European City Guide SCAM WARNING!
 

Directory scams like the European City Guide have tricked thousands of small businesses, charities, voluntary organisations and clubs across the UK and the rest of Europe into signing up for a supposedly free listing in their directory when in fact, hidden deep in the small print, they are charging around £800 annually in a contract that is almost impossible to cancel.
 

How do directory scams work? First things first: Never pay any money to a directory scam! The problem of directory scams has existed for decades but has increased in intensity in recent years to the extent that the most notorious scam, the European City Guide, now indiscriminately sends out six million unsolicited forms annually.

The forms are intentionally misleading and give the impression that by updating your details (which are often wrong) you will receive a free listing in their directory. However, the small print reveals that you will be tied to a three-year contract which will cost around £800 annually and if not cancelled six months in advance of the final year will automatically renew for another three years.

Some directory scams provide a seven-day period where you can cancel your contract at the start, but they never inform victims of the true cost until well after this period has ended.

The scams then pursue their victims relentlessly, bullying, harassing and demanding payment and threatening court action, which, to my knowledge, they have never taken in the UK. Instead they work hand in hand with related debt collection agencies to intimidate people into paying and have have made many victims' lives a misery.

If victims refuse to pay then their "debt" increases and the scams will then offer a compromise discount. This too is just another strategy to trick people into paying.

People should steer clear of any document which features the name European City Guide, UK Internet Register, Construct Data Verlag, Novachannel and DAD Deutscher Adressdienst GmbH.

Advice to victims of directory scams from Richard Corbett MEP is "Do not pay!"

"They will pester you, they will threaten you, they will try to intimidate you. Do not pay. They will imply they are ready to take court action. Do not pay. It is an empty threat. To my knowledge no directory scam has ever taken anyone in the UK to court."

"If you have paid some money, then refuse to pay the next installment. It is very likely they will return for more money at some point in the future."

"Write to the relevant directory scam informing them you have been misled and telling them to cancel the contract. Contact details are available on http://www.stopecg.org "

"Write to your MEP about your case."

"Write to Commissioner Meglena Kuneva, at the European Commission, Rue de la Loi 200, B-1049 Brussels, to urge Europe-wide legislation against the scams."

"Visit the Consumer Direct website or ring them on 08454 040506."

In 2003, the European City Guide, then based in Barcelona, was ordered to close for one year and fined €300,000 by the Catalan local government for misleading advertising. Rather than accept this ruling, the ECG appealed but the High Court of Justice of Catalonia rejected the appeal made by the ECG, finding that the decision of the Catalan regional government must stand.

In February 2007, the Austrian-based Construct Data Verlag agreed before the provincial Court of Vienna not to send its bogus "Fair Guide" and to stop demanding payment. This followed legal action being taken by the Austrian advertising self-regulation body Österreichischer Werberat (ÖWR) and the Austrian Association for Protection against Unfair Competition (Schutzerband gegen unlauteren Wettbewerb) also on the basis of misleading advertising.

In March 2007, the ECG was condemned by the Criminal Court of Brussels following a case brought against them by no fewer than 400 Belgian companies. Although the Court did not order the ECG to close, it imposed a €275,000 fine for misleading publicity, fraud and attempted fraud.
 

 

The name may change, but the scam is the same! Again, don't fall a victim to any of these European directory scams!