Serials folks,

For the record (and your "beware" file), I had the URL wrong. (So we can
give poor Centium at http://www.centium.net/ a break!)

The company is actually: https://www.activemedia-guide.com/, and their
product is the U.S. Business Reporter.

However, 1) that doesn't change the situation and 2) as the Business
Librarians on BUSLIB have noted, this company already has BBB complaints
against them, and others experienced this aggressive salesman (although not
to the same extent).

Thank you for your insights and support.

andree

On 11/5/07, Peter Picerno <ppicerno@fiu.edu> wrote:
>
> Frankly, I'd send a letter of complaint about them to their local better
> business bureau (and copy their state attorney general's office) and
> include the letter they sent to your boss. This is harassment and there
> are several potentially libelous statements in this letter.
>
> P. Picerno
>
> Jennifer Marcantel wrote:
> > What a horrible company!! I hope your boss did not take this
> seriously....I wouldn't have anything to do with them, either. They do not
> sound very professional to me!!!!!
> >
> > Jennifer Marcantel
> > Serials Acquisitions Librarian
> > Lamar University
> > Mary and John Gray Library
> > P.O. Box 10021
> > Beaumont, Tx.   77710
> > (409) 880-8126
> >
> > ________________________________
> >
> > From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum on behalf of
> Andree Rathemacher
> > Sent: Fri 11/2/2007 10:14 AM
> > To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
> > Subject: [SERIALST] aggressive vendor
> >
> >
> >
> > Dear business librarians and electronic resources librarians:
> >
> > Has anyone had any experience with this vendor?
> >
> > They have been calling and "insisting" that I evaluate their business
> > information database. I've never heard of them, and from their web site,
> > http://www.centium.net/about_us.html, it seems like they have only two
> > employees, and there is no evidence of any business information product
> on
> > offer.
> >
> > Here at the University of Rhode Island, we have just cut $200,000 worth
> of
> > serials, and we are still looking at a $300,000 budget deficit and the
> > possibility of cutting reference databases. We have a list of business
> > databases from established companies like ProQuest, Hoovers, ValueLine,
> and
> > Standard and Poor's that our business faculty and students want but
> which we
> > cannot afford.
> >
> > In any case, this (see below) is what happens when you tell them you are
> not
> > interested. Beware!
> >
> > Just another company trying to feed at the trough of public university
> > funds, I guess.
> >
> > andree
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >> X-Sieve: cmu-sieve 2.0
> >> X-URI-Envelope-From: br.centium@netzero.net
> >> X-URI-CLIENT: 64.136.47.15
> >> X-UNTD-OriginStamp:
> >> Qc3TCestevoI5c88RXhY8joq0GO/hIOgW6RSTT3Pabb879Y5ZFGzGvMKimqefvK3
> >> X-Originating-IP: [ 67.150.123.46]
> >> From: "br.centium@netzero.net" < br.centium@netzero.net>
> >> Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 04:51:34 GMT
> >> To: dcm@uri.edu
> >> Cc: mbell@uri.edu
> >> Subject: Complaint about a librarian
> >> X-Mailer: Webmail Version 4.0
> >> X-ContentStamp: 2:3:1096927908
> >> X-UNTD-Peer-Info:
> >>
> 10.171.12.148|webmail08.dca.untd.com|webmail08.dca.untd.com|br.centium@netzero.net
> <
> 10.171.12.148%7Cwebmail08.dca.untd.com%7Cwebmail08.dca.untd.com%7Cbr.centium@netzero.net
> >
> >> X-Greylist: IP, sender and recipient auto-whitelisted, not delayed by
> >> milter-greylist-2.0.2 ( nick.uri.edu [131.128.1.81]); Thu, 01 Nov 2007
> >> 00:53:49 -0400 (EDT)
> >>
> >> Dear David,
> >>
> >> It seems every time we attempt to send your librarian some material
> about
> >> our business database product we are always getting the "run around" !
> I
> >> spoke with  Andrea on the telephone earlier today . She explained to be
> >> that they have budget problems. I told her that I would send her the
> >> information anyway to just evaluate the product. She said " I will look
> at
> >> the email and delete it".
> >>
> >>  I thought her JOB was to evaluate all resources for the library and
> not
> >> to ignore everything that comes to her way.  We would like for your
> >> librarians to keep the material that we send to them regardless of
> whether
> >> they purchase it or not . This is what the other subject librarians
> have
> >> said at other schools. They are keeping it for future reference.
> >>
> >> The only reason we telephoned your school is because we believe YOUR
> >> students can benefit from our database product since many students
> around
> >> the country are always expressing some interest in using our product
> either
> >> by telephone or email.
> >>
> >> I am quite unhappy at Andrea's extremely poor attitude. I'm not sure if
> >> this poor staff attitude and behavoir is representative at your library
> or
> >> not. Her attitude could really be subject to job termination since
> she's
> >> NOT performing her job properly. However, I can assure you that your
> >> students will be the ultimate loser because my company and corporate
> >> clients that we serve DO NOT have to hire graduates from the University
> of
> >> Rhode Island if you have staff members with this kind of attitude.
> >> Corporate America can hire and fire for good cause, bad cause, or no
> cause
> >> !
> >>
> >> Sincerely,
> >>
> >> Brian R.
> >> Centium, Inc.
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > Andree Rathemacher
> > Associate Professor
> > Head, Serials Unit
> > University Library, University of Rhode Island
> > 15 Lippitt Road
> > Kingston, RI  02881-2011
> > work: (401) 874-5096
> > fax: (401) 874-4608
> > e-mail: andree@uri.edu
> > e-mail: andree.rathemacher@gmail.com
> > http://www.uri.edu/library/
> >
>

--
Andree Rathemacher
Associate Professor
Head, Serials Unit
University Library, University of Rhode Island
15 Lippitt Road
Kingston, RI  02881-2011
work: (401) 874-5096
fax: (401) 874-4608
e-mail: andree@uri.edu
e-mail: andree.rathemacher@gmail.com
http://www.uri.edu/library/