California Business Renewal Center

This company sends out misleading business solicitations that mimic official correspondence from a governmental agency.
California business owners have reported they have received notices from this company requesting immediate payment of a “processing fee” of $175. to renew their Corporate filings with the California Secretary of State. The California Business Renewal Center is not a government agency. It is a private for for profit enterprise. The notices use publicly available information such as State Board of Equalization (BOE) account numbers and industry codes to make them appear to be official correspondence.

It is against U.S. Postal Service regulations to mail a bill or invoice that is actually a solicitation, unless it bears a clear disclaimer that such unsolicited invoice is for information only and not a request to pay. The best protection against phony invoices is knowledge and vigilance. Businesses should alert their bill-payers to be on the lookout for disguised solicitations; carefully review invoices from companies with which they do not normally do business; establish effective internal controls for the payment of invoices, and verify all invoices with the person who gave authorization. Some solicitations could violate the law if they misrepresent information. The U.S. Postal Service requires solicitations that look like invoices, bills, or account statements to carry one of the following notices:

THIS IS NOT A BILL. THIS IS A SOLICITATION. YOU ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO PAY THE AMOUNT STATED ABOVE UNLESS YOU ACCEPT THIS OFFER, or

THIS IS A SOLICITATION FOR AN ORDER OF GOODS OR SERVICES, OR BOTH, AND NOT A BILL, INVOICE OR STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT DUE. YOU ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO MAKE ANY PAYMENTS ON ACCOUNT OF THIS OFFER UNLESS YOU ACCEPT THIS OFFER.

This disclaimer must be in very large (at least 30-point) type and must be in boldface capital letters in a color that contrasts prominently with the background against which it appears. The disclaimer must not be modified, qualified, or explained, such as with the phrase "Legal notice required by law." It must be the one prescribed in the statute, or alternatively, the following notice prescribed by the U.S. Postal Service: THIS IS NOT A BILL. THIS IS A SOLICITATION. YOU ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO PAY THE AMOUNT STATED ABOVE UNLESS YOU ACCEPT THIS OFFER.

We urge extreme caution. This company is not associated with any State or Federal government agency. Companies are not required as implied in the solicitation, to submit the information requested, or pay any money to retain their Corporate Status. Careful reading of the notice will reveal the true nature of the offer.

California businesses that receive a scam solicitation letter are encouraged to mail a written complaint along with the entire solicitation (including the solicitation letter, the outer and return envelopes, and all related documents) to the California Attorney General's office, Public Inquiry Unit, P.O. Box 944255, Sacramento, California 94244-2550. A complaint form, which can be completed online and printed to mail, is available on the California Attorney General's website at www.ag.ca.gov/consumers/general.php.