Staff Benefits/Internet Media Experts Scam

[Mandy M]

Hi All, I am hoping someone can help as I have seen a few threads on this particular company, It appears that this company was previously operating as a Internet media experts, but from what I’ve gathered from threads on this forum, they were liquidated, then reopened with the name staff benefits. I received a call from them in October, during which they asked if I would be interested in having a Teams meeting to discuss how advertising to NHS staff could help my business. I agreed, and the meeting was scheduled.
During the Teams meeting with Lee Martin, who I believe is the same person who has scammed other businesses in the past (according to this forum), he made it clear that NHS staff in the Wolverhampton area would have access to my details as a mortgage advisor. The arrangement was described as exclusive, with my details being featured on the NHS staff benefits website and in weekly emails sent to NHS staff. It was also mentioned that my details would be accessible on the NHS internal portals.
After the meeting, I spoke with Lee Marton, explaining that I couldn’t proceed without approval from my compliance network. He agreed and said that this was fine. He asked me to sign the advertisement to secure my place but no money needed to be exchanged. However, when I received the document via email, I noticed that it contained terms and conditions that had not been mentioned ot shown to me during the meeting. From my research and from reading similar experiences online, I learned that this had happened to other mortgage advisors and businesses and that I was tricked into signing an agreement without full disclosure.
I quickly contacted the company to inform them that the terms of the agreement were not made not shown to me during the meeting and and it appears that the service is being sold under false pretenses and I was misled into accepting terms under false pretenses. Despite this, they insist that the agreement is legally binding, with no cooling-off period, and are now demanding nearly £3,000 from me while threatening legal action.
Given the reviews and experiences from others, it’s clear that this company is fraudulent and targets small businesses. I am planning to leave a full review on Trustpilot, file a complaint with Trading Standards, HMRC, and Action Fraud.
I’m seeking advice on the next steps. Has anyone had dealing with them and been taken to court, or have others found that they just send threatening letters without following through? Would leaving a negative Trustpilot review put me in any legal jeopardy? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

[Celestine]

Well done for reading the terms and conditions and taking action when you did. B2B contracts do not have consumer law protections but still need to be fair otherwise, put simply, a court will not enforce those terms. Especially if they have been concealed or withheld.
If you have not found internet result for other people being sued then it is possible you will just receive template threats. £3000 falls into the Small Claims Track of the County Court system so no legal costs can be added or recovered, which should make you feel reassured that this cannot escalate much higher and would require a judgment to enforce.