Advertisers claim they were ‘duped' over entries in Travelodge brochure

Restaurant and pub owners claim they have been misled by an advertising company representing Granada's Travelodge hotel chain.

They say the firm, Titan Design Consultants, of Lytham, Lancashire, told them their adverts would appear in Travelodge brochures before Christmas last year.

The company took its fees in October, but the brochures, which give Travelodge guests details of local places to eat and drink, were not published until months later.

The money was allegedly taken from advertisers' bank accounts before they expected, allowing Titan to earn interest on it for several months.

Russell Burns, owner of the 50-seat Yellow Broom restaurant in Twemlow Green, Cheshire, paid £600.

He said: "We were told payment would be taken 28 days before publication.

"If there are 150 Travelodges and if six or seven advertisers in each brochure have been duped as we have, then someone, somewhere has got away with a good £700,000."

To make matters worse, when the brochures were published they were, they claim, littered with mistakes.

One advert, for Shrimpton's restaurant in Haslemere, Surrey, did not give an address or telephone number for the business.

Meanwhile, Mary Holmes, of the 70-seat Sun Inn in Bentworth, Hampshire, paid for her business to feature in Travelodge's Basingstoke brochure.

It does not have a Basingstoke issue this year.

Philip Leatham, a director for Titan, said: "A lot of publications were printed in November but they were misplaced. We have been printing continuously since then."

He blamed the mistakes on "human error" and added: "If any advertiser is not happy with their advert we will change it for the next print run."

A Travelodge spokesman said: "All complaints received by us are brought to the immediate attention of Titan Design Consultants with the aim of a swift and appropriate resolution."

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 13-19 July 2000