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Old 11-09-2012, 01:29 AM
780ricer 780ricer is offline
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Default Avoid - SCAM - Alberta Arab Directory. Moe Najmeddine

i too was scammed - lost thousands of dollars.

other stories;


I first was contacted by this company with regards to their Alberta Arab Directory. They promised 25,000 delivered magazines with our company ad in it. They said they would hold a spot for our company in the next issue of their magazine which is to be "published" by 2010.
I was given the right to cancel by November 2009 if I no longer wanted the ad spot. I found out awhile after we had talked that they were also behind the CSI News Magazine that had the same sales proposition.
It was then that I canceled or tried to cancel the ad spot. I was very strongly told that it was too bad because I had agreed, and due to printing and publishing constraints I would have to have the ad posted and pay for it anyway.

This was something that I had not thought would be a problem since I sent a cancellation fax at the beginning of July! I am still in the midst of fighting this company, which I have not paid, or will pay. They continue to phone a fax me telling me I have no choice but to pay for their ads in their magazines.

They contact me a number of times a week. They are also known by other magazine names, a few of which are in the title.

Do not even listen to these people, just hang up the phone. They will harass you until you are so frustrated and scared that you will not no which route to take. All for ads that you do not want, or have not ordered.

Byron
Spruce Grove, Alberta
Canada

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 7/20/2009 9:54:04 AM and is a permanent record located here: //book-magazine-publishers/cedar-publishing-cor/cedar-publishing-corp-csi-ne-d8xdb.htm. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.

Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report.

Established in 1999 by Moe Najmeddine, Cedar Publishing Corporation is an independent publishing agency based in Edmonton which specializes in the creation, production, and placement of custom print-media publications for non-profit organizations and professional associations. Cedar Publishing Edmonton publishes local, provincial, and national magazines, Cedar Publishing is the complete one-stop-shop for organizations wanting to produce a custom magazine for their establishment.

Cedar Publishing Corporation Edmonton employs some of the most talented and experienced professionals in the areas of editorials, design, advertising, sales, production, photography, printing, and distribution. These assets allow us to offer a turn-key service to our clients. Our staff has exceptional experience in establishing new magazines or reorienting existing publications that have lost their sense of direction and effectiveness.

Cedar Publishing can be reached at: 7804543349 or 7804543444.

Last edited by 780ricer : 11-09-2012 at 01:34 AM.
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Old 11-09-2012, 01:29 AM
780ricer 780ricer is offline
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CBC:

Charities warn about publishing firm
Last Updated: Thursday, December 23, 2010 | 7:58 AM MT By Ashley Geddes, CBC News
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Some local community service groups have taken the unusual step of posting warnings that they are not affiliated with an Edmonton-based publishing company.

The Edmonton Food Bank and Crime Stoppers are both warning supporters they no longer have a connection with Cedar Publishing Corporation or its president Moe Najmeddine.

Representatives of the organizations say Cedar at one time had agreements to publish magazines containing articles about their activities, with all money generated from ad sales going to Cedar.

However, concern over aggressive sales pitches for advertising and confusion about who was benefiting from proceeds led them to sever ties with Cedar, they say.

"People started contacting our organization, because they thought that Cedar Publishing was being very aggressive with their sales pitches," said Edmonton Food Bank executive director Marjorie Bencz.

"As well as, people thought directly or indirectly Edmonton's food bank was getting proceeds from the publication, which wasn't the case."

The food bank now has a message on its web site warning that the Alberta Food Bank Network Association, which had an agreement to publish with Cedar, is no longer affiliated with the company, and advertising revenue doesn't benefit the food bank.

Crime Stoppers, which is engaged in a lawsuit with Cedar alleging "misconduct" by the company, says its relationship is also terminated, and Cedar publications titled Crime Stopper Newsmagazine and CSI News have no connection with the agency.

"These publications are NOT affiliated with Crime Stoppers," the web message says. "Advertising in these magazines or with Cedar Publishing Corporation does NOT support Crime Stoppers."

Publisher declined comment
The CBC made repeated attempts to speak with Najmeddine. He declined comment, suggesting he would speak publicly after the lawsuit with Crime Stoppers was settled. Najmeddine denies the Crime Stoppers' claims and is countersuing.

In a copy of a letter from Najmeddine addressed to all Cedar staff and dated June 15, the publisher advises employees not to take negative publicity too seriously. The company isn't "fraudulent" and doesn't operate "in any unethical fashion."

In the letter, Najmeddine shrugs off lawsuits from Crime Stoppers and an earlier one with the City of Edmonton that was dropped in 2007 involving a publication called Edmonton Police Newsmagazine.

"Never once has any one lawsuit been successful against Cedar Publishing, and we have never had a judgment filed against us," the letter says. "They can sue me all they want."

Business owners felt misled
Two Edmonton business owners say they feel they were misled when they purchased ads from Cedar Publishing.

Mike Hatzinikolas, owner of engineering firm Fero Corporation, estimates he bought $12,000 worth of ads in various Cedar publications.

When he discovered through an employee that the magazine proceeds were going to a for-profit company and not helping charities as he had assumed, he telephoned Cedar and told them not to contact him again.

"It's a very difficult situation when you are thinking you are helping people and then you find out they took you for a ride," said Hatzinikolas. "You don't have a very good feeling."

Brian Camenzind, owner of an industrial sharpening and grinding business called European Cutters, said he was approached by a Cedar representative close to Christmas last year.

Camenzind initially agreed to pay $197 for a small ad, but then refused to pay when he learned the publication he was supporting was directing no money to the food bank for their Christmas rush as he had been led to believe.

Despite threats of litigation from Cedar, Camenzind says it's a matter of principle withholding the money.

'Playing on people's hearts'
"To me what it sounds like is, he's (Najmeddine) playing on people's hearts, doing a publication that's making him a profit. And by getting people to advertise under the idea that you're actually advertising for a good thing."

Michelle Brozek, operations manager for the Better Business Bureau in Edmonton, says the bureau has had 48 complaints about Cedar reported in the last 36 months.

They include concerns about high-pressure sales tactics and mistakes in ads.

Anyone concerned they are donating money that isn't getting to the target charity or service group should contact the organization directly to verify, Brozek advises.

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Stry8993
2010/12/23
at 9:41 AM ET
Advertisements should be opt-in I feel. At the consumer level. Otherwise its just a nuisance and detracts from your enjoyment or willingness to support things. I know that me and Adblock+ for Firefox get along quite fine, but for sites that I want to support, and that I visit regularly and who's ad's aren't intrusive and are relevant, I turn the filter off.

I was once told to work as a CSR for a Telemarketing Company because of my Customer Service Skillsets, and I outright refused, I said, "Why would I want to sell Ad's to people in such a fashion as to make me empathize with the customer about just how annoying our business is."

Products sell themselves, people don't want it, they won't buy it. Period.
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BrentEckle
2010/12/23
at 8:47 AM ET
Sounds like Cedar Publishing is less than trustworthy
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Schmecil
2010/12/23
at 10:19 AM ET
It's too bad that a company like this with such a terrible reputation is allowed to create publications/magazines that, just by the titles, imply they are associated with well meaning departments, lifestyles and industries.

Here's a message to Cedar Publishing....If you were offering a good, reputable product there would be no need for the type of aggressive, disrespectful sales approach and misleading promises from you and your staff.
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choochiegirl
2010/12/23
at 9:05 AM ET
Their tactics are very high pressure & rude! They also do the Edmonton firefighters magazine & police news magazine. We have been approached so many times, you say yes once and they never leave you alone. I'm surprised these other magazines are letting Cedar use thir name
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CanadianBubba
2010/12/23
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  #3  
Old 11-09-2012, 01:30 AM
780ricer 780ricer is offline
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Cedar Publication, scam artist telemarketers, they unlawfully record your conversations, and try to sell you advertising in a magazines. When you tell them no, or your not interested, or show me a sample, they say that is a confirmation. Do not accept calls from these people, do not pay the invoices if you are sent one. The city of Edmonton Crimestoppers and the Edmonton Fire Department are suing this company. I would recommend anyone that has been a victim of this company to contact the law firm that is representing the city in there efforts and maybe we can shut this company down for good. They tired to say we agreed to an advertising, which is so funny, they spelled our company wrong, didn't even have our logo on the advertising, we will not be paying that invoice and we never will. Here is the link to the newspapaer articles about this company: http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/colu.../14328636.html

Darlene
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Old 11-09-2012, 01:31 AM
780ricer 780ricer is offline
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Business owner warns of aggressive advertising scheme

Nicole Veerman
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, June 15, 2011
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A Yellowknife business owner is warning Northerners of an Edmonton-based magazine he says aggressively pursued him in attempt to collect ad revenue.

Alan Cunningham, owner of ATM retailer Alanco Holdings Ltd., has advertised with Cedar Publishing's Missing Kids Newsmagazine for two years. He said since first agreeing to advertise with the company, he has been receiving phone calls every few months aggressively requesting more money, despite the fact that he didn't sign a contract.

Last year, Cunningham decided he would stop advertising with southern companies, so when he received a proof of his ad, he faxed it back, saying he was no longer interested. Shortly after, he received a phone call from the company.

"When I spoke to the fellow on the phone, he was really abusive and abrupt and basically just said you owe me this money and you have to pay. I've never ever dealt with that before," he said.

The cost of the ad, the size of a business card, was $259.88. Cunningham refused to pay, but the ad still appeared in the Spring 2011 Territories edition of the magazine. He said he hasn't heard from the company since.

Cedar Publishing is not associated with Child Find Canada, the not-for-profit group that Adam's Dental Clinic reported to the RCMP for incessant phone calls in 2006.

Child Find Manitoba actually spoke out last year, saying its reputation was being hurt by Missing Kids Newsmagazine because businesses thought the publications were the same.

Calls to Child Find Canada were not returned by press time.

On its website, Cedar Publishing says it was established in 1999 and describes itself as an independent publishing agency that produces print-media publications for non-profit organizations and professional associations.

There are 95 ads, from all three territories, in the Spring 2011 Territories edition of Missing Kids Newsmagazine.

Moe Najmeddine, the president and CEO of Cedar Publishing, said the magazine is sent to "every business in the three territories" for free. There are four editions each year, spring, summer, fall and winter.

When asked what kind of agreement a business needs to make with Cedar before invoices are sent for an ad, he said, "I don't share my business practises with my competitors, so I'm not going to tell you that."

Najmeddine did say a contract isn't always a requirement, though. "It all depends on the customer," he said. "We treat each customer differently."

He also said that if someone is disputing the purchase of an ad, they should speak to them directly and he will give them "all the evidence they need that they did purchase the ad."

He wouldn't say what that evidence would be.

Cunningham, who said he didn't sign a contract with the company, isn't the first person to complain about the publishing company.

In February, the Edmonton Food Bank posted a notice on its website saying the organization had no affiliation with the publishing company.

"Any solicitations by Cedar Publishing are not in support of Edmonton's Food Bank," it states. "In other words, Edmonton's Food Bank does not receive any financial support nor is it affiliated with Cedar Publishing or its publications."

The Edmonton and Northern Alberta branch of Crime Stoppers also spoke out. On March 31, the organization posted an alert on its website, stating, "These publications (Crimestopper Newsmagazine and CSI News) are NOT affiliated with Crime Stoppers. Advertising in these magazines or with Cedar Publishing Corporation does NOT support Crime Stoppers."

On Ripoff Report, a website where consumers can document complaints, scams, frauds or lawsuits against businesses, there are eight entries about Cedar Publishing - all of which include similar to those of Cunningham's.

Najmeddine said it's unfortunate that there are complaints, but he has no reaction to them.

"You get a lot of people, if they don't get their own way here, then they make a complaint online, the better business bureau, blah, blah, blah. None of it's worth the paper it's written on. All of those people that have complained there have all paid for their advertisements," he said.

"If there was any concern, believe me, I would have addressed it in my publication many times, long ago, but, you know, there's no concern."
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Old 11-09-2012, 01:33 AM
780ricer 780ricer is offline
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while they claim:

Our goal is to donate $1,000,000 to charity. We have to date donated over $385,000 to numerous organizations. Below is a list of organizations we have supported. We truly believe in giving back to the community that has given us.

On behalf of the staff and management of Cedar Publishing, we would like to thank all of our supporters who have enabled us to give back so much.


Al Shamal Shriners
Alberta Cancer Foundation
Alberta Food Bank Network Association
Alberta Paraplegic Association
Arabian Muslim Association
Art Gallery of Alberta
Beth Tzedec Congregation
Big Brothers & Big Sisters Edmonton
Calgary Lougheed PC Association
Canadian Arab Friendship Association
Canadian Arab Professional & Business Club
Canadian Mental Health Association
Cerebral Palsy Association of Alberta
Crimestoppers Association of Edmonton & Northern Alberta
Druze Association of Edmonton
Edmonton Block Parent Association
Edmonton Decore PC Association
Edmonton Islamic School
Edmonton Public Schools
Edmonton Safe Parent Association
Edmonton Symphony Society
Employabilities
Evansdale Community League
HIV Edmonton
Homefront
IRFAN
Islamic Academy Project
Jewish National Fund
Kids Kottage Foundation
Lakeland Lebanese Cultural Education Society
Lala Cultural Society
Liberal Party
Madd Canada
Moose Lake Pentecostal Youth Camp
Muslim Association of Canada
National Council on Canada Arab Relations
Northern Alberta Alliance on Race Relations
Pakistan Canada Association of Edmonton
Parkinson Society
Pilgrims Hospice Society
Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta
Project Warmth Society of Alberta
Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation
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