An Illinois-based marketing company that has contacted several Lawrence businesses about advertising is being sued for deceptive business practices by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

The company, Loyalty Publishing Inc. of Peoria, Ill., is accused of deceptively soliciting small businesses nationwide to purchase advertising on posters featuring game schedules of high school sports teams. Loyalty Publishing also has faced 10 complaints during the past three years through the Better Business Bureau of Central Illinois.

The same company recently had contacted Community Mercantile Co-op, in Lawrence, about renewing last year’s Merc ad in what Loyalty Publishing described as its “Douglas County Newcomers Guide,” said David Smith, The Merc’s marketing director.

But The Merc never had advertised with Loyalty, Smith said, and certainly not for the price Loyalty was quoting, which was to be paid for by credit card. Besides, the only newcomers guide Smith was familiar with was the Douglas County Newcomers Guide published by Sunflower Publishing, right here in Lawrence.

“After awhile, it didn’t quite feel right,” said Smith, who hung up and soon called his Sunflower Publishing representative.

Bert Hull, Sunflower Publishing’s manager, said that Smith was among several advertisers who had been contacted by Loyalty – and that the Loyalty representative had referred to ads run in Sunflower Publishing’s guide, and even had cited rates charged by Sunflower Publishing.

Hull said that it would appear Loyalty was trying to pass itself off as Sunflower Publishing – a division of The World Company, which also owns the Journal-World – to collect money for itself.

“They’re trying to stay right on the edge of deception, if not crossing it,” Hull said. “There’s no doubt in my mind.”

Judy Billings, president and CEO of Destination Management Inc., which runs the Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau, said that she had heard from two hotels in Lawrence confused about whether Loyalty’s solicitations were for the CVB’s own publication, the Lawrence Visitors Guide.

“I think we’ve probably nipped it in the bud,” Billings said. “Thankfully we have a good relationship with people, and they called to find out. This is a good warning to be careful, beware and know who you’re doing business with.”

Jeff Crusen, Loyalty’s general manager, acknowledged Thursday that his salesperson working on Loyalty’s guide “might” have had a copy of the Sunflower publication when making calls on Lawrence advertisers.

But Crusen denied that his company had engaged in any deceptive practices.

“No way, shape or form whatsoever,” Crusen said.

The sales representative working on the new Douglas County guide – formally known as the “Douglas County Visitors Relocation and Community Guide” – has asked for and been granted permission to cease work on the publication, Crusen said. The 2008 guide will be published in February or March, he said, but not again in 2009.

“We don’t want to step on any toes,” he said.

Scott Mulford, a spokesman for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, suggested that anyone in Lawrence who felt like they had been the victim of a deceptive solicitation from Loyalty Publishing could contact the office and make a complaint.

“They are more than encouraged,” he said. “If they have any doubts or are aware of what they may feel are questionable contacts, they can let us know by calling our office at (217) 782-1090.”

Complaint forms also may be downloaded from the office’s Web site, www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov.