Blaggers Warning

The Federation has become aware of some unsavoury advertising sales that have caught out numerous business throughout the country.

Some members were telephoned to ask if they wished to run one of their recent adverts in the next edition of the “Gazette”. The Gazette will probably be the name of their local newspaper and the members agree, often only because the offer to repeat the ad was at a reduced price. Subsequently a bill arrives from the Journal Publishing Company, 18 Curzon Street, Derby and a copy of the “Caledonian Gazette”.

It appears that others have been caught out in a similar way believing that they are taking advertising in their local newspaper but end up with an ad in a publication that is produced merely to rake in advertising revenue.

The Journal Publishing Company entry on the Newspaper Society website lists the company's publications as the Derby Journal and the Newcastle Times. SFMTA contacted the publishers of the Derby Evening Telegraph, Derby Express and the Derby Trader who replied that they were not aware of a publication called the Derby Journal. Further enquiry about the Newcastle Times confirmed that the Editor at business section of the very real and legitimate Newcastle Journal, had never heard of the Newcastle Times!

Deep digging on the Internet revealed a website blaggers.com where the Journal Publishing Company was discussed. Although the comments are uncorroborated and as such should not be read as fact but as the opinion of the person who left the comment the content leads one to conclude that great care is required when booking advertising over the telephone.

The Newspaper Society is a non regulatory body and would not take any action about The Journal Publishing Company.

Some of the postings on the blaggers website are printed opposite and more information can be found at:-
http://www.blagger.com/db4/company_id/1103/companyname/JPC—The-Journal-Publishing-Company.html