A Texas company that has been the subject of numerous complaints about its practices has apparently contacted some Fort Dodge businesses, seeking to sell them advertising.

That company is Universal AdCom, based in Arlington, Texas.

Universal AdCom has tried to sell advertising in what was described as a visitors guide or community guide, according to local business managers who received phone calls from representatives of that company.

“The only visitors guide that is in the works is the one we are doing in partnership with The Messenger,” said Kerrie Kuiper, the executive director of the Fort Dodge Convention and Visitors Bureau. “There’s no other visitors guide that we’re aware of.”

Kuiper said she doesn’t believe Universal AdCom has tried to contact the convention and visitors bureau.

David Cromer, a corporate customer service manager for the company, did not return a call Thursday.

Crossroads Mall was one of the businesses Universal AdCom approached. Melissa Verschoor, the mall’s general manager, said she was first contacted by the company about two months ago.

“They presented it like a normal advertisement,” she said. “They presented it like they were the company that did the visitors guide last year.”

Verschoor told the company’s representative that she would have to see a copy of the proposed ad before approving anything. Weeks later, she said, a company representative contacted her and asked why the mall hadn’t paid for its ad. She told them again that nothing would be approved until she saw an ad proof. She recalled that the company representative said one would be sent to her. She then received two emails from Universal AdCom, but both were invoices which she refused to pay.

Universal AdCom does business under several names, including Fanfare Sports, Scoreboard Sports, Pizza Solutions, Premier Map Co., Hometown Productions, Premier Impressions, Radiopromos.net, Totes2Go and Mr. Event Guru.

On its website, the Better Business Bureau reported that the company ”has a pattern of disputes alleging customer service issues.”

“Consumers allege receiving invoices for products they have no record of ordering,” the bureau wrote. “Consumers also allege they are not receiving proofs or products for services they have already paid for. In response, Universal AdCom indicated that have started recording all calls, per our previous request, to ensure they are providing their consumers with valid information as it pertains to their product requests.”