Beware
SDL Exhibitions and many other industry bodies are working together to inform exhibitors, across all industry sectors and in all countries, of the misleading and unethical business practices of Expo-Guide/Fairguide.com/Construct Data Verlag.
Fairguide
Expo Guilde/Fairguide.com/Construct Data Verlag claim to publicises its services to exhibitors at events, primarily in Europe. The company uses a misleading form, which resembles an organiser’s Free Catalogue Listing Service, inviting exhibitors to sign and return the form for an entry in an on-line directory. Doing so contracts the purchaser into the three-year, non-retractable agreement. Non-payment is then followed by aggressive debt collecting by Premium Recovery.
Expo-Guide/Fairguide.com/Construct Data Verlag have no connection with Exhibition Organisers or any of their events but they deliberately target exhibitors who are about to exhibit across Europe.
The companies use a form (click here for example) which resembles an organiser’s free catalogue listing service, inviting exhibitors to sign and return the form for an entry in an on-line directory, which contracts the purchaser into the three-year, non-retractable agreement.
The exhibitor then receives an invoice for EU971 which, when not paid, quickly escalates into intimidatory debt recovery tactics and threats of legal action.
Fairguide.com engage the services two debt collection agencies. Austrian company Gravis Inkasso Gmbh and a Swiss company Premium Recovery AG. The advice when dealing with these companies remains the same as dealing with Fairguide.com itself.
If you are contacted by Expo-Guide/Fairguide.com/Construct Data you should not complete the listings form.
However if any companies have mistakenly completed and returned the forms it has been established that ExpoGuide/Fairguide.com/Construct Data have never carried out their threat of legal action against non-payers. Expo-Guide/Fairguide.com/Construct Data also attempt to get companies to settle for one-year payment instead of three to “avoid prosecution”. Companies are advised to seek their own legal advice on whether to withhold payment.
Keep a written record of any communication with this company. If possible record any telephone calls and inform them that you are doing so.
Further details on the activities of this company can be found at the following websites:
http://www.aeo.org.uk/page.cfm/link=40