I have confirmed that this caller is from UNIVERSITY SPORTS PUBLICATIONS! These guys are the SLEAZIEST people around, seriously. If you are being contacted by these guys, please tell them just where they can stick their phone calls. They are scamming "customers" and charging for a product they'll never produce, they WILL NOT under ANY circumstances be honest about what company they're actually calling from (they'll tell you it's a military base, school system, municipal system etc), and they don't even pay their employees. Seriously Google them, it's true.
Names this company may go by:
University Sports Publications
Military Publishing
School District Publishing
However, you may never get this far because they won't tell you. I work for an engineering firm that has several gov't contracts for work at military installations, and this is what they use when they talk to me. They'll say something like "Yeah, I'm calling from [insert military base] to update contacts," or "I just need to know who's in charge of the work you do out here at [insert military base]." If you call them out on it they will continue to LIE and eventually hang up on you; I've done it several times. They'll tell you they have no idea what that company is and they've never heard of it; total bluff. Almost always, the number is blocked.... and they feel quite secure behind their private number... until you politely remind them one day that they forgot to block the number this time... then it's *click*.
Either way, these guys are scum and I urge you to NEVER DO BUSINESS with these liars. You'll regret it when you have an outrageous bill and no product to show for it.
UPDATE: LOL, I forgot that I even posted this. Googled the number when they called to confirm (even though I already knew) that this was USP, and found my old post. I may forget, but the internet doesn't! Seriously though... these guys are SO relentless. They will call, and call, and call... and call. Then, they'll stop calling for just long enough to make you think you've gotten rid of them, and then they'll call again. UGH. I wish someone would stop these guys.
This is how today's call went:
Caller: Yeah, I just need to talk to the principle in charge of the work you do at NAS JRB New Orleans.
Me: Okay, may I ask who's calling?
Caller: KC Krull
Me: ... and the company you're with?
Caller: NAS JRB New Orleans
Me: Hold please (while I google your number LOL)
Me: Sir, are you calling from University Sports Publications?
Caller: .... I don't know what that is.
Me: Okay, are you sure about that? Because I looked up the phone number that you're calling from, and it returned that result.
Caller: Oh, that's weird. I wonder why it did that. I don't know what that company is.
Me: Are you really sure about that? I've been getting calls from you guys for about three years now, and the caller always tries to tell me that he's got no idea what I'm talking about. I think you are calling from USP.
Caller: Okay, well I'll try back some other time.
Me: Can you take me off your call list?
Caller: *click*
These people are scam artists. They call and pretend they are with a local govt, university, high school etc. Then they try to sell you an ad in a program for a football game. When they called me a few years ago I immediately was suspicious and called the local coach that they claimed to be working with. They lied. The coach said they were not participating whatsoever with this company.
My boss stupidly bought an ad. I thought it was fraud so I called around and we cancelled it before losing any money. I saved the information in a file called Potential Fraud. It came in handy because they called again this week. They once again claimed they were with the entity with whom we work. I am sure they are not. Do not entertain these people. Look them up on the ripoff report. You will see what their game is.
As previous poster said they lie about who they are with. This is an attempt to get past gate keepers and talk to principals/owners. As I said above they got to talk to my boss and he as gullible. I shut them down when I found out about it though. When my boss agreed to the ad I got a letter from them "confirming the order" well it did not have a copy of the ad or anything, again I was suspicious. I looked in my fraud file today and though the return address on the envelope is from a UPS store in Baton Rouge (thanks google) today I noticed the postage meter includes a zip code. The zip code on the postage meter is from New York City. These guys are so shady.
My family is in publishing. Keep in mind that if you are buying an ad they should be able to give you lots of information about the publication. Like samples of past publications. Samples of the ad etc. Circulation etc. Calling up and implying that you work for someone's customer and then asking for money for an ad is misleading if not fraudulent.