Business Scam still at large, warns MEP
Friday 28 June 2002
Local Conservative MEP, Roger Helmer, has warned small businesses in the East Midlands to watch out for the European City Guide Scam which is still in operation.
The European City Guide, which is based in Barcelona, has been sending brochures to small businesses in the UK and asking for verification of their businesses details so they can put them in the brochure. If they returned the form, these businesses were then hounded by the European City Guide for a hefty full payment of a service they had not even asked for. The European City Guide was infact fined £14,000 under the Misleading Advertising Directive for giving the impression that the directory entries were free, although the small print implied that those who did return the form were then invoiced for £1,455 and received a copy of the directory.
Despite a failed court appeal the European City Guide is still at large. They have now distributed mailshots to an even greater number of businesses in the UK without including the wording regarded as misleading by the Catalan authorities. But according to the DTI the offer is still very misleading and complaints against the European City Guide continue.
Speaking from the European Parliament in Brussels, Euro-MP Roger Helmer said:
"This scam is still at large. I urge businesses in the East Midlands to watch out. The European City Guide has sent mailshots to many more businesses and they are still very misleading.
"Read the small print before returning any forms. If not businesses will face a hefty bill for absolutely nothing."
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