Warning on German guide book entries
Hoteliers are being warned to watch out for unsolicited forms inviting them to take out an entry in a German guide book.
Caterer has received a number of order forms sent to hoteliers by German publishing company Tour & Travel Guide Verlag. The form invites them simply to check their details and then return it, even if they do not want an entry in the guide.
One hotelier, Gill Jenkins, proprietor of the six-bedroom Bedknobs hotel in East Dulwich, London, said she was plagued every year with unsolicited forms such as that from the Hamburg-based firm.
"I think it is a most iniquitous way of doing business," she said. "The implication is that someone in a rush will just sign up to anything." Hoteliers should be wary of signing a form without checking the small print, she added.
The Tour & Travel Guide Verlag form locks those who book an entry into a three-year contract for an annual fee of nearly £500. They are then expected to pay a further £40 for a copy of the listing.
When Caterer contacted Tour & Travel Guide Verlag, a representative claimed the guide was well established and had a worldwide circulation. However, she admitted the guide was not affiliated to any official travel organisation.
In 1993, the British Chambers of Commerce announced that it would investigate the firm after complaints about its sales tactics, although no formal investigation was subsequently carried out.
