STAY AWAY FOR YOUR SAFETY OR YOU SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR MONEY!
I was contacted by a company called “Funding Solution for Education” regarding advertising my business in a private school’s welcome package. Initially, I was not interested, but they called me repeatedly, almost every day, and eventually persuaded me to sign a contract.
After agreeing to the advertisement, I received a copy of the leaflet. Although I was not particularly happy with how it looked, I decided to give it a chance.
I was then invoiced £400 for the advertisement. Unfortunately, throughout the entire year, we did not receive a single enquiry or customer as a result of the advertising.
The following year, due to legal reasons, we changed our business name. To my surprise, I then received another invoice from the company. When I contacted them to ask why, they informed me that I had signed a two-year contract.
I was shocked to discover that the contract did indeed contain a two-year commitment, something I had not fully appreciated at the time of signing. I explained that we had changed our business name and that the advertising had generated no enquiries during the first year, but they refused to cancel the agreement.
While I was out of the country, they proceeded with legal action against my business for the outstanding £400. As a result, I ended up having to pay approximately £1,600 in court and bailiff fees.
Based on my experience, I would advise business owners to read any agreement very carefully before signing and to think carefully before committing to advertising services that involve long-term contracts.







