DNS Services Letter Is A Solicitation, Not An Invoice

LITTLETON, Colo (CBS4) - Businesses are getting a letter that looks like an invoice, but rather is a solicitation.

The letter comes from a real company called DNS Services. It offers backup business services online. The company promises fast and reliable routing. The letter asks for a $65 annual fee.

"It looked like an official bill that I received. It was very official. It has a stub on it with a receipt back in with a self-addressed envelope," said Kenneth Fuhr, a clockmaker in Littleton.

Fuhr has owned his small business for 20 years, and was not familiar with the company name. He looked through his records and tried emailing and calling the company.

"I actually waited for an hour one time just to see if anyone would answer the phone; nobody did answer the phone," Fuhr told CBS4.

Consumer Investigator Jodi Brooks also tried to call the company and got no answer. An email to the address listed on the letter triggered an automatic reply called "a canned response". The email response does call the letter a "solicitation" and points out that "you are under no obligation to accept our offer."

"Buried way down in the bottom here, there is a little bullet," Fuhr pointed out.

The bullet point also calls the letter a "solicitation for the order of goods or services." It states, "You are under no obligation to make any payments."

The Better Business Bureau gives DNS Services an "F" rating for 163 complaints -- 159 of them for advertising or collection issues.

Fuhr wants to remind everyone to take the time to read the fine print. In the end it could save you some money.

RELATED: More Reports By 4 On Your Side Consumer Investigator Jodi Brooks

- Written for the Web by CBS4 Special Projects Producer Libby Smith