posted
Barclay Enterprises
engages in deceptive and unfair business practices and blatant false advertising.
1) They are guilty of false advertising. They claim on their web site, in their literature, and on various E-Bay auctions to be "The only FCC authorized repair facility."
There has never been any such thing as FCC authorized repair. They base these blatant lies off the equivalent of an old FCC yellow pages listing for antique bell ringer phones that they paid to be listed under in 1988. They changed their company name and address in the late 80's or early 90's rendering the listing completely useless. Now they use it to confuse customers in advertisements for products not even covered under the old and long expired registration. The entire program (part 68) was abandoned by the FCC long ago.
Please do not take our word for this. Contact the FCC yourself. www.fcc.gov, or call them at (888)225-5322.
2) They have repeatedly made defamatory and patently false statements against the company that I work for in several E-Bay auctions. The slander began immediately when we decided to list an auction which competed with one of theirs. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=47123&item=6038692668
These defamatory statements refer to Priority One as we are the only other company offering these repairs on E-Bay. What they imply about how we repair these phones is completely and utterly false. The repeated inferences that we are somehow a fly-by-night company that does not know how to repair phones and are not reputable is defamatory and insulting.
Barclay Enterprises 2275 LaCrosse Ave #201 Colton, CA 800-513-9962
Barclay is also knows as: "Preferred Telecomm" and "QP Telecommunication Technologies"
We have been informed of your complaint by a third party since, regrettably, you have never communicated with us directly or in private about this matter of concern to you. We will be taking your allegations under counsel and advisement. In the meantime:
1. Would you mind identifying yourself? You never provide your full name or position with your company.
2. You refer to your company as your employer. Therefore, we presume that you are not a principal. Are the principals of your company aware of and in support of these public accusations of yours, particularly with respect to such epithets as "illegal", "unethical", "false advertising", "defamatory", "slander" and "false statements"?
Kindest regards,
Richard L.
Barclay, President
Barclay Enterprises, Inc.
Posts: 3 | From: Colton, CA USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
Mr. Barclay It seems the poster above was concerned about Your claims of being " The only FCC authorized repair facility ".
Can you explain that claim ?
Since you responded with smoke and mirrors, It would appear that there is no such thing as FCC authorized.
My .02 cents
-------------------- "I used to love the smell of Av Gas in the morning,now it's just coffee. " Posts: 3324 | From: Aquebogue,N.Y. | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
My name is Paul Gross, I am the head of Sales at Priority One Business Communications Inc. The ownership of Priority One Business Communications Inc has been fully aware of the issue for some time. I have been asked to post the following by the ownership of Priority One Business Communications Inc.:
You claim that you have not been informed of this matter, yet you reference text from our eBay auctions and web site (negatively) many times in your subsequent eBay listings. This means you could not have missed the false advertising FCC warning messages displayed over the last few weeks in our eBay listings. In fact you responded to this warning by attempting to confuse the general public further. Offering scans of expired and illegally altered registration papers as proof of your FCC authorized status. http://www.barclayent.com/ebay/fcc_authorization.htm
I'm sorry that we did not contact you in person about this. However your attacks, attitude and response to our eBay auctions has proven you have no intention of cooperating in any sort of resolution.
This matter is not up for debate, an opinion, or even a gray area. Claiming to be affiliated with the FCC is a flat out lie. If
Barclay would like to offer any reasonable explanation for the blatant misrepresentation in claiming to be the only FCC authorized repair facility when the FCC does not, and has never "authorized" repair facilities, I'm sure we would all love to hear it.
posted
Wow, that's interesting. My company too had an FCC registration number for repairing and refurbishing one and two-line and 1A2 phones obtained in 1985. All I had to do was fill out a few forms and send them a check. It was not any long drawn-out "approval" process at all.
posted
Thank you for confirming that for me Ed. The people that I spoke with at the FCC had no idea what I was talking about. They were all too new (only worked at the FCC for 10 years or so). They did not even know that they used to register sellers or repairers of equipment.
posted
To say the least I wouldn't use them. If they're dishonest in their advertising on Ebay, sure can't trust the end product, in my opinion.
-------------------- Bill
If you are seeking sales or service in North-Central Florida, count on our associate: North Florida Communications Posts: 5362 | From: Western Nebraska | Registered: May 2002
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posted
This is kind of amusing. It’s obviously a play on laymen, or simply those who don’t understand that by the time you pay for shipping both ways and repair fees, you probably could have saved yourself about 75$, by buying a new one from china-mart for 7.99.
However, given the circumstance, it could be quite possible that
Barclay is truly the only FCC authorized repair shop for cordless phones.
-------------------- ...they love our milk and honey, but preach a different way of livin' ~merle Posts: 871 | From: AZ | Registered: Apr 2001
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I don't think it is so cool to make such a big yahoo without directly addressing the person who you claim has your panties in such a wad. Not so polite, huh?
I looked at the ad for a dingbat cordless phone repair and I didn't see any referece to any other firm by name. Priority One or anyone one else. Can you get your tuckus ramed without a rod?
I would think that you could come up with a great ad and go for the business if Panasonic (yuck) repairs are that important. I think Panasonic has worse quality control than anything I've ever seen in the phone business, but some people still like to sell them, so there is no skin off my noze on that, let the buyer beware.
I guess my reaction would be, Priority One needs to have a cold six pack and chill out.
-------------------- THE Bunnie, old blond specialist in Rube Goldberg solutions. Posts: 1650 | From: Santa Monica, CA | Registered: Mar 2001
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quote:Originally posted by rustynails: This is kind of amusing. It’s obviously a play on laymen, or simply those who don’t understand that by the time you pay for shipping both ways and repair fees, you probably could have saved yourself about 75$, by buying a new one from china-mart for 7.99.
However, given the circumstance, it could be quite possible that
Barclay is truly the only FCC authorized repair shop for cordless phones.
1) If you have any question, call the FCC. The FCC never "authorized" anyone to repair phones. Prior to 1990 (I think they stopped registering firms in 1989), some repair centers and resellers were allowed to register with the FCC by filling out a form and sending a check. This entitled them to place a sticker on the phone with an FCC logo on it and a registration number. Like I posted above, my expired driver's licence from 1984 has more validity as I actually had to take a test to get it. 2) This is a specific phone for a specific system. They are no longer being manufactured. You cannot get new ones. Used ones are very expensive.
Bunny, how would you respond if one of your local competitors began claiming that they were the only firm authorized by the FCC to perform programming on phone systems? What if they placed it in a half page ad in the yellow pages?
There is no direct reference to us in their E-Bay listing as E-Bay does not allow direct references to other auctions or sellers. Given that we are the only other firm listing this type of repair on E-Bay, It is obvious to anyone that they are referring to us. In response to "why did we not contact them directly?" As soon as we began our auctions,
barclay dramatically altered their auctions and began taking things that we listed in our auction, twisting them around, and attacking us with them. Frankly, once the attacks began, I had no desire to speak with him at all. I knew that they would be notified about this post and I knew that they would have a chance to respond and defend themselves. Have you seen any word from
Barclay that they are, in fact, FCC authorized? Did you see him suggest in any way that that he was not knowingly attacking us when he dramatically altered his E-Bay auctions? Ask yourself, if someone's false advertising and slander was taking money out of your pocket, and they are in another state (the other coast, in fact) so that legal action would be prohibitively expensive, what would you do? Ignore it? I think not.
-------------------- ...they love our milk and honey, but preach a different way of livin' ~merle Posts: 871 | From: AZ | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
Hi, I've been having Paul post messages on our behalf and he has been doing a great job. Just a few details I wanted to elaborate on.
First, I wanted to mention that this is not just about an eBay auction or two.
Barclay is also promoting his FCC status on their web site. Even his page description includes "FCC authorized" I would think every telephone interconnect & refurbisher would be concerned about this on some level.
Second, I feel I need to explain how this all started in a little more detail. Priority One started offering repair on these particular cordless phones simply because people started emailing us looking desperately for a repair service for these phones. We already had a test system and a few phones so figured we would try it out. We started offering repair about 6 months ago and it took off. After a few months of getting our hands dirty I went to look for more ways to promote our service, we started pay-per click advertisement and soon after, our first eBay auction.
In my "opinion" right off the bat we were attacked by
Barclay. Within just a few hours "someone" reported us for including a web address in our picture. A technique we have used many times in the past to prevent picture theft and promote our web site. We were not aware this was a problem for eBay. We have plenty of experience with eBay and know that another user has to report issues, eBay does not have the man power to inspect all of their auctions. Our auction was removed and we re-listed it without the URL in the picture. Then "someone" reported us for offering a battery for an extra $12 (avoiding eBay fees), our auction was removed again, so we re-listed without the battery option. Still a third time, our auction was removed for being in the wrong category. Even though I could find no eBay rules that even hinted we were in the wrong category and eBays automatic suggestions picked the category for me... It was in Electronics, phones, cordless phones, Panasonic, 2.4ghz... and should have been in the category it is now dealing with misc services. I still can not find the eBay rule about this listing violation and have no idea how I was supposed to know this in advance.
Meanwhile (at the same time "someone" reported us 3 separate times for 3 minor listing violations)
Barclay canceled his repair auction early then re-listed the same auction at the same price with the derogatory comments about cheap copy-cats that are not FCC authorized. After that it only went down hill. We responded by only commenting on the FCC lie and improving our auctions, defending ourselves by explaining in more detail what we have to offer.
It is unfortunate because we would have been willing to work with
Barclay on this. For the moment we are having difficulty getting replacement keypads for these and a small number really could use them because the lettering wears off or people actually rip out the buttons in frustration trying anything to activate them. Before all this, we would have considered steering customers who needed new keypads to
Barclay. We cannot possibly recommend them now. Instead, we have started the process of having these keypads custom made.
Posts: 7 | From: Maine | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
This is exactly why I hate ebay and will have nothing to do with them. If you are unscrupulous you can get away with just about anything. If you are honest you get subjected to their BS.
Anybody who does business there, buyer or seller, has got to be crazy.
-Hal
-------------------- I gotta get out of this business...
Posts: 3959 | From: Hawthorne, Westchester County, New York | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
I guess I am crazy then, Hal. I pulled in about $1,500.00 this week selling jacks and cable to people like us who are just starting out in business for themselves. I am addicted to e-bay, but I also agree with what Hal says. E-bay can be one's best friend or their worst enemy.
In the case of Priority Once vs.
Barclay, that's a tough one to call because phone repairs are already competitive enough as it is. I am impressed that anyone has the ability or patience to handle cordless phone repairs anyway.
Personally, I hope that both parties are able to kiss and make up and perhaps form an East-West coast alliance to reduce shipping times. I have seen this happen with other resellers or refurbishers and it's worked to everyone's advantage. Throwing mud at the competition, especially on e-bay, is just downright tacky. It's kind of the old "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" strategy. I hope it works out for everyone involved.
posted
I buy and sell on Ebay, the only trouble I've ever have..well that I've ever found out about is other people using my site to host their pictures in their auction, when I see it I just change the picture to a sign that says to call Sundance for this phone and put my number one it. Here's one here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5835780778 But I still buy on Ebay, only pay with a credit card, (only secure way to not get ripped off) and sometime get a good deal, but Ebays getting scammed lately and it's not a good neighborhood. I hope they make up too.
posted
Bunny, how would you respond if one of your local competitors began claiming that they were the only firm authorized by the FCC to perform programming on phone systems? What if they placed it in a half page ad in the yellow pages?
Well, I would first be concerned with a great ad. Then if I wanted to deal with it, I would say: "Legally certified by Panasonic to program equipment for xx years." Negative crap is for stupid politicans.
So there is a Panasonic phone that dies and for whatever reason it is very valuable and must be fixed. "Imagine, fix a panasonic phone, oy vey."
So go make a great ad, a really great ad, America is built on competition. All the time you spend on beating up on
Barclay will get you what I got in my battles with Samsung, a "gotcha" satisfaction and nothing more. Go make a great ad and fix phones. You can't go on eBay and do something and NOT expect someone else to copy it or get the business.
I was the very first person to advertise Samsung in The Mart. The next month there were four. I didn't own it because I did it first. We all like the easy way, others do too and some of them can do it better than we can, this is America, at least until the illegal alien population becomes a majority and then it will be whatever they call it.
I just met a competitor tonight at a site where he has been trying to sell them a $33,000 system for years and years and years. I can offer his tenants some services that won't interfere with the dying control unit and prove myself and probably sell a system sooner or later that fits his needs at a much lower price. It is called competition. The other guy doesn't get it because he hung around for so long, I don't get it unless I can show him why my proposal is a better value and a smarter move.
If you had technical violations, well it may have not been nice, but you didn't write the rules. I still remember the night I got a ticket for a "California stop." I almost came to a complete stop and I might have been going a mile an hour around the curve but the cop didn't see my wheels STOP. That lesson cost me 8 boring hours in traffic school. I still come to a complete stop, not because I find that critical, but because I never want to spend another 8 boring hours in traffic shool.
You can keep on feeling abused but true common sense says, Make A Great Ad, Go Fix Phones.
And the Barclays are my children from an early marriage.
Just kidding. If I wanted a bowling ball resting on my bladder I'd have one implanted.
-------------------- THE Bunnie, old blond specialist in Rube Goldberg solutions. Posts: 1650 | From: Santa Monica, CA | Registered: Mar 2001
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twisted pair
Security, Alarm Moderator
Member # 6127
posted
It's been a while now, just thought I would update this post, bring everyone up to date.
Barclay Enterprises is STILL promoting the FCC lies on their web site and eBay auctions.
They also now claim Panasonic made a better keypad. We recently got in a large special order of new keypads directly from Panasonic and wouldn't you know it! it's the same old pad... I guess Panasonic is saving the better keypads for
Barclay.
Here are a few recent FCC quotes We are the only firm on Ebay authorized by the FCC to work on your telephone equipment.
FCC AUTHORIZED REFURBISHER SINCE 1988
FCC authorized repair facility... so you know your handset will be repaired and reconditioned to the highest professional level.
We're an FCC authorized repair facility and take great pride in the work we do
we now handle over twenty-five top manufacturers in our FCC authorized remanufacturing plant
We're the only repair facility on eBay ever authorized by the FCC to remanufacture telephone equipment.
We are the only independent cordless telephone repair facility to have been authorized by the FCC
serving customers nationwide from their FCC authorized facility located in Colton, California
Posts: 7 | From: Maine | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
Maybe FCC means Fred's Customer Coalition. If it doesn't say Federal Communications Commission anywhere he has you over a barrel.
I did work for a section of the real NSA, but I could claim the same thing if I worked for Nathan's Sausage Auction on eBay (no I don't know if there really is a Nathan's Sausage Auction on eBay.)
Maybe they have twenty five executives of phone manufacturers come in and be "handled" on a massage table. Hmmm, I could go for free massages.
If they ever once had some FCC license and it was never revoked, they can say what they want. My instructor in ITT phone school had an FCC license that allowed him to issue new numbers for phone equipment he certified.
I don't think you are ever going to go anywhere with this but we are in America and you have an absolute right to try.
-------------------- THE Bunnie, old blond specialist in Rube Goldberg solutions. Posts: 1650 | From: Santa Monica, CA | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Well, they don't just use the letters "FCC" They have it spelled out pretty well including FCC logo graphics.
They did not have an FCC license, just a registration... and as we know now that was nothing more than a number to put on antique phones. It was easier and cheaper to get than a car registration. (Thanks for the info Ed!)
It's so old that when you call the FCC and ask: "What exactly is an FCC registration?" they have no idea what you are talking about.
Posts: 7 | From: Maine | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
We at one time used Barclay to refurb our ss420's .We need about 60 a month refurbed due to , sticky liquid damage , dropped phones , bad hook switches and general abuse . I guess it is the same
Barclay .
-------------------- Let It Be , I live in a Yellow Submarine . SCCE Posts: 2061 | From: Sacramento,Ca | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
I seriously think that the FCC is not involved in terminal equipment like they were back in the days when the LEC's were involved in it.
Telco equipment manufacturing companies during the divestiture era (1980-1984) like Western Electric (Bell) and Automatic Electric (GTE) didn't want competition, so they had enough horsepower to motivate the FCC to create a standard by which all must follow.
That was enforced, though loosely as much as it could be, but at some point it was realized that it was a waste of time.
Does anyone remember when ordering phone service, you had to provide the FCC registration number and ringer equivalence number? That's a thing of the past, and I am pretty sure that all of the other regulatory things of the '80's went that way.
I am sure that any manufacturer of terminal equipment must obtain an FCC registration number, in fact I know it's still the case, but other than that, it's obvious that service, repair and support is a free market and is unregulated.
Questioning this would be comparable to neighborhood auto mechanics not being allowed to service cars because the manufacturer holds the certification by the EPA. This would mean that the only "legal" way to have your car serviced is at the dealer. Will something like that happen? I think not.
I can't speak with certainty on this issue, but I think that it is safe to assume that the FCC has much larger fish to fry these days with cable/phone/Internet issues. Just an opinion as a former registered refurbisher (who can't even find someone at the FCC to permit me to renew my registration number).
posted
This has me so concerned that I am going to write my congresswoman. But, I think I'll have a few Becks first to get in the mood.
-------------------- THE Bunnie, old blond specialist in Rube Goldberg solutions. Posts: 1650 | From: Santa Monica, CA | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
I remember those day's Ed , when PT&T required an interface device between your equipment and the CO . They where our number 1 source of trouble . I can still recall the connection pattern . ct/cr,cs/cg,c1/c2 . What a pile of crap they where !
-------------------- Let It Be , I live in a Yellow Submarine . SCCE Posts: 2061 | From: Sacramento,Ca | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
I see no reference to a better Panasonic keypad in your latest link. As a matter of fact I get the impression they are using a 3rd party keypad that they claim is better than the OEM.
I've never used Barkley nor have I heard of them prior to your rant here.
Paul if you don't like the claims Barkley is doing/saying about their "FCC authorization" complain to the FCC.
Otherwise
using this forum to bash your competition is just not kosher.
-------------------- Marv CTUB TeleMarv Services Serving Ottawa and Eastern Ontario since 1990. Posts: 2167 | From: Ottawa, ON. Canada | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
We are not bashing our competition. They are bashing us. We offer proof and examples, they offer only their opinion.
We are pointing out the FCC lie that all phone refurbishers and re-sellers should be concerned about, not just us or end users on eBay. The best way to show this (and alert other refurbishers) is to have other telephone professionals that know better chime in here.
The FCC is a government agency that has more important things to do (coffee breaks). Our latest response from them was "There are no state or federal laws controlling the content of web pages" which is completely false.
Oh yes, they do not have 3rd party keypads or they would have clearly pointed this out by now and we would have had a phone repaired by them to verify it. You missed this quote: "Manufactured to the very best of Panasonic's specifications, thus eliminating any possible shortcomings of the original version."
Posts: 7 | From: Maine | Registered: Mar 2006
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rich30529
Nortel & Panasonic Moderator
Member # 5834
posted
I think that the re-sellers and the refurbishers already know better. Most know that the FCC role in today's telecommunication's isn't what it use to be.
This may be a matter better suited for attorney's to handle. If the advertising is false then there are penalties by law for that. If it is a legitimate document that they possess then they have the right to publish it on their website or anywhere else.
Why not advertise a disclaimer on your auction or website that explains that the FCC authorization is bogus?
Better yet, try to get the FCC to send you an offical letter stating whether or not these claims are fact or fiction. If it turns out you are right, post the letter for everyone to see.
I can vouch for Priority. I had my first repair of a Panasonic 2-line cordless a couple of months ago. The customer is happy, and so am I. Great job and the price was good. I will use your services again!
quote:Originally posted by prioritytel: You missed this quote: "Manufactured to the very best of Panasonic's specifications, thus eliminating any possible shortcomings of the original version."
I did not miss the quote, this line is precisely why I made mention of it. It says they use material manufactured to Panasonic spec. It does not say it is made by Panasonic.
Again I will restate. You are flaming without proof and walking on very thin ice. This forum is not for competition bashing. If you can't handle the heat of from your competition, get out the business. If you have a problem with their advertising and think it is false and misleading, take a legal route.
-------------------- Marv CTUB TeleMarv Services Serving Ottawa and Eastern Ontario since 1990. Posts: 2167 | From: Ottawa, ON. Canada | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
About the keypad, I think if you mention "Panasonic's specifications" that suggests Panasonic had something to do with it. Regardless, in many other advertisements they made it VERY clear they were getting the keypads directly from Panasonic. I could list plenty of examples and links but this thread is mainly about the FCC issue.
We tried the legal route. We have contacted the FCC, the FTC, and the attorney general for the state of CA and the county
Barclay is in. They all agree this is a problem but pass the buck. We are considering our own legal route.
This topic was heavily debated by the moderators on the board. It was decided that it was appropriate and it should stay. The thread starts out talking about the FCC and Barclay's attacks on our services.
Barclay continues with the false FCC statements and attacking our services. I think an update was appropriate and the only reason I mentioned the keypad was because that was the main focus of the franken-phone page
Barclay released.
Posts: 7 | From: Maine | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
I can't believe i just wasted a half hour of my life reading all this. You folks need to get a life.....the FCC autorized, didn't authorize, who cares. This isn't the Hare Krishna love temple, it's American business, winner take all, **** the rest of them. If you feel that strongly about it fly out there and kick his ****.
Good God, I need a drink, and I was trying to quit
Posts: 40 | Registered: Jul 2006
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![[Razz]](tongue.gif){kind=small}
or
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![[Bang]](graemlins/BangHead.gif){kind=small}
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using this forum to bash your competition is just not kosher.
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