One reader becomes suspicious of what appears to be a service-invoice con from a company he respects Bob wrote to the Gripe Line to warn readers about what appeared to be a new spin on an old con: an invoice for a service you don’t subscribe to.“SonicWall sent a letter along with what looks like an invoice,” he explains. “The cover letter is titled ‘Service Agreement Expiration Notice.’ The second page looks like an invoice but is actually a quote. The ‘quote’ is for Comprehensive Gateway Security Services, which I have never had. It showed an expiration date of late December, as though this is a service we have had but that has just expired.”[ Keep nefarious companies’ hands out of your pockets — read “Dirty vendor tricks” | Frustrated by tech support? Get answers in InfoWorld’s Gripe Line newsletter. ] Bob is a long-term customer of SonicWall and likes the company’s products, but this gave him pause.“I think this is a sleazy way to trick someone into buying something,” he says. “Phony invoices are something I have seen from shady operations selling printer supplies, not from such a reputable company.”That sort of tactic is the realm of shady companies — not ones with happy customers like Bob — so I sent an e-mail to SonicWall to see if there was another explanation. I heard back within minutes — a good sign that that this was not a con — asking for a little time to look into the matter before I posted anything. Later the same day, I had my answer:“Upon hearing this complaint,” explained a spokesperson, “we immediately investigated. We determined that a limited number of customers with expiring support-only services did receive a communication intended for those with an expanded set of subscriptions. This was an error, which has been corrected. We are in the process of sending clarifications and an apology to affected customers.”Very soon after I got that response, an account manager at SonicWall called Bob as well. He explained to Bob what had happened and apologized. He also assured Bob of the company’s plan to send a letter to other affected customers. Not long after, Bob received an e-mail from the same representative, thanking Bob for pointing out the error, which gave SonicWall the opportunity to correct it. By way of thanks, this account manager asked him to choose from a selection of free products from the company. “Personally, I was satisfied with the explanation,” says Bob. “I was happy this was not a scheme. It truly did seem to be accidental.”Got gripes? Send them to christina_tynan-wood@infoworld.com.This story, “It’s not a con job — it’s just a mistake,” was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Technology Industry