Utah businesses targeted with fake high school sports sponsorships
By Britta Clark
BBB Serving Northern Nevada and Utah has received reports of suspicious practices from Sports Media Marketing, a Texas-based company that is taking money from businesses under the guise of selling sponsorship deals on behalf of local Utah high school sports teams.
Detective Von Dookhran of the Lone Peak Police Department contacted BBB to get more information on Sports Media Marketing after receiving a report from a business owner who spent thousands for a sponsorship with American Fork High School that didn’t exist.
“They call from a Texas number, really kind, very friendly, and say, ‘We work with the high school getting their sponsorships, and wanted to reach out to you to see if you want to sponsor the football team,'” said the business owner to BBB. These sponsorships would supposedly allow businesses to put their own logos and names on t-shirts, banners, and other school spirit-themed items with the promise of selling or displaying them at local high school sporting events.
In this case, the business owner ordered hundreds of t-shirts and a banner, then was left confused when nothing was displayed or sold at the game. American Fork High School had no idea about this business’s supposed sponsorship or who Sports Media Marketing was.
BBB complaints filed against Sports Media Marketing allege the same: The company never had any permission from schools to solicit sponsorship deals. Additionally, complaints allege an inability to reach the company to request a refund, costing businesses hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Within the past 19 months, BBB has received 41 complaints and negative customer reviews against the company alleging a total loss of nearly $20,000. These complaints and reviews are left unanswered.
“They’ll say they’ve been discussing with vice principal so and so, or that they just got off a conference call with the cheer coach,” the business owner continued. “They sound convincing. They also claim the donation is tax deductible, but none of the money is going to the school. When they charge you, each transaction is charged by a different company so you can’t blanket block them from your credit card company once you find out what they’re doing. It’s very sophisticated, which is why they’re so good at catching people.”
Sports Media Marketing is connected to four separate companies named Boost Sports Integrative Media LLC, Touchdown Sports, All American Advertising, and High School Sport Advertising. Among them, BBB has received more than an additional 40 complaints and negative customer reviews alleging the same practices.
Several other Utah businesses have been impacted by Sports Media Marketing or one of its affiliated companies. Matthew La Chappelle of True Shield Pest Control in Riverton was approached by the company and lost $100. Elva Nava, owner of Bike Lady in Salt Lake City, was similarly contacted by Touchdown Sports.
“They ran my card for a total of somewhere around $700 for a sponsorship I did not get,” said Nava.
Mike May, the director of athletics over the Alpine School District, is familiar with the company.
“We have had reports of a company soliciting sponsorships from our local businesses on behalf of teams from our schools without any permission or agreement from the school team,” said May. He outlined the operation, saying the company may mention the school colors, or even use the name of coaches and athletic advisors to get businesses to pay over the phone.
Additionally, the Indiana Attorney General’s Office filed an injunction against Boost Sports Integrative Media LLC in January 2019 claiming the company entered into agreements with Indiana businesses for charitable purposes by representing it had gained the approval of certain Indiana public schools. However, the Attorney General’s Office states the company failed to establish sponsorship approval before soliciting businesses, failed to deliver products and remitted no funds to the schools. As of October 2019, the case is still pending.
BBB’s repeated attempts to contact Sports Media Marketing have been unsuccessful.
When deciding to purchase advertising from a business, consider these tips.
Verify the legitimacy of the fundraiser. Contact the beneficiary of the fundraiser to ensure the advertising company is authorized to solicit on their behalf.
Ask additional questions. When will the advertising be placed? When will it be available for the public to see? Will a copy of the advertisement be sent?
Get everything in writing. Request all advertising propositions, charitable appeals, requests for business information and sales pitches of any type be made in writing.
Avoid committing on the spot. Take down the name, phone number, and address of the business or organization offering the ad space. Research the company. Avoid falling for high-pressure sales tactics or offers that are only good for a limited time in an attempt to get you to commit on the spot.
