issue now also... What did you do, and what was the outcome?

Guest

I had the same problem with them!!

After I told them that I found that other companies have complained about them too, they didn't reply for a few weeks.

And I received an email from them asking to make payment again. Wtf?

The only payment I agreed to was the delivery charge of the magazines.

Who in the world pays for photos to be printed for an editorial feature?!?! especially in a *** magazine

Guest

How did you get them to go away? did you appoint legal advisers, write to a trade body or anything, or did they just go away when you didn't pay?

or did you pay? I know of another company who they are also trying to scam.

Thanks

Guest

I had no problem with this. because I can read.

the first email is common about costs. have negotiated off and now a nice article on the site.

maybe you are training too low or your ego too big. :p :p :grin :grin :upset :p

Guest

I've had the same experience. Clearly an unethical business.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-738659

Hello, we have had the same occur within our company. Has anyone attempted to resolve/dispute invoice? How did you handle?

View more comments (5)
Anonymous

Scam posing as news outlet

Zillion poses as a news outlet serving up executive briefs to senior leadership, but not online, only through print. So you're essentially paying the cost of printing a bunch of worthless magazines with your ad in it. Approached to do the article and interviewed. After reviewing their write up, I was asked to sign an order form that - in the small gray hard to read print - referenced costs they had never mentioned. This got me thinking and I googled to this site. They pose as a news outlet, but make money placing ads. SCAM! From their site: About Zillion International Founded by a group of experienced international business editors and first published in 1999, Zillion offers comprehensive coverage of trends, technological developments and strategic issues in international business across a number of industry verticals. Zillion is published in the English language and is available as a print publication only; this website serves uniquely to give you a general idea of our publication and its focus areas. Where does Zillion International find news? Our network of editors closely monitors news sources from all over the world. In order to provide our readers with the story behind the press release, we interview the people and companies who make today's and tomorrow's business headlines. Who reads Zillion International? The typical Zillion Business Review reader serves in middle and senior management at internationally-oriented companies across a number of verticals. Geographically our readership reflects what we write about; our readers can be found in Europe, North America, and in the Middle and Far East.
View full review
3 comments
Guest

So did you dispute the claim? what was the outcome?

Guest

Our organization is facing the same problem with the lack of transparency of this organization's invoicing.

Very disappointed in the lack of professionalism and the bait-and-switch aspect of their "editorial" offering.

Guest

Are you disputing the invoice? Would like to know if others in this situation are successful in fighting them on it. Thanks!

View more comments (2)

Why Trust Reviews on PissedConsumer?

  • Professional auto and live moderation
  • 100% user-generated content
  • Equal opportunity and protection
  • Zero tolerance for fake reviews
  • Verified content
  • PissedConsumer is on the Inc. 5000 list

For more information read Blog article