A Texas company that has recently been trying to sell ads to Fort Dodge businesses is under investigation by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.

A complaint about Universal AdCom was received in May 2018 and remains the subject of an active investigation, according to Lynn Hicks, a spokesman for Attorney General Tom Miller.

Hicks said the complaint came from a construction company owner in the Appanoose County city of Mystic who initially bought advertising on a map and magnets, but was charged $4,800 even after he canceled his order .

Hicks said Miller’s office had received complaints about the company before 2018, but he did not have information on them.

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

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

David Cromer, a corporate customer service manager for Universal AdCom, has not returned phone calls seeking comment.

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 reports that the company ”has a pattern of disputes alleging customer service issues.”