Is an employer responsible for an employees purchase

Recently my friends employee agreed to two services offered on the phone. When they asked her if she was authorized to make the purchase she lied and told them she was. This was in June, and July this year. One was for a phone pages ad for the company, and one was for some kind of advertising CD. The employer had told the employee last year that she would be fired if she ever did something like this again (as she had done something similar last year, but she paid for it herself on her credit card). She asked Phonepages.com to send the bill to her address. Long story short, the employee dropped dead July 28th. The two companies called asking for their money. The employer explained that he had no knowledge and she was never authorized to purchase anything for the company. They did not care and want their money. The total of the two are around 1000.00. Is he obligated to pay these two bills. I do not understand why phonepages.com can not just remove the listing. Thank you for any help or direction in this matter. The employer is totally baffeled as to why she would do this. Other than the one time a year ago she had not done anything like this for the 3 or 4 years she worked for him. Perhaps she was just so sick she was nuts????

...he can file criminal charges against the estate and refuse to pay; the phone company would have to sue in court and would normally lose...

How would he go about filing a complaint against the estate? Would he just call the local police? And if he did this and refused to pay, would they not still be able to send his non payment to collection therefore, affecting his credit? 1000.00 is not a lot of money but being he is a small struggling business he really can't afford to pay it. And really it just pisses him off that she would do that. I personally have worked with her as their staff accountant and I just could not believe she did it either. I called the company and asked to hear the recording (or at least one of them) it certainly was her voice and she asked them to send the bill to ....her home address, saying send the bill to this address. I asked the rep. didn't it seem a little strange that she would be telling you to send the bill to another address. She, the lady at phonepages.com said that people often do that. I was baffeled. The sad thing is that we cannot get to the bottom of this as she died the month after making the commitment. And then to find out she made another similar commitment for the other 500.00 product. Guess it just goes to show you that no matter how well you think you know your employees and how close you work with them, you just don't know them. Thank you for whatever suggestions you all have and thankyou above for your suggestion. I will pass it on to him.

He may inform the police and then give the report info to the creditors.

I know how you feel. I got caught in this scam and I am the business owner. They called me when I was busy and asked if i wanted the ad to be the same as last years. I thought this was the yellow pages so I agreed. They had deceived me. I have found a couple of other business' in the are that got sucked in also. One business they out and out lied by saying their ad was for the Oilfield Directory. Do not pay these clowns. See below, info from onther site.
"I know that it might be too late, but i hope you didn't pay them. it is a scam. they are all over the place in montreal. it's a telemarketing scam called the "directory campaign". they will get you(preferably when you are busy or a new employee) and tell you that you have always listed with them, they are the local phone book nd that it is time to renew. they then put you through to a "quality control" department and tape you saying yes to a bunch of questions. it works all the time as they only record you saying yes to what you think is a renewal. NEVER will you hear the word renewal on the tape and they will never have the sales call recorded as that is when you are led on. Its is called an "assumed sale". I know this as I have many friends who work there and at similar ones. they pay their employees a base salary of about $10 an hour plus $50 a sale. so you can see why!
and let me guess, you got a "30 day reminder", a "60 day reminder", a "90 day delinquent account notice", and the dreaded "120 day collection notice". you'll continue to get these for a while, but don't worry, they run out of letters at the "FINAL NOTICE" or the "Settlement letter".
No telemarketing company will send you to collections. it generates too many complaints for hem. Your best bet is to complain to phonebusters and the Better Business Bureau. Mention the BBB and they will write it off.
If you did pay I would demand a refund. and don't ever agree to anything over the phone again!!!"

PhonePages Inc is in Downtown Montreal and is owned by Brian Scott, Michael Scott, Michael Kron and Ray Narinie.
They also own and used to go under the name of : New Business Solutions, ABI Publishing, New Limit Publishing, Corporate Direct Publishing, New Line Publishing....
IT IS A SCAM. These prople make MILLIONS OF DOLLARS by tricking you.
What they do is called "an assumed sale" were they trick you into "assuming" this is something you always buy.
The "ver" (verification tape, quality control recording...) is NOT legally binding.
The best thing to do is either complain to the BBB, FTC, Competitions Bureau or POLICE. They do not want to get busted so will close your account ASAP.
PUT THESE PEOPLE OUT OF BUSINESS!!!

they are even being sued in BC

Defendants: 4313330 Canada Inc. (dba Phonepages Inc., Phonepages and/or Les Enterprises Phonepages) and Michael Kron (dba Phonepages Inc., Phonepages and/or Les Enterprises Phonepages) 1020–1410 Stanley St., Montreal and 1111–6950 Cote Saint-Luc Rd., Montreal Plaintiff: General Paint Corp. 2100–1075 W. Georgia St., Vancouver Claim: A declaration, or, that any agreement between the defendant and the plaintiff is voided and/or rescinded; injunctions; and damages related to advertising agreement

even better...they have many other websites running off the "phonepages" server... here is one i found:

http://www.whois.ws/whois-info/ip-ad...irectory.info/

PhonePages is a complete scam. If anyone else is reading this that had been caught up in this DO NOT PAY THEM. What they are doing is illegal. It's called an "assumed sale" and they make millions just scamming people like this.

They got one my employees on the phone and suckered him, but I am glad that I spend the time to look into it before I paid anything. I ended up sending their CEO a registered letter telling him that I knew all about their scam and had no intention of paying - and if they took up any more of my time I would take them to court to recover my costs. They got the picture and went away.

Don't allow yourself to be scammed!!

[msgny]

Very good input here--thanks to all!!