Consumer Alert - Edmonton Computer Company Subject of British Consumer Investigation

Alberta Government Services is cautioning all consumers to be aware of an Edmonton-based company, Info4PC.com Inc., which is offering low priced computers in exchange for completing a monthly online survey.

The provincial department has learned one of the directors of this company, who resides in Great Britain, is the subject of a recent court order in Britain in relation to Smartalk Ltd., a company that offered similar low priced computers. Regulatory agencies in Britain have received thousands of complaints from consumers about Smartalk and its directors are under investigation.

Following an investigation by the British Department of Trade and Industry the British High Court issued an order winding up the company. The Insolvency Service in Britain has been appointed to oversee the liquidation. The investigation leading to this action revealed that more than 13,000 consumers in Britain who sent the company money have not received their computers. Consumers in Britain who visit the Smartalk website are directed to a new website for Info4PC.com Inc.

Consumers should carefully review the terms of any contract they are being asked to enter into and should be wary of promotional offers that require full payment in advance of receiving the products or services. The department has alerted other jurisdictions about Info4PC.com Inc. through the consumer and marketplace fraud information sharing Canshare system.

Consumers should contact Alberta Government Services’ Consumer Information Centre at: 427-4088 (in Edmonton) or toll-free at: 1-877-427-4088.

More than 65,000 Albertans were assisted through the Consumer Information Centre in 1999-2000.

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Contact:

Ed Greenberg - Communications, Alberta Government Services - (780) 415-6051 - (780) 718-5699 (cell)