Tuesday, June 17, 2008
An Open Letter to the owners of Expo-Guide
Dear Sir/Madam,
Having studied the forms currently being mailed by expo-guide and done comparisons with the forms formerly mailed by Construct Data Verlag (CDV) I have come to the conclusion that it is almost impossible that your forms were contrived without reference to Construct Data’s mailings
I fully accept that you may have accepted the design in complete innocence, that they it have been presented to you by a third party, and that as such this letter may represent your first warning of the problems these forms can cause.
A little history
CDVs forms were widely criticised, for over a decade the company profited from the fact that people would sign the forms in error, mistaking them for a communication from an exhibition organiser. CDV suffered numerous adverse rulings, both legal and from self regulatory organisations. When faced with such rulings they would amend the form slightly, but the aspects of the form which mislead were always maintained.
In early 2007 after a prolonged legal tussle with the Schutzverband gegen unlauteren Wettbewerb CDV found it necessary to modify their forms once again and the latest layout, (the layout to which expo-guides forms correspond) was conceived. I was in no doubt that the new form would mislead and I published an open letter to Wolfgang Valvoda, CEO of CDV telling him of my concerns and offering to assist in the design of a form that would not mislead
The letter went unanswered and the forms were indeed signed in error, in very large numbers. In November 2007 I was forced to publish a second open letter in which I concluded that Mr Valvoda was either remarkably inept or had set out with the intent to decieve, again he chose not to respond. Eventually the Schutzverband gegen unlauteren Wettbewerb forced deeper concessions from CDV who are now barred from mailing new forms from Austria.
Because CDV made concessions out of court the forms were never subjected to detailed scrutiny by a judge, which does not mean that they are legal!
The Forms you are mailing
So there you have it, expo-guide are in the position CDV found themselves in back in April 2007, you are mailing a form that I predict will be signed in error, you can fully expect that many who sign the new form will refuse to pay you.
You have clearly invested considerable money in this new project, with phone lines in six countries and a substantial website at http://www.expo-guide.com but your business model could be fatally flawed if you persist with the forms you are mailing at present.
Another Free offer
So once again I am willing to offer my time and experience to help your company design a form that cannot mislead, this offer comes with two provisos:
Jules Woodell - 16th June 2008
See StopECGs Advice page regarding expo-guide
Having studied the forms currently being mailed by expo-guide and done comparisons with the forms formerly mailed by Construct Data Verlag (CDV) I have come to the conclusion that it is almost impossible that your forms were contrived without reference to Construct Data’s mailings
I fully accept that you may have accepted the design in complete innocence, that they it have been presented to you by a third party, and that as such this letter may represent your first warning of the problems these forms can cause.
A little history
CDVs forms were widely criticised, for over a decade the company profited from the fact that people would sign the forms in error, mistaking them for a communication from an exhibition organiser. CDV suffered numerous adverse rulings, both legal and from self regulatory organisations. When faced with such rulings they would amend the form slightly, but the aspects of the form which mislead were always maintained.
In early 2007 after a prolonged legal tussle with the Schutzverband gegen unlauteren Wettbewerb CDV found it necessary to modify their forms once again and the latest layout, (the layout to which expo-guides forms correspond) was conceived. I was in no doubt that the new form would mislead and I published an open letter to Wolfgang Valvoda, CEO of CDV telling him of my concerns and offering to assist in the design of a form that would not mislead
The letter went unanswered and the forms were indeed signed in error, in very large numbers. In November 2007 I was forced to publish a second open letter in which I concluded that Mr Valvoda was either remarkably inept or had set out with the intent to decieve, again he chose not to respond. Eventually the Schutzverband gegen unlauteren Wettbewerb forced deeper concessions from CDV who are now barred from mailing new forms from Austria.
Because CDV made concessions out of court the forms were never subjected to detailed scrutiny by a judge, which does not mean that they are legal!
The Forms you are mailing
So there you have it, expo-guide are in the position CDV found themselves in back in April 2007, you are mailing a form that I predict will be signed in error, you can fully expect that many who sign the new form will refuse to pay you.
You have clearly invested considerable money in this new project, with phone lines in six countries and a substantial website at http://www.expo-guide.com but your business model could be fatally flawed if you persist with the forms you are mailing at present.
Another Free offer
So once again I am willing to offer my time and experience to help your company design a form that cannot mislead, this offer comes with two provisos:
- I would expect you to accept that your initial mailshots were a mistake, and where people state that they signed in error you should offer them the opportunity to rescind the contract.
- That in accepting a new design you take it in its entirety and do not modify it or alter the meaning when translating into other languages
Should Expo-guide continue to mail the misleading forms and/or demand money from those who have signed in error it will be hard not to conclude that it is your intent to mislead people. In that instance stopECG will campaign against you with the same zeal CDV experienced.
Should you wish to reply to any part of this letter, please let me know, your reply will be published here for all readers to see.
Jules Woodell - 16th June 2008
See StopECGs Advice page regarding expo-guide
Labels: Construct Data Verlag, contract, Expo-guide, misleading, Open Letter, StopECG, www.expo-guide.com
Comments:
<< Home
hello,
I have signed by mistake a "contract" by "expo-Guide" I am trying to access your advice webpage but for some reason it does not come up ("The page you are looking for is currently unavailable"). I am very angry and would really like to read how I get out of it, if you can tell me how to access the page or what to do, I would very much appreciate.
Thanks, M
I have signed by mistake a "contract" by "expo-Guide" I am trying to access your advice webpage but for some reason it does not come up ("The page you are looking for is currently unavailable"). I am very angry and would really like to read how I get out of it, if you can tell me how to access the page or what to do, I would very much appreciate.
Thanks, M
11/6/08
I just received an Invoice for $1571.00 for a listing that I did not knowingly authorize.
In June I was sent a form to "confirm tthe accuracy of my details". It stated on the form that it was "only for your correct listing" and that "my entry has been published to date for free". Assuming that this was to continue to be free, I corrected my email address and mailed it back.
The very misleading extra small type at the very bottom of the form which I did not notice, now that I reread it, mentions a fee of $1571 for this "free" entry.
This "detail form" was very misleading, and I demanded them to cancel this insertion.
I also downloaded, filled out the complaint form from your site and will mail it off today.
Please keep me informed of anyone else who has this same problem and of anything else i should do.
Thank you so much.
MHL
I just received an Invoice for $1571.00 for a listing that I did not knowingly authorize.
In June I was sent a form to "confirm tthe accuracy of my details". It stated on the form that it was "only for your correct listing" and that "my entry has been published to date for free". Assuming that this was to continue to be free, I corrected my email address and mailed it back.
The very misleading extra small type at the very bottom of the form which I did not notice, now that I reread it, mentions a fee of $1571 for this "free" entry.
This "detail form" was very misleading, and I demanded them to cancel this insertion.
I also downloaded, filled out the complaint form from your site and will mail it off today.
Please keep me informed of anyone else who has this same problem and of anything else i should do.
Thank you so much.
MHL
Hello,
I have also signed that contract by mistake and been trying to cancel it ,but it seems to be mission impossible.
I have try to make contact by calling all the specified phone No.s in form but no one answer.
Only contact I have made is through sending fax on no.: 00525510842628 and as many time as I have asked no one ever indentefy itself and I was given no other contact.
No need to mention thet lately they stoped to answer on that fax too.
If someone has any clue how to cancel this or any sugestion what to do please advise.
Thank You.
Best rgds.
L
I have also signed that contract by mistake and been trying to cancel it ,but it seems to be mission impossible.
I have try to make contact by calling all the specified phone No.s in form but no one answer.
Only contact I have made is through sending fax on no.: 00525510842628 and as many time as I have asked no one ever indentefy itself and I was given no other contact.
No need to mention thet lately they stoped to answer on that fax too.
If someone has any clue how to cancel this or any sugestion what to do please advise.
Thank You.
Best rgds.
L
I received the 'invitation' from expo guide to correct my listing (which was flawed) but due to the fact that I ALWAYS read the fine print, I noticed the $1500 fee. I then decided this was not worth my while, but nonetheless wanted to 'correct' my entry, which was stated could be done online for free. I googled expo guide and came across this warning.
Thank you very much for your initiative.
Thank you very much for your initiative.
hello,
I have signed by mistake a cheat "contract" by "expo-Guide".
I received an invoices and didn't paid. I wrote a letter to ask why and to tell it was an error. But they just replly me by an other invoice. I asked to call me at the office but they never call me back. What the fuck is it? What i can do it? Help!
Thank! Sébastien B.
I have signed by mistake a cheat "contract" by "expo-Guide".
I received an invoices and didn't paid. I wrote a letter to ask why and to tell it was an error. But they just replly me by an other invoice. I asked to call me at the office but they never call me back. What the fuck is it? What i can do it? Help!
Thank! Sébastien B.
Expo Guide sent me a follow up letter explaining that the cover letter they sent contained all the information about the paid listing. Well, I never got a cover letter - just 2 contract s for a "free" update. I contacted The FTC and filed a report. Sent a second letter to Expo Guide. Have yet to hear back.
Please let me know of your own progress in this matter!
La Mische
Please let me know of your own progress in this matter!
La Mische
The Bank Referenced in demand for money of Expo-Guide is now.
Berliner Volksbank EG, Germany
IBAN: DE36 1009 0000 2080 3580 00
Swift: BEVODEBB
Account number : 2080358000
Bank code : 10090000
Berliner Volksbank EG, Germany
IBAN: DE36 1009 0000 2080 3580 00
Swift: BEVODEBB
Account number : 2080358000
Bank code : 10090000
Hi,
I warmly recommand all readers of this site as first step NOT TO PAY A PENNY, since you have been misled by the fraudulent hidden offer at the bottom of the form where nobody would expect it. It is true by paying the claimend amount you confirm the commercial offer of which you were not aware when signing the form for the free listing, which would not necessitate any signature. Be tough and resist in declaring void and null the contract because you signed in obvious error. This new bogus Expo-Guide CM located in Mexico, is obviously a protube of Contruct Data Verlad in order to avoild the regulations imposed by the Ministry of Commerce and the Associations for Fair Trading in Austria. I'm sure that the competent Authorities will be informed by thousand of complaints sent to them in the very near future so that none of the conned persons will be brought to court not in Mexiko neither in Austria. You may sleep in heaven because they won't dare to bring any of these fraudulent cases to court, since they are more feared to be condemned by the judge.
I trust, my advice will help to get your confidence again in this sad event.
Yours Barbara M.
I warmly recommand all readers of this site as first step NOT TO PAY A PENNY, since you have been misled by the fraudulent hidden offer at the bottom of the form where nobody would expect it. It is true by paying the claimend amount you confirm the commercial offer of which you were not aware when signing the form for the free listing, which would not necessitate any signature. Be tough and resist in declaring void and null the contract because you signed in obvious error. This new bogus Expo-Guide CM located in Mexico, is obviously a protube of Contruct Data Verlad in order to avoild the regulations imposed by the Ministry of Commerce and the Associations for Fair Trading in Austria. I'm sure that the competent Authorities will be informed by thousand of complaints sent to them in the very near future so that none of the conned persons will be brought to court not in Mexiko neither in Austria. You may sleep in heaven because they won't dare to bring any of these fraudulent cases to court, since they are more feared to be condemned by the judge.
I trust, my advice will help to get your confidence again in this sad event.
Yours Barbara M.
I also signed a contract by "Expo-Guide" by mistake. They wrote in the cover letter that was just a uptade of information. Then, they wrote with really small letter about the price for it in the form to update the information. I´m trying to cancel it, I have sent e-mails, but they are very hard to understand the situation. Now, i`m following the instructions of the site: http://www.stopecg.org/expo-guide.htm#research and I hope I can solve this problem.
I really would like to know if some of you had a positive result and how you get it.
Thanks.
CC
I really would like to know if some of you had a positive result and how you get it.
Thanks.
CC
My partner also signed this form as the cover letter called it a "free listing". I have refused to pay it and I happily ignore their requests for payment as should anyone who gets one. I am also in the process of notifying all trade shows were are associated with so that they may directly advise their members not to sign these fraudulent contracts. If you go to the expoguide site, you will note that it offers no valuable information or assitance to anyone. It's just a scam.
I have also been misled into signing the Expo-Guide contract. I receive many free listing offers from different publications so I assumed (as it was stated on the form I received from them) that this was a free listing. I have tried to contact them by fax and registered mail but I continue to receive invoices and nobody from Expo-Guide answers my letters or faxes. I have also filled out and mailed a complaint form to Procuraduria Federal Del Consumidor in Mexico, but I have not received a response from that either.
To All,
I too signed the "listing " under the impression it was to correct free advertisement in the Magic Las Vegas event.
Their email address info@expo-guide.com can get a reply in english. Another form was just sent after I cancelled the contract 6 months ago. Even though they refuse to cancel. I don't think they stand a chance in court should it ever get to that point. Doubtful the cheaters would expose themselves in court. Dont pay it.
Thanks for the blog and the info.
I too signed the "listing " under the impression it was to correct free advertisement in the Magic Las Vegas event.
Their email address info@expo-guide.com can get a reply in english. Another form was just sent after I cancelled the contract 6 months ago. Even though they refuse to cancel. I don't think they stand a chance in court should it ever get to that point. Doubtful the cheaters would expose themselves in court. Dont pay it.
Thanks for the blog and the info.
Hello,
I have made that mistake too.
Now I received a letter from their legal department urging me to make the payment to aviod a court recovery procedure
I would appreciate it very much if you know a way out of it
Thanks
gk
I have made that mistake too.
Now I received a letter from their legal department urging me to make the payment to aviod a court recovery procedure
I would appreciate it very much if you know a way out of it
Thanks
gk
As another individual that has been hoodwinked by this misleading "free listing" form, the Financial Controller of the company has been in touch with the UK office of Expo Guide and categorically refused to pay.
As a company we will vigorously contest the invoice.
We have issued the following email to Expo Guide today:
To whom it may concern,
Please accept this email as formal notification that we wish all references to our company to be removed from the Expo-Guide web site with immediate effect.
Your web site is not approved by the exhibition organisers and contrary to any paperwork you have in your possession, this "advertisement" has not been approved for publication on the above named site.
We will monitor the site and if our company reference is not removed from the site in the next ten days, we intend to take the matter to the Office of Fair Trading.
If that does not have the desired effect, we will initiate legal proceedings for unauthorised use of our copyright material.
Under no circumstances will this pathetic bunch of scammers be paid.
KR
Ivor
As a company we will vigorously contest the invoice.
We have issued the following email to Expo Guide today:
To whom it may concern,
Please accept this email as formal notification that we wish all references to our company to be removed from the Expo-Guide web site with immediate effect.
Your web site is not approved by the exhibition organisers and contrary to any paperwork you have in your possession, this "advertisement" has not been approved for publication on the above named site.
We will monitor the site and if our company reference is not removed from the site in the next ten days, we intend to take the matter to the Office of Fair Trading.
If that does not have the desired effect, we will initiate legal proceedings for unauthorised use of our copyright material.
Under no circumstances will this pathetic bunch of scammers be paid.
KR
Ivor
We also have signed the contract, and i have tried calling and emailing on numerous occasions to cancel once i recieved the bill back in October and i never get a answer and here we are in March and i just get a letter stating what we owe. I truly believe this is fraud and i am trying so hard to cancel my contract and i dont know what to do. Any suggestions!?
Hi !
I have been a victim of expo-guide too. They are sending letter of supposed over due payments. I did not pay and will not pay. I tried many times to call, but nobody answers the phone (in any country) and sent many emails too. Please keep this post alive with anything that would help all of us in the same situation.
best.
I have been a victim of expo-guide too. They are sending letter of supposed over due payments. I did not pay and will not pay. I tried many times to call, but nobody answers the phone (in any country) and sent many emails too. Please keep this post alive with anything that would help all of us in the same situation.
best.
Hej,
Although I informed them that it was an error to sign their form, they still send invoices and reminders. Their last due overpayment reminder is a threat to the next step : the legal steps. I wonder their invoice form is in a proper form or not, since they still insist that it's electronically produced, then no signature follows. I don't think it's a logical way for an invoice.There is only a signaturre of someone called Alejandro Esteban inviting free listing in the company Expo Guide S de RL de SV, but the invoice they sent with the words Expo Guide asking to pay to Commercial Online Manuals S de RL de CV. I don't see any relation between the letter signed by AE and the invoice, they had prepared a loophole to escape from justice, if any claim from 'their victims' or StopECG for ex. Can anybody tell me about my thinking. Thanks. In the meantime they still send another form inviting me to 'confirm the accuracy of my details', it's very ridiculous. In one hand, they send invoices for the forms being signed by mistake, in the other hand they still send forms for us to trap in again. This time, I look carefully at the enveloppe, it came from Box 55 935, 102 16 Stockholm, it's very strange. This scam involves many countries in it : Mexico, Germany, and then now Mail World Box nummer 55 935, right in Sweden.
Can somebody tell me how to react with the new forms they send again for news traps. It's a very bad feeling to hear the words Expo Guide, exhibitions, fairs and to see the orange and pink color of the words Expo Guide on the enveloppes containing their so called invoices.
Thank you for the blog.
Although I informed them that it was an error to sign their form, they still send invoices and reminders. Their last due overpayment reminder is a threat to the next step : the legal steps. I wonder their invoice form is in a proper form or not, since they still insist that it's electronically produced, then no signature follows. I don't think it's a logical way for an invoice.There is only a signaturre of someone called Alejandro Esteban inviting free listing in the company Expo Guide S de RL de SV, but the invoice they sent with the words Expo Guide asking to pay to Commercial Online Manuals S de RL de CV. I don't see any relation between the letter signed by AE and the invoice, they had prepared a loophole to escape from justice, if any claim from 'their victims' or StopECG for ex. Can anybody tell me about my thinking. Thanks. In the meantime they still send another form inviting me to 'confirm the accuracy of my details', it's very ridiculous. In one hand, they send invoices for the forms being signed by mistake, in the other hand they still send forms for us to trap in again. This time, I look carefully at the enveloppe, it came from Box 55 935, 102 16 Stockholm, it's very strange. This scam involves many countries in it : Mexico, Germany, and then now Mail World Box nummer 55 935, right in Sweden.
Can somebody tell me how to react with the new forms they send again for news traps. It's a very bad feeling to hear the words Expo Guide, exhibitions, fairs and to see the orange and pink color of the words Expo Guide on the enveloppes containing their so called invoices.
Thank you for the blog.
I found there are some tricks in their legal status. They have changed the old name 'Commercial Online Manuals S de RL de CV and their VAT number RFC:IAC070522AM6' to 'Expo Guide S de RL de CV with VAT number EGU0705223M8'.
The 2 new forms they have sent to invite me to their 'free listings' are from the new one 'Expo Guide S de RL de CV with VAT number EGU0705223M8', but remained their logo 'Expo Guide'.
When I make the search on Google, I found that all these information about that 'Expo-Guide' are mixed on their own website, new name and old tax number, the same address, ...
Can anyone tell me what tricks they are going to do. One of the option is : they can not retrieve money from their own victims, so they skip to another legal name before the number of these victims is under the thresh line to be claimed by StopECG.
Or they cannot pay tax for the old tax number and skip to the new one.
Here are the links that I've found VAT number RFC:IAC070522AM6, http://www.expo-guide.com/iws/home/language/en/COM-MEXICO/147215 (english)
VAT number EGU0705223M8
http://www.expo-guide.com/images/pdf/a208.pdf
I provide these information to StopECG for you to tell me what they are doing with thir two companies names with the same logo 'Expo-Guide'. What law can stop these people to cheat others like the way they do? Can anyone tell me, thanks so much.
The 2 new forms they have sent to invite me to their 'free listings' are from the new one 'Expo Guide S de RL de CV with VAT number EGU0705223M8', but remained their logo 'Expo Guide'.
When I make the search on Google, I found that all these information about that 'Expo-Guide' are mixed on their own website, new name and old tax number, the same address, ...
Can anyone tell me what tricks they are going to do. One of the option is : they can not retrieve money from their own victims, so they skip to another legal name before the number of these victims is under the thresh line to be claimed by StopECG.
Or they cannot pay tax for the old tax number and skip to the new one.
Here are the links that I've found VAT number RFC:IAC070522AM6, http://www.expo-guide.com/iws/home/language/en/COM-MEXICO/147215 (english)
VAT number EGU0705223M8
http://www.expo-guide.com/images/pdf/a208.pdf
I provide these information to StopECG for you to tell me what they are doing with thir two companies names with the same logo 'Expo-Guide'. What law can stop these people to cheat others like the way they do? Can anyone tell me, thanks so much.
I've received a letter from their legal department too, urging me to make the payment to avoid a court recovery procedure.
But I don't pay and will not pay.
Thank you Barbara and Andre, thank you for the blog.
But I don't pay and will not pay.
Thank you Barbara and Andre, thank you for the blog.
Hello to all,
I made similar mistake long time ago (in 2002) by signing Fair Guide contract.
Long story short- don't pay anything to them and don't care about their treats.
In my case silence came after their last treat when they said that "OK, if you'll refuse to pay, we'll put you into court". Didn't hear anything since then. I'm sure, that's the point where they'll stop.
I would say- don't reply to their mails, don't speak to them by phone- it's useless, they are not going to discuss anything, all what they want is- money.
GOOD LUCK!
I made similar mistake long time ago (in 2002) by signing Fair Guide contract.
Long story short- don't pay anything to them and don't care about their treats.
In my case silence came after their last treat when they said that "OK, if you'll refuse to pay, we'll put you into court". Didn't hear anything since then. I'm sure, that's the point where they'll stop.
I would say- don't reply to their mails, don't speak to them by phone- it's useless, they are not going to discuss anything, all what they want is- money.
GOOD LUCK!
Hello Everyone,
I am from India and we are also suffering from the same and till date we received 2 letters from their legal department Demanding for the Money.
Please inform me how to resolve the issue.
Regards
Rohit Khetan
I am from India and we are also suffering from the same and till date we received 2 letters from their legal department Demanding for the Money.
Please inform me how to resolve the issue.
Regards
Rohit Khetan
Nice to hear from others who have been "suckered"
in by this group of hustlers. I will ignore their bills
and threats. They can take me to court where they
will lose, I guarantee it.
in by this group of hustlers. I will ignore their bills
and threats. They can take me to court where they
will lose, I guarantee it.
Hi, I have done the same mistake and i am very much calmer after reading all of your situations and advice. I am not contacting them nor am i paying up and i will now look at the small print more often in most mail. Thankyou!! x
Post a Comment
<< Home
