Expo-guide: scam or not? You decide (we help you) *yawn*

Oh, look Expo-guide - another form suckering people into signing up for an expensive directory ‘insertion’

Boring isn’t it?

A couple of months ago, ExpoWest, a thoroughly reputable major UK exhibition organiser, started to alert its exhibitors to the danger that they might be approached by a company calling itself ‘Expo-guide’.

This company approaches exhibition with a scam offer designed to fool people into signing for an incredibly expensive pile of nothing when they actually believe they’re requesting a free listing in a directory.

Here’s another mention of Expo-Guide. And there’s plenty more via this Google search.

Like World Business Directory, these all follow the same pattern. They give the impression they’re offering free entry in their directory but supply a form cleverly designed to sucker people into signing their name to small print agreeing to what usually adds up to about £1000 a year in fees.  I could explain the psychology behind it but you’d get bored.  Suffice to say, it works.

If you’re one of those people who made that mistake, the first you’ll know about it is when you receive the demand for payment, followed swiftly by letters from collections agencies piling on the ‘costs’ day by day.

I’m sure that there are more than enough people out there afraid - or ashamed enough - to pay up and make this nasty behaviour worthwhile.

Sadly, expect more and more of these - particularly as banks seem completely indifferent to the nature of their clients’ activities in this field i.e. happy to take the money irrespective of how it’s extorted.

So. Expo-guide: scam or not?  You decide.

January 12, 2009 | Filed Under scam warning 

Comments

2 Responses to “Expo-guide: scam or not? You decide (we help you) *yawn*”

  1. Malcolm on February 6th, 2009 10:51 am

    Thanks for your review, you have saved us loads of money, I was going to sign up but thought I’d better do a google search, Thank od I did, what b…. who prey on small businesses., All the best Malc

  2. Sam Deeks on February 9th, 2009 10:11 am

    Glad to have been able to help, Malcolm - I’ll continue to use the Google-power of this site to draw attention to such scams and rip-offs whenever I can.

    If you come across something dodgy like this and want me to look into it (and publicise it) let me know!

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